Quartier Concordia: a village for the people
The fifth instalment of the Quartier Concordia public exhibition series will adorn the Guy Street windows of the Engineering, Computer Science, and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV) beginning this Friday, April 17.
“1974-1975: Movements, Modernity and the Making of a Village” and an accompanying online version are being released in time to raise awareness of the UNESCO International Day for Monuments and Sites on April 18. The exhibition marks the 40th anniversary of the merger of Sir George Williams University and Loyola College.
Clarence Epstein, senior director of urban and cultural affairs, says it’s a fitting opportunity to highlight key moments in the mid-1970s that were to define the physical character of this neighbourhood. “There were several major tectonic shifts on the urban scene and the growth of Concordia’s downtown campus is better understood when viewed through this social lens”.
Four decades ago, the area surrounding Sir George Williams University was changing rapidly. Concrete high-rise apartment buildings began replacing Victorian homes along the newly formed De Maisonneuve Boulevard, making it the most densely populated residential area in all of Canada.
Disco-fuelled nightlife was reaching its gilded peak, and a group of avant-garde artists was challenging the status quo. Véhicule Art Inc., formed after a show at the Sir George Williams Gallery, grew throughout the 1970s to become a major force in the contemporary art scene.
While the decade was a time of radical urban development, the mid 1970s signaled the beginning of a movement to save significant examples of Montreal’s architectural heritage. When a Swiss developer signed a deal with the Grey Nuns to purchase the Motherhouse, proposing to tear most of it down and build a commercial and residential complex, Quebec’s Ministry of Culture stepped in to protect it.
In 1974, philanthropist and architect Phyllis Lambert bought the Shaughnessy House on Boulevard René-Levesque, saving it from demolition. The house would become the heart of the Canadian Centre for Architecture and the village which bears its name.
Amidst all the institutional hustle and bustle, negotiations were in the final stretch between Sir George Williams University and Loyola College, located further west in the neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.
They had distinct cultures and structures, but they shared one goal: to deliver accessible, quality higher education. “We look forward to a new period of creative friction,” Concordia’s first Rector and Vice-Chancellor, John O’Brien said at the time.
Beginning Wednesday, April 15, Heritage Montreal has a full schedule of events, including lectures and guided tours, planned around the UNESCO International Day for Monuments and Sites.
In honour of Concordia’s 40th anniversary, the Advancement and Alumni Relations Department has put together a special series profiling 40 Great Concordians — outstanding individuals who have contributed to the fabric of the university. The department also compiled a comprehensive history of Concordia Firsts spanning the four decades.
Meanwhile the Records Management and Archives Department has created a series of slides highlighting seminal milestones from each year of Concordia’s history.