SOME INTERESTING SIGHTS
of the
MONTRÉAL REGION

The Seventeenth and Twentieth Centuries exist side by side in many areas of Montréal. Île Ste-Hélène, the site of Expo 67, is one of the earliest developed areas of the city. In the foreground of this picture taken from the centre towers of the Pont Jacques-Cartier is the Vieux Fort, an early French defence structure dating from the 1700s and one of several historic sites on Île Ste-Hélène. In the background are the skyscrapers of the downtown business district of the modern city with Mont Royal looming behind. The Vieux Port de Montréal lies between, on the far shore of the river from this viewpoint.

Built as a residence in the late nineteenth century, this fairytale structure at 438 Sherbrooke Est is now occupied by offices. With the turrets and castellations on the eaves, the copper-clad roof, the pillared portico of the front door, and the decorative castellations and balustrades of the balconies, there are few more striking examples of neoGothic home construction in existence anywhere than this gem in the heart of Montréal. Notice the rich and pleasing details present in the relief carving of the balustrades, the profusion of finials of various sizes on the roof and the tops of gables, and the fine bay windows on three levels. This building is one of the finest examples of its kind in the city.

Dwarfed by the high-rise apartment block to which it is attached on the left, this stone house still attracts the eye and holds attention in powerful contrast to the impersonal style of its neighbour. You can see dozens of such bland apartment towers in any of North America's major cities, including Montréal, but you can be certain there exists no other house quite like this anywhere else in the world.

The architecture of Montréal and the surrounding areas exhibits a wide variation, from the historic and traditional, to the ultramodern. To a visitor from other parts of Canada, many of the homes, particularly those dating from the last century and the early years of this one, have an appearance that makes them distinct. To the people of Québec, this comes as no surprise, since they have long recognised that they have a different culture from English North America, a "distinct society" that is reflected in so many of their cultural institutions and traditions. To English Canadians, this distinctness is less apparent. The fascinating differences seen in the traditional architecture can help to open our eyes to some of the other cultural differences of les québécois, so that we may understand better the concerns of this small minority for the survival of their culture in the ever encroaching sea of English from the rest of Canada and south of the border. If we as Canadians can recognise the dangers to our own culture resulting from our proximity to the USA, we should also recognise the concern of les québécois for theirs.

The two pictures above give some idea of the effect created by a row of these highly individual homes, 902-969 Sherbrooke Est. Though few of them remain as private homes today, they have been well-maintained so that they still reflect the personal preferences of the architects who created them, and of the owners whose preferences were incorporated into the design. Even the colours used to highlight the salient features are different. A row of houses like this becomes a colourful reminder that our forebears had not only originality, but also the ability to embody, in the materials and technology available to them, an eyecatching and enduring façade that today still reflects the personality of their era. These buildings must be preserved for posterity.

Many of the homes can boast neither the size nor the location to compete in all ways with the best examples. Here is one that has a fine example of a corner turret all fashioned in wood. It provides a fine finish to the corner, but its location on a comparatively narrow street means that it is destined never to be seen to the same advantage as those located on major wide thoroughfares like Rue Sherbrooke. This building is situated at 1347 rue de la Visitation, one of the many small narrow streets near the eastern end of Rue Ontario. Although this building is situated on a corner, it is difficult to view it to its best advantage. Most of the surrounding structures lack any real noteworthiness and, unfortunately, several unsightly power and telephone lines also cross in front of it.

It is sad to note that the civic authorities of Montréal have not always ensured the survival of many of the best and most interesting examples of traditional architecture in their city. Residents can name a number of cherished landmarks that have fallen before the demolisher's ball to make way for new projects. Of course, not all old buildings can, or should be, preserved; but each example must be carefully assessed for its heritage value and its unique qualities.

While Montréal itself has the largest concentration of fine older residences decorated with turrets and gables, there are also many in the smaller surrounding towns. This simpler but still intriguing house is located on the main street of Verchères, a short distance down river from Montréal on the Rive Sud. Of a more massy construction, the turret is octagonal, with an interesting double pitch to the roof echoed again in the gable facing the street corner on the first floor. While this house lacks the elegance of the best ones in Montréal, its charming simplicity harmonises well with its rural environment.

