Little Burgundy Citizen’s Committee

Paul Butland

paullb@telus.net

www. magazinecontinuité.com

604-732-8670

PR Communication Plan

Introduction:

This PR Communication Plan outlines strategies for promoting the Little Burgundy Citizens Launch of a Fundraising Campaign to Preserve Local Heritage on April 10th in the Little Burgundy community of Montréal, Quebec. The event aims to establish a permanent foundation for preservation support groups in the community while raising awareness about the City of Montreal aspiring to develop new housing and relocation projects that enhance developments throughout the broader city. Additionally, it strives to cultivate a nurturing environment for the residents of Little Burgundy while ensuring that the neighbourhoods remain safe from external influences such as crime and urban planning, which could negatively impact the community. Many residents of Little Burgundy are long-standing citizens who may feel isolated from their friends and community while real estate developers reap significant profits. This Fundraising Campaign offers a platform for residents to express their opinions and views on proposed developmental projects by the province of Quebec, share ideas, and build connections within the Little Burgundy community, strengthening ties for residents and newcomers and enhancing local participation in cultural events that influence the community.

Objectives:

1. Increase awareness of the event among residents and citizens of Montréal, as well as developer organizations in Quebec and their staff, by 30% before the event date. Achieving this goal will ensure a broad reach and attract a diverse audience to the upcoming campaign.
2. Secure 500 registrations or RSVPs from key members of the target audience. This target will evaluate the effectiveness of our promotional strategies in encouraging attendance participation.
3. Attain media coverage in 10 reputable outlets. Gaining traction from leading media channels will enhance the event’s credibility and visibility within the Little Burgundy community.
4. Strengthen the Little Burgundy community’s status as a significant area of Montreal and a long-standing centre for preservation support groups representing various racial communities. Through strategic messaging and engagement, we aim to bolster Little Burgundy’s reputation as a well-maintained and peaceful community, influencing the future of proposed developments in the area and safeguarding the unique heritage of Little Burgundy.

Target Audience:

• Citizens of the Little Burgundy Community: This group comprises residents of Little Burgundy, citizens of the Montréal area, developers, and city officials interested in the proposed housing and relocation projects throughout Little Burgundy. Primarily, the target audience of the fundraising campaign will be long-standing residents who may feel isolated from the community.
• Preservation Support Groups in the Community: These groups are racialized ethnic communities in Little Burgundy that may be displaced by aggressive developers and city planners seeking profits from building low-income housing. These preservation groups connect other marginalized communities under threat of development.
• The City of Montreal: The province of Quebec and the city of Montreal are significant stakeholders in the redevelopment of the Little Burgundy community. Proposed housing projects and the demolition of this long-standing community impact the residents, and large-scale developers must be made aware of how redevelopment can affect preservation support groups and racialized communities. The city of Montréal needs to preserve the unique heritage of Little Burgundy by engaging in discussions and organizing meetings to determine what is best for the community.

Spokespeople and Blog Content Ideas:

1. Milton Park vs. La Cité: A fight for city blocks. Discover what happened and why it mattered.
2. Little Burgundy’s Lost Blocks: What Was Erased for Radio-Canada? Explore the community lost to urban change.
3. Ville-Marie Expressway: How it Changed Little Burgundy Forever. This post explores the expressway’s impact. Learn about community loss and urban change.
4. Meihiba’s Little Burgundy: A Day in the Life of a Community Animator.
5. Andrea Este’s Little Burgundy: A Local’s Guide to Hidden Gems.
6. Van Horne Mansion: The Battle That United Little Burgundy.

Content Calendar:

Audience Feedback and Engagement:

1. Analytics: Monitor website traffic, page views, and conversion rates to assess the effectiveness of the event campaign in enhancing focus and engagement.
2. Social Media Metrics: Monitor social media engagement, including likes, shares, comments, and hashtag mentions to gauge audience interest and sentiment.
3. Monitor Blog Posts: Measure blog post open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates to evaluate the effectiveness of the fundraising campaign in driving registrations and event attendance.
4. Media Coverage: Monitor media mentions, press release pickups, and article shares to assess thereach and impact of media outreach efforts on event visibility and attendance of the event.
5. Attendee Feedback: Conduct post-event surveys and interviews to gather feedback on eventsatisfaction, content relevance, and areas for improvement to inform future event planning andmarketing strategies.

