“I talk a lot about civic responsibility in love letter to the city, but there are things that are bigger than us”, warns Luc Ferrandez about the housing crisis. While their parents’ generation was able to become owners at prices that now seem ridiculous, today’s young people are seeing access to property disappear before their eyes. “It is no longer possible, neither here nor elsewhere, in any city,” notes the former mayor of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough, in Montreal, who has just embarked on the adventure of documentary. And to add: “To raise his family, before, we stayed in the same places. People were happy there and could develop bonds with their neighbours. Things have changed a lot and this is no longer allowed. »
Proof, if one were needed, of this paradigm shift with the warehouse at 1, avenue Van Horne, the object of all covetousness and real estate escalation. This emblem of the Mile-End could, in fact, soon become a luxury hotel to the detriment of the local population and, in fact, participate in the gentrification of the district, the main consequence of which is the soaring cost of housing. This renovation project has just been denounced by citizens concerned about the future of their territory during a recent public consultation.
“This is a very important aspect and I keep reminding you: governments need to see that the very fabric of society depends on our access to housing”, continues Luc Ferrandez. According to him, it is unthinkable to move towards a city “of the rich”, where the poorest and most vulnerable families are sent outside. “If we exclude these people from the city, we are going to kill it outright, because it is the children who generate the moments of conviviality, of delicacy and who arouse common vigilance, beauty and enthusiasm. You can’t have a city without children,” he says.
This is a very important aspect and I keep repeating it: governments need to see that the very fabric of society depends on our access to housing.
Luc Ferrandez’s reasoning continues. “If there are no fragile people in the street, already, it is no longer a city. It is no longer a meeting place. For the municipal specialist, Quebec should take more advantage of its security situation. “A young girl, an elderly person or a child must be able to walk alone in the street. Of course, there is violence here, but we are lucky because there is less of it than elsewhere,” he says. The city must, according to him, become a destination and cultivate its power of attraction with the communities. “You have to want to stay there, not flee elsewhere as soon as you have a little money or a family”, he underlines.
The sense of community
With the environmental crisis and the pandemic, people are increasingly critical of cities in general. “As if the city was a service given to them and they were dissatisfied with it. Our lack of love for the city, with dirt, car facilities, sometimes superficiality, it is we who have built it as such, generation after generation”, emphasizes Luc Ferrandez. While he evokes “a refusal of the community”, the former mayor notes that a certain momentum, a desire to reach out to others remains, especially in Montreal. “This can be seen over time with the heritage buildings offered to the population and very beautiful exterior facades; the very beautiful houses that have no fences and are inviting to the neighborhood; the coherence and peacefulness of the parks. There are also few places in the world with so many outdoor pools. It’s a great gesture that was made by previous administrations,” he said.
In the documentary, the battle between the loss of love for the city and the desire to build a community around it is well and truly felt. “Right now, more than ever, we need to remember the need for this desire to live together. That’s why it’s called love letter to the city “, explains Luc Ferrandez. This very personal vision is for him a way of telling the city that we are involved, that we are there, that “we are going to build it together”.
“There is no city that is beautiful, or on the contrary ugly, once and for all,” believes Luc Ferrandez. To green and pedestrianize the streets, build cycle paths, replant trees, buy buildings in order to install community premises… in short, to make cities ever more pleasant, it is necessary to provide permanent work. “We must all think together about ways to develop the desire to meet others, to provide care for the city, to set up projects, to protect nature, to reduce noise, traffic,” he explains.
So what are the ingredients for citizens to be happy? “More than half of their happiness depends on what’s outside,” replies the man for whom love of the city undeniably comes through human contact. “The city is a social project, a humanist project, he concludes. If there are problems, aim to correct them. »