Our first days in Montreal
On a Thursday afternoon we left our driveway in Ettyville for Montreal. After a long drive in traffic heading into Montreal, we made it to our place in the Plateau area of Montreal. The fates were on our side and there was a parking spot available right in front which made for easy unloading of the truck.
We both worked on Friday from our new flat, and although we were tired from the move, we couldn't resist going out to a show after our first full-day in Montreal because The Sadies were playing at La Sala Rossa. The Sadies are one of our favourite bands. They played many times at both of Adam's venues. The band had the same four members since it formed in 1994. The two front men for the band were Dallas and Travis Good, sons of Bruce Good and nephews of Brian and Larry Good who are members of The Good Brothers. Dallas and Travis were phenomenal musicians and The Sadies an incredibly tight band that have collaborated with artists from Blue Rodeo to Neil Young.
Two years ago, we were shocked, and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Dallas from a recently detected heart condition. The band has started touring again, and we were excited at the opportunity to see them on our first weekend in Montreal.
It was a bit melancholy at first, but they still put on a stunning show, and had a special guest Gerry Louris, from The Jayhawks. He took center stage, where an empty mic had been standing and pointing at the image of Dallas on the backdrop, and played Dallas' guitar for a few songs. The additional guitar and vocals helped bring about the wall of sound so typical of a Sadies show.
It was an amazing way to start our two-month stay in Montreal.
On our walk to La Sala Rossa we went past a park with a beautiful light installation, Place des Fleurs-de-Macadam. This corner site used to have a gas station on it, owned by Armand Ferland, the father of the Canadian singer-songwriter Jean-Pierre Ferland.
The square is named after his song Les Fleurs de Macadam. From what I have learned, the park was completed in 2022 and won several awards in 2023. It was designed as Montreal's first "water square", as part of the city's initiative to prioritize water management in public spaces as an integral part of urban planning. The design of the park reduces the heat island effect and decreases rainwater overflow because it has a central ore and rock-based filtration space that temporarily retains rainwater. Through this design the park reduces sewer overload, decreases sewer overflows and helps replenish the water table.
I also discovered that the light installation that had originally attracted me to take a photo of the park, changes between summer and winter. In the summer it has more of a cloud-like light sculpture that hovers over the central area, which is a splash pad in the summer.
We are loving the area we are living in, with its proximity to second-hand stores, fruit and vegetable stores, butchers, bakers and coffee shops. We are looking forward to exploring the city for the next couple of months, and will share a few posts along the way!
