Okay, Montreal was in trouble long before Mr. Three Per Cent took the stand at the Charbonneau Commission hearings this week.
You can trace it back to the day last fall when Mayor Gerald Tremblay resigned if you want.
Or to the day several years ago when reporters like The Gazette’s Linda Gyulai and others began exposing dirty contracts and smelly fund raising.
Or to the day 15 or 40 or 100 years ago when politicians, contractors and the mob began scratching one another’s backs and greasing the wheels of the political machine.
I don’t think anyone is going to argue with the notion that our city is in a crisis and needs a makeover.
The question is what should we do to spruce up our image — at home, yes, but perhaps more importantly, with tourists and businesses and people who in any other period would think this was a remarkable, vibrant, extraordinary place to live.
Tell me. What do we do?
In a speech Tuesday, the outgoing director of Tourisme Montreal, Charles Lapointe, suggested major ways to shake up the city, stimulate tourism and boost morale.
Lapointe suggested political leaders start by making the new Champlain Bridge a priority — ideally one with the punch of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.
But he also raised the notion of an ‘un-bridge” — a watery lookout where Montrealers can experience the mighty Ste. Lawrence in all its glory — as well as enlarging the convention centre and taking advantage of the city’s 375th birthday in 2017 to showcase Montreal’s strengths.
Lapointe’s ideas are in keeping with “placemaking,’ the new buzzword among city planners and theorists.
The notion is that to hold their own — and make a name for themselves in the cacophony of the modern world, cities need to brand themselves — or, in some cases, rebrand themselves.
Change the toothpaste, put on something sexy, hire a handler who knows how to take the milk out of Milwaukee or put the buzz in Barcelona.
“Cities like Paris, London, and New York have distinctive features that tell a story about their urbanity, history and lifestyle,” Cities as Brands: Global Recognition of Local Cultures reports on the Sustainable Cities Collective blog this week.
“More and more places are working on presenting a coherent, distinctive image that defines their uniqueness to all outsiders and strengthens local culture and pride from within.”
So what should it be?
What will it take for Montreal to put its wounded pride away and recapture its mojo?
A summer long extravaganza in the spirit of Expo 67?
An Eiffel Tower?
Is a pretty bridge or a beautiful public square enough if our political system is in shambles and our reputation is in ruins?
As citizens, what do we want our city to stand for — and to look like to the outside world?
And once the dust finally settles on the Charbonneau inquiry and the (sluggish!) race for mayor, how do we make it happen?
Send your ideas!
pcurran@montrealgazette.com
twitter: peggylcurran
