City Mess Recap - A Messy City

What makes Montreal Montreal?

That’s what Steph Troeth and AJ Kandy asked the crowd that gathered at the City Mess last Friday night. We all recognized the images of Saint-Laurent and Mount Royal avenue, but what makes these places so distinct and so dearly loved? According to the urbanist presenters, Montreal is all about the mix: private and public space, living and shopping space, upscale boutiques and unpretentious groceries side by side. The diversity of these streetscapes means that you can have a completely unique experience every time you walk down the block.

This little dose of urban planning theory had the audience nodding their heads. But that turned to cries of alarm when they showed an image of the plans for the “Village Griffintown” development (left).

Devimco, the developer that is single-handedly investing over a billion dollars in the project is best known for the Dix/30 “lifestyle center” (read: mall) in Brossard. But in order to make their project palatable to the city of Montreal, the developer has had to embrace residential development and even an appreciation for Griffintown’s history. Steph and AJ were optimistic that, although there remain some questions to be addressed, the project has come a long way thanks to the city’s demands. They will continue to post info and calls to action on the Save Griffintown blog.

The following act delved even deeper into Griffintown history with the United Steelworkers of Montreal’s music video, Emile Bertrand. In his introduction, the band’s vocalist, Gern, spoke scornfully about the legacy of ex-mayor Jean Drapeau, whose mega-projects in the ‘60s bulldozed poorer neighbourhoods across the city. The film, produced by Urban Handed Works, was beautiful, dreamy and nostalgic for the time when Griffintown was a bustling, Irish-Catholic working class neighbourhood.

A few days before the City Mess, Alison Louder told me that she found the event’s title fitting because city is such a mess. Her spoken word performance was a critique of municipal democracy, and care for the mentally ill, and homelessness in the city, all woven around a heartfelt recounting of butting heads with a difficult neighbour.

When I booked the show I didn’t really foresee that the city theme would up strong – and negative - emotions. But it shoudl not have been a surprise. After all, one of my first attempts to put my feelings about the city into writing produced an epic spoken word act lamenting the loss of Warsaw’s and tire swings, the army surplus on Mount-Royal avenue and the old flea market on pier 16…

I’m clearly not the only one who has felt betrayed by some of the changes that my beloved city is undergoing. But, by the time I was finished that piece, I had already begun to accept that, like anything you love, the city will grow and change. As I continue to discover new parts of Montreal, and meet people who share my passion for this place (like photographers Controleman (left) and *safe solvent whose unique city perspectives were featured at the City Mess), my inspiration is renewed.

After all, beyond the familiar streetscapes, what makes Montreal Montreal is Montrealers. Although politicians, urban planners and developers may lay the framework, it’s Montrealers who animate the city, who, through their choice of where to live, work and shop can make a development thrive or flop, and who ultimately infuse the city’s landmarks with meaning.

Artists especially have the power to vocalize our common experiences, and it doesn’t have to be serious task. NDG-ers in the audience laughed and shook their heads when Lake of Stew sang a song about waiting for the 105 bus (the route on Sherbrooke West is regularly so packed that it has to skip stops).

Steph Troeth wrapped up the Griffintown presentation by calling upon artists to engage creatively with the city. That’s exactly what I hoped to achieve with the City Mess. I hope that it will be the first of many gatherings and celebrations of the city.