OLD MONTREAL, OH YEAH!
Sri Lankan putting down roots
Shanil Perera is from Sri Lanka, but he spent some of his childhood in Pakistan. His father was in the garment industry and the family moved around, so by the time he was ready for school, Perera lived in Dacca, Bangladesh. There, he went to a private U.S. institution, where his “excellent schooling” stood him in good stead for attending university in Canada.
Perera came to Montreal in 2009. McGill University, recognizing his scholastic achievements — he had earned an international baccalauréat in Bangladesh — allowed him to go straight into the second year of his course. He graduated with a major in national development studies and a double minor in economics and international relations. Today, he works in the training division of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
His first couple of years were spent living in student residences, then a “bit of posh place in the Golden Square Mile,” followed by some time in the McGill Ghetto, but since June 2015, he has lived in a loft-style apartment with hardwood floors and exposed concrete ceilings in Old Montreal — a neighbourhood he loves. His rented apartment is in what used to be a bank building, next door to the Notre-Dame Basilica. It has an open living/dining room and kitchen area, two bedrooms and two bathrooms.
Q You seem to have moved around the city quite a bit. How did you end up in Old Montreal?
A After years of living the student lifestyle, I wanted something different. My then-girlfriend and I — we were moving in together — had a list of places a real estate agent had given us. After a while, the agent seemed to disappear so we decided to explore the list on our own.
One day, we were wandering around the Old Port, so we came here to take a look. Luckily, the landlord happened to be on site and he showed us around. We fell in love with the apartment right away. The online pictures hadn’t really done it justice.
Q And you said the location was great?
A There’s a métro stop a couple of minutes away and my office is a five-minute walk from couch to desk.
Q Given you’d lived in a number of other places, did you bring your furniture with you?
A Some of it, yes. We shopped at IKEA and at a couple of antique stores. Also, a friend was moving and we ended up with a couple of her things. The bookshelves and the TV stand came from her.
Q Do you have any souvenirs from your homeland?
A I do. The two masks on top of the unit by the window represent Sri Lankan kings associated with the Sigiriya rock fortress. The other mask on the bookshelf is a miniature version of the masks used for ‘devil dancing.’ That’s part of our traditional culture.
Q What’s the story behind your little wood statue of the Buddha?
A On my mum’s side of the family, they’re very strong Buddhists and, on my dad’s side, they’re very strong Roman Catholics. My grandmother was very happy to hear that I’d rented an apartment next to Notre Dame — “God’s house” as I think I described it. Every year, she goes on a pilgrimage to Lourdes. She gave me a little bottle of holy water.
(Perera leads me over to one of the concrete support columns. It has a tiny opening where he has placed the bottle.)
I’m not a religious person, but I enjoy the cultural aspects of both faiths, so I try to keep a balance on each side of the family.
(Opposite the concrete pillar is a tall, black bookshelf with a collection of volumes — from travel books to sports books. There’s also a globe, which Perera bought because it had the new(ish) country of South Sudan marked on it. Also on the bookshelves is a Bach Stradivarius B Flat trumpet from Perera’s school days.
(On the opposite side of the living room is the kitchen. It has a breakfast bar and bar stools with folding steel frames and black faux leather upholstery. The kitchen isn’t large, but it has good storage space. I notice a collection of spice jars on the countertop.)
Q I see you like cooking?
A I do, but I’ve taken it up only recently. My mum brought me the spices.
(One of the most striking pieces is a print of a photograph on the wall above Perera’s dining table. Titled Ashes and Snow it depicts an elephant kneeling on the ground, while a little boy holding a book, is telling it a story.)
Q What a beautiful image!
A I have a thing about elephants. I’m from an island where elephants are the main animals, but there’s a kind of human/elephant conflict going on just now. My aunt has an elephant orphanage and it makes me feel good to see these animals living in harmony and peace.