Walking Tour:
Old Montreal West Ward: District of Industry, District of Tourism
Description:
Old Montreal contains a variety of historic sites dating back to the French regime. By sticking to the 19th-century West Ward (Saint-François-Xavier to McGill streets), we will delve deeper into some of the events that the area bears witness to: the Great Peace with the First Nations (1701); the Parliament fire (1849); the Récollets and the Grey Nuns institutional complexes; and the transformation of the old city into a streetscape of greystone warehouses and the establishment of the financial district on Saint-Jacques Street, workplaces of the Anglophone bourgeoisie.
Details :
Date and Start time: Saturday, May 10, 2025, 2-4 p.m.
Departure point: Grand Quai du Port de Montréal.
End point: Centre de commerce mondial (750 Square-Victoria)
Length of walk / Duration: 1.5 km / 2 hours
Language: English, with bilingual Q&A
Parking: there are several public parking lots in the area.
Public transit: Metro Place-d’Armes
Rain or shine
Bring good walking shoes and an umbrella if it looks like rain
Admission: this event is free of charge BUT REGISTRATION through QAHN is MANDATORY.
RSVP by May 13 at 3 p.m. to [email protected].
This event is limited to 30 people.
Justin Bur is a doctoral student in urban studies at UQAM and a Montreal tour guide. He has long been active with The Main and Mile End Memories. He is a member of QAHN member as well as other local history societies. Although he specializes in late-19th/early-20th century suburban development, he has also done extensive work deciphering land records and contracts from all periods of Montreal history.