Justification:

The blog campaign builds trust and strengthens the community of Little Burgundy while enhancing the Citizen’s Committee with its stakeholders. Promoting these blog posts and engaging key stakeholders such as the residents of Little Burgundy, urban planning developers, preservation support groups, and the blog campaign raises awareness of important issues in the Little Burgundy community, such as overdevelopment and the housing crisis.

Through these blog posts, the fundraising campaign supports Little Burgundy’s Citizen’s Committee and its commitment to preserving the heritage of the community while sharing the residents’ opinions and views on proposed developments. The blog posts will be transparent and highlight the unique stories and strengths of Little Burgundy’s citizens, ensuring their voices are heard while fostering local participation from Montréal.

References

Black contemporary life in Montreal’s Little Burgundy neighbourhood. (n.d.). https://www.cbc.ca/tv/features/life-in-montreals-little-burgundy

High, S. (2019). Little Burgundy: The interwoven histories of race, residence, and work in Twentieth-Century Montreal. Urban History Review, 46(1), 23–44. https://doi.org/10.7202/1059112ar

Montréal, H. (2023, September 6). Archives: A growing movement, preservation in Montreal. Héritage Montréal. https://blog.heritagemontreal.org/en/archives-un-mouvement-en-progression-la-preservation-a-montreal/

Little Burgundy. (n.d.-b). Retrieved March 24, 2025, from https://www.nfb.ca/film/little-burgundy/.

Figure 1: Exhibitions/Andrew-Jackson-Evolving-Montreal. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2025, from https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/exhibitions/andrew-jackson-evolving-montreal/. 

© 2025 – McCord Stewart Museum Montreal

Figure 2: Exhibitions/Andrew-Jackson-Evolving-Montreal. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2025, from https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/exhibitions/andrew-jackson-evolving-montreal/. 

© 2025 – McCord Stewart Museum Montreal

Figure 3: NFB Canada Film – Little Burgundy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 1, 2025, from https://www.nfb.ca/film/little-burgundy/. 

© NFB Canada

Little Burgundy Coalition
741 des Seignuers Street,
Le Sud Quest, Montreal, Quebec
magazinecontinuité.com
514 931 4302
Paul Butland – President
250-374-1474
paullb@telus.net

LITTLE BURGUNDY COALITION FACT SHEET

History  The Citizen’s Committee for Little Burgundy was established in the 1960s to help preserve racially diverse groups and community members to speak for themselves and grow a preservation movement to prevent the Quebec government from demolishing long-standing neighbourhoods to build housing projects.

Vision  The Little Burgundy Citizens’ Group seeks to strengthen community connections for residents and newcomers while enhancing local participation in cultural events that influence the community.

Mission  In Little Burgundy, we strive to preserve and protect our unique community heritage and establish a permanent foundation for support groups. 

Purpose  Our purpose is to challenge large investor development corporations from building low-income, high-rise apartments and high-rent condos to preserve our unique neighbourhood and its lovely residents.

-more-

Future  Together, these members of the Citizen’s Committee for Little Burgundy aim to protect socially diverse and racially marginalized groups in the community threatened by redevelopment, while also creating safe, permanent housing for future generations.    

Benefits  With the launch of the fundraising campaign on April 10th, the residents of Little Burgundy aim to form a coalition of individuals who will advocate against developers intent on jeopardizing the unique buildings and heritage that this part of Montreal embodies, providing the whole community with a social voice for marginalized groups.

Milestones  By the 1970s, the neighbourhood of Little Burgundy had been transformed after its demolition for new housing. A social housing project was established in the northeastern part of the community, and new townhouses were constructed in the centre during the 1980s. In the 1990s, several luxury condominiums were built along the Lachine Canal, enhancing the community’s market value.

Accomplishments  The Little Burgundy Sports Centre was established to provide sports activities for young people. Programs were developed for individuals with disabilities and intellectual challenges. The Georges-Vanier Cultural Centre was also created to host art exhibitions, drawing workshops, and music classes. Little Burgundy had an average of 1,430 monthly visits during the first three months of 2014.

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April 2025

Little Burgundy Citizens Launch Fundraising Campaign to Preserve Local Heritage!

Join us for an event to establish a permanent foundation for preservation support groups.

