Center-South

Localization

In Montreal, the Center-South indicates a district located at the east of the downtown area. It is about delimited by the Rue St-Hubert in the west, the Fleuve St-Laurent in the south, the way of the railroad of the the Canadian Pacific in the east, and the Rue Sherbrooke in north. The Center-South does not constitute a recognized administrative entity; it gathers about the municipal districts of St-Jacques and Co.-Marie, more in the east of the district City-Marie. The districts bordering on the Center-South are Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve with the east and the Plate-Mount-Royal in north. Its two principal arteries cross it of is in west: the Ontario streets Is and Co.-Catherine Is.

One can reach the district by the subway stations Frontenac, Papineau, Beaudry or Berri-UQAM.

Designation

One called formerly the Center-South “the Suburb with me wearies”, in reference to his molasses factories to the powerful emanations. Another expression, “the Bottom of the city”, is still used. Name “the Suburbs”, in a spirit of urban revitalization, makes surface today. “Ontario Terrace” indicates the residential streets sometimes climbing with the attack of the street Sherbrooke.

Character

The old built framework of the district especially consists of plex on three floors dating from the end of the XIXe century. Among the elements characteristic of this typology still largely widespread in the residential streets, one notes alignment on street, the traditional attics and the carriage entrances.

Dominated by the harmonious mass of the Bridge Jacques-Cartier, the built stock of this time was strongly put at evil, amongst other things by the disindustrialization of the metropolitan region, the transfer to the east of the Port of Montreal and the heavy urban operations, in particular those related to the roadway system. The geographical location of the Center-south, at the door of the downtown area, places it in the middle of the transportation routes. Thus, the widening of the Dorchester boulevard (become boulevard Rene-Lévesque Is), the construction of access ramps to the bridge Jacques-Cartier, the highway vocation of the street Notre-Dame Is, forced the expropriation of hundreds of hearths and the complete demolition of small islands. Other operations of scale, like the establishment in years 1960 and 1970 of immense seats of institutions to the functionalist character, also weakened social fabric and frame of the district. Many fires - the district was most severely touched by the strike of the firemen of 1974 - left many vacant grounds in the middle of the lines of plex victoriens. These spaces were transformed into “pocket parks” or into Community gardens.

In parallel of recent projects of social and co-operative housing, several buildings of condominiums were born in the last years and several others are in the process of realization. Many vacant grounds remain however to be filled.

Economy and industrial heritage

Many witnesses of the industrial golden age remain. Some remain condemned, but of others are always active, for example the factories Molson and JTI-MacDonald. Others still, as the Grover factory, are recycled in workshops for artists: musicians, plastics technicians, originators of decorations and costume, etc

In addition to the wide-area networks of radio and television, the seats of great institutions are grafted with the district: the Safety of Quebec, Metropolitan Gas, the Confederation of the national unions, the Company of alcohols of Quebec or the offices montréalais Minister of education of Quebec.

The three great television networks French-speaking person of Quebec, the Network VAT, the Company Radio-Canada and TV-Quebec, have their seat in the Center-South. The project of “City of the waves” put of before by the administration Drapeau is at the origin of this concentration, to which many other televised and radiophonic chains are added.

Social stakes

The Center-South is popular quarters with strong underprivileged population and well off very important incomes. Its working origins, its proximity of the downtown area, the constant Gentrification of the adjacent districts and the many urban fractures inflicted with its urban fabric since the years 1950, do of them one of the most sensitive districts and complexes of Montreal. The drug taking, the prostitution and the itinérance belong to the problems with which the community agencies installed in the district are confronted. On the street Ontario one of the most famous organizations is, “In the street”, which has rested by the father Emmett Johns, called “Pops”.

Culture

The presence of the artists is an important component of the identity of the district. It is due, in addition to the important industrial waste land which lends itself perfectly to the artistic practices, the relative low costs of the rents and the presence of many cultural and media institutions. In addition to the wide-area networks of radio and television which have their seat there, of many theaters and spaces of diffusion are present in the district.

The district St-Jacques, portion western of the Center-South, shelters the merry Village of Montreal, one of most important in the world. It is at the same time of a very animated district, an important pole of trade, restaurants, coffees, bars and nightclubs and of a tourist destination of importance.

; Places of diffusion

; Artistic associations

Orphan flour | The Group of Taken care | Company to promote gigantic arts (SPAG) | Montreal international festival in arts | Let us save the Factory

See too

External bonds

http://www.imtl.org/quartier/Centre-sud.php

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