An Elegy for the Dying Mile End

As home to long-standing rival bagel shops like St. Viateur and Fairmount Bagel, a vibrant independent music scene, multi-ethnic restaurants, and kippah-headed males, Mile End has emerged at the beginning of the 21st century as a unique neighborhood with a colorful past and an arguably bleak future.

Although part of the larger Plateau Mont-Royal Borough of Montreal, Mile End can be defined by St. Laurent to the East, Avenue du Parc to the West, Avenue Van Horne to the North, and Avenue Mont-Royal to the South. While the historical ethnic diversity of the Mile End neighborhood can be observed through its built environment, and people and their use of places, the ongoing trend towards gentrification has had the dual, and somewhat paradoxical, impact of increasing the neighborhood’s land value through development and investment, and reducing its distinguished and celebrated multiculturalism. As observed through Mile End’s changing urban form, the same quintessential ethnic diversity that attracted its artistic and bohemian inhabitants of the 80’s is, ironically, being threatened in efforts to ‘revitalize’ and ‘develop’ Mile End. Despite its expected economic benefits, the process of gentrification is already revealing itself to be catastrophic for the area’s lower-income tenants.

The initial observations of charmingly diverse architecture, pedestrian-oriented side streets, and a fine mix of residential and commercial space make for a great first impression. Upon a closer look, it becomes increasingly clear that the effortless mix of languages, – including, but not limited to, French, English, Hebrew, and Portuguese – businesses, and architecture certainly compliment a relaxed and pleasant feeling. All too often, however, the distinct accents of Mile End’s diverse population are ousted by the loud, high-volume traffic that clogs Mile End's main streets. While bus stops, subway routes and bike racks are apparent around the area, the congested streets of Mile End and occupied parking spaces tend to suggest otherwise. At the same time, there are many pedestrians – both on foot and bike – flooding the neatly paved sidewalks shaded by young trees.

Although gentrification is difficult to track until it is complete, “for sale”, “condo vacancy”, signs of government investment, and other markers of new development are indicative of the gentrification process currently under way in Mile End. While gentrification is arguably helping to revitalize, and add value and density to the area, it has also encouraged a change in Mile End’s demographics, as seen through a decrease in ethnic diversity and low-income populations, which will likely leave tenants homeless, and marginalized in an unaffordable housing market. In the end, while there may be some necessity for improvements in Mile End’s infrastructure, the long-term security of current residents and businesses, and the threat of green space loss are of primary concern.

When considering the issue of gentrification, perhaps the question of who has the power to decide Mile End’s fate should be of even greater concern than whether or not it will be beneficial to the neighborhood.