Alleys | Journey to the heart of the city

From a meager thoroughfare to a real gathering place, the streets of Montreal have changed dramatically over the years. Formerly a play area reserved for workers’ children, they have been taken over by their parents, neighbors and other local friends, all ages, origins and social classes combined, and are today at the very heart of the city’s identity. . A new book invites us to rediscover them, right for spring. One small step at a time.

Discovering Montreal through its streets means having access to a colorful, lively world, full of stories and the people who populate them. Alleysjust published by Parfum d’encre, shows them to us through the photographs of Ariel Tar and the words of Florence Sara G. Ferraris.

Strangely, neither Ariel Tarr (photographer and instigator of the project) nor Florence Sara G. Ferraris (author) grew up in the alleys of the metropolis. And neither raises their children in their backyard, either. But both are frankly in love with it. And it shows.

You just have to browse the 200 or so pages of this beautiful book published by Parfum d’encre these days to understand why. While ours are just waking up from this strange winter and aren’t exactly looking their best right now, the Alleys told here are all colorful, lively and flowery, full of joy, games, stories and dreams. It leafs through on its own, like an invitation to travel, to the end of the city.

Let’s say it straight away: there is nothing dirty or gloomy here, not even the shadow of a quarrel between neighbors (or even a domestic scene!). From Hochelaga to the Ville-Émard district, via Villeray, Rosemont or Little Burgundy, we are more in the harmonious, united and green alley. And that’s intentional: “What interests me is people,” explains Ariel Tarr, a native of Los Angeles. A proud resident of Montreal for over 30 years now, she has traveled through all its neighborhoods. After living in Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, on the Plateau Mont-Royal, then in Pointe-Saint-Charles, Ariel Tarr settled in Ahuntsic, where she today raises her family. It was through her son’s friends, in Villeray this time (and especially through their cheerful ruelle des Tournesols), that she discovered a new world of solidarity, happy hours and roasts to explore. In a word: a community.

“It’s an editorial choice,” explains Florence Sara G. Ferraris. The desire was to show what is positive in the alleys. […] Show the links that weave, rather than what divides. » She is a native of the northern crown, her father comes from Villeray, and grew up in the alley of rue des Belges. “And its alley is part of the family imagination! »Arriving in Montreal at the age of 20, it was also through its alleys that she adopted the city, finally landing in Hochelaga. Florence Sara G. Ferraris also did a master’s degree in urban studies (and even started a dissertation on alleys!) and covered urban planning for five years at Duty.

“The streets speak of Montreal. They are anchored in the history of the neighborhoods,” continues the author, who recounts in the work their appearance with the Conquest (the very first, Ruelle des Fortifications, is just behind The Press!)to the first green streets, through industrialization, and the construction of rental housing for workers.

Along the way, interviews with well-known people (Michel Tremblay, Pierre Huet and Michel Rivard) or not reveal a shared love for these “small streets without addresses” essentially synonymous with carefreeness, youth and freedom. “Kick-la-cacane” game stories included.

Several photos gleaned here and there bear witness to a bygone era: here a carriage entrance, there a hangar. From the first clotheslines to the Street Arts Festival (FAR), through this little history of the streets, it is ultimately the history of Montreal that we discover. And the history of Montrealers. “In Montreal, what is very particular is the green alley movement,” continues the author. This revitalization is very characteristic of us. It is at the heart of what Montreal is, because Montrealers have taken it by storm! […] It’s a bit like the former church square! »

A number of photos bear witness to this. There is life here, even poetry, and a certain something of nostalgia. “There is something timeless about the alley,” continues Ariel Tarr, who took tens of thousands of photos and walked hundreds of alleys to carry out this project. The doors, the fences, the children playing, it’s like going back in time, she argues. At the same time, we are in 2024! »

Alleys

Ariel Tarr and Florence Sara G. Ferraris,

Ink scent

252 pages

Alley route

Alleys offers 10 routes throughout the city, exploring different chosen themes: the suburbs of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, the treasures of Ville-Émard, the playgrounds of Rosemont, etc. Each route starts at a metro station and invites you to wander, discover and meet people. “The idea is to play tourist in your city! », explains the author, Florence Sara G. Ferraris. “It shows the hidden side of the city, its intimate side! We are an extension of the courtyard, of the kitchen. […] Sometimes we feel like we’re coming home to the world! »

Suggested route: The artistic face of Villeray

Starting point: Jarry metro station

Discover 10 alley routes in Montreal