Your Montreal, past and present

Share your memories and be entered to win a VIP weekend in Old Montreal.

Recently, I wrote about Montréal en Histoires‘ project Cité Mémoire. Well, now they’re asking for our participation. I spoke to Kathleen di Caprio about their newest, on-going Picture Contest.

Montreal en Histoires picture contest

Montréal en Histoires, a non-profit organization, has three main projects, explained di Caprio. First is the Cité Mémoire projections coming in 2016 (“Our pride,” according to di Caprio). Then the techno historic app, available for free and complimentary to the upcoming projections, which has over 20 000 downloads so far. And, lastly, is the educational aspect, making archives, quizzes and activities available to teachers and students.

“We want to get Montreal involved,” says di Caprio. That’s exactly what they’re doing with this year-long contest. Here’s how it works: every two months, Montréal en Histoires will reveal a new theme, and invite you to submit your photos, old and new. The current theme, “a life in Montreal from yesterday to today,” runs until November 5. The entire contest ends September 2016. Every two months, a winner will be chosen based on the theme. But, the big winner will be announced next year, out of the 12 finalists. The grand prize is a VIP weekend in Old Montreal, valued at $1900, as well as a BIXI membership, a ride on Le Petit Navire with 20 of your closest friends, and two tablets on loan for the weekend.

What are they looking for? Di Caprio put it simply: “We have such a cool history. We want to see what it was like for people of Montreal.” There has been a great turn out so far, and di Caprio explained how the team at Montréal en Histoire is currently trying to figure out how to create something out of these pictures. “There will be a database. We want to do something creative, maybe a mosaic.” They want to give something back to Montrealers.

Di Caprio encourages participants to rummage through old family albums. “Get the older generations involved,” she says. Who knows what you’ll find!

Montréal en Histoires Picture Contest’s deadline is November 14, 2015. Fill in the form to participate and win a VIP weekend in the heart of Old Montreal. Finalists (12) will win a family pass for a ride of the Old Port on Le Petit Navire, a 30-day Bixi membership, and a tablet (on loan) for a weekend. Check here for info. Must be 18+ to participate.