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MONTREAL INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE 2003

"A CONTINENTAL AND TRANS-OCEANIC TURNTABLE, 1850-2000"

32nd ANNUAL CONFERENCE - SOCIETY FOR INDUSTRIAL ARCHEOLOGY

MONTREAL (QUÉBEC) - MAY 29 - JUNE 2, 2003

On-line Registration is now closed. You can register in person at the conference registration desk.

See below for registration desk open dates, times and available tour slots.

Please do not mail your conference registration form to the SIA office at Michigan Tech.


The Association québécoise pour le patrimoine industriel (AQPI) and the Canadian Railway Historical Association (ACHF/CRHA), co-organizers of the 32nd Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial Archeology (SIA), invite you to a RENDEZ-VOUS IN MONTREAL from MAY 29, 2003 to JUNE 2, 2003.

Although Montreal's industrial infrastructure flourished after the 1850's, its origins date to the first decades of the 19'th century. The progressive construction of port facilities, warehouses and grain elevators, the expansion of the Lachine Canal and opening of other canals, the establishment of a railway network centered on Montreal, the proliferation of bridges, and the construction of Dorval Airport solidified Montreal's position as a transportation center.


Between 1850 and 1880, a number of industrial facilities principally based on waterpower were established along the Lachine Canal, creating Montreal's first manufacturing node. The period from 1900 until 1945 witnessed the strengthening of the city's heavy industries, notably the Angus railroad shops, as well as clothing, textiles, shoes, groceries, beverages, meat, printing, publishing, and tobacco. Despite a brief slowdown in the 1930s, these industries continued to ensure the economic growth of Montreal and its suburbs until after the Second World War. The southeastern sector of the city became known for petroleum refining and transformation and the fabrication of electrical fixtures, while the aviation and pharmaceutical industries were concentrated in the northwestern suburbs. Along the western sector of the Lachine Canal, metalwork industries such as Canadian Car, Dominion Engineering, and Dominion Wire were established, as was the Seagram Distillery in Ville LaSalle.


Since the 1950's, the industrial landscape of Montreal has been marked by the necessity to renew the older transportation and production infrastructures and to introduce new industrial sectors. In the transportation sector, the construction of the Saint Lawrence Seaway (1959) allowed the passage of large commercial ships between the Saint Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, but also led to the decline of industrial activities along the canals and of Montreal's central port facilities. The relocation of some of the city's port activities to the east end, where a container terminal (1968-1984) was constructed for the transport of merchandise, re-established Montreal's important role as a North American port. Major road infrastructures and bridges were built in the 1950s and 60s, as well as a subway system (the Metro) opened in 1966.

As we enter the 21st century, Montreal, like other North American cities, is experiencing de-industrialization. Many of its older industrial facilities have been rendered obsolete and are being replaced by modern installations of new information and communication technologies, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, aeronautics, and aerospace.

Presentations may be given in French or English, as simultaneous translation will be offered in most sessions. The conference brochure was mailed to all 2002 & 2003 SIA members, from Canada, on Tuesday April 8, 2003.

On-line Registration is now closed. You can register in person at the conference registration desk.

See below for dates, times and available tour slots.

Registration, conference & tour materials will be available at the SIA Conference Registration desk at the Gouverneur Hotel. Check in at the tour registration desk upon arrival for any updates to the schedule. The registration desk will be open Thursday, May 29, 2003 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, May 30, 2003 from 7-9 a.m. & 4-6 p.m. and Saturday, May 31, 2003 from 7-9 a.m.

Tours T1, T2, T4, T5, F3, F6, S1, S2, S3, S4, M1, M2, M3, M4 still have tour slots available as of 05/21/2003.

Please do not mail your conference registration to the SIA office at Michigan Tech.

Registrations after May 10, 2003 will require a late fee for each registrant.

Contacts

Conference information - Call James Bouchard: (514) 251-5148 / fax: (514) 251-5126 / e-mail: jamesb@aei.ca

Registration information - Call Don Durfee at the SIA Hdq: (906)487-1889 or email:sia@mtu.edu



SIA Home: http://www.sia-web.org or http://www.siahq.org