Leonard Cohen's Montreal, an illustrated map
While Cohen left his mark on the city, these are some of the places that left a mark on him
A year ago this month, we lost Leonard Cohen, one of the greatest songwriters this country has ever produced. While the entire country mourned, the pain was particularly felt in Montreal, the place of his birth, a city he embraced like a tailored suit. Cohen mythologized Montreal through his songs and poems, making it both a place of romance and spiritual enlightenment, often at the same time.
To mark his love of Montreal, CBC will be releasing a free mobile walking tour through the Detour app on Nov. 9. The tour will lead users through the Montreal neighbourhoods that inspired Cohen's novels, poems and music. Narrated by singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright, with special guests along the way, "Leonard Cohen's Neighbourhood" and the "Leonard Cohen Extended City Tour" will take you from the sites of the 1950s cafés where Cohen wrote his earliest poems to Parc du Portugal, just steps from his final home in the city. Below, we look at some of the key places in his life with an illustrated map by Heather Collett.
A number of other initiatives are also taking place to commemorate Cohen's life and death this week, including a tribute concert in Montreal featuring artists such as Coeur de pirate, Elvis Costello, Lana Del Rey, Feist and many more. The concert will take place Nov. 6 and be broadcast on Nov. 7. To find out more go to cbcmusic.ca.
