Fred Burrill, a doctoral student in the Department of History at Concordia, whose research focuses on displacement and collective memory in the Saint Henri neighborhood was the tour guide for students in the Introduction to Geography and the Environment Continuing Education class.

The Walking Tour of St. Henri took us from the Lionel Groulx metro to the far west side of the neighborhood, and included stops at Atwater Market, several social housing complexes, Café St. Henri and other restaurants/businesses along Notre Dame, an unused library building currently slated for community use, the office of P.O.P.I.R. – Comité Logement, and the Canada Malting factory. Along these stops, Burrill described the challenges and opportunities facing the neighborhood. Over the course of the walk we discussed de-industrialization in the neighborhood, land use planning and zoning, issues of race, class and colonialism in relation to urban development, and the history and present of community activism in St. Henri addressing housing, inequality, and neighborhood change.

Here are some student reflections:

“My experience was eye-opening…. I really enjoyed the walk for the reason that I learned so much about a place I knew existed but never went into the depths of it. When I think about Montreal I have so much more to learn about my city before visiting elsewhere. It made me realize that there is more than just the history of Montreal but the future of it too.”

“The experience was great because I gained knowledge in a different environment than a class room. It helped me to be more attentive and it captivated my interest. Overall, I think walks like this should be included in the curriculum of a teacher for a few reasons, but mostly to change the environment of a student from time to time. The routine in a class room becomes monotonous and often repeated – (I’m speaking from my point of view). Change in a routine, like this walk, stimulates a student to want to learn more.”