Recently, a small group of about ten family members from Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto met online through Zoom to reminisce for an hour about the past.

Sharing family stories is always fun with these relatives who I have known my entire life. Most had visited my family home in a suburb of Montreal called Town of Mount Royal over those topsy turvy times in the 1960s and 1970s. We knew each other well through close family connections and always welcomed each other into our homes.

Those memories also triggered something else inside of me: how turbulent and extraordinary that period of time was for all of us. Extraordinary in many contexts: political, social and cultural. There was the world’s fair extravaganza called Expo 67, the emerging and powerful youth and peace movements, (think Woodstock and Give Peace a Chance) and a totally renewed sense of energy and optimism. Then it all came crashing down sadly, with the October Crisis of 1970 followed by political and economic turmoil for many years after.

Coincidentally, I was just starting to get active in photography at that time, around 1969-70. So with my camera in hand, I ventured out of the comfort zone of the suburban home I grew up in and started going downtown regularly on weekends, exploring the different streetscapes and neighbourhoods of my city, previously unfamiliar to me. And what a contrast it was. So much to discover and learn, especially through the eyes of a young emerging photographer. My camera gave me the freedom I needed at that time to leave my safe neighborhood and explore the city of Montréal on my own, with no particular agenda or destination in mind.

Back to the recent family Zoom gathering, it occurred to me that memories serve an important function as we all grow older. As long-term memory seems to remain more intact through the aging process than short-term memory, I am grateful to be able to retain the awareness and visual acquity I have always been gifted with, and return to what I captured on film to share what I can through those extraordinary times I lived through. It serves a purpose, that ability to archive and conserve, and it’s to show younger generations how different yet familiar the past was from the present turbulent times. As the French expression goes, “plus ça change, plus c’est pareil.” The more that changes, the more remains the same.

Author Note: A selection of these photos, which were awarded top prize at the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair in July 2021, are available for sale on this website Store.

All photos ©️Steve Stober

USA Pavillion, Expo 67, Alternate View, 1969

Isle Notre Dame, Expo 67, Montreal, 1969

Québec Pavillion, Expo 67, Montreal, 1969