Celebrating the past to better build the future

The Port of Montreal has developed several projects in the last years to bring the port closer to the citizens. In this article, Ms. Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Port of Montreal, reflects on the importance of port city culture and heritage, explains the new initiatives and the impact they had in the port-city relationship. The richness of a port-city culture and the relationships underlying it can only be achieved by maximizing the points of contact between the community and the port, and through a better understanding of the advantages and characteristics of living close to a major port city. The Port of Montreal not only has a strong economic relationship with its city, but also a rich historical and social heritage. It was the cradle of the city’s birth, development and transformation over the centuries, and this relationship has always kept evolving. After being located for a very long time in the downtown core, the Port of Montreal gave up its oldest facilities at the end of the 1970s. The Old Port was redeveloped to become an urban space, open to tourism and recreation. Port activities continued in locations closed to the public, and many citizens are unaware of Montreal’s thriving port activity. Over the past decade, the Port of Montreal took many steps to reconnect with residents, raise awareness of the city’s port heritage, and demystify its activities to the general public. Among the biggest achievements in this regard is the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal. In 2014, the Port of Montreal began major renovations to its cruise terminal and Alexandra Pier. In addition to rehabilitating the buildings, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) chose to develop public spaces around the terminal to make it part of a welcoming urban fabric that is open to the public. Today, our cruise terminal can continue to accommodate dozens of ships and thousands of passengers, and at the same time offer the public green spaces,…