Westmount Wander

Sometimes I can think of no other solution to an emotional quagmire than to start walking somewhere.  Anywhere.  Today, I headed out of Concordia’s Loyola campus with no particular destination in mind.  I followed Sherbrooke west.  I departed Sherbrooke just after Decarie.   

Hello Westmount!  Hello big houses, bigger houses, palatial houses.  Hello trucks and working men fixing the roofs and windows and driveways of the affluent.   

It is quite steep, getting into Westmount proper, following the incline of the mountain.  I turned back to look at the view.  There was a watery panorama of Montreal, the harbour and the clouds.  When the Anglos ran things in Montreal, did they enjoy looking down on everybody else? 

The Quebecois must have been really sore about that!  With good reason.

 The leafy, stony, quietness of Westmount reminded me a bit of an English village.  There were very few people walking around.  The few that did were walking their dogs.  Purposeful walking.

Getting higher

I wish I could tell you more about the history of Montreal and Westmount, but suffice to say, the relationship between the two has not always been easy.  Westmount was forced into Montreal during the mergers a few years ago.  Then Westmount voted to demerge.  It is rather preposterous that Westmount would not be considered part of Montreal because it’s right in the thick of it, downtown on one side, NDG on the other.

This is the border between the towns / a barrier separates them. how bizarre

Just to remind you

As I spent more time in Westmount, I started feeling like I wouldn’t belong here.  It would remind me of everything I have sought to escape.  People building their little enclaves, trying to establish a safe distance from the rest of the world.  Not that this is an unpleasant neighbourhood, and I’m sure lots of nice people live there.  It just isn’t for me.

I found this little graffitoid to be the highlight of the hike.  I like it when people are funny.  I like it when they make me smile. 

My Westmount wander
let me to ponder
when a house costs so much
asks you to look but not touch
why live there?

Laurence