Today, the port of Montreal extends for kilometres. Fortunately, as in the case of the historic city centre, it expanded without harming the older sections. It is this historic part, running alongside the historic city centre, that will be discussed here.

The "River-side" façades of Old Montreal face the old port, a reflection of the symbiosis between the city and harbour in the 19th century, as we saw with the warehouse-showrooms. On the south side, the Cité du Havre shields the vast port basin from the powerful current of the St. Lawrence and from ice. This jetty, originally called the Mackay Jetty, dates from the very end of the 19th century, when the construction of the huge piers began.

The old port today corresponds to the complex that emerged between 1896 and 1914. Its huge piers, its sheds—some still used for their original purpose and others turned to new ends—, its mobile elevators on rails, its grain elevators and conveyors, and even the remains of a demolished grain elevator, are all examples of the scope and diversity of facilities at one of the world's largest ports in the first half of the 20th century. The grain elevators and conveyors, still standing today, are among the most visible "mechanistic" elements of the time.We will return to them on The grain elevators page.

In the 1980s, Montrealers and the federal government, which is responsible for the facilities, decided to redevelop the old port to make it accessible to the public, while maintaining as many activities as possible in the port. A simple stroll around the site or a boat trip lets one appreciate the significance of the site.

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