Old Montreal
This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (July 2011) |
Old Montreal | |
---|---|
514, 438 | |
Patrimoine culturel du Québec | |
Official name | Site patrimonial de Montréal |
Type | Site patrimonial déclaré |
Designated | 1964-01-08 |
Reference no. | 93528 |
Old Montreal (
Founded by
History
Early French settlement
In 1605,
The original settlement of
French colony
After the
In the early 18th century, the name "Montreal" (which originally referred to the mountain
British control
Canada (New France) became a British colony in 1763 after the Seven Years' War. British rule radically changed the face of Old Montreal, partially due to significant fires that destroyed much of the city and provided the British with a mandate to rebuild it. In May 1765, fire destroyed about 110 houses before destroying the old Hôtel de Callière and the former General Hospital. In April 1768, 88 houses between rue Saint-Jean-Baptiste and Hotel Vaudreuil were burned, including the Congregation Notre-Dame convent. Between the two fires, nearly half of the buildings in the city were destroyed. In the following years, the city was rebuilt even more densely. On June 6, 1803, a massive fire destroyed the prison, the church and the dependencies of Jesuits, a dozen houses and the Château Vaudreuil. Two speculators bought the Château's gardens, offered one-third to the city, and divided the rest into seven lots of their own. The city's oldest public monument, Nelson's Column,[4] was erected in 1809 on part of the former garden plot and given to the city. This space became the new market square, called Marché Neuf (New Market) before assuming its present name of Place Jacques-Cartier in 1845. The space occupied by the church of the Jesuits became the Place Vauquelin and Montreal City Hall arose from the old Jesuit gardens in 1873.
In 1812, a fire destroyed the luxurious Mansion House hotel, which had been popular with the
Colonial authorities decided upon the first radical transformation of the area in 1804, with the destruction of the fortifications surrounding the heart of Montreal. Completed in 1815, this enlarged the perimeter of Old Montreal and improved access to suburban communities. The 19th century witnessed the emergence of a bourgeoisie of mostly Scottish merchants. The growing activity of the port changed the urban landscape. Old Montreal became less residential, as the rich Scottish and English merchants built extravagant homes closer to Mount Royal (in what would become the Golden Square Mile). Anglophone influence became the dominating force in the areas of banking, manufacturing, commerce, and finance. St. James Street became the financial centre of Montreal, with large banks such as the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada, insurance companies and the stock exchange.
Most of the financial buildings on St. James Street were designed by anglophone architects. The same is true for institutional buildings such as the Old Court House and the Customs House designed by John Ostell, the Bonsecours Market and even the Notre-Dame Basilica (whose façade is the work of an Irish Protestant from New York, James O'Donnell). The only notable exception is the Montreal City Hall, which was inspired by the Hotel de Ville de Rennes. The character of the Victorian style of the late-19th-century buildings was a significant change from the stone masonry used during the French era and affected the appearance of Old Montreal.
Decline, preservation, and renewal
The district continued to grow during the early 20th century, evidenced by construction of prestigious buildings such as the Aldred Building (1929–1931), La Sauvegarde Building (1913), and the first Stock Exchange (1903–1904). Port activities, the financial sector, and the municipal government helped to maintain activity until the Great Depression began in 1929. During the Depression, the relocation of port facilities further east deprived Old Montreal of many companies related to the maritime trade, leaving many abandoned warehouses and commercial buildings. The downtown-area relocation several blocks to the north, and the near-complete absence of residents, (there were only a few hundred in 1950), had the effect of emptying the district when businesses closed at the end of the day. At that time, the lack of nightlife gave the district a reputation for being dangerous at night.
Old Montreal increasingly found itself changing to accommodate the rise of the automobile. Several prestigious locations, such as the Place d'Armes, the Place d'Youville, and Place Jacques-Cartier, were snarled with traffic in the mid-20th century. For municipal authorities, unaware of its potential heritage value, Old Montreal was an anomaly. City planners considered wider streets, which would have meant razing many older buildings. A proposed elevated highway along the river over the rue de la Commune spurred a movement to preserve the district. Dutch-born architect and urban planner Daniel van Ginkel played a major role in saving the district from destruction during the early 1960s. As assistant director of the City of Montreal's newly formed planning department, he persuaded authorities to abandon plans for an expressway that would have cut through the old city.[5] In 1964, most of Old Montreal was classified as a historic district; despite this, the Quebec government razed several 19th-century buildings to build a new courthouse.
