Hochelaga, Rouen Graffiti Tunnel

Riding out to Hochelaga took me to downtown east Montreal well past the Jacques Cartier bridge. I was out there looking for some graffiti by Scan, the NDG 'writer' known for making burners. Translation: the person nicknamed Scan was a graffiti artist who made incredible masterpieces with spray paint on wall. He passed away in 2017 and I made a painting of part of a tribute wall over in Sud West neighborhood. The above painting shows the sun going down over top of an old factory that was converted into affordable residential housing. Graffiti adorned the building but it was done in a tasteful sort of way. The sun popped out from the clouds for a moment, which is captured in the painting.

Sundown Hochelaga, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2025

Standing on the same corner (Moreau and Ontario street) looking south and there was a big brick-red factory with numerous metal chimeys. It is the Lallemand food company that manufactures micro-organisms on an industrial level... like edible yeast and bacterial products. You get the sense of the neighborhood, triplex brown-brick dwellings, small trees along the sidewalk, plenty of cars and people coming home from work, and active factories. There is a massive train yard nearby too, but not easily visible. 

Lallemand food company, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2025

Where Rouen street goes under the train tracks, the city has authorized graffiti in the tunnel. People were there spray-painting artwork as I went by. It was tempting, but I opted for a watercolour painting instead... a lot less work it seems. Coincidentally, all of the graffiti art said 'PJD25' just like my initials. I found a City of Montreal report on graffiti published in 2003 when graffiti was getting out of control. In the report, they identified needs of the youth and community, and decided at that point to make certain areas permissiable for graffiti, to sponsor 'mural festivals' in designated areas, and to provide funding for public wall art. In doing so, there would be an outlet for people. Having said that, writers (graffiti artists) will still view an illegal piece with more street credibility. But at least the amount of graffiti is down.... NDG used to be covered in it, now there are just a few graffitis here and there. 

On the way out I saw a massive burner (masterpiece) by Scan on the wall, untouched since he did it probably ten years ago. You can see it on google maps Rouen street, just west of the graffiti tunnel.  

Rouen Graffiti tunnel, watercolour 6 x 7.5" cold press, October 2025