Montreal,city of varied interests and nationalities.
Most anything you want can be found in Montreal.
West end is English/east end is French.
If you are looking for a place to vacation, Montreal will keep you occupied quite well.
Everything from fine dining,gambling,and dancing the night away can be found in Montreal.
Head north for skiing,snowboarding or just a relaxing time in the mountains.Their ski resorts are a good value in the summer months for getaways....
Anything you want can be had here...anything!
Montreal links :
Montreal maps: city / metro (subway) / sports info / weather
The walk through the area where Montreal took root and flourished is about three miles
(5km) long and includes buildings and monuments which merit lengthy study. As a result,
the itinerary has been divided into three parts, each beginning and ending near a metro
entrance. Each walk takes about an hour and a half, but the lure of the many interesting
boutiques and art galleries coupled with the historic beauty of the buildings and public
places may cajole on into spending a good two or three hours on any one walk. It is easy
enough to plan a lunch stop in one of the many picturesque restaurants on the way.
HISTORY
Algonquin and Iroquois tribes lived in the Montreal region before the European settlers
arrived there. The area's rivers and lakes providedthe natives with a plentiful supply of
fish. They also served as excellent transportation routes.
In 1535, the French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed up the St-Lawrence River. The
Lachine Rapids, south of what is now Montreal, prevented Cartier from going farther by
ship. He then explored the island of Montreal andfound the Iroquois village of Hochelaga
at the foot of Mont Royal. Severalthousand lived in the village. Another famous French
explorer, Samuel de Champlain, visited the site of Montreal in 1603 and 1611.
In 1639, Jerome le Royer, Sieur de la Dauversiere, a French tax collector, formed a
company in Paris to establish a colony on the island of Montreal.In 1641 the, company sent
a Roman Catholic missionary group to the island to convert the natives to Christianity. The
group, led by Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, arrived in 1642. The colonists
built a fort at what is now Place Royale in Old Montreal and established the settlement of
VilleMarie.
Iroquois attacked the colony, hoping to stop the profitable fur trade that the French has
established with the Algonquins and Hurons. These two tribeswere the chief rivals of the
Iroquois. But despite the attacks, the colony prospered as a religious center and
fur-trading post. The French and the Iroquois finally made peace in 1701.
By the early 1700's, Ville Marie had become known as Montreal. It had a population of
about 3,500 in 1710 and was the commercial heart of France's North American empire,
called New France. Montreal's location on the St-Lawrence River made it an important
center of trade. European goods passed through Montreal on the way to Canada's
northwest. The St-Lawrence also linked Montreal to the rich supplies of furs southwest of
the settlement. Montreal's location near the Ottawa River made it the gateway to the
valuable forests of the Canadian northwest.
British troops under General Amherst captured Montreal in 1760, during theFrench and
Indian War (1754-1763). The battle marked the end of the fighting in this war and led to the
collapse of New France. The Treaty of Paris, signed in 1763, officially ended the French
and Indian War and made Canada a British colony. A few English settlers then came to
Montreal.
General Richard Montgomery's American forced occupied Montreal in November 1775,
during the Revolutionary War of America (1775-1783). Benjamin Franklin and other
American diplomats tried to gain French Canadian support against the British. But their
efforts failed, partly because most French Canadians regarded the war as just a quarrel
between Britain and its colonies. In June 1776, the arrival of British troops forced the
American soldiers to withdraw, and Montreal became a British possession again.
Fur traders in Montreal founded the North West Company as a rival to the Hudson's Bay
Company fur trade. The new firm was organized in the 1770's under an agreement that
dissolved, and was reestablished in 1783. Montreal began to expand toward the north and
the south on the island of Montreal in the late 1700's. Many Englishmen established
businesses in Montreal during this period. The English gradually gained control of the
town's economy. A major cause of this development was that French life had traditionally
centered around farming and retail trade. As a result most French Canadians showed little
interest in manufacturing. English and French speaking Montrealers settled in separate
areas, establishing a pattern that still exists.
By 1800, Montreal's population had reached 9,000. Canada's first steamboat, the
Accomodation, sailed on the St-Lawrence River from Montreal to Quebec City in 1809. In
1821, the Hudson's Bay Company bought thr North West Company. The Hudson Bay area
then became the chief market for furs, and Montreal declined as a fur trading center.
