Silver Dragon Café
A Montreal landmark, the Silver Dragon Mets Chinois restaurant was located in the Côte- Saint-Paul neighbourhood. The sign was installed on December 7th 1956 and most of it was recovered by the Montréal Signs Project on November 14th 2016. The restaurant had been out of commission since around 2012; the entire building was recently sold to the owner of the Dragon de Chine in Verdun who is currently renovating the space. The former Silver Dragon will remain a restaurant under its new ownership but will be given a new name and sign when it is ready to launch. During its lifetime the restaurant played an important role in the establishment of a Chinese neighbourhood and gathering space for new immigrants. Its iconic neon sign, tasty food, and welcoming atmosphere made the Silver Dragon a popular mainstay of the area for decades.
Located at the corner of de L’Église and Laurendeau, this neighbourhood icon was one of the few classic 1950s neon signs remaining in the city. The sign played an important role in actor and director Jay Baruchel’s Good Neighbours (2010), a dark comedy-thriller set in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood. The sign and restaurant appear on screen repeatedly as the protagonist’s place of work. The main character, Louise, works part-time as a waitress at the Silver Dragon, while also investigating a series of related murders haunting her Montreal neighbourhood.
After exposure to sixty Montreal winters, the sign (comprised of four separate elements) is in very poor condition. There is extensive rust, peeling paint, and some sections have rotted through entirely. The long-defunct neon lettering requires extensive replacement and repair. Most important, however, are the stories and memories of Montrealers for whom the sign is a familiar and beloved landmark. Please let us know if you have one to share.
