Quote:
Originally Posted by Acajack
I remember as a kid that with some exceptions, much of Vieux-Montréal and Vieux-Québec were largely abandoned as late as the 1980s.
Not so much blighted, boarded-up buildings, but rather lots of dusty worn façades, and dirty windows with total emptiness behind them.
I think it was a reflection of the era where dense older areas were seen as non-functional because they weren't built for the automobile.
Even if a lot of buildings weren't used, I suppose that government heritage programs of various kinds probably protected them from total demise.
Which is great because the vast majority of them are occupied today.
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I personally believe that the preservation of Vieux Montreal was, to a large extent, what the late great Bob Ross would refer to as a happy accident": a silver lining of the economic stagnation that Montreal experienced in the 70s-80s, largely due to the winds of political change but also due to the de-industrialization that decimated many cities in North America during that time period. Much of the area below the VM expressway (Little Burgundy, St. Henri, the Pointe, Griffintown, Ville Emard, etc.) was in a time freeze. Next to no redevelopment, and plenty of vacant buildings. The entire area around the former Dow Planetarium (south of Windsor Station) was mostly abandoned factories for decades, right on the doorstep of downtown Montreal.