Stairways

Stairways, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

As Montreal as outdoor staircases. This is so typical here, despite our snowy winters. I've written before about why they exist. The staircase to the third floor is indoors. I don't envy those who have to navigate these daily with packages, babies and other items in their arms. They are quite steep and despite anyone's best efforts, snow and ice accumulate. But such are the challenges of our climate and our city!

Mile End

Mile End, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Mile End is an area of Montreal; it has buildings dating to the 1800s and early 1900s. Triplexes (apartments on each of three stories) are common with outdoor staircases despite our snowy winters. The area has been home to different waves of immigrants. My own parents went to schools in Mile End when they were growing up. Each wave of immigrants has left its mark, even after they moved on. Mile End is home to the two original bagel bakeries, to Greek pastry shops, to Portuguese restaurants, to Italian cafés - and the variety of nationalities keeps growing. And of course it is also home to the descendants of the earliest Montreal settlers - the French and later the English, Irish and Scottish.

Day 67: Stairways

Day 67: Stairways, originally uploaded by susanvg.

These stairways are pretty typical in parts of Montreal. There are two theories on why they were so popular in a city where winter takes hold for almost 5 months a year and shovelling would be essential to make them usable. The practical one is that rather than having staircases indoors which would take up usable space they were built outdoors and were thus not taxed as part of the building. The second theory has to do with the Catholic Church whose hold on the city lasted many years longer than winter. Having staircases outdoors meant that young lovers would not have places to loiter and more. The young women's modesty would be preserved. Whatever the reason, driving through parts of Montreal built on either side of the turn of the last century you will see many of these steep staircases winding their way up to second floor entrances.