Montreal Saint-Henri neighborhood a cultural delight

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The old saying, “everything old is new again” couldn’t be more true than when talking about Saint-Henri, one of the trendiest emerging neighborhoods in Montreal’s southwest borough. The town was founded in 1670 as a multicultural working-class community populated primarily by leather merchants such as tanners and shoemakers. Today it is a vibrant area filled with beautiful parks, boutiques, a thriving restaurant scene, and interesting architecture that hints at its industrial past.

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On a cloudy Saturday afternoon, my daughter Carleigh and I set out on a guided walking tour to discover this eclectic neighborhood in Québec’s largest city. We met our guide, Daniel Bromberg, at Place Sir George-Étienne Cartier. As we walked through the neighborhood, he told us about the fascinating history of this community that was annexed by the city of Montreal in 1905.

“Sir George-Étienne Cartier Square was built in 1912 as an electoral promise of the mayor of Montreal,” Bromberg explained. “It was a tannery town from 1670 to 1825. In 1825, the Lachine Canal was built and Saint-Henri became an industrial area home to blue-collar workers. Today, the restored canal is a national historic site.”

Gabrielle Roy’s best-selling novel, The Tin Flute, is set in 1940 in Saint-Henri, in what was then a working-class slum. The novel won many awards, including the Governor General’s Award for Fiction in 1947. The book was declared a historic event in Québec heritage by the Québec Ministry of Culture and Communications in 2017 and we walked past a monument recognizing the author and to the book for its influence. in inspiring social transformation.

Beautiful MU-sponsored murals are scattered throughout the neighborhood. The organization is dedicated to transforming local communities into open-air art museums that allow locals to experience art on a daily basis.

We wandered through cool little shops and stopped at Crèmerie Dalla Rose for some artisan gelato. Saint-Henri’s Art Deco Fire Station from the 1930s is an architectural landmark and we stood on the corner eating our ice cream as we watched a fire engine leave the building.

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As we walked, we explored every nook and cranny of the neighborhood, including a stroll down St-Pierre Woonerf, a Dutch green “living street” concept for pedestrians and cyclists. Our guide also pointed out an almost hidden “green alley”. There are more than 700 green alleys in Montreal, once dirty cement alleys that have been transformed into green spaces maintained by locals and enjoyed by neighbors.

Our walking tour ended at Atwater Market in the Little Burgundy neighborhood adjacent to Saint-Henri. The Art Deco architecture of the market building, dating from the 1930s, is beautiful. Inside it is packed with vendors selling everything from produce, cheese, and meat to baked goods, chocolate, and flowers.

Carleigh and I strolled through the market and bought a baguette, some cheese, and meat for a picnic. We sat at a wooden picnic table overlooking the historic canal outside the market and felt like locals. That’s what spending time in a neighborhood does.

Five things to experience in Montreal this summer

Montreal has a fascinating history, a lively arts scene, amazing restaurants, fun festivals, and more. Here are some of the things you should consider doing when you visit the city this summer.

• Catch a performance of Celeste, Cirque Éloize’s new cabaret-style show. It runs all summer exclusively at the Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Cirque Éloize was established as a contemporary circus company in Montreal in 1993. For dinner and a show, visit Rosélys restaurant before the performance.

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• Visit the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to see L’heure Mauve, the latest exhibition by artist Nicolas Party. The artist created more than 100 works and a series of large-scale murals to create a dreamlike nature-themed exhibition. He brings his headphones and cell phone to experience the musical dimension of the exhibit. Quebec singer-songwriter and composer Pierre Lapointe created a 14-song soundtrack that adds a musical dimension to this immersive exhibition. Plan to spend several hours, the museum also has an amazing permanent collection.

• Plan to eat well. Montreal has one of the most diverse food scenes in North America. The city is famous for the Montreal smoked meat sandwich, Montreal bagels, and poutine. Foodies should visit one of the city’s many markets to sample the province’s fresh produce, cheeses, chocolates and cakes, straight from the farms and artisans who create them. The Jean Talon market is the largest of the group. You’ll also want to try some of the newer restaurants in town. During our recent visit, my daughter and I dined at Mignon Steak, a new 30-seat restaurant in Little Burgundy that serves one main course: steak and fries. It has a good wine and cocktail list and an appetizer menu that is constantly changing. Sunday brunch is also a thing in Montreal, and you need to plan ahead and make reservations. We enjoyed a delicious traditional brunch at Le Passé Composé on our last day in town.

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• Ride through the city like a local. Montreal was ranked in the top 20 cycling cities in the world by the Copenhagenize Index. There are more than 700 kilometers of bike paths, including a beautiful trail that skirts the historic Lachine Canal and takes you to Saint-Henri and other neighborhoods. The city also has bike rentals, bike tours, and a popular bike festival.

• Explore Old Montreal and get a panoramic view from Montreal’s observation wheel, La Grande Roue de Montréal, on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. On foot, you can walk cobblestone streets dating back to the days of New France and peruse boutiques, galleries, restaurants, and cafes.

—Debbie Olsen

Debbie Olsen is an award-winning Métis writer and national bestselling author. Follow her at www.wanderwoman.ca.