Westmount past places us in the footsteps of late legend Kate McGarrigle

In the case of Kate McGarrigle, the accomplished and respected Montreal-born singer-songwriter who died last week, Westmount played a most significant role in the lives of her entire family. Her parents lived here in the 1930s, on Metcalfe and subsequently on what was called Western Avenue, and she herself resided in no fewer than four Westmount residences. Her children Rufus and Martha Wainwright attended St. Leon’s elementary school and Martha also spent a year at The Study.

These facts were provided by a close friend of Kate’s – as well as of her sister and musical partner Anna McGarrigle – Westmount’s Deborah Adler. And, so, I set out to retrace the footsteps of Kate McGarrigle last weekend, as if experiencing the rarefied air she breathed so long ago would give me a bit of a glimpse into her extraordinary life.

What I found were three architecturally beautiful buildings where McGarrigle had resided, first at 4216 de Maisonneuve, then at The La Fayette, 4378 de Maisonneuve (near Kensington), followed by a stunning home at 45 Holton and, finally, a large but aesthetically nondescript apartment building, The Chequers Place, at 3033 Sherbrooke W. Stylistically, the first three are more similar than they are different, leading one to believe that the late musician had a particular exquisite taste in architecture. Anna McGarrigle, who now resides in the Ottawa region, also lived in The La Fayette with her husband Dane Lanken for a time.

“She liked old and classical,” said Ms. Adler. “The first apartment she lived in was that, but both that one and The La Fayette were near to her sister Anna. The Holton house had a style that she loved - high ceilings, town house, rich detail, etc.”

One other fact that Deborah Adler revealed says everything about the kind of person Kate McGarrigle was... and highlights what a precious gem we have all lost. “In early October, 2008, Kate, acutely aware of the benefits of the Canadian medical system, decided that she wanted to ‘give back’ to the medical community in Montreal, for all the help she was receiving here,” said Ms. Adler.

“She asked me to help her find a way. Within six weeks, with the assistance of the MUHC, the Kate McGarrigle Fund, (a not-for-profit partnership with the MUHC) was up and running. This fund supports cancer care and research at the teaching hospitals of McGill University, including the McGill University Health Centre and the Jewish General Hospital.

“Kate worked tirelessly beside me until early December for this cause.”

Kate McGarrigle may have passed on, but her musical legacy, her tangible Westmount history and her important commitment toward curing cancer, are undiminished. Donations to the Kate McGarrigle Fund can be made either by phoning 514-931-5656 or registering online at www.muhcfoundation.com