This text is part of the special notebook Center of Montreal Memories
Housed in the Saint-Laurent square, the Center of Montreal Memories (MEM) finds its entire reason for being in a district emblematic of popular culture which has undergone profound transformations over the decades. State of play.
Preserving the old with the new is a bit of the challenge that awaits the MEM in its sublime new premises in the Quartier des spectacles, at the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Sainte-Catherine Street. This bustling strategic crossroads has long been the symbol of the crazy nights of the metropolis. “The neighborhood was emblematic of a certain vie de Nuit for the whole of North America and not just Montreal,” recalls Anouk Bélanger, associate professor in the Department of Sociology at UQAM.
“Faubourg Saint-Laurent reached its peak when we were at the heart of the temperance movements throughout North America. All of Montreal’s popular culture was concentrated there in the cabarets, bars and theaters,” continues M.me Bélanger. “There was burlesque, vaudeville, strippers, and a real cultural and social mix. » Difficult to maintain, this diversity has gradually evaporated, following the transformations of the neighborhood.
Good neighbors
The MEM certainly has a role to play so that this Montreal does not fall into oblivion. “It’s interesting to see them arrive in the neighborhood, because it’s the perfect institution to keep traces of these memories,” underlines the sociologist. When it was still called the Montreal History Center, the MEM had already shed light on what the neighborhood could have been like during the crazy times through the exhibition Scandal! Vice, crime and morality in Montreal, 1940-1960.
By now being “glued” to Café Cléopâtre, the MEM has a new opportunity to bridge the gap between the Montreal of today and the more “olé olé” Montreal of Red Light. Especially since the legendary cabaret, open since the end of the 1970s, is a bit like the “last of the Mohicans” in the Faubourg Saint-Laurent. “Our configuration is such that we embrace Cleopatra,” explains the director of the MEM, Annabelle Laliberté. “We really get around it, and it was important for us to be good neighbors. »
The two sides of the coin
These good neighborly relationships led the owner of the Cléopâtre, the indestructible Johnny Zoumboulakis, to provide his testimony for a documentary on the transformations of the neighborhood. Shopkeepers, like the Stroll family, who have run the Trousers Supérieur store for nearly 100 years, and former sex workers also provided their share of memories. Stories that we can now discover on one of the interactive screens that brighten up the MEM’s public spaces.
“We are aware that we ourselves are contributing to the transformation of the neighborhood, and it is important not to ignore this,” confides the MEM’s chief curator, Catherine Charlebois. “New things are being established, populations are being pushed aside. It is essential to show both sides of the coin. The Quartier des spectacles is beautiful, but we also have to talk about the more underground side, which has given this neighborhood its flavor. »
More than a museum
In addition to collecting memories, the MEM also aims to bring them to life in modern and innovative spaces. Much more than a simple museum, the new center was designed as a place of life and an extension of the city. Beyond the impressive gallery of authentic iconic brands that have marked the history of the metropolis, a real little Montreal has been recreated, from the unmissable alley to the café-convenience store, including the cabaret and the spiral staircases.
“We wanted to bring the city into this space which was brand new when we arrived,” explains Annabelle Laliberté. “We wanted to represent Montreal in lots of little details that provide so many keys to better understanding the city. It’s Montreal 101,” continues the museologist. In fact, this free public space is intended to be both a wonderful playground and a fantastic educational tool. A great way to meet the challenge that the MEM must meet in a neighborhood that has been transformed from top to bottom.
“It’s great that the Cleopatra is still here, but what can we do when there’s only the Cleopatra left to keep the memories of this neighborhood alive? This is where the MEM is important,” underlines sociologist Anouk Bélanger. “It’s not about presenting memories that are dead. The MEM has a different function, which does not relate to the heritage of folklore. It’s about keeping the memory current, keeping it alive. »
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.