Past, Present, Future: Tools For Building Communities

L'Autre Montreal has always asked the essential questions: why do cities grow, develop and change in certain ways? How can ordinary people influence their neighborhood's development? What does the past tell us about current social issues?

In the past 15 years, L'Autre Montreal has explored these questions and some answers in guided bus tours of Montreal. Whether looking at the impact of immigration, issues of homeless or women's myriad roles in urban development, the tours offer a unique view into one of Canada's oldest cities.

Responding to New Needs

Today, L'Autre Montreal is putting its knowledge at the service of "young" or newly created community organizations. Its project is called "Urban Solidarity Tours." The goal is to help community groups deepen their understanding of the neighborhood and people they are trying to help. The project also serves as a bridge between groups by bringing community workers together for discussion and collaboration. Using a sort of "total immersion," the guided tours allow people to learn about and understand the history and evolution of different communities and issues.

For example, at the request of a literacy group in Mercier, a little-known Montreal neighborhood facing problems of poverty, L'Autre Montreal created a special tour of that area. They discovered that Mercier had a long tradition of social activism including successful lobbying for the decontamination of the Long Point military base.

Educating For Change

As well, L'Autre Montreal has tackled the issue of public education. Schools, once divided into Catholic and Protestant sectors and now divided by French and English, have struggled to integrate and assist students newly arrived in the city from every country in the world. Believing that a deeper examination of the school system could help parents, students and teachers create change, L'Autre Montreal created "A School for All: Education in Montreal from Past to Present." The tour has received high marks from participants, including immigrant parents trying to ensure their children receive a fair and decent education.

For more information, contact:

Bernard Vallée
Director
Collectif d'animation L'Autre Montreal
2000 Boulevard St. Joseph East
Montréal, QC H2H 1E4
Tel: (514) 521-7802
Fax: (514 521-5246
autrmtl@cam.org
www.cam.org/~autrmtl