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Continuité Magazine

April 10, 2025,.10:00 PT

MONTREAL. April 10, 2025 /PRContinuité Magazine| –Little Burgundy, Montreal’s citizens, will launch a special fundraising campaign on April 10th to establish a permanent foundation for preservation support groups. The event will occur on Notre Dame Street West, between Atwater Avenue and Vinet Street, from 10 am to 12 pm. Featured speakers include Dr. Dorothy Williams, a historian specializing in Black Canadian History, along with The Little Burgundy Coalition, the neighbourhood’s Round Table. This event invites residents, real estate developers, and the public to participate in the morning festivities, offering food, drinks, and entertainment while Little Burgundy residents raise awareness about the City of Montreal’s future aspirations for the community.

Residents of Little Burgundy Community Focus

The residents of Little Burgundy believe that the community should welcome various preservation groups and protect their existing neighbourhoods from developers and the ongoing pressures of progress that aim to construct more apartments and condos. These developments can isolate residents from their friends and community while real estate developers reap significant profits. We strive to cultivate a nurturing environment for Little Burgundy residents while ensuring our neighbourhoods remain safe from external influences, such as crime and urban planning. This event keeps citizens and residents informed about happenings in Little Burgundy and residential and housing issues, including proposed developments that could negatively impact the community. Little Burgundy is more than a section of the city of Montreal; it is a residential district that supports various preservation groups that have established their homes and heritage without outside influence dictating where they should live. With the launch of the fundraising campaign, the Little Burgundy Citizens’ Group seeks to strengthen community connections for residents and newcomers while enhancing local participation in cultural events that influence the community. When city officials outline their proposals for new housing and development, residents, like those in Little Burgundy, risk losing their livelihoods. For instance, in November 1966, city officials outlined their proposal, prompting Jeanne Leblanc, a local activist, to speak out: “It was nice, but we no longer had our neighbourhood.” The Little Burgundy Citizens invite the public to attend the campaign’s launch event and have their voices heard. More details can be found in the following resources:

1. Visit The Continuite Magazine’s website at https://www.magazinecontinuite.com/ for updates on current events.
2. Check the latest bulletin boards, posters, and Little Burgundy community websites such as www.petitebourgogne.org.
3. Stay updated with news from local media outlets in Montreal: CityNews Montreal, CBC News and Montreal Gazette.

The Citizen’s Committee of Little Burgundy invites you to stay updated and engaged in the local community. Keep informed about the latest news and events in Little Burgundy. Check out https://www.magazinecontinuite.com/ to subscribe to our magazine now, and we guarantee you will receive your copy upon attending the event campaign on April 10th. We are excited to bring residents and people of Montreal together to voice their opinions on the future of Little Burgundy. Here’s to inclusion, diversity, and celebrating our community together!

Little Burgundy’s Community Commitment Heritage 

In Little Burgundy, we strive to preserve and protect our unique community heritage and establish a permanent foundation for support groups. We aim to challenge large investor development corporations from building low-income high-rise apartments and high-rent condos to preserve our unique neighbourhood and its lovely residents. The Citizen’s Committee for Little Burgundy was established in the 1960s to help preserve racially diverse groups and community members to speak for themselves and grow a preservation movement to prevent the Quebec government from demolishing long-standing neighborhoods to build housing projects. The Citizen’s Committee comprises three key spokespeople: Mrs. Jeanne Leblanc, the President; Mrs. Lucilia Pion, the Vice President; and Mr. Jack Jones, the committee’s Secretary. Together, these members of the Citizen’s Committee for Little Burgundy have formed a local organization that protects socially diverse, racially marginalized groups in the community under threat of re-development. With the launch of the fundraising campaign on April 10^th, the citizens of Little Burgundy seek to create a coalition of residents and citizens to speak out against developers intent on ruining the unique buildings and heritage that this section of Montreal represents. As Jeanne Leblanc stated about the renewal of the Little Burgundy neighbourhood renewal projects, “It was nice, but we no longer had our neighbourhood.”  This fundraising campaign event will encourage everyone to join the Little Burgundy Citizen’s movement that helps protect our heritage and unique neighbourhoods.  More details can be found in the following resources: https://www.magazinecontinuite.com/ for updates on current events.

Contact:

CONTINUITÉ MAGAZINE

Paul Butland paullb@telus.net

(250) 374-1474