Survey of Milton Parc’s residents shows urgent need for an improvement in the neighborhood’s access to health and social services.
Residents and representatives of the Milton Parc Community (CMP) gathered on Oct. 2 to discuss health services in their neighbourhood, commonly referred to by students as the “McGill Student Ghetto.” Irene Demczuk, a representative of the De la Montagne Users’ Committee, presented results showing disparities in the health and social services available to residents of Milton Parc. Demczuk proposed the CMP’s short-term solutions and potentially changing the district’s geography to improve residents’ access.
Residents of Milton Parc stated they are unaware of the medical and social services available to their sector following the closure of the sole medical clinic in 2019. 70% of residents reported that their personal access to health services has declined since the integration of the “Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux” (CIUSSS) in 2015.
Residents of Milton Parc have expressed their need for accessible medical services, as there are no medical clinics or family doctors located in the area. 70% of respondents reported dissatisfaction with the neighbourhood’s health and social services, and 60% of residents are not registered with family doctors.
Milton Parc has become a refuge for the plateau’s unhoused population over the last decade, resulting in greater demand and concentration of co-op and nonprofit housing. The survey reported an increase in homelessness and drug use and showed 60% of residents are low-income, and a large share of the population is over 75.
Richard Phaneuf, owner of Milton Parc’s Co-op housing, says he feels great responsibility for his low-income, more vulnerable tenants. “I feel like a father to them,” he said after explaining how upset he is about being unable to help his tenants register for family doctors or social services.
– Richard Phaneuf, 2025.
Phaneuf explains how one of his tenants spent a year in St. Mary’s Hospital due to a mental health crisis and was unable to rejoin the co-op after being released. Phaneuf said, “If only he had access to a social worker, he wouldn’t be homeless … this system created a homeless person,” explaining how he felt the CIUSSS failed his tenant.
Milton Parc is part of Le Centre-Ouest, meaning the nearest primary healthcare is at the Local Community Service Centre at Metro Station Guy-Concordia, as there is currently no medical clinic in Milton Parc. Vulnerable residents must travel 3-4 metro stations or 2.3km to receive care from a family doctor at the CLSC, if they are registered. According to the survey, CIUSSS health and social services are not easily accessible to the vulnerable population in Milton Parc.
Demczuk proposed several recommendations to address the health service crisis in Milton Parc, including implementing short-term medical and social supports, promoting access to family doctors and the CLSC, organizing transportation, and enhancing resources for people in non-profit housing.
Many Milton Parc residents, like Phaneuf, are pushing for the government to change the neighbourhood’s geographical distinction. This would mean Milton Parc could be under the jurisdiction of Centre-Sud, which includes most of the Plateau. Changing the geographic designation would make the commute to primary healthcare more accessible for residents, as Centre-Sud’s clinics are closer to Milton Parc than those in Centre-Ouest.
Demczuk concluded that Milton Parc urgently requires improved social and health services. The CMP and CIUSSS have proposed short-term solutions, but the ultimate solution will require collaboration and open dialogue between Milton Parc’s residents, the CIUSSS, and the CMP
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Check out Milton Parc’s Community Website: https://www.miltonparc.org
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