McCord Museum joins the CBC's Montreal Matters with A Walk through Scottish Montreal

Montreal, Thursday, October 2, 2003 — Discover Montreal's Scottish heritage with A Walk Through Scottish Montreal, an hour-long, bilingual walking tour of downtown Montreal that examines the impressive legacy left by Scottish Montrealers. Offered as part of the CBC's annual Montreal Matters activity series, the tour is hosted by a McCord Museum guide every Sunday in October at 11 am.

A Walk Through Scottish Montreal explores the significant imprint left by Scottish Montrealers, who in the 19th century lead the city's development and built homes and public buildings with an eye to impress. Focusing on the prosperous downtown neighbourhood now known as the Golden Square Mile, A Walk through Scottish Montreal recalls the stories and individuals behind landmarks such as McGill University, the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, and Trafalgar School for Girls.

A Walk Through Scottish Montreal is offered as part of Montreal Matters, an annual CBC Radio 88.5 FM project addressing topics relevant to Montrealers. The walking tour also coincides with the opening of a major new exhibition at the McCord focusing on the Scots in Montreal. Entitled The Scots — Dyed-in-the-Wool Montrealers, this dynamic exhibition investigates Scottish influence on 18th- and 19th-century Montreal, and examines how Montrealers of Scottish heritage steered the city's commerce, finance, industry and modes of transportation, and spearheaded advances in scientific research and higher education. The Scots — Dyed-in-the-Wool Montrealers celebrates the important role these immigrants and their descendants played in the development of the metropolis and the country as a whole, one that involved a lot more than just bagpipes, whisky and kilts!

A Walk Through Scottish Montreal will depart at 11 am from the McCord Museum every Sunday in October. Each tour will last approximately one hour. The cost of the tour is $12 per adult and includes Museum admission. Reservations are mandatory. For reservations and more information, please call (514) 398-7100, ext. 234. The exhibition, The Scots — Dyed-in-the-Wool Montrealers is on view at the McCord Museum (690 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal) from October 3, 2003 to September 6, 2004.

Source and information:
Nike Langevin
(514) 398-7100, ext. 251 nike.langevin@mccord.mcgill.ca

Photographs available upon request.