Montreal After Dark: Nighttime Regulation and the Pursuit of a Global City

James Stewart (J.D.M.) speaks with Matthieu Caron about his book, Montreal After Dark: Nighttime Regulation and the Pursuit of a Global City. Montreal After Dark by Matthieu Caron explores the transformation of Montreal’s vibrant nightlife from the early twentieth century through the reformist era of Mayor Jean Drapeau. Once known for its lively scene of sex, jazz, liquor, and gambling, Montreal’s nightlife came under strict regulation as Drapeau sought to curb corruption and reshape the city into a global metropolis. The book details how city authorities and police worked together to control nighttime activities, especially during major events like Expo 67 and the 1976 Olympics. It examines the tensions between maintaining order and responding to social unrest, highlighting how debates over public space, acceptable behaviour, and sexual norms reflected broader struggles over the city’s identity. Matthieu Caron reveals how the regulation of nightlife became intertwined with consumer capitalism and political power, fundamentally altering Montreal’s urban culture and the experience of the city after dark. Matthieu Caron is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of History at Simon Fraser University. If you like our work, please consider supporting it: bit.ly/support_WTY. Your support contributes to the Champlain Society’s mission of opening new windows to directly explore and experience Canada’s past.