THERE IS MUCH TO CELEBRATE IN MONTREAL, EVERY DAY
The big day is here. Montreal officially turns 375 years old Wednesday, an occasion that will be marked by pealing church bells, commemorative ceremonies, a mass and — la pièce de résistance — the illumination of the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
This is the official kickoff of a summer full of birthday festivities, although celebrations have actually been unfolding since last December and will continue until the end of the year. See, Montreal’s 375th was planned to be an epic party in a city legendary for its joie de vivre.
But as is the case with many shindigs, the hangover is already creeping up on us. Radio-Canada’s François Cormier calculated the costs of all this hoopla, and estimates that if you include the 42 bricks-and-mortar construction work billed as 375 legacy projects along with the $125-million special events budget supplied by various levels of government and private sponsors, the bill for Montreal’s big bash rings in at $1 billion. Yes, billion with a B. That’s pretty epic stuff.
Is anyone surprised? Hardly. The warning signs were there from the start. Shovels were rushed into the ground for the 375th at a premium. Given Montreal’s track record for keeping costs under control when putting on a major extravaganza, history was not on our side. (Remember former mayor Jean Drapeau famously insisting the 1976 Olympics going over-budget was as likely as a man having a baby?)
To be fair, the Société des célébrations du 375e, shouldn’t shoulder the blame for this spending spree. It is responsible for the cultural programming, like the giant marionettes created by French troupe Royal de Luxe that will take over downtown this weekend. It’s primarily the city, Quebec, and, to a lesser extent the federal government, who have seized on this occasion to gift Montrealers with what we’ve all been wanting so badly: more construction.
I don’t mean to sound like a downer. Many of the festivities planned for the coming months — like the open-air art gallery being set up by the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Sherbrooke St. now that the bulldozers are gone — look memorable. It’s always positive to put our culture on display and contemplate our history. But did we need the 375th to do this? (Again: why 375?)
Montreal is a great city with a lot to offer on any given day, in any given year. We don’t need a decked-out bridge or granite stumps on Mount Royal to prove it. And we certainly don’t need to spend a billion dollars.
Montrealers already know how to celebrate. Just go to any park on a sunny Sunday. Go to any bar for a 5 à 7. Go to any of our worldclass restaurants. Go to our fascinating museums and galleries. Go to any of our lively festivals, from FrancoFolies to Jazz Fest to Just for Laughs. Our convivial spirit has been ingrained since Montreal earned its reputation as a city during the Prohibition era.
Montreal is one of the most vibrant cities on the continent. This is the only French-speaking metropolis in North America, but Montreal has been shaped by its linguistic and cultural diversity — its biggest asset. Go hang out in one of our eclectic neighbourhoods, where people from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities and stages of life live in harmony and enrich our social fabric.
Montreal has long been a cultural capital. It is a city of inspiration, from the discoveries of Wilder Penfield to the creativity of Guy Laliberté. This was the muse of literary greats like Leonard Cohen and Mordecai Richler. It’s the home of Arcade Fire. It’s the birthplace Sugar Sammy, Xavier Dolan, Béatrice Martin, Nicolas Baier and many more notables from the worlds of comedy, film, music and visual arts.
Montreal is never dull. From the day Canada’s first Parliament Buildings were burned down in 1849 to the Rocket Richard Riots to referendum rallies to the Maple Spring, this is a city of political awakenings and mass mobilizations. Living on the edge of history and the cusp of major societal shifts isn’t always easy, but it’s interesting.
Montreal is far from perfect. It has its gritty side, but it seems to thrive in spite of all the dysfunction. (Or maybe because of it?)
Happy Birthday, Montreal. There is indeed a lot to celebrate — all the time, every day.