May 5, 2008
Raoul Wallenberg
There is a little-known memorial to Raoul Wallenberg behind Christ Church Cathedral in downtown Montreal, between the cathedral and the skyscraper to the north (KPMG Tower).He worked to save the lives of Hungarian Jews in the later stages of World War II by issuing them protective passports from the Swedish embassy.
Let's review a clip of the movie “Schindler’s List”
The ring’s inscription, he’s told, is in Hebrew:
“Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire.”
Apr 26, 2008
Mar 20, 2008
The inside phrases of the gates of Chinatown
These two phrases or idioms are not used very often. That is why even most chinese won't be able to tell you the real meaning.
I write in Chinese and English. For most of you, the chinese words will not appear. sorry about that.
钟灵毓秀 :zhōng líng yù xiù
钟:凝聚,集中;毓:养育。凝聚了天地间的灵气,孕育着优秀的人物。指山川秀美,人才辈出。
钟灵毓秀来自于:唐·柳宗元《马退山茅亭记》:“盖天钟秀于是,不限于遐裔也。”
钟灵毓秀出处来自于:不想我生不幸,亦且琼闺绣阁中亦染此风,真真有负天地~之德了。(清·曹雪芹《红楼梦》第三十六回)
This one is on Viger street. If you really want to try, the pronunciation is zhōng líng yù xiù
Meaning: The scenic splendor of this place gathers excellent people.
踵事增华 :zhǒng shì zēng huá
释义 踵:追随,继续。继续前人的事业,并使更加完善美好。
出处 南朝梁·萧统《文选序》:“盖踵其事而增华,变其本而加厉。物既有之,文亦宜然。”
示例 以至头门墙上及各墙壁,另行雕刻花草人物,正是~,穷奢极侈。(清·黄小配《廿载繁华梦》第二十七回)
This one is on René-Lévesque street. If you really want to try, the pronunciation is zhǒng shì zēng huá
Meaning: One after another, we do our best to add magnificence to this place.
Mar 11, 2008
Best of Montreal - from Montreal Mirror
Best Pub Grub 1. McKibbin’s Irish Pub (1426 Bishop, 1. Al-Taib (various locations) At Parfums d’Asie, it’s not just $2 noodles, but two egg rolls for $1 as well. Best Pricey Eats1. La Queue de Cheval Steakhouse 1. La Banquise (994 Rachel E., (514) 525-2415) 1. Chez Cora (various locations) 1. Le Buffet Maison Kirin (various locations) 1. Domino’s (various locations) 1. Le Nil Bleu (3706 St-Denis, (514) 285-4628) 1. Mango Bay (1202 Bishop, (514) 875-7082) BEST CARIBBEAN #3: Caribbean Curry House 1. Beijing (92 de la Gauchetière W., 1. L’Express (3927 St-Denis, (514) 845-5333) 1. Arahova (various locations) 1. Pushap (various locations) 1. Pizzeria Napoletana (189 Dante, 1. Kaizen Sushi Bar (various locations) 1. Seoul (5030 Sherbrooke W., (514) 489-3686) 1. La Chilenita (various locations) 1. 3 Amigos (1657 Ste-Catherine W., BEST MIDDLE-EASTERN, BEST FALAFEL, BEST LATE-NIGHT EATS #3: Boustan Best Middle-Eastern 1. Boustan (2020A Crescent, (514) 843-3576) 1. Jano (3883 St-Laurent, (514) 849-0646) 1. Cuisine Bangkok (Faubourg, 1616 Cuisine Bangkok has recently opened another location (1824 Ste-Catherine, (514) 509-7674), just down the street from the Faubourg. It is more of a sit-down kind of place, but still has both the delicious food and lunch-hour rush of the food-court locale. Best Bagel1. St–Viateur (263 St-Viateur W., St-Viateur bagels just celebrated 50 years in the bagel business on Sunday May 20, and those have clearly been 50 years of doing something right ’cause you’ve voted them number 1 again! Best Barbecued Chicken1. Coco Rico (3907 St-Laurent, (514) 849-5554) Best Burger BEST BURGER: La Paryse 1. La Paryse (302 Ontario E., (514) 842-2040) 1. Boustan (2020A Crescent, (514) 843-3576) | Best Fries 1. Frites Alors (various locations) 1. La Belle Province (various locations) 1. Just Noodles (various locations) 1. Domino’s (various locations) Slightly tucked away, or at least situated below street level, Amelio’s is the only pizzeria on this list that is also a bring-your-own-wine (you have to venture into the heart of the McGill ghetto to find it though). Best Poutine1. La Belle Province (various locations) 1. Bâton Rouge (various locations) Move over old-timers: Meat Market was just an infant at the time of the last BOM issue, but the resto—no, not a pick-up spot—has matured and is putting the pressure on in the tapas, burger and ribs categories. Best Sandwich1. Santropol (3990 St-Urbain, (514) 842-3110) 1. Milos (5357 Parc, (514) 272-3522) 1. Schwartz’s (3895 St-Laurent, (514) 842-4813) 1. SoupeSoup (80 Duluth E., (514) 380-0880, Pho real! The Vietnamese pho, or soupe tonkinoise, is well