Marché Bonsecours (Bonsecours Market), at 350 rue Saint-Paul, a two-story public market named for the adjacent Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, opened in 1847 to the design of William Footner. The neo-Classical design features a long façade and a Greek-Revival colonnaded portico with iron-cast Doric columns made in England. The silvery dome is a visible landmark from almost anywhere in the city and served as a landmark for sailors on the St. Lawrence River. Refurbishment of the interior continued up through 1857 under George Browne, who also added a Victorian concert hall in the East Wing of the market as well as an adjoining banquet hall.
In addition to its primary function as the principal public market in Montréal, Marché Bonsecours also briefly housed the Parliament of United Canada in April-May 1849 after Tory rioters burned down the Sainte-Anne Market Parliament Building, and Montréal City Hall from 1852 to 1878. The market closed in 1863 and was renovated the following year to house city government offices. In 1992, it became the information and exhibition center for the celebration of the city's 350th birthday and has remained an exhibition hall since that time. Today, Marché Bonsecours houses the headquarters of the Craft Council of Québec and the Institute of Design Montréal, and an arcade with boutiques, galleries and restaurants, including the 18th-century themed Cabaret du Roy.
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Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal (Notre-Dame Basilica), at 110 Rue Notre Dame Ouest, facing Place d'Armes square, was designed in 1824 by James O'Donnell. At the time of its completion, the Neo-Gothic structure was the largest church in North America. Notre-Dame was raised to the status of a minor basilica by Pope John Paul II during a visit to the city on April 21, 1982.
In 1657, the Roman Catholic Sulpician Order arrived in Ville-Marie, now known as Montreal; six years later the seigneury of the island was vested in them and they ruled until 1840. The parish they founded was dedicated to the Holy Name of Mary, and the parish church of Notre-Dame was built on the site in 1672. By 1824 the congregation had completely outgrown the church, and O'Donnell, an Irish-American Protestant from New York, was commissioned to design the new building. O'Donnell was a proponent of the Gothic Revival architectural movement, and designed the church as such. It is said that the experience affected him so profoundly that he converted to Catholicism prior to his 1930 death. He is the only person to be buried in the church's crypt.
Work on the church's interior continued under the guidance of Victor Bourgeau until 1879. Notre Dame's ceiling is coloured deep blue and decorated with golden stars. It is filled with hundreds of intricate wooden carvings and several religious statues. The main altar is made from a hand-carved linden tree. The stained glass windows depict scenes from the religious history of Montreal, instead of more traditional biblical scenes. It also has a Canadian-built Casavant Frères pipe organ, which comprises four keyboards, 97 stops, almost 7000 individual pipes and a pedal board. A 10-bell carillon resides in the east tower, while the west tower contains a single massive bell. Nicknamed "Le Gros Bourdon," it weighs more than 12 tons and has a low, resonant rumble that vibrates right up through your feet. It is tolled only on special occasions.
Chapelle du Sacré-Coeur (Chapel of the Sacred Heart), a more inimate chapel, was built behind the altar in 1888. A major arson fire destroyed the Sacré-Coeur on December 7, 1978. It was rebuilt and rededicated in 1982. The chapel's new altar feature 32 bronze panels by Montréal artist Charles Daudelin, representing birth, life, and death.
Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal was the site of the 2000 state funeral of Pierre Trudeau, Canada's 15th prime minister, and the 2000 provincial state funeral for former Montreal Canadiens superstar, Maurice "Rocket" "richard. It was also the site for Celine Dion's 1994 wedding to René Angélil.
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The Comeaudoc, formerly known as the Murray Bay, was launched on September 17, 1959 for Canada Steamship Lines, Ltd and entered service on April 9, 1960 in the grain, iron ore, and coal trades. The first "730-footer" built--meeting the new length allowances of the Welland Canala and St. Lawrence Seaway, the Murray Bay broke a variety of existing records including the carrying of 27.082 tons of iron ore to Ashtabula, OH and 900,000 bushels of grain from Duluth, MN to Quebec City in 1961. On June 15, 1963, N. M. Paterson & Sons acquired the vessel in 1963 and renamed her Comeaudoc. In the early 1980’s, the Comeaudoc also had the distinction of being commanded by the first Canadian lady Captain: Captain Lillian Kluka. The Comeaudoc laid up for a final time at Montreal December 4, 1996. In 2002, Paterson sold the Comeaudoc for scrapping at International Marine Salvage, Port Colborne, ON with her diesel engine being bought by Lower Lakes Towing to replace the original steam turbine engine in their vessel Saginaw. The Comeaudoc arrived at its final destination port of Port Colborne early on Sunday, August 25, 2002.
Vieux-Port de Montréal (Old Port of Montreal), stretching for over two kilometres along the St-Lawrence River in Vieux-Montréal, was the social, economic and cultural soul of Montréal ever since early French fur traders used it as a trading post in 1611. In 1809, the first steamship set out for Quebec City from Molson Quay, west of Bonsecours Chapel. In 1850, the Harbour Commission dredged the channel between Montréal and Lac Saint-Pierre, giving the Port the ability to receive oceangoing vessels. In 1959, the St. Lawrence Seaway was opened, allowing oceangoing ships to reach the Great Lakes without calling at Montreal and precipitated a dramatic drop in activity. Over the ensuing years, the Old Port struggled and was converted to container facilities, as shipping activity shifted east to the Port of Montreal. In the 1990's, the Old Port was redeveloped under the direction of architects Aurèle Cardinal and Peter Rose, and it was renamed in 2005 to The Quays of the Old Port of Montreal. Today, the riverfront welcomes over seven million visitors a year as a reinvented cultural and recreational hub including the Montréal Science Centre, the Montréal Clock Tower and access for walking, cycling, roller-blading and boating.
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Hôtel de Ville de Montréal (Montreal City Hall), at 275 rue Notre-Dame Est, was built by architects Henri-Maurice Perrault and Alexander Cowper Hutchison between 1872 and 1878. The 5-storey building, designed in Second Empire style, was opened on March 11, 1878. The building was was gutted by fire in March 1922, leaving only the outer wall and destroying much of the city's historic records. Louis Parant was commissioned for the reconstruction and constructed an entirely new building modeled after L'hôtel de ville de Tours in France, with a self-supporting steel structure inside the shell of the ruins. He also reconstructed the Mansard roof in a Beaux-Arts style, using copper instead of the original slate tiles.
On July 24, 1967, French President Charles de Gaulle gave his famous "Vive le le Québec libre!" speech from the balcony of Hôtel de Ville de Montréal. De Gaulle, on an official visit under the pretext of attending Expo 67, made the impromptu address after a large crowd began chanting for him. The speech appeared to conclude with the words "Vive Montréal ! Vive le Québec !" (Long live Montreal! Long live Quebec!), but he then added, "Vive le Québec libre ! Vive le Canada français ! Et vive la France !" ("Long live free Quebec! Long live French Canada! And long live France!"). The speech, considered a serious breach of diplomatic protocol, emboldened the Quebec sovereignty movement and produced tensions between the two nations for years to come.
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The Ecuries d'Youville (Youville Stables), built in 1825 on land owned by the Gray Nuns, were used mainly as warehouses. Run down and forgotten until the 1960's, the Youville building was renovated and today contains offices and the popular steakhouse, Gibby's.
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