Doesn’t this pavilion look simple? This is the Pavillon Mordecai-Richler. It stands in Mount Royal Park. The city named it on July 3, 2011. This marked ten years since Mordecai Richler’s death. He was a Montreal novelist, journalist, and polemicist.
Mordecai Richler was born in 1931. His family were Jewish immigrants. Many consider him one of Canada’s greatest novelists. He won many awards. These include two Governor General’s Awards. Mordecai Richler died on July 3, 2001.
Now a little about this pavilion. It began as a simple renovation. It was meant to fix a bandstand. The city wanted to honor Mordecai Richler. The Pavillon Mordecai-Richler opened in September. The project took five years. It cost over $750,000.
Some people questioned the cost and time. It took a decade after Richler’s death to propose a tribute. A councillor gathered over 4,000 signatures. They suggested renaming a street. The Plateau Mont-Royal borough rejected this. They felt it didn’t fit the local culture of Mile End.
American singer Lhasa de Sela had a park named after her. This happened four years after her death. Former mayor Gérald Tremblay proposed renaming the bandstand for Richler. Mount Royal Park is in Ville-Marie borough. This put it under the mayor’s control.
The bandstand was unnamed and unused. Richler never wrote about it. The city claimed he grew up nearby. However, he actually grew up further north. Renaming a building was easier than renaming streets. The Richler family agreed.
The project stalled for four years. Workers removed the floorboards. They put up fences to keep out the homeless. Mayor Denis Coderre revived the project in 2014. He awarded a contract to Beaupré-Michaud. They studied the site. They proposed a design. The renovation was elegant. They added lighting and furniture. The pavilion could host poetry readings or music. The study cost $57,000. Restoring the bandstand was estimated at $370,000.
In 2015, the Mile End library was renamed after Richler. Some thought this would replace the pavilion. But Coderre insisted on completing it. The cost rose to $593,000 by November. A local contractor offered a free gazebo. It was larger than the original. The city refused.
Coderre said he was preserving the city’s heritage. Cost overruns were due to lead paint and rust. The pavilion opened without fanfare. Graffiti appeared. Police patrols increased. The final cost was over $750,000. The pavilion had no seating or lighting.
Later, the city unveiled a mural of Richler. This made three public tributes. Les Editions du Boréal will translate Richler’s books. This will make his work accessible to French speakers.
Richler’s “Oh Canada! Oh Quebec!” caused controversy. Quebec nationalists protested his appearances. Now, he is gaining recognition in Quebec. Coderre said Richler described Montreal “flawlessly.” The Pavillon Mordecai-Richler stands as a tribute to his legacy.