Old Montreal was surrounded by fortifications until the beginning of the 19th century. The
rough stone wall which was 18 feet high (5.4 m), four feet wide (1.2 m) at the base and three
feet wide (0.90 m) at the top was supplemented by an exterior slope and a deep trench.
There were four main gates into the walled city: to the west, the Recollet Gate at Notre
Dame Street; to the north, the St-Laurent Gate; St.Martin's Gate (or Quebec Gate) on St.
Paul Street; the Port Gate opening directly to Place du Marche, now called Place Royale.
Because of the hilly topography of the area, many of the buildings in the town were taller
than the walls and thus unprotected from attack by land or by river. The defensive
importance of the walls was also lessened by their flimsiness which would have made them
difficult to maintain if attacked.
In any case, the citizens of Montreal were not convinced of the need for these mediocre
ramparts, especially since they were the ones required to assume the cost of the walls.
They felt that Montreal was becoming a commercial rather than a military city and the
walls presented an obstacle to its economic growth.
In 1801 Royal assent was received for the demolition of the walls. Three commissioners
(one of whom was James McGill, founder of McGill University) were appointed to oversee
the task. Demolition was completed in 1821 but the area outside of the walls had already
been settled.
The Lachine Canal, which crosses the southern edge of Montreal, opened in 1825. It
provided a detour for small vessels around the Lachine Rapids and led to a sharp increase
in trade and travel between Montreal and the Great Lakes. Shipping replaced fur trading
as Montreal's chief industry and Montreal grew in importance as a port.
In 1832, Montreal was incorporated as a city. From 1844 until 1849, it served as the capital
of the Province of Canada. By 1850, the city's population had soared to about 50,000.
THE WALKING TOUR AND CURRENT EVENTS
THE OLD FAUBOURG DES RECOLLETS
To the west of the historic quarter, its devastation hidden by old buildings on
St-Antoine and McGill streets, is the former Recollets suburb. The area between
St-Antoine, McGill, de la Commune streets and the Bonaventure autoroute consists,
primarily, of parking lots tempered here and there by some early buildings which
have miraculously survived the years.
Le Petit Seminaire was constructed there in the early 19th century, using stone most
likely taken from the recently-levelled fortification walls. Unfortunately, all that was
left of the building, one of Montreal's oldest, disappeared in 1980. Some interesting
buildings do remain, notably those at the intersection of William and King streets.
The old faubourg des Recollets, Montreal's first suburb, was made up of the area
west of the wall between St.Martin's Stream and the little Saint Peter River. These
two waterways flowed approximately where St-Antoine and St-Paul streets are now
located, meeting at Montfort and Notre-Dame streets, the present location of Dow
Breweries.
While the area now seems to be hardly more than an empty shell, its history and
convenient location could well generate a thriving community. Access by metro, bus
amd private transportation is as easy as downtown. With the redevelopment of the
zones on its periphery, now is an opportune time todiversify the area's activity.
Faubourg des Recollets could become a link between the modern downtown, the old
city and the river. It is not difficult to imagine a dynamic rebirth of this neighborhood
which would offer historic landmarks, old buildings renovated for housing, new
commercial construction and green space established on the empty land. The much
promised "Window on the River" which is to provide a lush linear park along the
St.Lawrence, would be a dramatic backdrop.
JACQUES VIGER COMMISSION
On August 16, 1962 the City of Montreal instituted the Jacques Viger Commission to
oversee the restoration of Old Montreal. The Viger Commissionwas established to
deal with all aspects of conservation including both theinterior and exterior of
buildings.
The by-law established the limits of the sector for restoration as Berri Street to the
east, Commissioners Street (de la Commune) to the south, McGill Street to the west
and Craig Street (St-Antoine) to the north. Three years later the city reduced the
sector by changing the north boundary to Notre Dame Street. This permotted the
construction of the Banque Canadienne Nationalebuilding on Place d'Armes and the
Palais de Justice on St-Jacques Street.In April 1981, the city extended the
boundaries of Old Montreal for subsidypurposes to include the area between
St-Antoine, de la Commune, des Soeurs Grises (one block west of McGill Street) and
the extension of St-Hubert Street.
Unfortunately, a number of historic sites within the old quarter have disappeared,
leaving nothing but a commemorative plaque. But on the walking tours, you can see
some 19th century English and French architecture, as well as a few rare examples of
the French style of the 18th and even 17th century. On practically every street you
will perceive the results of the trend to conservation and restoration of old buildings.
