MONTREAL - Canada’s largest cemetery will soon be the stage for a multimedia experience. Nighttime walks at Montreal’s Notre-Dame-des-Neiges burial grounds will feature lights, sounds and projections. Its goal is to shine a spotlight on the rich history that lies among rows of gravestones.
But its creators at Montreal’s Moment Factory also say the project will respect the sacred grounds.
“What was important for us is that the experience follows the mission of the cemetery which is to remember the people,” says Moment Factory Creative Director Patricia Ruel. “It’s a nighttime walk to honour the people who have built our legacy, but also to honour the million people resting at the cemetery.”
A two-kilometre walk will take visitors through eight stations representing eight stages of life from birth to death. Features like a 200-year-old black pine tree will be woven in to create the experience.
“In these different chapters people will be immersed in lighting, video and music,” says Ruel. “We’re going to use different pieces of archive to create that story of our society.”
Some of the families of those buried at the site initially had questions about how those creating the project would ensure it would be respectful to the deceased.
“We took the time to explain to the families that we will stay in the actual paths that we will not walk anywhere on the family monuments and that we will include them in the process,” says Ruel.
Moment Factory has invited the families of those buried at the site to come to the cemetery on June 13th to record the names of their loved ones. The sound of the different voices will be incorporated in the exhibit.
The association representing the families of the deceased declined an interview, but a representative said in a text message to CTV News that it supports the project “if well executed.”
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges cemetery nestled on iconic Mount Royal in the heart of the city is a National Historic Site of Canada. More than a million people are buried on the 343-acre property, including hockey legend Maurice Richard, former Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau and renowned poet Émile Nelligan. Most in Montreal count loved ones among those resting at the site.
“The history and the memories that lie here are phenomenal,” says Michel Issa, CEO of La Fabrique de la Paroisse Notre-Dame, the Catholic organization that runs the site.
The grounds have recently been certified as an arboretum for meeting standards aimed at promoting tree planting and conservation. It is considered a garden cemetery that marries nature and monuments.
But Notre-Dame-des-Neiges’ recent history was also plagued by a lengthy strike by maintenance workers in 2023 that brought operations to a halt and put burials on hold. The grounds were closed to the public for months. Days after they reopened, an ice storm damaged thousands of trees.
Maintenance costs have also risen at the cemetery.
“Our main focus remains to take care of this cemetery and make sure the arrangements and funeral services are taken care of and that is our main goal,” Issa says. “The nighttime tribute walk is a complementary activity that will help us continue ensuring that we do this properly for the rest of the existence of the ”cemetery, he adds.”
Ticket prices have not been made public yet. The official opening is expected in September, and the walks will take place all year round, offering a different scenery as the weather changes.
Issa approached Moment Factory about creating the project over two years ago.
“We chose Moment Factory not only for their creative aspect, but their capacity to be integrated in such a sacred place,” says Issa.
The Montreal-based multimedia studio was founded 25 years ago. It now has 400 employees worldwide and has launched its multi-media experiences on every continent. It has teamed up with Phish for a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas, set up an interactive installation at Toronto’s Pearson Airport, and created nighttime walks in Europe.
Issa says the cemetery’s nighttime walks will showcase the jewel that is Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, and that he hopes this will bring more people to visit the site and honour the memory of all those buried at the site.
