Saidye-Bronfman Park inauguration

The Saidye-Bronfman Park was officially inaugurated on Thursday morning – located at the corner of Victoria Ave. and Buchan street.

The park was developed as part of the transformation of the former Namur-Jean-Talon industrial zone into a new residential area called “The Triangle.”

With a surface area of 8,214 m², the park includes a pavilion, water games and urban furniture.

The decision to name the park Saidye-Bronfman follows a call for proposals initiated in the spirit of the “Toponym’Elles” operation, set up by the City of Montreal and aimed at increasing the visibility of women in place names in order to highlight their contribution to Montreal.

Born in Plum Coulee, Manitoba in 1896, Saidye Rosner was one of four daughters of Samuel Rosner and Priscilla Berger Rosner, whose families settled in Manitoba after fleeing Russia.

After attending Havergal College for Girls and the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, she married Samuel Bronfman, head of the family liquor business.

They moved to Montreal in 1924 and, thanks to the success of the Seagram company, founded in 1928, the Bronfman family chose to invest in community and artistic philanthropy, notably through the creation, in 1952, of the Samuel and Saidye Bronfman Family Foundation.

The Foundation provides grants to community groups and supports education, art, heritage preservation and other initiatives of the Jewish community. Of particular note is the creation of the Saidye Bronfman Centre in 1967 (renamed the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in 2007), which is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighbourhood, not far from the new park.

Mrs. Bronfman died in 1995 at the age of 98.

Canadian philanthropist Saidye Rosner Bronfman and her husband Sam. Courtesy of the Hagley Museum and Library – VIA Jewish Women’s Archive

In a press release, the City states that, “special attention was paid to the infrastructure, which was designed to address a number of urban issues, including rainwater management and heat island reduction.”

“It is an honor to inaugurate this park in the presence of members of the Bronfman family, a family that has done so much for our city. I am convinced that this space will be greatly appreciated by the community and today we are taking a concrete step to honour the memory of Mrs. Bronfman, an important figure in philanthropy and the Jewish community of Montreal,” said the Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante.

“We can be proud of this park, which has been developed according to the best practices in sustainable development. This green space is a place that brings people together and contributes greatly to improving the quality of life of the residents of the new Triangle neighbourhood,” added Gracia Kasoki Katahwa, mayor of the Côte-des-Neiges-NDG borough.

(CREDIT: Matt Tornabene/CITYNEWS)