Win Osheaga Tix - Pay Homage to Local Monuments
by alanah 
Like most outdoor-but-not free concerts in Montreal, Osheaga will be hosted at parc Jean-Drapeau on Ile Sainte-Helene. I’ve always found that place has an unworldly 1960s sci-fi vibe. Acutally, until about 10 minutes ago, I had always believed that Ile Sainte-Helène was created in the 1960s as a dump for all the dirt displaced by the metro system.
I probably got this from the same source (Dad) that told me Mount Royal was a volcano, causing me a certain feeling of iminent-apocalypse during much of my childhood. Anyways, a minimal amount of research revealed that this island has been around for millenia - it was named by Samuel de Champlain back in 1641, in honour of his fiancée (is it just me or is there something kind of weird about refering to yoru girlfriend as Sainte so-and-so?). Before that it was the site of an Native American burial ground.
But I wasn’t completey wrong. The construction of the metro system in the ’60s more than doubled the surface of the island and lumped it together with Ile Ronde, whose etymological fate has long been seeled. The island, along with fellow metro-dump Ile Notre-Dame, make up parc Jean Drapeau, named after longtime the mayor of Montreal who is “put montreal on the map” with expo 67, the metro and the olympics, and masterminded pretty much all our city’s big concrete regrets (including the Turcott interchange and the “Big Owe”).
What local monuments - large or small- are characteristic of Montreal for you? Personally I’m not a fan of mega-projects. I prefer to pay homage to less grandiose monuments like the roof-top milk-bottle in little burgundy, which I could see from the balcony at my dad’s apartment when I was a kid.
Post a comment along with a link to a photo or article about your chosen monument, and you will be entered in our raffle to win a pair of tickets to Osheaga. It can be anything from a classic tourist attraction to a perfect pint of beer…If you aren’t familiar with Montreal, tell us about something we should be sure to check out if we visit by your town.
Everyone who posts an original and relevant comment including a link in the next 24 hours will be entered in a raffle to win a pair of tickets to the Osheaga festival, September 8-9.
THIS CONTEST IS CLOSED! But there is another chance to win tickets to Osheaga here
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Published on: August 25th, 2007
Terms Used: Blog, ile sainte helene, indyish, jean drapeau, montreal, osheaga, osheaga raffle, places and spaces
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Well I’m not from Montreal, I just moved here from Newfoundland last month. So far I have to say the view from the lookout at Mount Royal is my favorite place to visit.
http://www.visitcanada.com/images/photogallery_montreal/Downtown_Montreal_from_Mount_Royal_Lookout_big.jpg
Posted on August 25th, 2007 at 4:38 pm [permalink]
i have to say that St. Joseph’s Oratory is pretty spectacular.. for the architecture as well as the fact that people actually clmb 200 stairs on their knees.
http://shiflett.org/images/st-josephs.png
Posted on August 25th, 2007 at 4:46 pm [permalink]
great post and great job so far on the contest alanah! i’m not entering but here’s a favorite landmark of mine (orange juleps always get me):
http://flickr.com/photos/lycid/941931611/
i love the hopeful vintage goofyness of it.
Posted on August 25th, 2007 at 6:03 pm [permalink]
1. What local monuments - large or small- are characteristic of Montreal for you?
Mount Royal…100%
2. Post a comment along with a link to a photo or article about your chosen monument
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Royal
Posted on August 25th, 2007 at 8:20 pm [permalink]
Montreal’s famous spiral staircases
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/172/446861802_f4c5859c4e.jpg
Posted on August 25th, 2007 at 10:04 pm [permalink]
personally, my favorite is below the old port… http://www.safesolvent.com/personal_pictures/montreal_photography/slides/DSC04751.html
Posted on August 26th, 2007 at 11:44 am [permalink]
The Old Port. I really love it there. There’s nothing like taking a walk in the Old port and then grabbing a hot queue de castor.
http://www.havremontreal.qc.ca/imgCommunes/enjeux/f_enjeux_10_image12_gf.jpg
Posted on August 26th, 2007 at 7:43 pm [permalink]
Mr. Boustan! He is my favourite Montreal landmark.
http://img.thegl.eu/avatars/1180.jpg
Posted on August 27th, 2007 at 10:58 am [permalink]