Under certain municipal programs, the City has the power to offer financial assistance for the implementation of economic, social, housing and environmental development strategies and objectives. Existing municipal programs primarily relate to housing and several are the result of cooperation with the governments of Québec and Canada (see Section 2.1).

In order to achieve some of the Plan’s objectives, new programs are needed to complement existing ones. Their application will be adapted to the individual characteristics of the boroughs, which may also choose to create their own programs in order to meet their specific needs. Obviously, such programs should generate more taxes over the longer term than the assistance granted, because of their effect on the City’s tax base.

Chapter 2 discusses all of the new programs advocated. For example, there is a financial assistance program to promote the intensification of urban activities in the vicinity of certain metro and commuter train stations (Objectives 2, 3, 8 and 9). This program reflects the City’s intention to support a type of urbanization that favours the use of public transportation in both residential and employment areas. Needless to say, this type of assistance will also generate greater tax returns than the assistance granted.

Another important program is for the rehabilitation of contaminated sites in areas designated for conversion to residential or employment purposes (Objectives 2, 8, 9 and 17). As emphasized in Chapter 1, a major development and consolidation challenge is to support the City’s renewal in built-up areas. Specifically, the City supports radical changes in both activities and built form in the areas to be transformed. A number of these are likely to exhibit a certain level of contamination. Priority for allocating funds for rehabilitating contaminated sites should be given first to the areas to be transformed and to the sites designated for an intensification of urban activities in the vicinity of some metro and commuter train stations.