When the Save the Main coalition formed early this summer, their vision encompassed a broad definition of culture worthy of protection. Their members included Concordia faculty and students.
The area around the St. Laurent/Ste. Catherine intersection has been an entertainment destination for Montreal even before the Monument National was constructed as the home of French culture in 1893. Since then the neighbourhood has housed cinemas, dime museums, nightclubs, dance halls and brothels, and has found its way into the work of Marcel Tremblay, Monique Proulx and Heather ONeill.
Famed as the centre of Montreals red light district, the area attracts both clients and the curious. Municipal governments have a long history of ambivalence with such neighbourhoods; relying on the tourism they generate and taming them from time to time to earn votes.

See the full article from “Concordia Journal”