Remembering the Great Antonio
Radio-Canada has a piece looking back at the Great Antonio, who died 20 years ago.
The Gazette looks back at how the demolition of the Van Horne mansion 50 years ago spurred the creation of heritage preservation group Save Montreal.
walkerp 10:38 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
That is a great article about the Van Horne mansion. It goes into some depth and is an interesting and important piece of Montreal’s history.
carswell 11:19 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
When I first arrived in Montreal, to attend McGill, I walked from the hotel that is now the Cours Mont-Royal and where the airport bus had dropped me, up Peel toward the campus. When I got to the corner of Sherbrooke, I was horrified as a wrecking ball finished off the greenhouse/conservatory and started on the mansion per se. It was my first real image of the city. I felt like returning to the hotel and getting on the bus back to the airport. Glad I didn’t but what a disgrace. Turned me into a Drapeau hater from day one.
Tee Owe 12:48 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
Like Carswell, I had recently (bit earlier) arrived in Montreal – I was prompted to write an open letter to Jean Drapeau protesting this travesty – I have no record of it unfortunately
walkerp 14:24 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
That drive for modernity sure looks bad today. Bear that in mind with the rush to AI.
Kate 17:59 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
walkerp, do you see a parallel between Jean Drapeau’s fascination with the Ville Radieuse and general fascination with AI?
walkerp 19:28 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
No, it’s a bit of a stretch but what is the same is that drive to be modern and not be left behind.
Kate 23:24 on 2023-09-07 Permalink
I think anyone whose skills can be replicated by AI, even in its nascent state, is inevitably going to want to know more, and figure out how to use it, before they’re completely superseded by it. And this is whether or not it’s a paying job, or an avocation like poetry or photography or painting.
I don’t think that’s a drive to be modern – it’s like some people instantly saw the potential in the internet, and then in the web, and jumped in.