WHA Events

THE WESTMOUNT HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION HOSTS A NUMBER OF EVENTS EACH YEAR. THESE INCLUDE TWO LECTURE SERIES, WALKING TOURS, AND EXHIBITIONS OF PHOTOGRAPHS AND OTHER MATERIAL FROM OUR ARCHIVES.

PLEASE CONSULT OUR WEBSITE REGULARLY FOR UPCOMING ACTIVITIES OFFERED BY THE WHA.

WHA Fall 2026 Lecture Series

Westmount in Peacetime: the Coat of Arms, the 1810 Cannon and the Returning Veterans

The Fall 2026 Lecture Series focuses on three examples of Westmount in peacetime – civic pride, military commemoration, and creativity in times of adversity

Thursday, September 17, 2026: Westmount’s Coat of Arms: Its History and Symbolism

Speakers: Shawn Moss, architect, Westmount City Councillor, Commissioner of Sports and Recreation, Commissioner of Urban Planning and Sustainable Development & Ayse Bayraktar Moss, Senior Counsel, Privacy, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence Law

More than a civic emblem, the Westmount Coat of Arms visually narrates the City’s evolution. This lecture explores the heraldic design by architect Percy E. Nobbs and its embedded symbolism. The speakers will examine how these elements reflect Westmount’s history and trace how it became the first Canadian municipality granted official arms by Scotland’s Lord Lyon.

Thursday, October 15, 2026: A New Role for Westmount’s 1810 Cannon

Speaker: Patrick Martin, P.Eng., retired transportation planning engineer. President of the Westmount Battery and board member of the Montreal Artillery Association, former City Councillor

For almost a century, a pair of British military cannon from the Napoleonic era was a familiar feature of Westmount Park’s landscape. Some 20 years ago they were removed to storage for safety reasons and faced an uncertain future. This lecture recounts the history of the cannon’s origins and use, a description of their meticulous restoration over the past decade, and their new purpose as proud ambassadors of Westmount—both locally and at events in Montreal and surrounding areas.

Thursday, November 19, 2026: Beckoning the Returning Veteran: The Valentine School of Commercial Art

Speaker: Catherine MacKenzie, PhD, Professor Emerita, Art History, Concordia University

An unexpectedly vibrant appreciation for creative expression during the 1930s and early 1940s made Westmount a prudent choice for the opening of The Valentine School of Commercial Art. Located from 1939-1954 on Greene Avenue, the school trumpeted its practical education in visual communication, allowing it to appeal to returning veterans, thereby making an as-yet unsung contribution to the post-war reconfiguration of Canadian society.

Westmount Room at the Westmount Public Library,

4574 Sherbrooke St. W. from 7 to 9 pm

Admission to events free for WHA 2026 members. $5 for others at the door.

For more information contact www.WHA.quebec

Series prepared by Louise Carpentier & Irina Nazarova

Posters of Past Lecture Series

Creative People Who Pursued Careers in Westmount

WINTER/SPRING 2026

The three talks in the WHA’s 2026 Winter/Spring Lecture Series focus on the artistic contributions of four individuals who shared their creative passion with the Westmount and Montreal communities over the years.

Living Together: History of Apartment Buildings in Westmount

FALL 2025

COLLABORATIONS ACROSS GENERATIONS

WINTER/SPRING 2025

Documenting the History of Westmount on the 150th anniversary of the City

FALL 2024

CHAPELS TO LIBRARIES: TRANSFORMATION CHALLENGES

WINTER/SPRING 2024

THE WESTMOUNT PUBLIC LIBRARY SINCE 1899

FALL 2023

DOCUMENTING LOCAL HERITAGE

WINTER/SPRING 2020

Due to the pandemic, the April lecture was given remotely in 2021 and co-sponsored by the Westmount Public Library. David Lanken exhibited his work at the Gallery in Victoria Hall in the spring of 2022.