The phrase 鈥渋f these walls could talk鈥� is taking on a new meaning in Old Montreal.
For the next four years, centuries-old walls, cobblestone streets, buildings, and even trees will be illuminated by larger-than-life projections telling tales of the city鈥檚 storied past once the sun goes down.
Now, anyone with a smartphone can pop in their earbuds to get a quick history lesson from Montreal icons like Jackie Robinson, who played for the Montreal Royals before becoming the first black major league baseball player.
The interactive app-based history lessons are part of Montreal鈥檚 upcoming 375th birthday celebration. Exhibits are set up in 19 locations using a total of 80 projectors mounted to the rooftops of buildings around Old Montreal. The illuminations disappear in the daylight, but can still be viewed on smartphone screens.
One stop called 鈥淏abylon of the North鈥� brings to life an era when Montreal was notorious for gambling dens and brothels. Other scenes feature hockey great Maurice Richard, the funeral of famous tavern owner Joe Beef, a river flowing along a city street symbolizing the Algonquin creation myth, and a tribute to Leonard Cohen's Suzanne on the clock tower in the Old Port.
Twenty scenes are currently available, with more expected before the city鈥檚 birthday next year.
The short history vignettes have drawn comparison to the well-known Heritage Minutes that have aired on Canadian television since the early 1990s -- but with the added benefit of bringing the audience to historic sites.
The Cité Mémoire experience is available through the free Montréal en Histoires app. The project is the brainchild of Cirque du Soleil veterans Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon.
鈥淚t took hundreds of hours of work 鈥�. Hundreds of people doing that work to bring Cité Mémoire to life,鈥� said Lemieux in an interview with 麻豆传媒.
With a report from CTV鈥檚 Genevieve Beauchemin in Montreal
