Earlier this week, the St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal presented Mayor Denis Coderre with the new Montreal 1642 Tartan to celebrate the city’s 375th anniversary. The Scottish played an important role in the founding of Montreal, and are represented on the city’s flag with a thistle.
The Montreal 1642 Tartan is a gift to the city and citizens of Montreal from the St. Andrew’s Society to mark the 375th anniversary of the city’s founding.
The St. Andrew’s Society described the meaning of the tartan’s colour scheme. “The blue and white, red and green represent the founding peoples of Montreal. The Scots by white and blue of St. Andrew, our Irish brethren by the green of St.Patrick, the English by the red of St. George and the French by the blue of St. Jean, and the white of the Fleur de Lys. Blue is shared between Scots and French, and recalls the long-held Auld Alliance between Scotland and France.
“The interlocking shades of the tartan express the peaceful integration of these original founding peoples with those of many other nations and cultures that have arrived here from around the globe.
“The green is of the forests of Mount Royal and underscore our reawakened respect for the environment and for the First Nations peoples who have loved this land since time immemorial and whose values have helped to shape us.”
The mayor was also presented with a Montreal 1642 blazer, which matched a tartan tie he had worn to an afternoon council meeting.
The presentation ceremony began with the sound of bagpipes and concluded with some fine Scotch.
Montreal 1642 Tartan accessories are available to purchase through the St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal website.