In addition to the return of a residential base, the area has become attractive to the hotel industry. While in the 19th century all major hotels were in Old Montreal, by 1980 there were none.[citation needed] In 2009, there were about 20 hotels, mostly in restored older buildings. A steady stream of tourists and the presence of new residents encourage nightlife and entertainment. In addition, municipal authorities have invested large sums to renew the area's infrastructure. The Place Jacques-Cartier and part of the Place d'Youville have been redesigned, and a restoration of the Place d'Armes is in progress. A lighting plan was also developed to highlight the different façade styles. There is now a consensus that the historical legacy of Old Montreal is its major asset. Aided by redevelopment, it is now the leading tourist destination in Montreal.
COVID-19 pandemic impact
During the
However, once the violence in the area receded, Old Montreal became a tourism hub once again, even though the Old Port area kept its 12am to 6am curfew in place. New restaurants opened in the area, including a waterfront terrasse called Les Terrasses de la Marina in the Old Port.
Architecture and urban planning
Old Montreal is a major tourist attraction.
The southwest of the old city contains important archeological remains of Montreal's first settlement (around Place d'Youville and Place Royale) in the
The old town's riverbank is taken up by the Old Port (Vieux-Port), whose maritime facilities are surrounded with recreational space and a variety of museums and attractions. The Iberville terminal on the Alexandra Pier serves as the cruise terminal for about 50,000 passengers annually from large cruise ships plying the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
Champ de Mars
Transportation
Old Montreal is accessible from downtown via the
References
- ^ Canada 2011 Census. Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
- ^ a b "Old Montréal / Centuries of History - Ville-Marie". www.vieux.montreal.qc.ca. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- ^ "Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal". patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ "Explore Montreal's history through its monuments, public art: Four must-sees among hundreds of pieces". nationalpost.com. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
- ^ Martin, Sandra (July 23, 2009). "Sandy van Ginkel rescued Old Montreal from freeway developers". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 24, 2009.
- ^ a b Colpron, Suzanne (June 4, 2021). "Shaken-up neighbourhood: The new "tourists" of Old Montreal". Toronto Star. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- ^ Kovac, Adam (April 11, 2021). "Large gathering ongoing in Old Port in violation of earlier curfew start". CTV News. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2021.
- ^ Ann, Virginie (June 5, 2021). "COVID has turned Old Montreal, once a playground for tourists, into violent district". Global news. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
- ^ Média, Bell. "Montreal's Old Port now has its own localized curfew". www.iheartradio.ca. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ Sabbah, Lea (June 30, 2021). "Montreal's Old Port Has A New Terrasse Right By The Water With Panoramic Views". MTL Blog. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ charlo (August 12, 2021). "Enfin une épicerie près du Vieux-Montréal". Journal Métro (in French). Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "A NEW IGA COMING SOON IN MONTREAL". www.iga.net. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
- ^ "Quais du Vieux-Port de Montréal : Bilan positif pour l'été 2009". arvm.ca/. Archived from the original on March 15, 2012. Retrieved January 6, 2019.
Sources
- Lauzon, Gilles; Forget, Madeleine (2004). Old Montreal: History through Heritage. Montréal: Les Publications du Qhébec. p. 293. ISBN 2-551-19654-X.
- McLean, Eric (2004). The Living Past of Montreal. Montréal: McGill University Press. p. 64.
- Pinard, Guy (1987–1995). Montréal, son histoire, son architecture. (6 vol) Montréal: Éditions La Presse, Méridien. p. 1800 pages. ISBN 2-89415-039-3.)
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External links
- Old Montreal — official site
- Architecture of Old Montréal Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- Photo Gallery of Old Montréal Archived February 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- Picture of Old Montréal on Images Montréal
- Condo Buildings in Old Montreal - an illustrated list
- Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum in Old Montreal
- Walking Old Montreal