Montreal’s city hall will showcase the city’s rich history of food over the last two centuries with the new Nourrir le Quartier, Nourrir la Ville exhibit.
The exposition that uses archival footage and photos was unveiled on Friday evening to mark the start of the city’s participation in the 22nd Journees de la Culture.
A cultural weekend event with activities held across the province.
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The display shows the evolution of Montreal neighbourhoods, small groceries stores and the first grocery chains.
The showcase also brings to light the early beginnings of the food-processing industry in the city.
The exhibit is a much more “simplified version,” from the one originally on display at the History and community museum, Joanne Burgess, a history professor at Université du Québec à Montréal said.
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Burgess held an open conference which complemented the exhibit, with a talk on how imported foods have influenced the Montreal culture and diet.
Burgess highlights the iconic Montreal bagel as an example of a food that was adopted over time.
“The bagel was not part of the diet in new France or in the diet of most Montrealers in the 1900s,” Burgess said. “It was brought in and has been diffused and appropriated.”
The exposition will be open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends from now until Oct. 27.