M ANY M ILESTONESAND T OO M ANY A NNIVERSARIES $5 Quebec VOL 5, NO. 5 SEPT-OCT 2009 HeritageNews Dorchester House Half-century home of a Montreal family The Re-enactors History’s role players plot rebellions replay More from the Quebec Family History Society The Heritage Centre QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS Quebec CONTENTS eritageNews H DITOR A Word from the Editor 3 E ROD MACLEOD Did you forget our anniversary? Rod MacLeod PRODUCTIO DAN PINESE Timelines 5 Lifetime achievers: the 2010 Marion Phelps award PUBLISHER Vital signs Robert Donnelly THE QUEBEC ANGLOPHONE Marking 40 years of the Official Languages Act Roseline Joyal HERITAGE NETWORK 400-257 QUEEN STREET Review 8 SHERBROOKE (LENNOXVILLE) Of Fishy Beaver and Jos Montferrand "ick Fonda QUEBEC J1M 1K7 PHOE Heritage Football 11 1-877-964-0409 Bishop’s Gaiters celebrate then and now Sue Pilson McGuire (819) 564-9595 The Gaiters’ Story John Pratt FAX Before there was LCC... (819) 564-6872 Dorchester House 14 CORRESPODECE Home of a Montreal family for over half a century Anne Joseph [email protected] Two of the Josephs’ neighbours on Belmont Street WEBSITE The Quebec Family History Society 18 WWW.QAHN.ORG Part II: the Heritage Centre Robert Dunn Of Redcoats and Patriotes 19 PRESIDET History’s role players plot rebellions replay Tyler Wood KEVIN O’DONNELL Gatineau prison holds secrets 21 EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DWANE WILKIN New insight into internment Michael Martin HERITAGE PORTAL COORDIATOR MATTHEW FARFAN Milestones 22 OFFICE MAAGER KATHY TEASDALE Wallace Lambert, father of French Immersion Kevin Erskine-Henry Muriel Duckworth and the Outremont School Rod MacLeod Question Quebec Heritage Magazine is produced six Hindsight 25 times yearly by the Quebec Anglophone Heritage "etwork (QAH") with the support My Revolutionary Road to Bouillabaisse Rod MacLeod of The Department of Canadian Heritage and Quebec’s Ministere de la Culture et des Communications. QAH" is a Events Listings 27 non-profit and non-partisan umbrella organization whose mission is to help advance knowledge of the history and culture of English-speaking society in Quebec. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement "umber 405610004. ISS" 17707-2670 Cover: “Lawn at the back of Dorchester House, Dorchester Street, Montreal” Anonymous, 1907. McCord Museum of Canadian History: MP-1987.2.2 (Note the spires of St Paul’s church, which is visible on the plan on p.17.) 2 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2009 AWORD FROM THE EDITOR Did you forget our anniversary? by Rod MacLeod t was a staple of sit-coms when I lieve me, the QAHN board of directors in Montreal alone, and to the third or was growing up. Ralph Kramden thought long and hard about whether to more of the children (depending on vari- did it all the time (well, once a year, acknowledge this milestone or not (and if ous studies around the world) who were anyway) and then had to go to great so, how) and in the end decided to go the infected. It was hoped that the new insti- lengths to make it up to his wife or even Flintstone route. (“Aw, honey, of course I tute would not only treat patients more ef- Itry lamely to convince her that he hadn’t haven’t forgotten what September 13th fectively than before, but lead the world in actually forgotten. Fred Flintstone, Kram- was!”) There is much agreement that the research so that the disease could be erad- den’s 2D Saturday morning alter ego, was legacy of the battle is considerably more icated. Over the next hundred years the also a perpetual anniversary forgetter – al- interesting than the fight itself. Above all, Royal Edward Institute, as it was named, though on one, er, memorable occasion he we should acknowledge and commemo- after the guy who pushed that button, did was actually on the ball and had a big sur- rate the creation of the Plains of Abraham fulfill expectations. prise lined up, gleefully feigning igno- Park a century ago (thanks to both the The term “high tech” does not spring rance despite his wife’s broadest hints Quebec Literary and Historical Society to mind today when contemplating the in- about the upcoming event. “Aw, stitute’s original facilities. Belmont honey, of course I haven’t forgotten House was donated for this purpose what Tuesday is. It’s Trash Day!” by Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Bur- Something goes wrong, of course, land, a trained scientist and promoter and Fred finds it even harder to con- of medical reform whose father’s vince her that he hasn’t forgotten death in 1907 left him a fortune he when in fact he hasn’t than when he was ready to spend on improving the has – if you follow me. Boy, have