The Écomusée du fier monde

A history and community museum, the Écomusée du fier monde celebrates collective memory and civic engagement. Since 1980, we have been implementing participatory projects designed in collaboration with the community, institutions, and organizations in the neighbourhood.

More than just a place for conservation and outreach, the Écomusée is a space for exchange, mediation, discussion and encounters. It is a tool for fostering engagement around heritage and current issues affecting the Centre-Sud neighbourhood and its residents.

The Centre-Sud neighbourhood stretches from the St. Lawrence River to Sherbrooke Street, between Saint-Denis Street and the Canadian Pacific railway tracks, near Moreau Street to the east.

A former working-class neighbourhood, Centre-Sud’s heritage bears witness to the city’s industrial past and the major transformations of its recent history.

The term “ecomuseum” was coined in France in 1971. This period was marked by a desire to renew museums and redefine their relationship with the public. The concept of the ecomuseum thus reflects a focus on strengthening the link between museums, their social environment, and their surroundings.

More than just a museum, an ecomuseum showcases the history, culture, and heritage (both tangible and intangible) of its territory. It preserves, researches, exhibits, and transfers knowledge, while playing an essential social role. Rooted in its community, it invites the population to actively participate in the life of the museum and the development of their environment.

“The ecomuseum […] is first and foremost a community and a goal: to develop that community.”

– Hugues de Varine, museologist and former director of the International Council of Museums

More than just a building, the Écomusée is a tool for citizen engagement that offers insight into a region, addresses social issues, and promotes dialogue. We place people at the center of our concerns, well ahead of objects, paying particular attention to marginalized groups. In this approach, we are committed to cultural democracy. In this approach, we are committed to cultural democracy. Our mission can be summarized as follows:

• Highlight themes related to labour and civic engagement in Montreal, in their historical and current contexts;
• Develop sustainable civic museology by using museum activities and practices as tools for popular education and empowerment;
• Contribute to the development of our ecomuseum territory by promoting its heritage and culture, in partnership with local stakeholders;
• Encourage the sharing of our expertise and exchanges at the local, national, and international levels, thereby contributing to community development.