Montreal Then and Now: Dominion Square

 Dominion Square, Montreal 1915.
The building with the dome is the Windsor Hotel.

This is my photo of the print of the original photograph, part of
"Pieces of Pictures" exhibition on McGill College Ave. The original
by Wm. Notman & Son. is housed in the McCord Museum.

Dominion Square, Montreal July 5, 2011.
 The Boer War Memorial by George W. Hill is dedicated to the 

Montrealers who fought alongside the British during the Boer War.

Dominion Square and Windsor Hotel, Montreal, QC, ca. 1890

 By Wm. Notman & Son.

The domed southwest wing of the Windsor Hotel

was totally destroyed in a fire in 1957.

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Then and Now: The Windsor Hotel------> CLICK HERE

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Photo Exhibition - Pieces of Pictures

Photographs of Montreal by Canadian

"Wm Notman & Son". (from 19th Century to 1920's)

Currently on display on McGill College Avenue.

William Notman (March 8, 1826 – November 25, 1891) was a Canadian photographer and businessman. When he died, management of the studio "Wm Notman & Son" was left to his son William McFarlane Notman, an experienced photographer in his own right. The original photographs are currently housed in the McCord Museum.

Christ Church Cathedral - Montreal

Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican Gothic Revival cathedral.
Address: 635 Saint Catherine Street West, downtown Montreal.

Originally built in 1859, the Christ Church Cathedral was the first church in Montreal to re-invent itself to fit into its modern day setting. In the 1980s, a huge real estate project was undertaken: an underground parking and a shopping mall that would house two levels of shops underneath the cathedral. In addition to that, a 34 floor skyscraper was to be built just north of the church, as part of the complex. Throughout the duration of the construction, the Cathedral had to be supported on stilts. We, Montrealers used to refer to it as the "Cathedral on stilts". Completed the same year, the Promenade de la Cathedrale was opened to the public... a four-level project that connected the mall under the church to Montreal's "Underground City".

Boutiques: Aldo, Tristan, RW & Co, Urban Planet, Dynamite, FootLocker, Laura, Limite and Linen Chest, Sirens and more...

McGill University: The Roddick Gates

The main entrance to McGill University is through the Roddick Gates at the corner of Sherbrooke Street and McGill College Avenue. Lady Roddick donated the gates to the university in memory of her late husband, Sir Thomas George Roddick, who was a doctor and dean of the Faculty of Medicine. They were officially opened by her on May 28, 1925.

Black and white photo source and more info:
1935 Graduating Procession, McCord Museum

Due to copyright restrictions, I cannot upload THIS photo from 1869 taken by one Alexander Anderson that depicts what it was like then !   I think it's priceless !

Maison Saint-Gabriel House, Montreal

This farmhouse is an example of French-inspired rural architecture: stone masonry, a pitched roof and a wood frame. Located in Pointe-Saint-Charles, 5 minutes drive from downtown Montreal, the Maison Saint-Gabriel House was purchased by Marguerite Bourgeoys in 1668. And for 300 years, it housed the Sisters of the Congregation de Notre-Dame of Montreal, who operated the farm to supply their own community. Currently, the museum is a great showcase of New France / Quebec rural farm-life... definitely worth a visit. I personally come once or twice a year just to enjoy the zen atmosphere and the surrounding gardens.

Lower Westmount: Victorian Style

These Victorian homes are in "Lower Westmount" and the buildings date from the late 1800's. This cozy one block street is actually a 5 minute walk from the core of downtown Montreal ! The majority of the front gardens in this corner of town are stamp-sized... usually around 12 feet by 12 feet. Nonetheless, this homeowner manages to create this wonderful tapestry of colours.

St. Henri Park: Jacques Cartier Monument

A tranquil little Montreal neighborhood park: the St. Henri Park has a very elaborate Victorian style fountain and a statute of Jacques Cartier perched at the top. The original sculpture was done by Joseph-Arthur Vincent but, in the 1990s, the Cartier statue was replaced with a copy after having crumbled due to prolonged exposure to the elements. Currently, the restored Vincent sculpture is sited in the Place Saint-Henri Metro Station and placed in a light shaft over the Côte Vertu platform. If you are in the area, check it out !

Parkinson Society Quebec 2011 Congress

The Jacques Cartier Bridge is a five lane bridge that is 2 1/6 miles (3.4 km) in length, that spans across the St. Lawrence River between the cities of Montreal and a suburb, Longueuil. Originally named the Harbour Bridge (pont du Havre), it was renamed in 1934 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Jacques Cartier's first voyage up the St. Lawrence River. This photo was taken from the roof-top garden of the "Universite de Sherbrooke" / University of Sherbrooke- Longueuil campus where I was attending a conference on Parkinson Disease. Curious about the angled, boxy glass structures ? Skylights.

