“School’s out! Listen, people are speaking as much English as Portuguese.”

The imposing building on the corner is home to Thomas D'Arcy McGee High School, which opened in 1931. Imagine hundreds of students chatting, laughing and shouting, right here, each morning. At first, this English-language Catholic school caters mainly to the local Irish community. Successive waves of immigration gradually change the composition of the student population. Finally, a sharp drop in attendance leads to the school's closure in 1992.

By then, gentrification of the area is well underway. Despite the establishment of housing cooperatives, many impoverished families leave the neighbourhood and are replaced by wealthier residents. In 1999, developers convert the school into condominiums for this new clientele.

Design and writing credits for historical panels: Pirogue in collaboration with BCK design