Montreal, City of Water ─ An Environmental History

Built within an exceptional watershed, Montreal is intertwined with the waterways that ring its island and flow beneath it in underground networks. Montreal, City of Water focuses on water not only as a physical element – both shaping and shaped by urban development – but also as a sociocultural component of the life of the city. This unique study considers how water has produced and transformed urban space over two centuries. It traces the history of Montreal’s urbanization, shining a light on current concerns about water pollution, rehabilitation, and public access to the riverfront – and on the power relations involved in addressing them.

Michele Dagenais is professor of history at the Universite de Montreal. Peter Feldstein is the translator of eight books, including Paul-Emile Borduas: A Critical Biography, for which he won a Governor General’s Literary Award in 2014.