Montreal's reputation as a party town has remained strong over the years, in no small part due to tales about its rumoured and renowned (in equal measure) Red Light District. Sex work, especially in its most visible forms, tends to be recognized as a problem, requiring intervention and eradication. However, over the past century, The City of Montreal has had a far more nuanced relationship to its Red Light District – at times exploiting its attractions for tourists and maintaining a quasi-legal zone in order to access information to the city’s underworld. At other times it has intensified efforts to “clean up” the neighbourhood in response to public pressure. Over the years, many respectable individuals have built fortunes and reputations in a neighbourhood where rules and morals were both elastic. The tour covers a few blocks of downtown Montreal and over a century of economic and social inequality. The walk provides context for the choices women have made in the face of changing social mores, discriminatory labour markets and expectations about ‘appropriate’ female behaviour.
 

This tour covers 150 years and 10 city blocks over 1.5-2 hours. The tour begins on the southeast corner of Boulevard René Lévesque and Boulevard St. Laurent and ends near St. Laurent metro station. Please note that while the tour will be led in English, questions can be asked and answered in French.