Maisonneuve magazine

I don't hide my love for Montreal. I love the city. I love everything it is, everything it stands for and everything it produces. I've cultivated this love over many a sejour and a few weekends here and there. Besides great culture and festivals add interesting journalism and writing to the list of things I love about Montreal.

A few months back I discovered a great online magazine about life in urban centres with a focus on Montreal. Some great articles with topics ranging from music, urban issues, politics and arts. This one article in particular is about "le flaneur" or one who wanders throughout the city taking it all in (not a great translation, but best I could come up with). The article discusses the art of "flanage" and whether it has become a lost art or whether the digital revolution has in fact aided it. Check it out here

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The conservation action

Conservation Action 2006 is a four-week initiative to encourage people to make small changes in their daily behaviours that together make a significant contribution to the environment. The campaign runs from May 22 to June 19.

To check out more information visit The Conservation Action

Vancouver at dusk

Vancouver as seen from Main St and the waterfront looking west.

A trip to the museum

Having visited a small town in central B.C this weekend, I couldn't help but think how much a visit to a small town is like a visit to the museum. That is obviously an exaggeration, but for many things it really feels like it. Life in cities has changed so much, and is constantly changing in comparison to the more rural areas of the country. Example: on the way out of town we pull up to the gas station to fill gas and at the pump there is no "express pay". You have to go in to pay. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that this is bad, it's just very different than how things are in the cities.

I had the chance to spend some time with my girlfriend's grandparents and they spoke about how much things have changed. From less friendly neighborhoods, to strange looks at the garden store, their lives have changed a great deal. Still though, life in their town is really like trip into the past.

At times I almost found it unnerving to think how different the lives of city and rural folk are. I really found myself struggling to imagine what their day would be like. I don't even consider myself to be such a "city person".

The trip was definitely refreshing though, as it just felt good to sit and not be around a computer, cellphone or t.v, but still be in a city. I wonder what our cities will look and feel like in the future.

it's getting hot in here

Hot one inch action rolls out again this year. This is the third year of the one of a kind button art expo. 50 of the best one inch button designs submitted are selected pressed and put on display for a night of fun. For $5 entrance you get 5 randomly selected buttons and the chance to trade amongst the other merry goers in attendance. Sounds like fun? Check out the site for details on the event, and see some of the past year's submissions.

Beautiful brick

The eastern part of the downtown is full of beautiful buildings such as this one. All along the old part of the waterfront, there are numerous buildings that are either abandoned or now slowly being converted for other purposes. This one is actually a bar.

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Breakfast part2

It just keeps getting better.

Mont-Royal-Taking the street back.

The idea of pedestrian and transit only streets seems like a completely foreign idea in most North American cities, but might not be so far off. A group in Montreal's Mont-Royal neighborhood are coming together to for a group interested in shaping their community into a more pedestrian, transit and bike friendly area. One of the guiding questions in all of their efforts is whether we should be designing communities around the car, or whether we should be designing car use around our needs. Too many of our communities are car first and people second, hopefully not for long. la route verte

Some good words to consider

Came across this while checking out another blog by Luce Beaulieu,a designer from Montreal. The wordsare by Bruce Mau who is a celebrity of sorts in the design and architecture world. Not that I know a great deal about him, but the manifesto his group has put together is applicable to all aspects of life or career pathes. Check it out.

Just try and get lost

Came across this on a Canadian design site I like to check out. It's the the Toronto subway system in 1" buttons. Gotta love buttons.