represented with two restaurants specializing in the large, fresh, perfect-for-a-winter-lunch soups gracing the top five. Best Souvlaki1. Arahova (various locations) 1. Moishes Steak House (3961 St-Laurent, 1. Casa Tapas (266 Rachel E., (514) 848-1063) 1. Le Commensal (various locations) Few changes here, though Aux Vivres got a makeover and is now classier and fancier, and moved one spot up to number three. Lola Rosa, another McGill ghetto treat, joins the ranks (try the nachos, covered in a mountain of esoteric toppings). Best Bakery1. Première Moisson BEST BAKERY #2: Cheskie Reema Singh’s one-woman pastry shop Cocoa Locale serves pastries with a flavour twist; olive oil and lemon cakes, peanut butter and mint cookies, and chocolate zucchini bundts. She also makes cupcakes, which are a variety of dessert surprisingly hard to find in Montreal. Best Coffee1. Tim Horton’s (various locations) 1. Café Olimpico (124 St-Viateur W., 1. Camellia Sinensis (351 Emery, (514) BEST TEAHOUSE: Camellia Sinensis Best Locally Brewed Beer 1. Brutopia 1. Kilo Restaurant (various locations) 1. Ben & Jerry’s (various locations) 1. Alim-pot (20 Roy E., (514) 982-6838) 1. Jean-Talon Market (7075 Casgrain, 1. Falero (various locations) |
Mar 6, 2008
Mar 3, 2008
IRISH PLACES IN MONTREAL
460 René-Lévesque Boulevard West
Montréal, Québec
H2Z 1A7
Tel : (514) 866-7379
Web site : http://www.stpatricksmtl.ca/
McLean’s Pub
1210 Peel Street
Tel :(514) 392-7770
Web site : www.bar-resto.com/mclean
English style pub with varied menu. Pool tables.
O'Hara's Pub
1197 University Street
Tel. : (514) 390-8881
Web site : www.bar-resto.com/murphys
Irish pub with bar menu, pool tables, karaoke.
McKibbins Irish Pub
1426 Bishop Street
Tel : (514) 288-1580
Web site : http://www.mckibbinsirishpub.com/
Montreal's Irish Pub with live entertainment, 18 imported beers on tap, Pub Grub and Irish sports on Satellite.
Ye Olde Orchard Pub & Grill
5563 Monkland
Tel. : (514) 484-1569
Web site : www.bar-resto.com/oldeorchard
Neighbourhood pub in Monkland Village with the flavour of the old country. Large terrace.
O’Regan’s Irish Pub
1224 Bishop Street
Tel. : (514) 866-8464
Web site : www.bar-resto.com/oregan
Celtic pub. Live entertainment, pub food, Irish & British beers.
Claddagh Pub
1433 Crescent Street
Tel. : (514) 287-9354
Web site : http://www.pubcladdagh.com/
Irish style pub on Montreal's famous Crescent St.
Hurley’s Irish Pub
1225 Crescent Street
Tel. : (514) 861-4111
Web site : http://www.hurleysirishpub.com/
Authentic Irish Pub in beautiful stone building. Many European beers & whiskeys, fireplaces, live Celtic music.
Le Vieux Dublin/Old Dublin
1219A University Street
Montréal, Qc
Tel: (514) 861-4448
Madhatter Pub
1220 Crescent Street
Tel. : (514) 987-9988
Web site : http://www.madhattersaloon.com/
The best dive in town!
A Salute to The Irish - from Nathalie de Grandmont
The Parade:
Their legacy:
As I said, The Irish deserve to celebrate because they brought here a lot more than just good music and good beer! In fact, they were our first big wave of immigration in Canada (after the French and the English), which started at the very beginning of the 19th century. A large number of the Irish immigrants arrived between 1845 and 1849, during the Great Famine. In 1845, a big disease completely destroyed the crop of potatoes in the fields of Ireland. And in the following years, thousands died of starvation or of typhoid fever. Thousands of Irish also chose to escape their country to come to United States or Canada (especially in 1847). The traveling conditions on the boat were terrible: many were already so weak by famine that they died during the trip. Even more sad: many others died, a few days after arriving on Grosse-Ile, which was the point of entry and the Quarantine station, a little upstream from Québec city. In the years before, many had died from cholera as well… But In 1847. dozens of them were dying every day: because of the typhus, a very contagious disease. To the extent that it became a huge epidemy and the authorities lost control. (To give you an idea: there are 6000 people buried in just one of the cemeteries of Grosse-Ile.)
