July 13th, 2010
Filmmakers seek old-time Empress photos
By Alanah Heffez // 6 Comments
Remember when the Empress was alive and well? Got photos to prove it? A pair of documentary film-makers are looking for photographs of the Empress for a short film about the past, present and future of NDG's long-dormant theatre.
Family photos from the '60s, '70s and '80s, of you in front of the building, or inside, or of a movie poster, or anything in that genre would be very useful says Emmanual Hessler of Bis Films.
"It is a short doc that will look at the evolution of the Empress Theater by looking at it in the past, the present and the future. Through music, archival footage, video and interviews, we look at what the Empress was, how it had a purpose in the community of NDG, what happened to it after the '92 fire that has left the building abandoned, and finally what may or may not happen with the building while focusing specifically on the Empress Community Center committee who are trying to raise money to turn this into a culture space for the NDG community," writes Hessler.
Local artists Scott MacLeod and Paul Corgnello will be contributing a song that talks about the history of the theatre. The project is part of a web-based project headed by Concordia University Communication prof which will look at evolution in the NDG community.
For more information, and/or to contribute a picture to the project, please contact Emmanuel Hessler by email at ehessler @ bisfilms.com or leavea comment below with your contact info (private contact info will not be published on Spacing Montreal).
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Another Montreal Tramways photo from the past.
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q470/Kootenay_Central/MTC21342208GirouardSherbrookeJuly21.jpg
Nothing to do with the Empress Theatre other than the building is located one block West from the intersection in this photo from the Internet taken July 21, 1955.
Both streetcars are Green/Creme, indicating they are two-man cars each having a Motorman at the front and a Conductor at the rear, the patrons boarding only at the rear, and descending at both front and rear.
Streetcar service on this portion of Sherbrooke ended on September 2, 1956, the trolley wire taken down and the rails paved over East and West.
Streetcar service on Girouard ended on November 3, 1957, but the wire and the rails were left in place North and South so the remaining streetcars on Route Cartierville 17 from Terminus Garland to Cartierville could access the St Henri Car Barn then located to the Northeast of Rues Glen/de Courcelle and St Antoine.
The Cartierville 17 route streetcars came off on June 28, 1959.
Cobblestones and streetcar rails were not nice to drive on, especially on a bicycle.
Thank You.
Thanks for publishing this photo....Brings back so many memories of that time period in my life...brought up on Oxford St...2 blocks west...NDG park was where I played my Bantam hockey etc etc...Went to many movies at the Empress and met my friends at the restaurant attached to the theatre called "The Empress Tea Room"
Any other old photos of anywhere in NDG? Love to see them......jackdandy@shaw.ca
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Regards to All....
Another West End photo from the Internet.
Sherbrooke at Decarie looking West, July 21, 1955.
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q470/Kootenay_Central/MTC2153SherbrookeDecarieJuly211955.jpg
The second streetcar a one-man car with just a Motorman at the front as signified by the car's creme/red colour scheme.
The different colours advise the waiting patrons at the streetcar stops whether the approaching car is a one-man or a two-man car.
On a two-man car, with the Conductor at the rear to collect fares, the green colour notifies the patrons waiting at the stop to walk to the rear of the car to board.
On a one-man car, the creme colour advises the waiting passengers to board at the front. On a one-man car patrons could only descend at the rear, board and descend at the front.
The creme one-man car following MIGHT be from the 3A route which once terminated at Somerled and Walkley next to-then Steinberg's.
Thank You.
More streetcar photos in the West end of Montreal.
I have since found out that some of the photos were taken by a Mr. Jim Buckley, but, not all were labelled as his.
MTC historic car 1046 repainted back into it's Traction Orange paint scheme of the Nineteen Thirties for the end of streetcars parade on Ste Catherine St. in September 1956.
In the photo MTC 1046 has just left the Tramways private right of way once between Earnscliffe and Clanranald Avenues North to Queen Mary and has crossed Cote St Luc Southbound on Girouard at Terrebonne, March 29, 1958.
Most streetcar service on Girouard ended in 1958, and the private right of way paved for autobusses, but, the tracks were left in place to allow streetcars on the Route 17 Cartierville North from Terminus Garland to reach the St Henri car barns once on the NE corner of Rues St Antoine/St Jacques/Glen/de Courcelle.
Streetcar service ended on Cartierville 17 on June 28, 1959.
In the following image MTC 2662 is Westbound at Turcot East on Route 91 Lachine, March 29, 1958.
The track closest to the camera is the CNR spur which crossed the MTC tracks just to the East and entered the Canadian Car Turcot East Works behind the photographer.
The wooden framework beyond the streetcar supports the electric catenary wires for the CNR electric locomotives which were added to/taken off passenger trains going into/coming out from Central Station as steam locomotives were not allowed into Central Station proper.
http://i351.photobucket.com/albums/q470/Kootenay_Central/MTC2662TurcotEastMarch291958.jpg
Streetcars operated to 6th Avenue and Rue Notre Dame at Dominion Bridge in Lachine until August 10, 1958.
This winter scene shows a Westbound Route 91 Lachine streetcar derailed by snow and ice at the 'diamonds' where the aforementioned CNR spur to the Canadian Car Works crossed over the Tramways.
http://www.imagescn.technomuses.ca/road/index_view.cfm?photoid=42101568&id=34
There is a second streetcar coupled on behind, and it appears if it has been dragging the closest car backwards in an attempt to rerail same.
The 'semaphore' signal in the distance would control movements of streetcars crossing the CNR spur if a train was using same.
This location would now be APPROXIMATELY at Notre Dame and Monk.
Oft-mentioned Riviere St Pierre once flowed thru this area and flooded the tracks regularly in the spring.
Thank You.
I'd really like to thank you people for all those photos of the MTC cars. Took quite a few trips on them from Norgate where we lived in the 50's to Belmont Park.
quite curious to see this documentary! :)
Comment by Gilles Douaire
July 14, 2010 | 12:11 pm