"Paris of the North": how Montreal roared through Prohibition in the 1920s

Jan 20 2022, 2:26 pm

A little over 100 years ago the Volstead law was adopted throughout the United States. Its purpose: ban the production, distribution, and sale of alcohol. The practice, which was officially enacted in 1920, was known as “Prohibition.”

Prohibition in America lasted throughout the 1920s, leading to a surge in bootlegging, organized crime, and contraband. It was officially abolished in 1933.

Canada, unlike the United States, never (despite many attempts) enacted a nationwide “ban” on booze. The Canada Temperance Act (Scott Act) of 1878 instead gave local governments the option to ban the sale of alcohol. Most of them did.

According to the Société des alcools du Québec’s archives “in 1919 nearly 90% of municipalities in Québec – close to 1,150 cities – were considered “dry,” as prohibition reigned.” Montreal, though, was one of the exceptions.

Here, citizens were free to purchase, sell, and consume the hard stuff as much as they wanted.

And they took full advantage of that freedom.

The 1920s are what Montreal tour guide and city expert Thom Seivewright calls “a defining moment for the city.” As jazz musicians, gangsters, and every day folks just looking to let loose flocked to the party town, Montreal quickly earned its new nickname: Paris of the North.

Montreal prohibition

SAQ

African American artists like Duke Ellington and Count Basie took a special liking to the city as well. “When they arrived here, although of course there was racism, there wasn’t the same racism as there was in the States. There was also no official law of segregation.” explains Seivewright. “And so, a lot of them, especially those from southern states, stayed even after Prohibition was lifted. That’s a big reason as to why Montreal has such a strong jazz culture, even today”.

Montreal prohibition

canadashistory.ca

Meanwhile big-time New York and Chicago mobsters like Lucky Luciano and Al Capone helped Montreal earn another catchy nickname: Sin City.

Shady characters used the city’s Red Light District and port, and eased restrictions to help bankroll their lucrative operations. And with cops turning a blind eye and making a buck or two of their own, Montreal became a criminal’s playground.

The legacy of Capone still lives on to this day at the Montreal Pool Room, the city’s oldest establishment. The man known as Scarface was a regular at the hot dog joint according to Seivewright, who reveals that when the restaurant moved locations across the street a few years back, they made sure to bring a railing that sat near the cash register along since the gangster had apparently touched it.

The decade-long party was just getting started 100 years ago. Liquor poured freely while Montreal’s nightlife grew, along with corruption and the loosening of morals.

Legendary American composer Irving Berlin even recorded and released a hit single about the city’s atmosphere in 1928 with Hello Montreal.

York U Library

The playful song features lyrics that highlight the city’s eccentric, festive atmosphere.

“I’m on my way // And I’ll make whoop-whoop whoopee night and day //
Anytime my wifey wants me // You can tell her where to call //
Goodbye Broadway, hello Montreal.”

Multiple recordings of the popular song by a variety of singers and groups quickly emerged, highlighting just how popular this city was at the time.

While Montreal has strayed away from the world’s stage in recent decades, even losing its top Canadian spot to the likes of Vancouver and Toronto, its unique and eccentric history, especially during this period, is certainly worth remembering. “It was a crazy, crazy time. and a lot of people don’t know about it,” remarks Seivewright.

And interestingly enough, this celebratory movement began after the world was getting over the Spanish Flu, a global pandemic that lasted two whole years.

Sound familiar?

This is not to say that Montreal will return to its days as a free-for-all alcoholic wonderland, but while history doesn’t necessarily repeat itself, it certainly does rhyme.

Here’s to hoping it does so for the sake of partying, and not for the depression that followed it.

Al SciolaAl Sciola

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