The Irish who did survive the journey were not really attracted by agriculture and they established themselves in one of the oldest suburbs of Montreal: Griffintown. (Even tough they were Anglophones, the majority of them were catholics, and not active in business and politics, unlike the Scottish and the British, for example)
From 1821 to 1825, many of them were employed in the digging of the Lachine Canal: working 16 hours a day for low wages. (So, a few violent strikes occurred: in 1843, and later, when the canal was widened again, 30 years later) They also contributed to the construction of the railway and the Victoria Bridge. So, a lot of our city’s industrial growth came from the sweat and hard physical work of the Irish, as well as some of the French Canadians living in Pointe St. Charles, just beside. Griffintown remained the heart of the Irish community until the neighbourhood was partly demolished in the 1960s to build the Bonaventure Expressway.
St-Patrick Basilica.
Well, if the Irish were living in Griffintown (south-west of Montreal), why then is St-Patrick Basilica in the heart of downtown ? Well, it was not always like that. At the beginning of the 19th century, the St-Patrick parish included about 50 people… meeting in the tiny church of Bonsecours. (Their leader was Father Richards, who had been a Protestant priest in Virginia. He thought that he could come to the Montreal and convert all the Sulpician priests to his faith… but funny enough, it is the Sulpicians who converted him… )Then, they relocated to the abandoned church of The Recollets on Notre-Dame street… But again, it was not enough… because by 1840, the community had expanded to nearly 6,500. Can you imagine: every Sunday, hundreds of people, sometimes in the rain, were forced to kneel down in the cobbled streets, unable to squeeze inside…
After doing many sacrifices and giving a lot of their own money to build it, the Irish finally got their St-Patrick church… It was designed by a French Canadian architect. (P.L. Morin) in the gothic style of architecture popular in Europe in the 14th and 15th century. It is quite massive: 71 meters long, with a steeple rising 69 meters high. Today, it is considered one of Canada’s finest examples of gothic architecture, and the interior is probably even more beautiful. It is dominated by wood, and a lot of oak. And many of the wood panels contain carvings of shamrocks or fleur-de-lys (a tribute to the Sulpicians who were very involved). The nave is also decorated with many oil paintings of the Saints on both sides and most of all, great stained glass windows that were beautifully restored. (There has been several restorations and the most recent one was in the 1990’s.)
The church was inaugurated in 1847. Can you guess the date ? March 17th. That morning, the St-Patrick parade started at 7am from the Old Recollet Church off Notre Dame and proceeded on Notre Dame, St. James Street and then uphill on Commissioners street (McGill St.) to finish at St. Patrick's Church… where there was a big Mass, attended by 4000 people. Well, the first days and years of the church were very sad: the priests and nuns working there set up “Fever sheds” to take care of the sick, and then a facility for the orphans. Many of them died. And you can see their names on large panels close to the entrance. On the same wall, there is also a tribute to 2 other famous personalities, linked to the church: Thomas D’Arcy Mc Gee (an Irish man and one of the Fathers of the Confederation) and the poet Emile Nelligan, who was baptized in that church as well.
In 1989, again on March 17th, St-Patrick was elevated to the status of a minor basilica by the Vatican in Rome. Both the provincial and the federal government have classified it as a Historic Monument. The day I went there, the organ was playing when I walked in and I was very moved. I am telling you, you can really feel the many tears and sufferings that this Basilica has seen, but I think that over the years, it has also become a very important symbol of the accomplishment and legacy of the Irish.
So, if you want to pay tribute to the Irish, the Basilica is definitely a good place to start. I encourage you to go when you have a chance: it is open every day, and they also offer religious services on the week-ends. You can also come to the Parade .(This year, it will be on March 16th, and will start at noon, at the corner of Du Fort street ) But, since the Irish have also given us good music and many reasons to celebrate, please make sure to visit one of the typical Irish pubs… which are mostly located in the downtown area, along Crescent and Bishop streets, a little further west. I have here a little list of Irish pubs: where you can spend a very nice time and dedicate one toast – or two- to the Irish.
Well, thank you everyone… If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them. I wish you all a very Happy St-Patrick’s day!
Feb 29, 2008
Happy spring break!
Feb 24, 2008
Feb 19, 2008
Huge Griffintown plan unveiled
Don't be so negative and don't let this one slip by.
That was the message to Montrealers yesterday from Mayor Gerald Tremblay, who urged people to keep an open mind about a $1.3-billion residential-and-commercial project that aims to revitalize Griffintown, a run-down area at the foot of Peel St., between downtown and the Lachine Canal.
