A HISTORIC
CITY CENTRE: A RARITY IN NORTH AMERICA
Unlike
most large North American cities whose historic central
districts vanished after the Second World War, Montreal
reserved a different future for its "old Montreal":
the new downtown, which began taking shape in the late
19th century some distance away from the old city centre
(to the northwest, nearer to Mount Royal), would absorb
most of the modern post-war transformations, thereby
helping to preserve the historic centre. The area's
designation as a "historic district" in 1964
also secured it vital protection.
Strolling along the streets of Old
Montreal, one can easily see how the street grid inherited
from the 17th century has remained almost unchanged,
as have extensive blocks of pre-industrial buildings
dating back to before 1850. The vast majority of the
large buildings erected from 1850 to 1880 are still
visible, as are those built between 1880 and 1930. Here
in the heart of Montreal is the only nearly complete
example of the downtown core of a North American metropolis
in the early 20th century.
…CONCENTRATED IN ONE PLACE
This historic city centre has historically
been inseparable from the port and, more generally,
from Montreal's role as a hub. The many buildings
originally built as headquarters for transportation
and communications companies are proof of this role.
For instance, there are the former head office of the
Grand Trunk Railway and the building of its subsidiary,
Canadian Express. Canadian Pacific is also represented,
of course, in particular with its express service, its
telegraph service and its two railway stations at the
eastern end of the neighbourhood, which we will discuss
in the section on The
railway station district. |
