Expropriation Photograph Taken in Little Burgundy Home
Dublin Core
Title
Expropriation Photograph Taken in Little Burgundy Home
Subject
Little Burgundy Urban Renewal
Description
In 1967, city assessors documented Little Burgundy ahead of urban renewal, taking over a thousand photographs of homes, businesses, and community spaces. The closure of the local schools further disrupted the community, as citizen Yvonne McGrath noted that the Negro Community Centre had provided meals for children and hosted countless activities, and many families were forced to move to other schools far away from the Centre.
This made Little Burgundy’s reputation as a distinctly Black neighbourhood with crime and poverty only solidified in the 1980s.
While city planners sought to eliminate this culture, they ultimately failed. The community’s legacy is honored through street names celebrating figures like Oscar Peterson and Rufus Rockhead, giant murals, and historical markers, including one across from the former site of the Negro Community Centre. Despite decades of disruption, Little Burgundy’s culture and memory still endure.
This made Little Burgundy’s reputation as a distinctly Black neighbourhood with crime and poverty only solidified in the 1980s.
While city planners sought to eliminate this culture, they ultimately failed. The community’s legacy is honored through street names celebrating figures like Oscar Peterson and Rufus Rockhead, giant murals, and historical markers, including one across from the former site of the Negro Community Centre. Despite decades of disruption, Little Burgundy’s culture and memory still endure.
Source
A Black resident of Little Burgundy finds himself in the frame of the expropriation photographs taken inside his home, May 5 1967, VM94-C1015-101, Archives de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publisher
Archives de Montréal
Date
May 5th, 1967
Contributor
Archives de Montréal
Rights
Archives de Montréal
Still Image Item Type Metadata
Original Format
Photo
Files
Citation
“Expropriation Photograph Taken in Little Burgundy Home,” Black Canadian History Exhibit, accessed December 5, 2025, http://omeka.uottawa.ca/mathieu-black-canadian-history-exhibit/items/show/396.