Valois Village desperate for facelift, business owners say

Pointe-Claire wants to revitalize its aging shopping spot, Valois Village, but business owners are disappointed that the plan could take up to 15 years to complete.

They say the sidewalk hasdeteriorated to the point thatcracks have turned intoholes. And graffiti is more than just painted on windows, it's scratched into the glass as well.

Hawaii Ice shop owner Paul Bassily thinks the atmosphere doesn't appeal to families.

"Who wants to go somewhere where there's holes in the ground and graffiti?" Bassily said.

"No one wants to go there. No one wants to bring their families there. They want to go somewhere where it looks nice."

The owner of Pilates Fusion, Katherine Murray, thinks the city should invest in greenery.

"There's still a little charm but it could be nicer," Murray said."It can be old but nice. Right now it's old, but not that nice."

Pointe-Claire MayorMorris Trudeau said the city can't dedicate all its funds to Valois Village and that work will take 10 to 15 years.

"We can't neglect the rest of our city," Trudeau said."We have many obligations and we have to carry them out over a long-term basis."

The city held a public forum on what to do in the area and has hired a company to look into recommendations and draft a plan.

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