The old girl is exchanging corset and parasol for designer jeans and make-up. It is a
refreshing change, but one which can cause some difficulties. Sometimes make-up is
a garnishand the result false.
SOME IMPORTANT DATES IN THE HISTORY OF
MONTREAL
1535 October 2-4:
Jacques Cartier visits Hochelaga, an Iroquois village located on the island of Montreal. He names the mountain "Mont Royal".
1611 May 28: Samuel de Champlain, founder of Quebec City, explores part of the island of Montreal. His men construct a wall near the
mouth of the Saint Pierre River (now St.Pierre Street). This is the first European construction on the island.
1639: Jerome Le Royer, Sieur de la Dauversiere, a French tac collector, formed a company in Paris to establish a colony on the island of Montreal.
1641 The company sent a Roman Catholic missionary group to the island to convert the natives to Christianity.
1642 May 17: The first French colonists, led by Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve, land on the island and build a fort at what now is Place Royale in Old Montreal & established the tiny colony of Ville Marie.
1642 October 8: Jeanne Mance establishes the Hotel-Dieu de Montreal hospital.
1643 January 6: Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, commander of Ville-Marie, erects a wood cross on Mont Royal in thanks for the colony's escape from flooding.
1645 Construction of the Hotel Dieu building begins.
1648 November 24: Birth of Barbe Meunsnier, the first European born in Ville-Marie.
1658 April 30: Marguerite Bourgeoys begins teaching in a stable, "a stone building, 36 feet by 18 feet, located in Ville Marie, near hopital St-Joseph.
1663 March 9: The gentlemen of St-Sulpice become the seigneur of the island of Montreal.
1672 March 12: Dollier de Casson, Father Superior of the Seminaire de Montreal, lays out and names the first streets:
NOTRE DAME in honor of the Virgin Mary, patron of the colony;
ST-JOSEPH (now St-Sulpice);
ST-PIERRE in honor of Pierre Chevrier, baron of Fancamp, one of the founders of la Compagnie de Montreal;
ST-PAUL in honor of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve;
ST-JACQUES in honor of Jean-Jacques Olier;
ST-CHARLES in honor of Charles Le Moyne;
ST-LAMBERT in honor of Lambert Closse;
ST-GABRIEL in honor of two Sulpicians - Gabriel Thubieres de
de Levy de QueyLus and Gabriel Souart.
1700
1716 - The French authorities decide to build a wall around Montreal, it
would take 20 years for the town to become truly fortified.
1734 April 10: A fire, started by an escaped slave, destroys 46 houses,
Hotel Dieu and the convent.
1760 September 8: The capitulation of New France is signed in Montreal.
British troops take over the town.
1766 - The town is divided into wards.
1775 May 1: The bust of George III which had been unveiled in Place d'Armes on October 7, 1773, is vandalized to denounce the Quebec Act which guaranteed use of the French language and freedom of religion. "Here is the pope of Canada and the English fool" is written on its base.
1776 November 13: The army fo the American insurgents, commanded by General Richard Montgomerey, enters Montreal through the Recollets Gates.
1776 April 29: Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Chase and the Jesuit Charles Caroll Stay in Thomas Walker's house in Montreal. They try to convince the local populace to join the American revolutionary cause.
1776 June 6: The American army leaves Montreal.
1778 June 3: Fleury Mesplet prints the first issue of Gazette du Commerce et litteraire pour la ville et le district de Montreal. Printed at Chateau Ramezay, this weekly later becomes The Gazette, the city's current daily newspaper.
1792 May 27: The city is divided into two parts, east and west, with
St-Laurent Street as dividing line.
1800
1801 - Montreal Water Works is established to provide running water to the populace.
1801-1820 Demolition of the walls around the city.
1809 August 17: Construction of Nelson's Monument begins.
1809 November 3: "The Accomodation" owned by the Molson family, sails from Montreal to Quebec City.
1815 November: St-Paul Street is lit at night. The following year, lamps are installed on Notre Dame Street.
1817 November 3: The Bank of Montreal begins operations. It is incorporated on December 20, 1820, three years later.
1821 March 31: McGill College receives its Royal Charter.
1822 May 1: Construction of the Montreal General Hospital is completed.
1824 The Lachine Canal opens.
1824-1829 Construction of Eglise Notre Dame, designed by James O'Donnell.
