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Spectrum: The End of an era

Closing the Spectrum: The End of an era

Etienne Coutu

The author was a spokesman for the Coalition Save the Spectrum in February and March 2007

Press, edition Sunday August 5

The mayor of Montreal has so far showed defiant about the announced destruction of the Spectrum. To him, it was "a private affair that should be resolved in private." By refusing to intervene, it becomes largely responsible for the closure. Many feel that a major cultural institution for Montreal is disappearing. This creates an ominous precedent for the future of our city, raising questions about his vision and priorities that Mr. Smith emphasizes. Clearly, the development of cultural institutions is not leading in the order of its priorities.

Montreal is blessed in terms of infrastructure and cultural events. Investments that were made long ago, among others under the leadership of Jean Drapeau, including Place des Arts, led us to a place of choice. We have the quantity and strength of the creativity of the people here has ensured the success and quality. Many cities would be willing to invest millions to see world-class festivals move into its streets. Many envy the benefits of our summer celebrations, and the vibrancy of our cultural scene. Should be remembered our rulers that the race should not stop there?

Toronto has understood, by establishing new infrastructure recently foreground, with the expansion of the Royal Ontario Museum by architect Daniel Liebeskind, the improvements of the Art Gallery of Ontario by another giant of architecture, Frank Gehry, and the magnificent renovation of Roy Thomson Hall auditorium. Not to mention that Toronto will become its own festival Just for Laughs.

Meanwhile, in Montreal, the latest international architectural competition, ending with a consolation prize to the winner: students from conservatories of music and drama return in the concrete basement of a building on Rue Henri-Julien. Troop graduating in drama from 2005 has found his inspiration for a name: "From the Bunker." And we still waiting for a 2,000-seat room for the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, a project of type "PPP" should be able to hold, by a miracle, on the narrow parcel remaining from the Place des Arts.

Turning

But having been at the forefront should not blind us to the importance of staying the course, and this especially in a context of globalization and competition between major cities world to attract tourists. The refusal of Mayor Tremblay to intervene to prevent the disappearance of Spectrum shows carelessness on his part: he does not seem to grasp the crucial role played by cultural institutions and projects in a city, whether public or private.

Besides, there is no record of the Spectrum case. In this case, we had a project led by the City, bringing together all stakeholders in the cultural scene of the area covered by a "Partnership of the Quartier des spectacles". But the City did not have the courage to exercise some control over real estate operations to stem the unprecedented speculation that followed the announcement. Ironically, rather that a course toward entertainment district, one of the jewels of the Montreal venues now closes its doors and will be destroyed. Despite protests from citizens, the Spectrum will be replaced by an office tower of 15 floors and commercial space in supermarkets, and even before a special planning permission has been adopted by the City.

In Montreal, the developments seem left entirely in the hands of private enterprise. It is not yet the uncontrolled development, but development that could be called non-thought. Leaving two major projects to be completed before even the adoption of the Special Planning Area of the shows, the City not only sacrificed one of the most popular rooms, but it also gives up to have a voice in future developments. Rogers Towers and SIDEV weave through the regulations and precede the adoption of the plan. The precedent is a disavowal of the City to professionals it employs and its citizens. What good is working on a plan that has little or no impact on this industry? With a moratorium on these two projects, the City would have played its role or to allow a coordinated development in this area. Instead, we witness a first step in the wrong direction for a major urban development project.

there any reason to suspect the mayor of Montreal to perform favorably to commercial enterprises at the expense of cultural projects? The mayor's responsibility should it not be to encourage and support these sites that give Montreal its specificity, its soul? Tomorrow, nobody will sequenced the gates at the Spectrum to prevent its demolition. Everyone knows that a petition of over 15,000 names based on the tablets of the town hall. We can thus observe the state of democratic health of the City of Montreal and the level of accountability of our elected officials.

From Spectrum, they will remain in the hearts of these people memories of artists who, for 25 years, there have been benefits often magical. The closure ring is the end of an era. Citizens may recall also ultimately responsible for the closure. Will he pursued by the ghost of the Spectrum?