Following a year of renovation, the fences surrounding Square Saint-Louis were removed last week, returning this little Oasis in the Plateau back to the locals and visitors to enjoy.

Square Saint-Louis
ISO 100 – 14mm – f4.8 – 1/25 sec

Re-Opened Square Saint-Louis
ISO 400 – 10mm – f4 – 1/200 sec

The design has remained the same as before, maintaining the Victorian style that fits so well with the nearby architecture. The renovation was carried out by a private contractor and cost in the region of $600,000. New seating and rubbish bins (including recycling bins) have certainly brightened up the square – although it remains to be seen how long it will be before they are the target of graffiti. Hopefully the furniture is painted with the anti-graffiti protection paint I read about recently.

Re-Opened Square Saint-Louis
ISO 100 – 85mm – f1.8 – 1/100 sec

I believe work was also done on the drainage together with laying new grass and replacing the pathways (the majority now being compacted gravel).

One thing that apparently hasn’t changed is the drug users that still frequent the park. We spoke with a City employee who was collecting used needles, so still not a place to run around bare foot !

The central fountain isn’t working yet, but the City worker told us that the fountain was to be cleaned and painted next week, so should be working again soon. The fountain apparently wasn’t included in the private contract work and is the City’s responsibility and they couldn’t begin work before the other work was complete.

Square Saint-Louis
ISO 400 – 18mm – f5.3 – 1/500 sec

There are a number of monuments and sculptures in the square, which for some reason I don’t believe I have photographed before – and with it raining again and mediocre light, I just took a couple today.

At the side of the park adjacent to rue Saint Denis is a monument to the French Canadian patriotic poet and bookseller, Octave Crémazie (1827-79). The base of the monument has the inscription Pour mon drapeau je viens ici mourir (“For my flag I come here to die”). The monument was designed by Louis-Philippe Hébert and unveiled on June 24, 1906.

Cremazie Monument
ISO 100 – 85mm – f1.8 – 1/100 sec

At the other side of the park is a bust to the Montreal poet Émile Nelligan (1879-1941) that was unveiled in 2005 and designed by Roseline Granet.

Émile Nelligan Bust
ISO 100 – 85mm – f2.2 – 1/125 sec

Not exactly seasonal, but here is one of Nelligan’s well known poems:

Soir d’hiver

Ah! comme la neige a neigé!
Ma vitre est un jardin de givre.
Ah! comme la neige a neigé!
Qu’est-ce que le spasme de vivre
Ô la douleur que j’ai, que j’ai!

Tous les étangs gisent gelés,
Mon âme est noire: Où vis-je? où vais-je?
Tous ses espoirs gisent gelés:
Je suis la nouvelle Norvège
D’où les blonds ciels s’en sont allés.

Pleurez, oiseaux de février,
Au sinistre frisson des choses,
Pleurez, oiseaux de février,
Pleurez mes pleurs, pleurez mes roses,
Aux branches du genévrier.

Ah! comme la neige a neigé!
Ma vitre est un jardin de givre.
Ah! comme la neige a neigé!
Qu’est-ce que le spasme de vivre
A tout l’ennui que j’ai, que j’ai!…

Émile Nelligan

I took a few shots from the end of Prince Arthur looking towards the square and the small café (which is not yet open for business after the renovation), but usually a great place to hang on a warm summer day or evening.

Square Saint-Louis
ISO 400 – 85mm – f4 – 1/200 sec

I tried a black and white version of the above shot…

Square Saint-Louis
ISO 400 – 85mm – f4 – 1/200 sec

Another shot from the same spot but with some blurred figures adding a little more interest to the shot.

Square Saint-Louis
ISO 140 – 85mm – f1.8 – 1/640 sec

I also tried a slightly out of focus shot in black and white…

Square Saint-Louis
ISO 200 – 85mm – f1.8 – 1/250 sec

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

– Martin

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