1832 April 12: William IV gives royal assent to a law incorporating the
city of Montreal.
1833 June 5: The first meeting of the city council. Jacques Viger is elected the first mayor of Montreal.
1833 July 19: The city council adopts the coat of arms and the motto "Concorcia Salus". The coat-of-arms consists of the four national flowers of France (fleur-de-lys), England (rose), Scotland (thistle), and Ireland (shamrock). Immigrants from these countries played key roles in the city's growth.
1840 The city is divided into six wards.
1844 March 14: The city of Montreal rents Marche Ste-Anne to the government of the united province of Canada. Montreal becomes the capital replacing Kingston.
1849 April 25: Rebellion Losses Act gives compensation for property lost during 1837-38 is passed. The Parliament is burned in protest.
1851 A law is passed requiring that the mayor of Montreal be elected popular suffrage.
1852 July 8: A fire destroys the Cathedrale St-Jacques, the bishop's palace and more than 1100 homes.
1853 July 22: Beginning of the construction of the Victoria Bridge.
1859 December 17: The first train crosses the Victoria Bridge.
1860 May: Construction of the Crystal Palace, designed by J.W. Hopkins.
1960 November 27: Christ Church Cathedrale is completed.
1861 November 27: The first streetcars in Montreal make their debut.
1863 May 1: A telegraphic alarm system is established to warn of fires.
1865 December 3: The first mass is celebrated in Eglise du Gesu.
1867 March 18: The cornerstone of St-Patrick's Hall is laid.
1869 December 15: Prince Arthur opens the Montreal Curling Club.
1873 October 14: Opening of the YMCA (Young Men's Christian Association
building.
1876 L'universite Laval establishes a branch in Montreal, it becomes independant in 1920.
1877 F.L. Olmstead draws up plans for a park on Mont Royal.
1878 March 11: Inauguration of the City Hall, later heavily damaged in a 1922 fire.
1883 Annexation of the town of Hochelaga.
1884 Annexation of the town of St-Jean Baptiste.
1886 June 28: Canada's first transcontinental train leaves Montreal for
Vancouver.
1887 Annexation of the town of St-Gabriel.
1892 April 1: A decision to run the city's streetcars by electricity is
made.
1893 Annexation of the town of Cote-St-Louis.
December 2: Lord Aberdeen, Governor General of Canada, inaugerates the Royal Victoria Hospital.
1898 August 22: Completion of the new Victoria Bridge.
1899 July 16: Marked the crossing of the first carriage over the Victoria Bridge.
1899 November 21: Marked the first automobile on the streets of Montreal.
1900
1901 June 24: Parc Logan becomes Parc LaFontaine. A huge patriotic celebration is held
1901 August 13: The opening of a new military shooting range in Pointe-aux-Trembles.
1904 July 21: Completion of the first grain elevator in the port of Montreal.
1905 Annexation of the towns of St-Henri, Villeray and Ste-Cunegonde.
1905 January 28: Inauguration of the new Ecole Polytechnique building.
1905 July 13: Laying of the cornerstone of the Maison-Mere des Soeurs de la Congregation, in Westmount.
1906 Part of Rosemount and part of the parish of Sault-au-Recollet are annexed.
1906 May 26: Ecole des Hautes Commerciales is established.
1906 June 8: Ste-Helene's Island is sold to the City of Montreal by the federal government for the sum of $200,000.
1906 June 24: A monument to Octave Cremazie is unveiled.
1906 August 11: First recorded fatal automobile accident in Montreal.
1907 Annexation of part of the parish of Saint-Laurent.
1908 Annexation of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges, additional parts of Rosemount and Sault-au-Recollet.
1908 October 22: Laying of the cornerstone of the Ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales building.
1909 A contractor names Pauze begins construction of Bordeaux Jail. Annexation of St-Louis, Delormier as well as the city of Outremont.
1909 October 4: Prime Minister Wilfred Laurier lays the first stone of Ecole Technique.
1909 October 20: Edward VII inaugerates the Tuberculoses Sanitorium by telephone.
1910 Annexation of Ahuntsic, Cote-des-Neiges, Longue-Pointe, Notre-Dame-de-Grace, Saint Paul, Rosemont, Tetreaulrville, Ville Emard and part of the parish of Saint-Laurent.