Described as one of the biggest private investments in Montreal history, the project, whose details were outlined yesterday, would include 3,830 residential units, retail outlets, a concert hall and a network of parks and public spaces.
Tremblay, who wholeheartedly supports the project, said he fears a backlash similar to the one that scuttled a $1.1-billion Loto-Quebec/Cirque du Soleil plan to build a casino and entertainment complex in the nearby Peel Basin last year.
"We must move beyond this type of inertia," Tremblay said of the negative reaction to the casino project.
"It is time we stop adopting such negative attitudes since it is only normal that in a major metropolis like Montreal that we should be able to at least explore projects that can have a positive impact on the social, cultural and economic development of our city."
Tremblay made the comments at a press conference at which he announced the city supports the project and that the South-West borough will hold public consultations on it in February. The city hopes to approve the project in April.
If that happens, the developer - Devimco, the company behind the DIX30 shopping centre in Brossard - says construction would begin in 2009, with completion within eight to 10 years.
At a separate press conference, Serge Goulet, co-president of Devimco, said the company has consulted for months with people who live, work and own businesses in the borough.
To deal with concerns it heard, it included more residential units (almost two-thirds of the floor space), added parks and public spaces (a total of 600,000 square feet), reduced the number of large stores included in the project (they would now make up less than a quarter of retail space) and moved parking underground (there would be 5,000 paid spots). It's also counting on the city's proposed tramway linking Griffintown to downtown and Old Montreal to alleviate traffic.
The project would feature several towers ranging from 10 to 24 storeys; the tallest building would be a hotel overlooking the Lachine Canal, which would have 32 floors.
To allay concerns of heritage activists, the developer said it will protect 12 structures (including the New City Gas and Crathern & Caverhil buildings) in the area, the former heart of the city's Irish community.
Two other buildings of historical value will be moved; another four will be demolished and partially rebuilt.
The area to be developed is currently home to 47 people, most of whom live in housing on Mountain St. that will not be affected by the project.
The developer wouldn't say how much of the land it already owns or has options to buy. But it said about 50 property owners own land in the area. Company co-president Jean-Francois Breton said enough deals with property owners are in place to leave the company confident that it will be able to buy all the land needed and won't have to ask the city to expropriate land.
Devimco and the city still have some convincing to do.
Pierre Morrissette, head of the Regroupement economique et social du Sud-Ouest, said his group's members - borough businesses, residents, community groups and unions - are reserving judgment until the public hearings.
They'll raise concerns about increased car traffic, how public transit will be integrated into the project and the amount of low-income housing included.
He said 800 people currently work in the area and the developer has given his group assurances it will ensure that many of the 4,330 permanent jobs to be created in the development will go to borough residents.
It's unclear how the area's heritage will be preserved, said Heritage Montreal's Dinu Bumbaru. Saving buildings isn't enough, he said. "There's the street pattern, the scale on the street, the character of the buildings, the views - of the Lachine Canal and the Five Roses sign, for example," he said.
Bumbaru wondered why the borough will hold the public consultation, rather than the city's independent Office de consultation publique. "This sounds like it's going to be a little kitchen meeting over a billion-dollar project," he said.
Downtown merchants, for their part, fear the project will pull people away from businesses on and around Ste. Catherine St., said Andre Poulin, executive director of Destination Centre-Ville, which represents downtown retailers.
"Instead of coming to Ste. Catherine St., people will go there - a brand new development," he said. "People working downtown will jump on the tramway and in a couple of minutes be there for lunch."
The city says it doesn't expect the Griffintown project will affect downtown. Tremblay pointed to a report the city commissioned from HEC Montreal marketing professor Jacques Nantel. He was asked to review a study the developer commissioned of the project's impact.
Nantel concluded Griffintown will probably not affect downtown businesses. He noted stores there are losing customers to suburban malls, with remaining downtown customers taking public transit and shopping on foot. Griffintown retailer would cater to different shoppers - those in cars.
very nice job
I don't know it is right place that I can put some word here?
thanks a lot for your nice job
maggie
Feb 18, 2008
A Handbook For Montreal's Heritage
Table of Contents
Preface
I. Historical Milestones
II. What is Heritage?
III. Montreal’s Heritage
IV. Conservation in Montreal
V. The Tools of Heritage Conservation
VI. Getting a Sense of Strategy
Suggested Readings
Appendix 1 Excerpts from the Cultural Property Act
Appendix 2 Letter-writing Guide
Useful Heritage Addresses
Organizations, Institutions and Municipalities
Research: Claudine Déom
Editing: Claudine Déom and Dinu Bumbaru
Drawings: Dinu Bumbaru
Acknowledgments: Nancy Dunton, Kate Swoger and Glenna Uline
Héritage Montréal gratefully acknowledges the support of
The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.