The Power of Imagination

A City of Women between Past, Present and Future

As anyone who walks the streets of Montreal can attest, women do not figure prominently in our town’s place names. With the exception of a few religious figures (Notre-Dame, Jeanne Mance, Marguerite d'Youville) and royalty (Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth), women are largely absent from our urban geography. In fact, fewer than 10% of Montreal's place names honour the women who have played such a vital role in building our city over the past two centuries. Montreal as we know it today has been shaped by the unseen efforts of countless women who have remained in the shadows of their male counterparts for too long. Their names deserve to be brought into the light.

By the late 19th century, Montreal was emerging as a centre of women's emancipation as women took on pivotal roles in the city's social, cultural, educational and economic landscape. They were active in education, scientific advances, the fight against discrimination, the defence of democratic values, the arts and literature, and in associations and community networks. But for decades, they were denied access to higher education, careers, voting rights and social equality. Their work was not widely shared or recognized. Many women fought to break through the glass ceiling. But too many gradually faded into the oblivion of urban memory.

In the past, we celebrated people who wielded power, the influential figures who “made history”: landowners, political leaders, all the way down to the forebears of ancient families. In short, we paid tribute to the men who were the movers and shakers, or who exemplified ideals of courage or nobility of spirit. Their names adorn streets, buildings, parks, institutions, highways and bridges. Their busts, statues and monuments sit proudly atop columns and pedestals in parks, city squares and downtown arteries. Today, the prominent presence of these men, glorified for eternity, perpetuates a blinkered vision of the city and its history that no longer aligns with our values of equity and inclusion.

But toponymies that reflect choices made long ago are not easily changed in the present day. There is also a practical problem: after the city's rapid and sustained growth in the 20^th century, there are few places left to name. So how can we increase the visibility of the women who played important roles in the advancement of society? How can we weave their stories into the vibrant historical fabric of a city known for its dynamism, culture and diversity, while situating them in an urban landscape where past, present and future intersect?

To shift our vision of the city by turning the spotlight onto the inspirational, trailblazing women whose words and deeds have left an imprint on Montreal, from the late 19^th century to the present, we decided to move to a different plane: the map of the imagination. The Montreal, City of Women metro map shows an alternative city that emerges through the gaps, splinters and absences in a historical narrative that revolves around the power of men. It eschews an understanding of social progress and of history in general as the arena of male action and achievement to uncover social dynamics in which women have played instrumental roles.

We also wanted this to be more than a list of names; we aimed to capture the unique journey of each of the women featured on the map and extend it beyond their metro station to reach all Montrealers. Montreal, City of Women is therefore a living document that supports a creative retelling of history, inspired by the movements, conversations and interactions that have coursed through the city's veins over the decades. By highlighting the life stories of 73 extraordinary women with diverse ethnic backgrounds and sexual orientations, we hoped to envision our city through a different lens and with fresh energy.

We faced some tall challenges in bringing this project to fruition. First, unlike the previous “City of Women” projects—in New York, London and Barcelona—Montreal has a relatively small number of metro stations, just 68, which forced us to make some difficult choices. We aimed for a balance between generations, communities and areas of expertise among the women we honoured. As the initiator of this project, which resonates strongly with my own literary and artistic interests, I brought my own subjectivity to these criteria, but the final selection was the result of a collaborative process that was greatly enriched by the insights of a six-member advisory committee. Their input shaped the project into its current form. We also had to stay true to the spirit of the original “City of Women” project in New York, conceived by Rebecca Solnit and Joshua Jelly-Schapiro, who graciously allowed us to transpose their concept to Montreal.

Essentially, the idea was to introduce Montrealers to some of the female artistic, scientific and historical figures who have peopled the city’s story, taking the long view. We deliberately chose not to focus too closely on the present day. As countless Montreal women have made or are making their mark, we had to make some tough choices in order to create what we hoped would be an inclusive list. We prioritized those who did so over the long stretch. We also wanted to highlight the contributions of women who helped, implicitly or explicitly, to strengthen inter-community ties, and the work of women who are sometimes little known to the general public but who made a decisive difference—for example, by breaking the glass ceiling or promoting humanism or social inclusion.

Due to the large number of potential candidates and the limited number of metro stations, two additional criteria were applied. We confined ourselves to the period after 1831, the year of Montreal’s incorporation. Inevitably, this excluded some important women, particularly religious figures. We also excluded personalities who already enjoy a high profile in the public sphere and in the media, unless they met specific additional criteria. Even so, there still remain many deserving women from all walks of life who couldn’t be included here. We have no doubt that other projects will celebrate their work in the future.

Interestingly, all 73 women featured here share ties of collaboration, affinity or friendship with a broader community of women. Their places of learning, workplaces and paths through the city thus evoke sisterhood on many levels. Honouring them individually also indirectly recognizes the more discreet work of countless others.

It is our hope that Montreal, City of Women will spur a conversation about the need to properly acknowledge women’s contributions to the city and its history. We hope it will spark new research and generate new knowledge to answer new questions as attitudes evolve over time. Last but not least, we hope this project will open up spaces dialogue and connection, helping to shape new visions of Montreal in the collective imagination.

I would like to express my gratitude to Jean-François Gaudreault-DesBiens, Vice President, Strategic Planning and Communications at Université de Montréal, for his confidence and unwavering support for this project, and to all the UdeM staff who helped make it a reality. I also extend my thanks to Marie-Claude Léonard, Executive Director of the Société de transport de Montréal, and her team, for the STM's crucial involvement in Montreal, City of Women.

Chantal Ringuet
ideator of Montreal, City of Women