Montreal is a city of contrasts. In this culturally rich environment, one can see French people living, working and studying alongside English people; Jewish alongside Arabs; cars and bicycles sharing the same path; an efficient public transport system coexisting with humungous highways; and numerous more. When I first visited downtown Montreal and the Old Port, I was surprised to see the Historical patrimony coexisting with the well-known modern impersonal towers because I could see that there is a certain interest in preserving what remained from the old times, but also because it shows to the new generation of Montrealers – born in the city or not – that Montreal has been through major changes.
As mentioned before, in Montreal one can see French coexisting with English. It hasn’t always been like that. Quebec, known as Nouvelle France by 1760 was abandoned by its metropolis – France – and dominated by the United Kingdom. Montreal, a strategic commercial point was then seized by English governors, people and, of course, merchants. For some 200 years these merchants exerted most of the commerce on the city, and the traces of their activities can be seen through the Old Port just by looking at the ancient signs painted on the walls.
La Maison Ogilvy, Jardin Nelson, Commercial Union Assurance Company, Canadian National and many other companies have kept the old signs not only due to the fact that all these buildings are Historical Patrimony but also because there is something else to be seen when looking at these signs. Considering the two main historical periods of Montreal, we can reflect if the signs in English have been preserved to show people that there is still an English presence in the city or preferably to show that, though the English presence was so strong in the city, the French community has surpassed one of its biggest challenges and has successfully maintained its culture.
First of all, we must look at those who owned the companies. Ogilvy was founded in 1866 by James A. Ogilvy, a Scottish man. In 1912 the store moved for the third time to where it would settle for the next hundred or more years at the corner of De la Montagne and Saint-Catherine Street. The façade was probably kept for neutral reasons, which do not fuel the French-English debate. On a street like Saint-Catherine, where development comes fast and where stores seem quite temporary, the appearance of some tradition is inviting, pleasant. Right beside Ogilvy’s building there is a modern glass-box called Apple Store. This contrast of a traditional, conservative ideology versus the ephemeral high-technology invites two different kinds of consumer. Those who look for quality, long-lasting products with their own identity and style inevitably enter Ogilvy. And those who consume what is brand new, shiny, imitable, impersonal enter Apple. Though the last one’s products are attractive to those who like technology, the store itself is not as attractive as Ogilvy’s. When comparing both, it feels like Ogilvy is going to let you look at every little thing there is in the store because you’re welcome there. The store looks permanent whereas when looking at Apple store, you may have the feeling that you have to enter, look, and buy as fast as possible, because the world cannot wait for you. Even if the Apple store was located in an old building, it probably wouldn’t give us the same impression that Ogilvy does.
If you continue walking down St. Catherine Street, you can see many other stores in old buildings, yet they still transmit this hurried pace, probably due to the lack of tradition that emanates from the displays.
Jardin Nelson, a 
restaurant at Jacques Cartier Square, rests in the Maison Cartier, which was built in 1812. Originally, the Maison Cartier was connected to the building where the Hotel Nelson used to be in; and it is this hotel’s inscription that is still painted on the wall. The hotel was named after Dr. Wolfred Nelson, one of Montreal’s mayors who also lived in the Maison Cartier. The fact that he was an Englishman’s son didn’t impede him to fight the Patriotic Revolution, which means that this man is an important figure on Quebec’s history and deserves to be remembered. Keeping his name clear and visible on the most famous square of the city is definitely a way to remind people of the battles and revolutions that the French community has been through in order to defend its rights as a minority.
Wealthy 
merchants belonged to this same French Community. One of them was a man called Hector Lamontagne, who bought an 19th century building and ran a leather business that lasted for more than a hundred years. His descendants eventually closed the business, and in 1995 the building was reformed and occupied by the Vieux-Port Inn. Hector’s memory is still alive in the building’s name and on the signs painted on the walls. Though partially erased, his name is easily recognized. It demonstrates the French presence in the Old Port, together with many other warehouses, presses, shops and manufactures.
The preservation of the Old Port cannot be diminished to a mere English-French feud. Nevertheless, we can’t ignore that this preservation of buildings started to take place in the late sixties/early seventies, while the Quiet Revolution was remolding the society in Quebec. That being considered, I would argue that the preservation of the Old Port of Montreal represents the common feeling of preserving culture and the past of the French community. By keeping alive the memory of important French people who were crucial to the city’s economy, patrimony and culture, that the community manages to keep alive the pride of French history, as well as the pride of having bounced back from English commercial domination some forty years ago. Moreover, by preserving the architectural heritage, Montreal shows whoever wants to see that it has a rich History, which makes it a city which deserves to be visited and explored; both in its past and present.
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Texto escrito para uma das aulas do Cégep. Achei interessantíssimo fazer, tanto porque eu pude escolher o tema (amém!) quanto por ter foto envolvida na coisa toda. 🙂
E ah, deu uma preguiça homérica de traduzir. Treina o inglês aí baby, que a lei 115 tá aí e o QC precisa é de gente bilíngüe (com trema!!!).
Küsse,
Babi
24/10/10
Les Lapins 