At its Feb. 21 meeting, Montreal city council united behind a Tremblay administration declaration of support for a confidential data registry that will track the incidence of bedbug infestations in Montreal.

The purpose of the databank is to help the city combat the nasty bugs across the entire territory of Montreal, according to Michael Applebaum, mayor of Côte-des-Neiges- NDG.

He said that in order to fight the pest “the city must develop a global action plan.”

The city will work with la Direction de santé publique, the CSSSs, the boroughs, landlords and tenants to map the prevalence, geographic distribution and evolution of bed bug infestations.

Both experts and the public will be able to consult the confidential registry, providing a much-needed resource to aid the city in assessing the scope of the problem without stigmatizing tenants with infestations or subjecting landlords to unnecessary solicitation from extermination companies.

Initially the 2nd Opposition had decided to bring forward its own resolution, but it was withdrawn after negotiating amendments to the declaration tabled by Applebaum, who is also vice-president of the city’s executive committee.

Plateau Mont-Royal city councillor Carl Boileau said that the main concern behind a second resolution was to ensure that a uniform methodology be implemented across the boroughs. However, the opposition was satisfied that the amended declaration addressed its concerns.

NDG councillor Peter McQueen said that while he doesn’t know how NDG compares to other districts in terms of the magnitude of the problem, it is a real concern for many residents, and he personally knows individuals who have been affected.

The registry will provide detailed information about the number of calls that the city receives, as well as how many exterminations are done, and provide a breakdown of this information by borough.

Extermination companies, as well as owners of major properties who do their own exterminations, will be required to report infestations.

Applebaum said that the city also plans to integrate reporting mechanisms into the delivery of other services - for example, when a plumber is called to fix a leaky faucet.

[ Deborah Rankin ]