Sébastien Moreau is a classical guitarist who not only appreciates silence, but demands it.
Moreau is not always quiet himself, though. He practises daily on several guitars, and uses a seven-string electric to play from the Steve Reich repertoire, often built around repetition and silences.
His neighbours in a new co-op apartment building in Old Montreal don’t seem to mind.
Moreau is among 75 professional and emerging artists who have been selected to live in Cercle Carré, on Queen St. just north of de la Commune St. in Old Montreal. Although the residents began moving in several months ago, the co-op opens officially Monday.
“The building is perfect, very well soundproofed, and the acoustics are great,” Moreau said in an interview last week.
Moreau used to live on Chambord St. in Villeray, but in July he moved into the seven-storey building, which was constructed on a former parking lot owned by a para-municipal corporation.
Most members are emerging artists between 25 and 35 who earn $25,000 a year or less, which allowed the project to qualify for affordable-housing subsidies.
The $7.7-million co-op was built with funds from three levels of government. It was financed with grants totalling $3.2 million from the Société d’habitation du Québec and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., $800,000 from the city of Montreal, $726,000 from other provincial and municipal programs, and a $1,000 grant for each apartment from the National Bank, part of its 25-year mortgage of $2.7 million.
Under the co-op system, there is no individual ownership. Tenants pay a low rent: $577 a month for a 4½ and $503 for a 3½, unheated. Costs for the electric heating should be minimal, though; the building received a $125,000 Novoclimat grant to make it as efficient as possible. Co-op members are required to participate in frequent meetings on various aspects of building management.
The idea was to construct “a village” where women and men who make their living in creative arts could interact in a shared community.
It is the second such co-op arrangement in Montreal. The first, Lézarts, is a 33-unit co-op in an old garment factory on Parthenais St. It opened in 2002. Membership there is limited to visual artists. A third project, Radar, is being built on René Lévesque Blvd. E.
Moreau is on the committee charged with equipping and planning the use of the common room on the ground floor. It will be the scene of exhibitions, concerts and other performances, yoga and courses on everything from painting to film editing.
“I plan some guitar workshops here,” Moreau said.
Residents include dancers, actors, writers and comedians, noted Christiane Vien, the co-op chairperson. She is a TV, film and comedy writer.
What is already working is the synergy that develops when an actor meets a writer and they find common interest for a project.
“It’s a village in the true sense,” Vien observed.
Co-operative buying of organic produce, and other group purchases, are planned. And next summer, residents will plant gardens on the green roof.
Painter Pauline Isabelle, a former resident of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, liked the co-op format, but especially was drawn by the idea of living alongside other artists and in Old Montreal.
“Living with other artists means we are surrounded by cultural activity. It is very motivating,” she observed.
Antoine Touchette and Gabrielle Néron are actors and proud parents of Arthur, born this summer and the youngest co-op resident.
“We like the communal aspect,” Néron noted.
“When Arthur was born all our neighbours brought us food and lavished attention on us.”
But all isn’t rosy for parents with a young child. Affordable daycare is problematic in an area with few children.
“It would be nice if there was a park where we could play with Arthur,” Néron remarked.
Comments