Like most of the world's great cities, Montréal has its share of noteworthy old churches. L'église Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours (the Church of our Lady of Help) situated in the Vieux-Port-de-Montréal is a very good example. This shot at left is of the west front of the church. It is one more of those buildings that are not easy to view to advantage, since it is closely surrounded by others, and the street is narrow and enclosed. However, the neighbourhood is much as it has been for centuries, with the church nestled among authentic period architecture or acceptable modern reproductions.

The first church on this site was built with the proceeds of a thanksgiving gift from the survivors of a ship which was wrecked in the St Lawrence. Marguerite Bourgeoys, founder of the Soeurs Grises (Grey Nuns), was given charge of the money, and in 1657 construction began. The original church, destroyed by fire in 1754, was replaced by the present one in 1771. It is not a large building, but it has much beautiful stained glass and richly decorated walls and statuary. A wooden statue representing the Virgin Mary, visible to mariners as they entered the port, crowned the main tower, and was presumed to have been destroyed by the fire of 1754. However, in 1844 it was rediscovered and, after authentication, it was returned to its place on the tower. Later still, the original was replaced with a metal statue, and taken inside, where it can be seen in the Crypt Museum, along with many other artefacts recovered during archaeological excavation of the site of the church. During renovations in 1953 the steeple and tower were reduced in height.

This picture (left) shows the east end of the church which faces the river. The two angels on the domes are visible, and between them, higher, the statue with raised arms. Visitors may climb an old interior wooden staircase to the vertiginous open gallery just below the angels from where there is a panorama of the Vieux-Port. The gallery can be seen in this picture just below the angels.

Note also, at the extreme right edge of the frame, the Accueil Bonneau building, a hostel for the homeless. On 9 June 1998, at about 1:30pm, a workman was drilling a hole through a metre-thick stone wall when his drill accidentally ruptured a gas pipe. Before everyone was evacuated, an explosion occurred, killing three people, injuring others, and totally destroying the building itself. Although there appeared to be no structural damage to the nearby church, it is hazards such as this which lead sometimes to the loss of heritage buildings, no matter how much care we may try to take for their preservation.

By the early years of the Twentieth Century, Montréal had become the chief port of transfer of land/sea freight on Canada's East Coast. Many of the commodities being transferred, such as meat and fruit, required carefully controlled refrigeration while in storage. This unusual building, completed in 1922 and ceasing operations in 1978, was capable of providing cold storage ranging from +2 to -20 Celsius. The four turrets are the tops of freight elevators, each equipped with its own water pressure tank. The warehouse, minus its powerhouse which was demolished in 1968, is a very familiar landmark on the Montréal waterfront.

Located on the easternmost part of the Vieux-Port, where it must be seen by every ship entering the port area, the War Memorial is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the two world wars. At the centre of commercial activity in the port when its foundation was laid in 1919, it is now a striking landmark for the tourists who come to the waterfront, as the most shipping activity now occurs further down river. What was once the busy port at the lower end of the Lachine Canal is now a popular tourist area, although the history of the port's commercial development is very well documented with plaques and preserved exhibits.

The Lachine Canal itself is currently undergoing renovations costing $33 million, funded by the Government of Canada. The locks are being reconstructed, the trails improved, and the Canal itself refurbished for pleasure boating. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2002.

Above left, and originally a branch of the Royal Bank at 4192 Ste-Catherine Ouest at the corner with Greene, this is a classic example of such architecture with its scroll-topped pillars and its crest in relief on the frieze high above the front door. Dwarfed today by the adjoining building, and no longer used as a bank, it is typical of banks of that era, and still retains the appearance it had when it was completed earlier this century.

Above right, and constructed for the Bank of Toronto, which merged with the Dominion Bank to become today's Toronto Dominion Bank, this building is still being used for its intended purpose, It is located on the corner of Ste-Cathérine Ouest & ?????. These two buildings are examples of many similar bank branches of almost a century ago to be found not only in Montréal but in most cities and towns across Canada.

LEFT This view from the eastern lookout of Mont Royal on a late winter afternoon shows the Stadium tower about 6 km away to the east, illustrating the way in which it dominates the city skyline in any vista of more than a few blocks.

The two streets which are so clearly visible are, leftmost and very straight, Avenue du Mont Royal Est, and to the right, but less straight, Rue Rachel.