It was a moment steeped in history as pupils from a school in Byker took part in a special tree-planting ceremony at The Lighthouse Project.
Twelve children from St Lawrence’s Catholic Primary School attended the event, where one of 49 Sycamore Gap saplings was planted as part of the National Trust Trees of Hope scheme. The initiative follows the illegal felling of the iconic Sycamore Gap Tree in 2023, which had stood for more than 120 years.
“The Lighthouse Project had been given one of the Sycamore Gap saplings to plant and grow in the Byker community,” said Head of School Charlotte Robson.
“St Lawrence’s were invited to attend, along with pupils from Byker Primary.
“As part of the event, the School Council created artwork and poetry explaining the significance and importance of the Sycamore Gap sapling. They were able to articulate, through their artwork and poetry, that the tree being cut down was a tragedy, but that new hope has grown from it.”
St Lawrence’s Tree Planting BBCET
Two children from each year group were chosen to represent the school, which is a member of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, with one Year 5 pupil nominated to help with the actual planting.
“After the tree planting, the pupils were asked to share some of their artwork,” continued Mrs Robson.
“They were also treated to some special cupcakes, made by one of the Lighthouse Project members of staff.
“It was a wonderful event to be invited to, as it celebrates the Byker community. It is also something that will last for many years to come.”
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/the-mysterious-pink-house-in-montreal-s-saint-henri-right-a-sign-for-cordova-coffee-cocktails-on-a-saint-henri-street.png?id=53819812&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C96%2C0"/><br/><br/><p> Montreal's Saint-Henri was recently named <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal-neighbourhood-ranked-coolest-in-the-world-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world</a>, claiming the title of #1 coolest in Canada. But despite the fanfare, some locals disagree.<br/>
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<a href="https://www.timeout.com/travel/coolest-neighbourhoods-in-the-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Time Out's annual ranking</a>, released last month, was created collaboratively by a global team of writers and editors who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour.
</p><p> This year, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/st-henri" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saint-Henri</a> came in 13th overall, beating iconic international tourist destinations like Flatbush (New York City), East Hollywood (Los Angeles) and Mount Pleasant (Washington DC).
</p><p> Curious to see what our readers thought about Saint-Henri being dubbed Canada's hippest district, we took to Facebook to see the reaction — and people had some opinions.
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="20061b249da91384d8e7974f61499e5b"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/MTLBlog/posts/pfbid02Pr3oitDtAu7Sb3EHPEu9jwPTxgPDjQ4L8wfFmk3YPXsS9nfPZEjh7XHCxpwd1hdxl"></div></div><p> "Montreal's St-Henri has been ranked as one of the coolest places to live in the world, do you think this is true?" we asked our online community.<br/>
</p><p> "Approved by the Dubois family," the top response says. This tongue-in-cheek comment garnered some laughs, as it references a French-Canadian gang of mobster brothers with roots in Saint-Henri.
</p><p> While no one else raised suspicions of criminal interference, some commenters did wonder if the results of this ranking were truly accurate.</p><p> "In the world? By whom? Anyone who has gone as far as Mount Royal in their life?" one commenter wrote.
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<span></span>"[They're] confusing cool and trendy," wrote another.
</p><p> Some commenters brought up the fact that they feel unsafe in the Saint-Henri area; however, one person pointed out how things have changed in recent years. Others praised the area's poutine and smoked meat, but that's not necessarily specific to Saint-Henri.
</p><p> Meanwhile, some Saint-Henri residents defended their neighbourhood with pride, though they weren’t ready to completely set aside their concerns.
</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b6fbebf8828956ed95505c7b7a142453"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/NarcityQuebec/posts/pfbid08RWYe465KvxQiVxvzTtddyDuMYTUvrTmbKwn57iAqK7rsttEQpCvRHtbHEzbf6Q5l"></div></div><p> "I live in St-Henri/Old Port and it’s nice, but I wouldn’t call it 'cool,'" one person wrote.
</p><p> "Don't say it too loud, rents will go up," wrote another.
</p><p> At the same time, few alternative choices were proposed to take Saint-Henri's spot — at least not in any meaningful way.
</p><p> "Ville-Marie is much better, everyone talks to each other, okay, they talk to themselves, but oh well..." someone wrote.
</p><p> So, what do you think? Is Saint-Henri the coolest neighbourhood in the country — or even the city? Head to our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MTLBlog/posts/pfbid02Pr3oitDtAu7Sb3EHPEu9jwPTxgPDjQ4L8wfFmk3YPXsS9nfPZEjh7XHCxpwd1hdxl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Facebook post</a> to chime in.
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<em>This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.</em>
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<em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em>
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