I health of Montrealers. been there. The house lay on Belmont Park Not with anniversaries, however. (no relation to the Cartierville fun A bizarre passion for dates and mile- fair of later fame) which was how stones has always made me con- one segment of Belmont Street was scious of significant days, including known at the time, as it had been laid the candies & flowers variety. out over the grounds of a villa that (Though my spouse and I have never had once belonged to an old farm on done anything so conventional as to the mountainside. Belmont House exchange candies or flowers; in fact, we and the St Jean Baptiste Society) along was a good-sized structure that could ac- always refer to the day of our nuptials as with the Battlefields Commission and the commodate the necessary tuberculosis fa- “Trash Day” – in cheerful tribute.) Historic Sites and Monuments Board. It cilities. (For more on Belmont House’s One of the challenges of a heritage is to them that we owe our current appre- neighbours and a plan of the area, see magazine is to keep up to date with an- ciation for heritage, even if it took them a Anne Joseph’s article in this issue.) Dr niversaries, especially significant ones few years to get beyond simply putting Robert Philip, an Edinburgh doctor and that deserve special mention. It ain’t markers on battle sites. pioneer in tuberculosis research, re- easy: One hundred years of flight in Cana- Recently, I found myself involved in designed the building as a hospital and da. One hundred years of the Montreal a project to commemorate another sort of teaching centre. Thanks to the King, the Canadiens. One hundred years of Lower battle, namely the one against tuberculo- place had plenty of electricity. Canada College and Miss Edgar’s & Miss sis. In 1909, the Royal Edward Institute Cramp’s. Seventy years since the stock The Montreal Chest Institute celebrated was convenient to the centre of the city, market crashed (that other time, I mean). its centenary on October 21st, 100 years yet on high enough ground for it to profit Sixty years since the start of the Second since the day that King Edward VII from the cleaner air. By the 1920s, how- World War. Forty years since the passing pressed a button in London and sent an ever, Belmont Street was in a rapidly de- of the Official Languages Act. How does electric current shooting across the At- veloping part of downtown and in danger one keep up? lantic Ocean to light up the new hospital of expropriation for the new railway. (It is The great granddaddy of recent sig- in Montreal. now an alley behind Central Station.) In nificant anniversaries was, of course, the This high-tech stunt symbolized the 1930, the Institute found new quarters on Battle of the Plains of Abraham. You have state-of-the-art ambitions of the medical quieter St Urbain Street, just south of Hô- to admire it: two hundred and fifty, and profession with regard to the 12,000 peo- tel Dieu Hospital. Ten years later it just as fresh as the day it was fought. Be- ple who were dying every year from TB merged with the sanatorium in Ste Belmont House (photo courtesy of the Montreal Chest In- 3 stitute Library) QUEBEC HERITAGE NEWS Agathe, with which it had collaborated fairly convincing, although I was less im- flubs. since the beginning. In 1971 its name was pressed that they gave me a standard lab The irony, of course, was that we had changed to the Montreal Chest Hospital, coat and stethoscope plus green rubber all spent this past summer doing the oppo- and by 1994, after being absorbed by gloves from Home Depot which raised site: staring at dark clouds and willing McGill, it became known as the Montreal the spectre of anachronism somewhat. them to pass so the sun could provide Chest Institute. Like the rest of the They also hadn’t asked me to wear a some warmth. All in all, cinema takes McGill University Health Centre, it is tie, which clashed with my vision of how time, and it was 3pm before they released slated to be relocated to the Glen Yards a respectable doctor from the early twenti- me. superhospital site in – well, let’s say soon. eth century would have dressed. That On October 21st, the MWOS gang Appropriately, the organizers of the aside, I was very impressed by their tech- assembled at the Air Canada building in centenary commemoration decided that nological savvy and professionalism, our pseudo-Edwardian finery and provid- the October 21, 2009 celebrations should walking me through the script and making ed a colourful visual backdrop to an be held as close as possible to the Glen helpful suggestions as to tone of voice and hour’s cocktail conversation – I mean, we Yards site, namely the Air Canada build- pace of delivery.