William Shatner wants his legacy to be peace, receives key to Montreal

Intergalactic space traveller, veteran police sergeant andhigh-priced attorneyWilliamShatnerreturned home briefly on Saturday to say hewants to leave a"legacy of peace" for his fans.

The actoris in town for Montreal Comiccon, where he is the guest of honour. But he went to City Hall first to meet Mayor Denis Coderre and signthe city's Golden Book. He also received a key to the city.

• Star Trek TV series to begin filming in Toronto this fall, CBS confirms
• Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre gives Al Pacino keys to city

Legacy ofprogress

Shatner'sacting career has spanned more than sixty years, and included runs inT. J. Hooker andBoston Legal,but heis most commonlyidentified with Captain Kirk of the original Star Trekseries.

Heis still proud of his work with the show.

The originalStar Trek may have missed what the future would looklike fashion-wise Beatle boots and beehive hair didn't survive into the 21st century nevermind the 23rd but in its casting the show gotmulticulturalism right.

• GeorgeTakei: GaySuluin new Star Trek Beyond is 'Really unfortunate'

"[Star Trek] merged all kinds of people, professions and races," Shatner said.

Civil rights icon Martin Luther King once said the show's multiculturalism made it the only one he let his children watch.

The Star Trek character Uhura is considered the first character of African descent to be cast in more than a subservient roleon television.

Montreal for gaming

Coderretook the chance to appeal to thesci-ficrowd by drawing attention to Montreal's spot as the third largest city for video game industries in the world.

• Montrealcosplayersdon their finest costumes forComiccon2016

"Montreal is an environment to dream,"Coderre said. "Today I'm like a kid in a candy store."

Shatner, 85, grew up intheNotre-Dame-de-Grceborough before attending McGillUniversity,then moving to Torontoand later the U.S.

The city has changed so much since he left, Shatner said, he now barely recognizes it.

"It's been a long time since I grew up in Montreal," he told a crush of reporters at City Hall.

"But that doesn't matter because every time I come back to Montreal things are changing. I was downtown this morning and there was more construction going than there is to go to the moon."

Shatner was joined by other Comiccon attendees in signing the Golden Book and getting the key to the city: Peter Cullen, John Barrowman,Elias Toufexis,Darryl 'DMC' McDaniels,Manu Bennett, Michael Ironside and Brent Spiner.

• POINT OF VIEW:What Star Trek taught me about life