1910 May 28: Beginning of streetcar service between Montreal and Longueuil.
1911 June 5: Completion of McGill University's faculty of medicine building, a gift from Lord Strathcona.
1913 March 11: The city council expropriates the land needed for Saint-Joseph Boulevard.
1914 Annexation of part of the parish of Saint-Laurent.
1914 June 10: The site of the municipal library is chosen.
1914 October 1: Unveiling of the statue of Edward VII in Philips Square.
1915 May 26: Ile Ste-Helene is opened to the public. It becomes the largest park in the region.
1915 June 15: The Utilities Commission decides to begin placing electric wires underground.
1916 Annexation fo the towns of Cartierville and Sault-au-Recollet.
1917 April 22: Inaugeration of the Canadian National Railway tunnel under Mount Royal.
1917 September 4: Official opening of the municipal library.
1918 February 6: Annexation of the town of Maisonneuve.
1919 Canada's first radio began broadcasting, CFCF of Montreal.
1921 Creation of the Metropolitan Commission.
1924 February 12: The municipal executive council accepts the construction of buildings higher than 10 storeys, under certain conditions.
1924 December 25: The new cross erected on Mont-Royal is first illuminated.
1926 February 9: Lieutenant Governor Narcisse Perodeau inaugurates the Sun Life Building.
1926 February 19: Official opening of the rebuilt City Hall.
1926 November 22: Inauguration of the new Palais de Justice, Designed by Ernest Cormier.
1927 January 9: A fire in the Laurier Palace Cinema kills 78 Children.
1927 April 23: Sir Herbert Holt lays the cornerstone of the Royal Bank head office on St-Jacques Street.
1928 May 5: The opening of the Montreal Stadium is attended by 22,000 people.
1929 July 10: Completion of a new bridge across the St-Lawrence River. It was named after Jacques Cartier in 1934.
1930 June 22: Unveiling of monument of Vauquelin.
1930 September 28: Unveiling of a monument to Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine in Lafontaine Park.
1930 October 31: Inauguration of The Ahuntsic Bridge.
1934 The Montreal Symphony Orchestra is created.
1934 July 11: The Mercier Bridge links Lasalle (on the island) to Kahnewake.
1943 June 3: Official opening of l'Universite de Montreal building on Mont Royal.
1945 December 18: A major press campaign calling for construction of a subway system begins.
1950 July 6: Opening of the Cote=St-Luc railway yards.
1950 November 6: The city council approves the purchase of Viger Station to be used for municipal offices.
1951 June 16: The city takes over the streetcar company.
1952 October 27: Bus service replaces the streetcat on Saint-Laurent Boul.
1953 October 12: The statue to Laurier in Dominion Square is unveiled.
1954 Jean Drapeau is first elected mayor of Montreal.
1957 November 9: Inauguration of the new Hopital Sainte-Justine building.
1959 Construction of Place Ville Marie starts.
1959 June 26: Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower open the St-Lawrence Seaway.
1962 May 23: Construction of the Metro (subway) system begins.
1963 The opening of Place des Arts.
1967 January 11: Official opening of Chateau Champlain Hotel, then the tallest hotel in Canada.
1967 March 11: Inauguration of the Louis-Hippolyte-Lafontaine bridge tunnel.
1967 April 21: Daniel Johnson, premier of Quebec, opens the Quebec pavilion at Man and His World, site of the universal exposition.
1967 April 27: Official opening of EXPO'67.
1968 October 24: Annexation of Ville St-Michel.
1969 December 23: The Montreal Urban Community is created.
1970 April 25: The Mouvement Cooperatif Desjardins announces construction of a five building complex.
1972 Construction of the extension of the metro begins.
1973 Save Montreal is formed.
1976 July 17: Inauguration of the XXth Summer Olympic Games.
1982 Annexation of the northern suburb of Point-aux-Trembles.
1983 May 27: Official opening of the Palais des Congres.
1985 Montreal's first independant public hearings dealing with broad issues of urban planning held, at the Vieux Port.
1986 Montreal Citizen's Movement enjoys overwhelming victory in municipal election, Jean Dore becomes Mayor.
1987 Federal government passes leglistation making Montreal an International banking center.
1996 Montreal Canadiens move to a new home, the city says farewell to the old Forum & opens the new Molson Center in the Spring of 1996.
Iggy
