COMMUNITY INSTRUMENTS By Justin Spec
Mike Kennedy INDIAN HILL GUITARS M i le E n d G u i t a r S h o p
The LOCATION 5445 Avenue de Gaspe, Mile End, Montreal
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The DISTRICT Montreal’s Mile End At the north-western corner of the Plateau borough, Mile End is an established multi-cultural community with industrial roots in the garment industry due to its proximity to rail access. The post-industrial landscape hosts a coalescence of artists, students, designers, writers, video game developers, and entrepreneurs forced out of the Plateau in the 90s by its quickly gentrifying nature. Many currently reside in the conserved workshops and heritage buildings erected during the peak of Montreal’s garment production.
Currently, Mile End is undergoing another resurrection in popularity, this time as the next trendy neighbourhood for Montreal’s urban professionals to reside. A recurrence of the Plateau’s gentrification seems inevitable, in which a thriving residential property market will effectively evict the creative class backbone of the community.
average price for a condominium in Mile End has doubled since 2000, “ The reaching $258,000 this past summer, almost $20,000 above the city average.
The typical single-family home in Mile End sold for $502,000, compared with the Montreal average of $355,081. 1
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“Real Estate’s Booming - After 100 Years” The Montreal Gazette
View north at St-Laurent & Maguire
Original town hall, current fire hall and firefighters’ museum at St-Laurent & Laurier
The BUILDING 5445 Avenue de Gaspe Built in 1972, 5445 Avenue de Gaspe is an 11-storey, 46,200m² post-industrial building currently owned by Allied Properties REIT. 2 5455 Avenue de Gaspe, an almost identical neighbouring building, was sold in 2008 for $8-million. In June 2011, the building was resold for $37.8-million to Allied Properties, who acquired 5445 shortly afterwards...3 Intending a substantive interior renovation to attract high-end offices, the population of artists, creative workers, and artisans were expecting to be displaced in favour of higher-paying tenants.
Due to a community-led intercession by artist group Pied Carré, the Plateau Mont-Royal borough put a temporary hold on impending redevelopment in the two buildings. A compromise was reached to retain portions of the building for artists signed to long-term leases of 30 years. The other floors were redeveloped as Allied Properties had originally envisioned. The entire building will receive upgrades to its windows, and mechanical and electrical systems. 4
is the outcome of extensive collaboration between ourselves, Pied Carré, “ This Ateliérs Creatifs, the Borough of Plateau Mont-Royal, the City of Montréal and
the Province of Quebec. A wonderful example of our Make Room for the Arts program, the lease to Pied Carré will afford long-term stability to the artistic community in the Plateau, while simultaneously enhancing the upgrade of our de Gaspé properties. 4
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5445 Avenue de Gaspe
Michael Emory, President and CEO of Allied Properties REIT
The WORKSHOP Indian Hill Guitar Company, Apt 712 A hidden gem located on the seventh floor of a former industrial building, the Mile End Guitar Shop occupies a distinct niche in the heart of Mile End’s thriving artist community. The shop is a small space shared between several different builders. are eight of us sharing the “ There space right now and all but one
are guitar makers (one banjo maker). There's a big variety in the types of guitars made in the shop - steel string, classical, electric, cigar box, flamenco. We have a pretty good system set up to try to minimize conflict and make sure things run smoothly. Mostly this centers around a weekly clean-up and meeting every Sunday and people understanding what rolls they have to fill.
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Entering through a pair of black, heavy, industrial doors, the high-ceilinged,
Workbench panorama
rectangular space is divided into three distinct rooms - two occupying the first half or the room, one occupying the second. The first is a general storage and entry space with a small workbench. Stacks of wood, ready to be used, are stored here, as well as cleaning supplies, guitar amps, cases, and miscellaneous parts and tools. A collection of empty beer cans and wine bottles are gathered at the door. Attached to this space is the dusty enclosed woodshop, featuring a band saw, jointer, belt sander, drill press, table saw, and various other small power tools. The third and final space encompasses the shared workspaces and features a ribbon of windows on the far wall overlooking Mile End. A perimeter of workbenches defines the room, each adorned with countless handtools, guitar parts, and desk lamps.
Approximate section 01
Section 01
Approximate floor plan
are basically four main stages to the building. First, “ There preparation of the materials. This would be thicknessing,
shaping, bending, and carving all the rough wood into the various components of the guitar. Second stage is assembling all of those parts into a guitar. The first two stages are basically all of the woodwork involved. Third is finishing - for me that means french polishing. For the type of guitars I build, this is a relatively unique, and very old, method of finishing. Last would be the final setup - this includes fretting, making a nut/saddle, and all of the many, many picky jobs that come at the end.
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Raw materials
Raw materials
Entry and storage area
Woodshop
Mike Kennedy at work in the main workshop space
it is a shared space, it is very common to bounce ideas, aesthetic and “ Since structural, off of the other guys in the shop. Most guitar makers do not have this type of community available and we're very fortunate to have it every day. � Main workshop space
be quite romantic looking at our space and the work we do, but almost all of “ Itit can is really, really nitpicky and hard work! It can be quite stressful trying to make something that is not only beautiful, but sounds incredible as well! �
Progress pieces
Main workshop space workstation
The CULTURE Events & Performances Mike Kennedy and the Mile End Guitar Shop not only produce exquisite, handmade instruments, but also assemble community members together for intimate performances to a small crowd no larger than fifty people. Both celebrities and locals alike have played the venue with great success. Through these events, the shop truly establishes itself as the node for a tightknit community of builders, musicians, and fans alike.
Jeremy Clark and I started “ When the shop together, we both
realized we had a unique opportunity to use the space for something other than guitar making. Most, if not all, of our friends are musicians so it was an easy and natural step to start hosting concerts.
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Photos above from Mile End Guitar Shop Facebook page
will continue to host the occasional concert as long as the shop is running. I think if “ We there is a critical mass of people still interested in sharing the space and for as long as the space is still available, the shop will keep going. ”
Workshop mixing board
COMMUNITY INSTRUMENTS Thank you to Mike Kennedy of Indian Hill Guitars: indianhillguitars.com
Sources 1
“Real Estate's Booming - after 100 Years.” Canada.com. The Montreal Gazette, 19 Nov. 2007. Web.
2
“5445 Avenue De Gaspe.” Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. Web.
3
Campbell, Miranda. “Dear Montreal: Can We Make It Last?” Every Day Were Hustling. 11 Nov. 2013. Web.
4
“Allied Properties Real Estate Investment Trust Makes Room for the Arts in Montreal's Vibrant and Transforming Plateau Mont-Royal.” Marketwired. 2 Apr. 2013. Web.
“Built from Scratch: Mile End Guitars.” Midnight Poutine. 25 June 2009. Web. “Espaces à Louer : Projet PI2 De Gaspé.” Pied Carré. Web. “Here Comes the Neighbourhood.” Canada.com. The Montreal Gazette, 17 Nov. 2007. Web. Woods, Allan. “Montreal’s Mile End: Deal Lets Artists Stay in Their Studios.” The Toronto Star. 16 Nov. 2012. Web. All quotations from Mike Kennedy, unless noted otherwise. All photos and drawings by Justin Spec, unless noted otherwise.