Park Avenue (Montreal)
| Park Avenue | |
|---|---|
| Avenue du Parc | |
 Park Ave near Pine Ave. |
|
| Length | 5.7 km (3.5 mi) |
| Location | Montreal |
| South end: | Sherbrooke Street, Crémazie Boulevard |
| North end: | Jean Talon Street, Chabanel Street |
| Construction | |
| Inauguration | September 29, 1961 |
| South | Bleury Street |
Park Avenue (officially avenue du Parc in French) is one of central Montreal's major north-south streets. It derives its name from Mount Royal park, by which it runs. Between Mount Royal Avenue and Pine Avenue, the street serves as the boundary between the mountain, to the west, and the smaller Jeanne Mance Park to the east. South of Sherbrooke Street, the street's name changes to Bleury Street (rue de Bleury), and south of Saint Antoine Street in Old Montreal, the name changes again to Saint Pierre Street. The northern end of Park Avenue is Jean Talon Street and the former Canadian Pacific Railway Park Avenue station, now serving, in part, as the Parc metro station and commuter train station.
However, there is also a short stretch of Park Avenue between Crémazie Boulevard (A-40) and Chabanel Street [1].
Once one of Montreal's most elegant residential avenues, Park Avenue is now a busy commercial street, home to the former Rialto Theatre. Since 1924, it has also been an important part of Montreal's Greek community.
Park also lends its name to the residential neighbourhood Park Extension, at its northern end.
[edit] Park Avenue name change controversy
On November 28, 2006 Montreal city council voted in favour (40-22) of renaming Park Avenue after former Quebec premier Robert Bourassa, as announced on October 18 by Montreal mayor Gerald Tremblay. [2] If Quebec's Toponymy Commission had approved the change, all of Park Avenue and its continuation would have been renamed Robert Bourassa Avenue. The proposal was controversial, especially in light of the historical nature of the name.[3] (The STM's Parc metro station (and AMT commuter rail station) were to remain "Parc" due to a moratorium on renaming metro stations. [4])
After Bourassa's family publicly expressed reservations about the controversy, Tremblay announced on February 6, 2007 that he would not pursue the issue further and that the council would be presented with a motion to withdraw the resolution of November 28.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Google Map
- ^ "'Turn the page' on Parc Avenue debate: mayor". CBC News. November 29, 2006. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/11/29/qc-parcavedecision.html#skip300x250.
- ^ "Bourassa statue unveiled as street naming stirs controversy". CBC News. October 19, 2006. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2006/10/19/parcave-renamedafterbourassa.html.
- ^ (French) "Holà aux changements de nom des stations de métro". http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20061026/CPACTUALITES/610260776/5155/CPACTUALITES. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
Coordinates: 45°30′54.6″N 73°35′8.1″W / 45.515167°N 73.585583°W
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