Summers in the City

The “Summer of Love”, in 1967 San Francisco, is best remembered as the hippie scene; but Montreal had its own version.

A short walk up Park Avenue from The New Penelope was Fletcher’s Field (renamed Parc Jeanne-Mance in 1990), at the foot of Mount Royal. This vast park saw many spontaneous gatherings of young people, as well as at least three organized “human be-ins” (or “love-ins”) that summer. One amateur photographer and regular at The New Penelope took these photos of a hippie wedding, in that park.

Bride and groom embrace in a hippie wedding on Mount Royal, 1967

Hippie wedding guests on Mount Royal, 1967

One of The New Penelope’s regulars, Richard King, remembers these youth gatherings called “be-ins”:

There was less going on than the Tam Tam jam [sessions still going on on sundays at the foot of Mount Royal]. It was just a bunch of Hippies in the park; they’re singing or dancing or doing something that we thought that people in Haight-Ashbury did. It was a pretty pale imitation of, you know, San Francisco Hippies, but it was that idea. Um, but Montreal, you know, the intolerance…

Other regulars recall being there, when mounted police broke up one of these gatherings of long-haired youth:

Listen to the audio clip with transcript: “Intolerance towards hippies”.

Listen to the audio clip with transcript: “Baby arrested during love-in”.

Article about police raid at love-in held on May 7, 1967

As it happens, Alan Brown, musician of the band, The Sidetrack, recalls being harassed for his long hair at the time:

… if you walked out down the street in Montreal with your hair not in a brush cut, and maybe touching your ears or going over the back of your collar, you were looked on as some sort of scary freak. And, you know, you were in danger from the police. You were in danger from people who were affronted. I was attacked several times on the street. It was pretty scary.

Article about love-in held on September 3, 1967

By the end of that summer however, people, as well as the police, had gotten somewhat used to these gatherings. And all kinds of Montrealers were also taking part in the action. Some of the outdoor music shows were sponsored and promoted by local radio stations, so they reached a wider public. The police were present but did not interrupt.

The Sidetrack themselves performed at a daytime rock concert in the park, as seen in this 1967 home movie:

View this clip with description: “The Sidetrack on Mount Royal”.

The Sidetrack musician Alan Brown remembers performing at one of these love-ins:

Listen to the audio clip with transcript: “Alan Brown on having long hair and playing music at a love-in”.

Poster for love-in on Mount Royal, held on September 3, 1967

The band also held court at The New Penelope throughout the entire summer of 1967. They invited numerous guest performers during this residency, such as local band Owed To The Blues. Member Jim Mathewson recalls playing that summer:

Listen to the audio clip with transcript: “Summer of love at The New Penelope”.

Indeed, Montreal had its own Summer of love in 1967, as we can see through the series of love-ins, the multiplication of concerts accross the city without forgetting the tensions between the Hippies and the police.