Le Carnaval d’hiver de Montréal, 1803-1889

Abstract

At the end of the nineteenth century, a new form of public entertainment appeared in Montreal: the winter carnival. Organized by athletic clubs, encouraged by the municipal government and financed by private enterprise, it involved an extensive advertising and tourist campaign aimed both at boosting economic activity during the off-season by attracting visitors and at promoting the interests of the city by making others more aware of the latter's commercial and industrial potential. Underneath its merry exterior, the carnival was deeply marked by the needs, aspirations and antagonisms which dominated the history of Montreal in the nineteenth century. The monuments and decorations reflected the cultural values of those who designed them; the middle-class character of the event was revealed in the choice of recreational and social activities, and the tensions that existed bore witness to the complex relationships among the different groups of participants. In order to identify the social, cultural and economic characteristics of the carnival better, we shall examine in succession four aspects of the event, namely, its history, the people for whom it was intended, its organizers, and its conflicts. In so doing, we wish to show that this event reflected the social dynamics of the day and had little in common with a grass-roots festival. It is, therefore, from an analytical, rather than simply an evocative angle, that we approach this subject which has a significance too long underestimated.