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Pug and Poodle in Montreal

 

What may seem at first glance to be a pair of comic statues in downtown Montreal are actually serious reminders of the long struggle in Quebec between Francophone Quebec nationalism and the former long-held power of English-speaking business communities.

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The pair, by sculptor Mark A. J. Fortier, was installed in 2013 at 500 Place des Armes, a building that lies between two historically significant Montreal symbols.

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At one end, a rather stuck-up Englishman, clutching his English pug, looks condescendingly at the Notre Dame Cathedral, symbol of power for Francophones and especially Catholics.

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At the other, 210 feet away, a Chanel-clad elegant lady holds her French poodle, and looks up with distaste at the Bank of Montreal, symbol of Anglophone power.

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But all is not what it seems! Although we've combined the two into a title image that says confrontation, when they are viewed in their actual orientation from a vantage point in the Place des Armes, it's clear that whatever the people think, the dogs are attracted to each other! Another clarifying view...

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Image modifications by Caitlyn Heymont

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The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

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