It’s the thrill of discovering a new perspective on what you see everyday: that’s why I have such a thirst for finding new vantage points from which to overlook the city. If you ask me, a great night out usually involves some beer and a spot on some apartment building’s rooftop. So you can pretty much guess what I think of the new plan to create a public observatory inside the dome of St. Joseph’s Oratory, then.
The Oratory, a Catholic basilica, is one of Montreal’s most distinctive landmarks. You can see it from just about any spot in the south or west in the city, its giant copper dome peeking up from above the trees of Mount Royal. In the north, its presence is monumental, lording over the neighbourhoods of Côte des Neiges and Snowdon. You can even see it from the airport in Dorval, where it looks like the nipple of a large, misshapen breast. Every year, the Oratory receives two million visitors, many of them Catholic pilgrims from Korea and Latin America, and it has been looking for ways to attract even more tourists. Opening an observation deck would be a sure-fire way to make the basilica an essential stop for anyone spending time in Montreal.
It could also change way that Montrealers see their own city. Maybe I’m investing too much hope in the transformative power of a good view, but the Oratory’s observation deck would possess an entirely unique perspective Montreal; it would be the only spot in town with a view completely unobstructed by Mount Royal. By extension, it would also be the only place where you could actually look over on Mount Royal. People would be able to get a better sense of how the mountain relates to the city and how its presence has shaped the urban development of Montreal. It would be a spectacular change from the usual vantage points.
11 comments
This is going to be really nice when it opens!
Good idea.
The “St. Joseph’s Oratory” doesn’t exist, silly!
But I agree with your plan to eliminate French from Montréal. But if we’re really serious, we’ve got to work on the name of the city itself. What to do?
“Ville de Montréal”
This is our starting point. What is wrong with this? Everything? Look at that accent, representing the dominance of FRENCH FASCISTS!!! “Ville”. Ugh. I don’t know what that means. Correct this please…
“City of Montreal”
or better yet
“Montreal City”
That’s better. Getting closer to OfWolf nirvana. (Or would that be Heaven, since we need to eliminate all non-germanic influences, unless they be Chinese or something equally lefty-trendy. Thai or Bantu, perhaps?). But it needs something else. Isn’t the “réal” from the original french vaguely associated with monarchy? That won’t do. Monarchy, hierarchy and differentiation of all kind must be eliminated as well!
“Mont City”
Nice. No threatening hierarchies or white people languages (except the financially, culturally and militarily predominant English, but let’s set aside our little moral hypocrisies if they make us feel bad). But it doesn’t have that zing to it, does it? And it’s still vaguely latinate, which admits a victory to not only FRENCH FASCISTS but stuffy old white people who read books and went to good schools predating the 20th century. We can’t allow that, even if we are a stuffy young white person who read books and went to a good school. So let’s change that.
“MOUNTAIN CITY”
That’s it, babe! We now live in Mountain City! Let’s get out there and push this meme, er, thought (don’t want to let those latins run wild!). Bonus: assuage our bourgeois eco-conscience by recalling pristine wilderness, while our plasticine energivores of computers run day in and day out, capturing our memoirs of indulgent tourism through what remains of other cultures.
The oratory is already part of my hill climb bike circuit of Montreal, which, when done in the sunset time of the day, enjoys the most spectacular sunset view in Montreal from the upper parking lot and upper-most top-of-the-stairs entrance. And the newly built access road up to the top is downright vermontesque!
I can’t wait for this observation deck to be completed.
Um, don’t forget that the Oratory can be seen from almost all points north of the city as well!
Re – Christopher
Wow, you must be hard up for something to complain about. Your attack of the english name of the church, in an english post, is quite lame. It’s no different than Île des Soeurs vs Nun’s Island, or Stade olympique vs olympic stadium, etc. Please find something more productive to complain about, at least something relevant to the content of the post.
I should add – the english version of the “Oratoire’s” own website uses the name “Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount-Royal”
I am Anglo who likes the fact that Montréal is a french place. This is not Toronto East, yeah? New York North. Let’s keep Montréal special.
It’s an inherently political act to replace and translate the toponomy of Montréal. Or perhaps re-replace and re-translate. Or re-re-replace, as Marc Levine, another anglo, would put it.
But I guess some people miss the days when English and Scottish businessmen overtly controlled everything in Montréal, with the assistance of token locals. Like in Africa. And Ireland!
So if Christopher DeWolf wants to pointedly keep changing all of Montréal’s toponomy, I guess we’ll have to speak up against cultural imperialism.
I haven’t changed anything. St. Joseph’s Oratory is what the basilica calls itself in English:
I’m not sure why you’ve chosen this post to launch into your anti-anglicization diatribe. Your personal attacks and mischaracterizations don’t add anything to the discussion. In any case, they’re bizarrely irrelevant and off-the-mark, since nobody at Spacing, including myself, believes what you seem to think we believe.
Re – Christopher (2)
I’m francophone and I like the fact that Montreal is a bilingual city. It is a chance actually for me because I’m able to appreciate the world within 2 perspectives instead of only one. First of all I think there is too many people like you, whom will always whine for nothing: I’m from the West island, and my neibourghoud always called it Montreal city (and I don’t have problem with that sir!). Don’t pretend there is something to complain about, because almost everything can be translate. Secondly, if you really want to eliminate all of us, well your city will loose great artists, just like my gran grand-father whom participate to the construction of the Saint Joseph’s Oratory of Mount-Royal and also finish its interior design in 1966.
Bonne Journée!
(It means have a great day!)
** neighbourhood