Quartier: Parc-Extension || Intersections: Hutchison, Jean-Talon
Mise en service: 1987 || Architecte: Blouin, Blouin & Associés
Autobus: 18, 80, 92, 93, 435, 935 || Artistes: Huguette Desjardins & Claire Sarassin
Mary Bouldadkakis, 50
Medical secretary, caterer
Mary has been in living Parc-Extension for over 47 years. Of Greek origin, her parents settled into the neighbourhood in 1966 when she was three years old. That same year the Métro system was opened to the public and she can fondly remember the excitement of Expo 67 and how huge her new world seemed. She can list off which buildings and institutions have survived the last four decades, schools and libraries and parks and shops. Parc metro itself was built around the remains of Canadian Pacific’s historic Park Avenue Station.
She now lives only a few blocks away from where she spent her childhood and works as a medical secretary at the Royal Victoria Hospital while running a small catering company “just for fun”. Though she jokingly clings on to her purse, she finds Parc-Ex has “cleaned up” a lot in the past few years and attributes it to Justin Trudeau’s election to Parliament.
“it’s not just politician’s that are corrupt. we’re all corrupt. Corruption, it’s like feta cheese: cultural and brandable.”
“everybody belongs somewhere. nobody is going to find it for you. only you can.”