- MILE END -
Avril 2015 - Décembre 2015
@ Galerie Mile End (Coop AME Art)
@ Mission Mile End
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History of the NeighbourhoodThe boundaries of the Mile End vary depending on who you ask. Everyone agrees that the Mile End is bordered by Avenue Van Horne to the north, and Rue Hutchison to the West. The southern and eastern boundaries, which connect the Mile End to the Upper and Lower Plateau always seem to be disputed.
We all agree that the Mile End neighbourhood has a distinctive vibe, and you know for sure when you are in it, but the boundaries seem to lie mid-block somewhere between St-Denis and St-Laurent to the east, and between Mont Royal and Villeneuve to the South. The first noted mention of Montreal's Mile End was in the Gazette in 1815, referring to the Mile End Tavern located near the intersection that is now Mont Royal and St Laurent, but at the time was in the pastures about 0.4 km north of Montreal's city limits. |
Park Avenue at Laurier looking east, 1920 – Archives de la ville de Montréal
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However, it wasn't until 1878, when the trans-Canada railway opened a train station in the area that the village of St-Louis-du-Mile-End became incorporated with a population of 1,300. At the time, the village occupied the land between what is now Rue Hutchison, Ave Mont Royal, Rue Henri-Julien, and De Castlenau. The train station was moved to its location at the Ave du Parc station in the 1930s and was later demolished to make way for the Van Horne/Rosemont viaduct.
In 1895, with the introduction of electric-trams the population grew and the village became the town of St-Louis, a "streetcar suburb". The name Mile End was dropped until the 1980s, when the Mile End became an electoral district of the Plateau Mont Royal borough of Montreal.
Over the course of the next 100 years, the town became a transitional place for waves of new immigrants to stay while they looked to resettle elsewhere, to be replaced by the next wave of immigrants. While each group left their mark on the place, the neighbourhood became predominately a Jewish quarter for many years, and is now home to much of Montreal's Hassidic community.
Throughout the century, many industrial warehouses also popped up in the area around St-Laurent and Van Horne. These warehouses were used for the garment industry for a long time, and now provide great spaces for galleries, studios and lofts.
These days Mile End is an infamously charming area that has been home to many artists, musicians, designers, ateliers, and other artistic community spaces since the 1980s. The neighbourhood experienced a wave of gentrification during the 1990s and has become a somewhat more expensive neighbourhood to live in, but much of the development projects were lead by culture and community focused groups. Notably, the creation of the Mile End Library, the founding of the Galerie Mile End, Coop AME Art, Images de Femmes, and more recently the Champ des Possibles and Marche des Possibles (POP! Montreal). The spirit of collaboration between these groups is still alive and well, as can be seen in the various public art installations, community festivals and regular pop-up events.
In 1895, with the introduction of electric-trams the population grew and the village became the town of St-Louis, a "streetcar suburb". The name Mile End was dropped until the 1980s, when the Mile End became an electoral district of the Plateau Mont Royal borough of Montreal.
Over the course of the next 100 years, the town became a transitional place for waves of new immigrants to stay while they looked to resettle elsewhere, to be replaced by the next wave of immigrants. While each group left their mark on the place, the neighbourhood became predominately a Jewish quarter for many years, and is now home to much of Montreal's Hassidic community.
Throughout the century, many industrial warehouses also popped up in the area around St-Laurent and Van Horne. These warehouses were used for the garment industry for a long time, and now provide great spaces for galleries, studios and lofts.
These days Mile End is an infamously charming area that has been home to many artists, musicians, designers, ateliers, and other artistic community spaces since the 1980s. The neighbourhood experienced a wave of gentrification during the 1990s and has become a somewhat more expensive neighbourhood to live in, but much of the development projects were lead by culture and community focused groups. Notably, the creation of the Mile End Library, the founding of the Galerie Mile End, Coop AME Art, Images de Femmes, and more recently the Champ des Possibles and Marche des Possibles (POP! Montreal). The spirit of collaboration between these groups is still alive and well, as can be seen in the various public art installations, community festivals and regular pop-up events.
Galerie Mile End (Coop AME Art) & The Mission Mile End
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The Galerie Mile End and Cooperative AME Art was founded in 1998 with the help of the YMCA on the next corner. In its day, it hosted exhibitions of artists from the neighbourhood, including collective shows with groups including Images des Femmes and the Art d'éco, an annual recycled art show. It has since closed its doors for good, unfortunately.
We began this quilt with members of this co-op gallery and the collective Images des Femmes during weekly creative workshops in the gallery itself. The final pieces of the community quilt were crafted in the bustling community hub that is The Mission Mile End. This is a gathering space for folks from diverse backgrounds to come together, and with the introduction of the Art Hive's open art studio, the Mission invites individuals who might not otherwise have access to art supplies to come and make art together. It was a pleasure to spend a morning with the community at the Mission Mile End to craft and share stories of how each of us came to know the Mile End. This neighbourhood has such a rich history, one that was familiar to many of the participants of this quilt. They shared stories and memories of their 30-some years living here. Many of these women were not just residents who moved to this neighbourhood, they were actually at the heart of founding this community. These women helped shape these streets and organizations. They know the houses because they've lived in (many, many of) them. They know the parks and playgrounds because they lead campaigns to found them. They know the ateliers, galleries, and creative spaces because they built them, or their neighbour did. They know each little flower and tree because they planted them. Other participants come from the next generation of artists to inhabit this neighbourhood. They are "newcomers" and have their own stories to share about this place. They are founding their own initiatives in the neighbourhood, be it music festivals, urban gardening projects, yarn-bombing installations, collective beehives, community picnic events, and more! |
This project provided a space for generations to come together in collaboration, in sharing stories around a table of fabric scraps and fibre.
Their pieces reflect the details and rich texture of their stories. Take a look.
Their pieces reflect the details and rich texture of their stories. Take a look.
