Petitebourgogne

The Little Burgundy Coalition is the Round Table of the neighbourhood. Its mission is to work to improve quality of life for the citizens of Little Burgundy and to promote their participation in social and community life. The Coalition is made up of around sixty members, including residents, community organizations and representatives from institutions. Its activities are mainly carried out via three permanent committees: Urban Planning and Neighbourhood Life, Youth and Health and Food. Many events that take place in the community are a direct result of the collaborative efforts of community stakeholders, such as the Burgundy Awards, Spring in Burgundy and the long-standing Little Burgundy Festival. The Coalition members also work together with neighbourhood residents to create the community newspaper.

In the 80s, English-speaking community workers in Little Burgundy gathered to establish a meeting place in the community to discuss and take concerted action. An overwhelming feeling of insecurity reigned in the area that was directly linked to crime and violence caused by rampant drug trafficking and use. To increase their leverage, they called on the neighbourhood’s French-speaking community workers and founded a collaborative bilingual organization: the Little Burgundy Coalition.  

In the spring of 1990, the Coalition formed a special committee to take action against local crime. This committee proposed a plan of action with an aim to improve community interventions, develop a comprehensive picture of the neighbourhood and increase the residents’ sense of belonging. Other committees soon followed. In 1991, the Coalition joined the program “Montreal Healthy Living” and formed a multi-network organizing committee that would function in parallel with the Coalition. In September of 1994, these two groups merged to form the Little Burgundy Coalition/Healthy Neighbourhood.