Montreal's Hockey Temple / Forum Pepsi AMC

The "Forum" used to be a legendary temple to hockey and a concert venue. Now, it is the "Forum Pepsi AMC", which is a mall with a wide assortment of shops: Future Shop, sports bar/video arcade, restaurants and SAQ (liquor Store), the AMC 22 movie screens, bowling alleys, a health club, a comedy club and more... The only features that set this mall apart from its competitors are the stars of entertainment and sports personalities that are set into the sidewalk in the entrance way and the less than appealing design of the building.

Square Sir Georges Etienne-Cartier Park Saint-Henri, Montreal

This quaint little park with the fountain that was ordered by catalogue from an American foundry, was inaugurated in 1912. It is located at the corner of Notre-Dame Street and Square Sir Georges Etienne-Cartier in Saint-Henri, a neighbourhood in south-western Montreal... a little more than a five minute drive from downtown. Originally, this was the site of several slaughterhouses that serviced the inhabitants of the western sector of Montreal.

CCA Garden: Urban Public Space

The Canadian Centre for Architecture Garden is not your average garden with borders full of flowering plants and meandering walking paths. Nope ! The design concept is the integration of art and architecture, combining sculpture and public space. Think: a vast urban space with conceptual sculptures, concrete pillar structures, a gravel central meeting point and a lookout. Combine that with a small apple orchard, the numerous rugosa rose bushes and an impressive green lawn. The CCA sculpture garden was designed by Montreal artist/architect Melvin Charney.
1920 Baile Street Montreal, Quebec

Mount Royal Tennis Club

I pass by often and have always been intrigued by this place. It's located on a quiet residential street and the property boundaries are surrounded with a tall fence covered with mesh which blocks the view. The main building is very nice and in spite of the size of the facility, it's tastefully packaged and not too much of an eye-sore. I've never had the chance to use the facilities here since it's " Members Only ". And I was surprised to learn that it has been here since the early 1880's. According to its website: " the Mount Royal Tennis Club has been the centre of tennis activity in Montreal. A private club, the MRTC boasts twelve magnificent hard-true courts, wonderfully refurbished locker rooms, a magnificent deck overlooking the entire club, a pool, and a fine dining room in keeping with Montreal's best restaurants ". The above photo shows the court-side of this oasis in the midst of a downtown borough. A gem ! ... But, I wonder if they have day passes ? ... ( 2106 Grey Avenue 
Montreal, Quebec )

Typical Montreal Outdoor Stairs

The wrought iron outer staircases that grace many Montreal duplexes / triplexes are one of the city's most distinctive architecture design features. Originally, Montreal duplexes were first built to accommodate people from a wide variety of classes and ethnicities. However, this was largely a cutural phenomenon. The French and ethnic middle class preferred duplexes, whereas the English speaking middle class adopted row-houses and detached houses.

Lachine Canal

The Lachine Canal: first opened in 1825 and was an important link in the shipping network between Montreal, the Ottawa River Valley and the Great Lakes. In the 1960s, when the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened, the Lachine Canal was closed and its entrance was filled in. Nowadays, the locks are open for pleasure crafts and some old buildings from the 1840s or 1870s have been restored and made accessible to the public... and a bike path that connects onto the Old Port promenade can be enjoyed by all. It's also a great location to own a condominium: great views, very close to downtown, fabulous bike path and kayak/boating facilities nearby and the Atwater Market is not far from here.



Totem Urbain/Histoire en Dentelles

Sculpture/installation in brass, aluminium and glass by Pierre Granche (1991-92). It's tucked away very discreetly on the side entrance of the McCord Museum of Canadian History... 690 Sherbrooke St. West, corner Victoria Street. If you enter and exit the museum at the main entrance, you'll surely miss this little gem.

Westmount Conservatory

This the Westmount Conservatory; the Victorian greenhouse that was constructed alongside the Westmount Public Library in commemoration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee (founded in 1899 and designed by Canadian architect Robert Findlay). This lovely glass structure houses a fountain and a vast array of flowering plants all year round. And it is still in use and is open to the public. It's the perfect place to bring your brownbag lunch and a book !

Grand Seminaire de Montreal

Founded and built by the Fathers of the Saint Sulpician Order, who became the seigneurs over Montreal in 1663, this former seminary is a historic site located on Sherbrooke Street West between Fort and Atwater Streets. This was the second seminary built in Montreal by the Sulpicians; the first one can be seen next door to the Basilica Notre-Dame in Old Montreal. Today, this massive set of fieldstone buildings is a private college run by the order, and tours can be arranged to visit this site. Look for the distinctive stone turrets along Sherbrooke Street near Fort Street.
Photos: Front, Left Turret and Right Turret