Roger-Luc Chayer
We are fortunate to have, in the Gay Village of Montreal, a cultural attraction that is completely unknown, but very interesting. This is the Promenade des Stars, located between Alexandre-DeSève and Ste-Catherine Est. That is, along the west side of TVA.
This walk is made up of many honorary plaques dedicated to very important personalities for Quebec such as Alys Robi, the actors of Broue, Céline Dion, Dominique Michel, Félix Leclerc, Geneviève Bujold, Gilles Carle, Ginette Reno, Gratien Gélinas, Guy Mauffette, Jacques Proulx, Janette Bertrand, Janine Sutto, Jean Duceppe, Jean Grimaldi, Juliette Huot, Michel Brault, Olivier Guimond, Pierre Nadeau, Roger Baulu, Roger Lebel, Yvon Deschamps, Béatrice Picard, Gilles Latulippe, Pierre Bruneau and Réal Giguère.
Very little is known about this project which appears to date from 1995. They appear to be made of a brass or copper alloy embedded in concrete. Only one website mentions it and it is the then prime contractor, Concordia Entrepreneurs de Construction Inc., which shows some blurry photos of the construction.
Unfortunately, everything is abandoned and clearly, TVA no longer seems to give the slightest importance to these plaques which are not only magnificent from an artistic point of view, but very important to the culture of Quebec. Some plates are very damaged or vandalized, like that of Juliette Huot.
This abandonment does no honor to the memory of these missing stars, and above all, to those who are still with us. Gay Globe emailed TVA a few questions:
1- There is no history or explanation on this project on the web. What was the original purpose of creating this walk?
2- Has the project been suspended and why?
3- The place and the plates are no longer maintained, some are worn and one has been vandalized. Is TVA considering revitalizing this promenade or maintaining it better?
Unfortunately, the Péladeau empire did not answer our important questions about the future of this unique concept in Quebec. You can still visit the Allée des Stars by going to 1475, Rue Alexandre-DeSève, H2L 2V4, in Montreal. Obviously, I recommend the visit before winter to avoid ice and snow …