Community and the Human Spirit

A solid contribution to social and urban studies, this fascinating collection of oral histories details the life and times in Canada's "cradle of industrialization." Contributors to this book were all born between the 1920s and 1950s and remember growing up around the east end of the Lachine Canal near the Montreal harbour. It was a time when ships from far away places still navigated the canal and this historic working-class area hummed with the sounds of factories. Families were often large and the streets teemed with children. These oral histories follow contributors' lives to the present day. The book also discusses the redevelopment and evolution of the area. Well-illustrated with archival photos, with bibliography, and an introduction by the author. 372 pages, hardcover.