Old Montreal (or Vieux-Montréal in French) is the oldest area in the Canadian city of Montreal, dating back to colonial times. Located in the borough of Ville-Marie, the area is usually thought of as being bounded to the west by McGill St., to the north by Saint Antoine St., to the east by Berri St., and to the south by the Saint Lawrence River.
History
Unlike in many cities, the precise location of the first town site is well-known: on and adjacent to the present Place d'Youville, where the Pointe-à-Callière archeological museum now stands. Eventually, Montreal became a fortified city, with the city walls' former location marking the modern boundaries of Old Montreal. The area used to be the city's downtown, with Saint James Street. Until the disappearance of streetcars, Place d'Armes was the city's main streetcar terminus. As time went on, however, the business district moved northwest, reaching its present location, centred around Sainte Catherine Street, south of Mount Royal. Through the mid-to-late twentieth century, the old city decayed. However, major urban renewal programs have resurrected its commercial and residential life while protecting its heritage.
Features
Old Montreal itself is a major tourist draw; with the oldest of its buildings dating to the 1600s, it is one of the oldest urban areas in North America.
In the eastern part of the old city, near Place Jacques-Cartier, are found such important buildings as Montreal City Hall, Bonsecours Market, and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, as well as preserved colonial mansions such as the Château Ramezay and the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site of Canada. To the north of City Hall, the Champ de Mars preserves the foundations of Montreal's city walls, built in 1717 and pulled down in the early 19th century. Further west, Place d'Armes is dominated by Notre-Dame de Montréal Basilica on its southern side, accompanied by the 1684 Sulpician seminary, the oldest extant building in Montreal. The other sides of the square, however, are devoted to commerce; to the north is the Bank of Montreal building and to the west, the Aldred building and the 1888 New York Life building, the oldest skyscraper in Canada. The rest of Saint Jacques Street is lined with lofty old bank buildings - like the Old Royal Bank Building - from its heyday as Canada's financial centre.
The southwest of the old city contains important archeological remains of Montreal's first townsite, around Place d'Youville and Place Royale, and in the Pointe-à-Callière museum.
Finally, the old town's riverbank is completely taken up by the Old Port (Vieux-Port), whose maritime facilities are surrounded with a vast recreational space with a variety of museums and attractions.
The old city can be accessed via Champ-de-Mars, Place-d'Armes, and Square-Victoria metro stations.
External links
- Old Montréal — official site
- Architecture of Old Montréal
- Old Montréal Restaurants
- Photo Gallery of Old Montréal
- Picture of Old Montréal on Images Montréal
- Condo Buildings in Old Montréal - an illustrated list
