The STM, Ville de Montréal and the City of Namur announce the presentation of the Namur legacy for the 375th anniversary of Montréal

Montréal, June 19, 2017 – The Mayor of Montréal, Mr. Denis Coderre, the Mayor in function of Namur, Ms. Anne Barzin, and the Chair of the Board of Directors of Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Mr. Philippe Schnobb, are proud to announce the presentation of the Namur legacy to mark the 375^th anniversary of the founding of Montréal. This legacy consists of a series of panels featuring the historic ties uniting the two cities, installed along the platforms of Montréal’s Namur métro station.

« 2017 will be a year marked by festivities. The 50th anniversary of Expo 67, the 150th of the Canadian confederation and Montréal’s 375th: so many opportunities for celebrating and rediscovering our history. The gift we receive today from Ville de Namur underscores the long history of friendship between Montréal and Wallonia’s capital city. I would like to thank Namur for being part of these celebrations, and also the STM for strengthening the bonds that have united our two cities for so long now, » stated the Mayor of Montréal, Denis Coderre.

“The City of Namur is very pleased to be associated with the 375^th anniversary of Ville de Montréal, with which it shares history and common values. We wanted citizens to be at the heart of our approach in the legacy we are formalizing today,” added Anne Barzin, mayor in function of Namur.

“Our collaboration with the City of Namur dates back to 2007. On that occasion, we welcomed a Namur delegation for the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the entrance of the Namur station, recalling the origin of its name The addition of historical panels along the station platforms reaffirms this information and is perfectly consistent with our mission of presenting our heritage to the customers,” explained Philippe Schnobb, Chair of the STM’s Board of Directors.

About the panels
A series of panels on each platform reveals the origins of the station’s name. The first panel summarizes the approach adopted by the City of Namur in the performance of the project. The second panel tells the history of the place name “Namur” in Montréal. The third panel is dedicated to the City of Namur in Belgium, the capital of Wallonia. The fourth and last panel symbolically presents the towns named Namur in Outaouais and Wisconsin, founded by Belgian immigrants. On each panel, a portrait of a man or woman concretely illustrates the long history of friendship that exists between Namur here and abroad.

Users of the Namur station and customers passing through are invited to examine this legacy more closely, which will beautify the station for the years to come.

Photos of Namur station throughout the years 

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