Jean-Philippe Riopel and Élyse Lévesque raised a 7,000-name online petition to the Quebec National Assembly calling for protection of the historic district
"I m just surprised by this proposal and the fact that it s so unclear in terms of the justification," said Dinu Bumbaru, Heritage Montreal s policy director.
Advocates who have been calling for the protection of Montreal's Chinatown are relieved that the city and province have acted. But they warn that if the soul of Chinatown is to be preserved, government must protect more than just buildings.