Toulouse: the Saint-Michel funfair will take place on the island of Ramier
This Tuesday, the town hall of Toulouse announced that the Saint-Michel party is finally maintained. She moves to the island of Ramier.
Until the end, the outcome will have been uncertain. The negotiations between the town hall of Toulouse and the fairgrounds finally ended on Tuesday. The Saint-Michel festival will settle on the island of Ramier in two weeks. “Toulouse City Hall therefore immediately mobilizes its technical services to prepare this site as appropriate, but within extremely tight deadlines. With the necessary goodwill of all, with the success of this installation”, indicates the Capitol. For their part, the showmen hope that “the means made available will make it possible to guarantee the good conditions necessary for the holding of the event”.
In recent weeks, the future of the historic funfair was still unclear. After spending 10 years at the Zénith, the showmen had to leave the location last year. The municipality announced, in March 2021, to the Fédération des Forains de France its refusal to set up the Fête Saint-Michel at the Zénith for several reasons. In particular the urban renewal program of the Cartoucherie which, with the creation of hundreds of additional dwellings, no longer allows coexistence with an event of this nature, and the nuisances suffered and deplored by the residents.
“Aware that this celebration is part of the Toulouse tradition, the Town Hall has examined no less than 24 sites on the perimeter of the municipality of Toulouse and beyond to propose relocation sites.”
heated negotiations
Cécile Dufraisse, Deputy Mayor of Toulouse in charge of the commercial occupation of the public domain, received several times in 18 months, and again on September 1, the representatives of the Fédération des Forains de France – who had given notice of demonstration in case the negotiations break down. During this recent meeting, land on the Ile du Ramier in Toulouse was offered to them. “It should be noted that at the start of the negotiations, we had submitted this proposal to the town hall, which had explained to us that given the location of the site, in a flood zone, it would not be possible”, specifies Stéphane Dubief, secretary general. of the Federation of Showmen of France.
The town hall of Toulouse assures that the fairgrounds refused the land on the island of Ramier by letter dated September 2, 2022. An assertion which they refute. “We expressed doubts as to the capacity of the project on this site and on an interpellation of the town hall on the various works undertaken in this sector”, adds Stéphane Dubief.
The Town Hall of Toulouse, wishing “ardently to find a solution” had proposed to its interlocutors, by letter of September 5, 2022, two other locations: the site of the Malepère sector, chemin des Carmes and the land north of the Ginestous area, Salvador Dalí Avenue.
After an evaluation of two sites, the Federation of Showmen of France indicated this Tuesday at the Capitol that it accepts the proposal on the island of Ramier under certain conditions. In two weeks, the Saint-Michel festival will open for a new edition on this new ground.