here is an article about it:
A series of black and white photographs on display at the Centre d’histoire de Montreal in Old Montreal’s Place d’Youville captures a stark moment in our city’s history.
In effect, they are photographs of a crime scene. The crime? Monstrous "urban renewal" and "slum clearance" projects, which, starting in the 1950s, displaced an estimated 25,000 Montrealers from their homes and neighbourhoods.
Some photographs have a creepy feel. Before the streets were torn up and homes and business demolished, city bureaucrats ordered that photographs be taken and carefully numbered so that the devastation could be carefully documented.
Today we know those areas through what stands in their stead.
The giant parking kiosk that is the CBC-Radio-Canada building was once a thriving neighbourhood of 5000 people called the Faubourg à m’lasse – the molasses neighbourhood, named for the aroma of refining sugar at the giant refinery a few blocks east.
It was also the edge of Montreal’s infamous red-light district, which was also destroyed, displacing another 4000 or so.
The third area was a working class Irish neighbourhood called Goose Village. Now it’s the entrance to the Bonaventure Expressway and the site of the since demolished Autostade, a 25,000 seat stadium built to showcase 1967 World Fair events. It also was a massive parking lot for Expo 67.
DRAPEAU VS. DUPLESSIS
The projects didn’t happen without a bare knuckle fight between Mayor Jean Drapeau and "le Chef," Premier Maurice Duplessis, who saw Montreal’s ambitious young mayor as a threat to his supreme power over the province. In their biography of Drapeau, Brian McKenna and Susan Purcell captured the story.
While Drapeau was mayor, he had to face a hostile council, many of whom were allied to Duplessis. Their leader was Paul Dozois, Minister of Municipal Affairs in Duplessis’ cabinet, who was also on Council, leading the "slum clearance" faction at City Hall.
"The tension was palpable in September 1954 when Duplessis made a Saturday morning visit to city hall to review the state of the housing project. Police posted at the main door had been told to escort the premier to the mayor’s office, where Drapeau waited anxiously.
Instead Duplessis slipped in a side door and bypassing Drapeau’s office, went straight to the executive committee room.
Duplessis took Drapeau’s chair and sent for the outfoxed mayor.
During a tense two-hour meeting, Drapeau stood his ground and said finally: ‘The project will not be built as long as I am mayor!’
Duplessis looked at Drapeau and said the solution to the impasse was obvious."
THE PRICE OF URBAN RENEWAL
The 1957 election that unseated Drapeau was the most vicious in the city’s history. Duplessis hired an army of goons and even ordered the provincial police to steal ballot boxes. Drapeau was defeated and the Habitations Jeanne Mance, which Drapeau rightfully described as a "barracks," were built, much to the distress of city planners since.
These pitched battles went on in cities across the Western World. In addition to razing neighbourhoods, highways like the Ville-Marie Expressway and the Decarie trench sundered communities beyond repair. The damage was mortal to American cities like Detroit – Canadian cities like Montreal and Toronto survived the amputations.
For the first time in history, more of us live in cities rather than in the country. The hope is that proximity will mean more sustainable living and less waste. Protecting and greening existing city neighbourhoods, and building high density housing, are the answer. No more "urban renewal" and mega projects.
Lost Neighbourhoods
At Centre d’histoire de Montreal (335 Place d’Youville)
To March 25, 2012 http://hour.ca/2011/06/23/bloke-nation-montreals-lost-neighbourhoods/
................You have until next March to see this exhibit:
5 comments:
this video is a mock up of an old tram in Montreal with pictures being displayed simulatiing a trip on an old street car. A few of our members may be interested in this display?
Some cool old pictures from Sherbrooke Quebec,..........just thought I would add them here rather than a new thread.
Maybe somewhere in the exhibition is an apology from the City of Montreal to the people of Goose Village for making them feel inferior because they were not financially as well off as other neighborhoods in the city? That their homes were less than up-to-the-minute .That the history had no value because the wealthy did not settle there only the sick immigrants that contributed to the growth of the city with their manual labor.
When mayor Drapeau demolished Goose Village he labeled the residence and the Village as unacceptable in his modern city of Montreal.
My brother and I took our first breath there so I guess I will visit my birth place through pictures and when I pass by that area I point to the parking lot where I was born.
Thanks Les for this post
.....that sort of makes me sad(as I can almost feel your thoughts), yet I appreciate your sentiments.........and I certainly appreciate your participation & sharing your thoughts with us:
Incidentally Drapeau was Not the Great Guy he liked to profess he was, he had an idea that he had to eradicate neighbourhoods that he thought would reflect badly on the City of Montreal with Expo67 coming...... He only targeted neighbourhoods in direct line of site from the Downtown core to the Expo islands.....the 'real' Drapeau is exposed in several different books , but he took his bows in the limelight of having been fortunate enough to be the Mayor of a great city like Montreal when the world came a calling.....(finacnced Btw: by the Federal Gov't of Canada) .........
ps: My oldmans shop was also demolished in the early 60's to make way for the expressway to Expo...it was not even in the pathway they used, but we can't have shops where people work in the line of sight ........hahahahaha My oldman Won in Court over the City for a realtively decent expropriation settlement,then we moved the shop to Mullins Street in the Point. Also the Man & His Oceans Pavillion had an exhibit of ancient to modern diving gear ,all of which was made in my oldmans shop,designs & blueprints were sent here from France to be made in our shop. Cool Stuff for those days I'd say..................................................HF&RV
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