THE INSIDE STORY

The Inside Story is a collection of memories about a large building in Marconi-Alexandra or as some like to call it, Mile Ex. It focuses on a few artists who arrived inside, to knit a community together back in the 1990’s. Can a building have a personality? I think so because these artists came with energy, courage and willpower to forge livable working spaces that continue to produce art and contribute to the economy today.

In former times, the building was a hardworking factory, sometimes dangerous, an industrial scene that later morphed into hardworking creative spaces for a community of dedicated artists. It has become a model for the fabric of a neighbourhood, artists coexisting with small and medium sized businesses inside the building for decades.

From Bessie Smith, the Boiler, who would regularly conk out on cold winter days and nights, needing a reset by hand every couple of hours; to a communal rooftop - secret gathering space which was our easy access to be outside. We would visit on a regular basis to watch special eclipses, and other celestial happenings like the millennium celebration with champagne, watching the fireworks at a distance on Mount Royal. I kept wondering why my champagne was getting colder and colder? Summer nights are magical events, drawing the usual friends to watch a glowing sunset and watch the few nighthawks dip and dive for bugs. The big freight elevator with its heavy doors - to use it, one must have good upper body strength in order to close the doors and then to slowly ascend to the 2nd and 3rd floor arrival. To the old railway link, now on the cusp of becoming Parc des Gorilles a long overdue green space. Incidentally Les AmiEs du Parc des Gorilles is non-profit organization founded by a couple of insiders! My first view of Marconi-Alexandra, was the vast, empty space inside the building. It was just waiting to become a community for artists.

To all my friends / artists who wanted to share their inside story with me, thank-you! We are still friends though some have moved on.

Sadly our friend and brilliant artist, Laurie Walker is no longer with us. She passed away suddenly almost 10 years ago. Laurie, I’ll always remember your inside story, inside my heart.

Frances Foster is local artist living and working in Marconi-Alexandra. She is co-founder of Les AmiEs du Parc des Gorilles, a future creative green space in the heart of Marconi-Alexandra — um, Mile Ex.

Special thanks to: Robert Albanese, Trevor Goring, Jules de Niverville, Kathe Roth, Julie Patenaude and Lori Burnett, LSB Gallery.