HAPPY 375TH, MONTREAL
Celebrating city’s past, present
Three hundred and seventy-five years ago on May 17, Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, Jeanne Mance, 47 men, two women and a few children arrived in three boats at what is now called the Old Port to found a religious colony, and planted the seeds for what would become the city of Montreal.
The French colonists called it Ville Marie in honour of the Virgin Mary. The day after their arrival, they set up an altar and celebrated mass in glorious sunshine.
On Wednesday, with sunshine and a high of 28 C forecast, Montreal will celebrate the 375th anniversary of its founding with a slew of events that include a mass and much ringing of bells, tributes to the city’s original First Nations inhabitants and a 30-minute light show on the Jacques Cartier Bridge.
Bus and métro services are free on Wednesday. A valet service is available to receive Bixi bikes in Old Montreal and Parc Jean Drapeau.
Here are some of the events planned:
8:45 a.m.
Beginning with the symbolic sounding of St. Joseph’s Oratory original bell, there will be a “soaring peal of bells” across the island as the churches of the archdiocese of Montreal ring their bells together, “inviting Montrealers to share in a moment of reflection … and joy.”
9 a.m.
At the Notre-Dame Basilica in Old Montreal, a heritage anniversary mass attended by representatives of different religions, as well as the First Nations, will be held.
10:30 a.m.
A tribute to Jeanne Mance and Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve at Place d’Armes in front of the Notre-Dame Basilica. Mohawk chants and drumming, a presentation of flowers and a tribute to the city presented by the École supérieure de ballet du Québec.
During the day there will be various private events, including a luncheon in honour of the city’s First Nations founders at city hall and the inauguration of Fort VilleMarie pavilion at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, which is situated on the site where Maisonneuve and Mance started their colony.
8:30 p.m.
The première of the multimedia Avudo show that will run until Sept. 2 near the King Edward Pier and Montreal Science Centre, honouring the history of the St. Lawrence River. Created for Montreal’s 375th anniversary by the Compagnia Finzi Pasca of Italy, which created the closing ceremonies for the Turin and Sochi Olympic Games. The show will feature scenes projected primarily onto screens made of walls of water more than 30 feet high, as well as onto the world’s highest tower built from shipping containers, standing 11 storeys tall. The projections will be accompanied by a musical score recorded by the Orchestre Métropolitain and the Petits Chanteurs du Mont-Royal.
There will be 100 Avudo shows between now and Sept. 2, with two performances a night at 9:30 and 10:30. Tickets are free, but have to be reserved in advance, either from a ticket booth on-site open from 7 to 10:30 p.m. on the days of the show, or at ticketpro.ca.
9:45 p.m.
The Jacques Cartier Bridge comes alive with a 30-minute inauguration show, featuring the Living Connections lighting system created by Montreal’s Moment Factory and six other collaborators that will illuminate the bridge for the next 10 years. Controversial for its $40-million price tag, $30-million of which is coming from the federal government, the rest from Montreal and Quebec, the project involved installing 2,800 lights on the 2.5-kilometre-long structure. During the year, the lights will change colours and intensity depending on the seasons, time of day and even the influence of social media.
The soundtrack for Wednesday’s show was created by the Orchestre Métropolitain. It can be heard on 107.3 FM, or listeners can download the AmpMe app, which will synchronize all smartphones in the area to play the song at the same time.
AmpMe is trying to set a world record Wednesday evening for the largest number of mobile devices playing synchronized music at the same event.
The best places to view the show are from the Old Port of Montreal, near the clock tower; Notre Dame St. E., east of the bridge, or from the banks on the South Shore.
Public transit is strongly recommended as many streets will be closed. And it’s free. Best métro stops to get to Old Montreal are Place-d’Armes and Champ-deMars.