As you may know, our article series Streets and Squares was created to provide interesting background information on street signs around the world. It is a fun way to learn about the history and culture of the cities you visit or even live in!
This time we visit Montreal, the most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie (City of Mary), it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill in the heart of the city. And we can’t mention Montreal without its hockey club Montreal Canadiens/Canadiens de Montréal, reaching the Stanley Cup Final 2021 after 28 years.
As always in Streets & Squares, clicking at the address will lead you to the location in Google Maps, and clicking at the person’s name will take you to his or her Wikipedia page. The addresses are in French, with the English version of the name in brackets.
Avenue du Docteur-Penfield (Doctor Penfield Avenue) Wilder Penfield (1891-1976) was an American-Canadian pioneering neurosurgeon and philosopher, active in Montreal since 1928. Born in Spokane, WA USA. Wiki - StreetView
Avenue Laurier (Laurier Avenue) Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919) was a politician and PM well-known for his policies of compromise between French and English Canada. Born in Saint Lin, Canada. StreetView - Wiki
Boulevard Henry-Bourassa (Henry Bourassa Boulevard) Henri Bourassa (1868-1952) was a publisher, political leader and the ideological father of French-Canadian nationalism. Born in Montreal. StreetView - Wiki
Boulevard Lacordaire (Lacordaire Boulevard) Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire (1802-1861) was a preacher, journalist and political activist who re-established the Dominican Order in France following the French Revolution. Born in Recey-sur-Ource, France. StreetView - Wiki
Boulevard René-Lévesque (René-Lévesque Boulevard) René Lévesque (1922-1987) journalist, politician and premier of Quebec. Born in Campbellton, NB Canada. StreetView - Wiki
Parc Jarry (Jarry Park) Raoul Jarry (1885-1930) politician and a City Councillor in Montreal. Born in Montreal. StreetView - Wiki
Parc Jean-Drapeau (Jean Drapeau Park) Jean Drapeau (1916-1999) was a lawyer, politician and twice the Mayor of Montreal who made major accomplishments during his terms. Born in Montreal. Wiki - StreetView
Parc Jeanne-Mance (Jeanne Mance Park) Jeanne Mance (1606-1673) was a nurse, settler of New France and one of the founders of Montreal. Born in Langres, Haute-Marne, France.
Pont Jacques-Cartier (Jacques Cartier Bridge) Jacques Cartier (1491-1557) was an explorer for France, and the first to document the name Canada to designate the territory on the shores of the St-Lawrence River. The name is derived from the Huron-Iroquois word kanata, or village, which he incorrectly interpreted to mean the newly discovered land. Cartier was born in Saint-Malo, Duchy of Brittany (1557/65) Wiki - StreetView
Rue Berri (Berri Street) Simon Després dit Le Berry (1621-1663) was a military man who owned a piece of land west of the street, and was killed by the Iroquois in 1663. Wiki - StreetView
Rue Jarry (Jarry Street) Bernard Bleignier dit Jarry (1679-1736) was one of the first few settlers whom obtained land grants in 1700 in what is now St. Laurent, Quebec. Born in Naves, Limousin, France. StreetView - Wiki
Rue Mackay (Mackay Street) James Mackay (1760-1822) was a trader and explorer for the North West Company who arrived in Montreal in 1776. Streetview - Wiki
Rue McTavish (McTavish Street) Simon McTavish (1751-1804) came to North America at age 13 and established himself as a fur trader and influential entrepreneur in Canada. Born in Stratherrick, Inverness, Scotland. StreetView - Wiki
Rue Metcalfe (Metcalfe Street) Charles Metcalfe (1875-1946) was a British colonial administrator born in Calcutta, British India. As Governor of the Province of Canada among his compromises was to abandon the forced anglicization of the French-speaking population. StreetView - Wiki
Rue Stanley (Stanley Street) Edward Smith-Stanley (1799-1869) a.k.a. Lord Stanley, was a politician and thrice MP. Also the father of Frederick Stanley after whom the Stanley Cup is named. Born at Knowsley Hall, Lancashire, England. StreetView - Wiki
A to Z FROM MONTREAL
i.e. a list of people born in Montreal. Just another fun way to know something more about the city. We pick a couple of people for each alphabet, if possible. The numbers you see at the end of each line indicate the year of birth. This list is updated from time to time. And last but not least: the flag of Montreal!
A - Sidney Altman (1939)
B – Serge Bouchard (1947) - Lothaire Bluteau (1957)- Martin Brodeur (1972)
C - Leonard Cohen (1934) - Corey Crawford (1984)
D – Vibert Douglas (1894) - Jean Drapeau - Jodie deSolla (1982)
E - Walter Ewing (1878)
F - Jennifer Finnigan (1979)
G - Margie Gillis (1953) - Jessalyn Gilsig (1971) - Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre (1977)
K - Elias Koteas (1961)
L – Marie-Louise Lacoste (1849) - Mario Lemieux (1965) - Roberto Luongo (1979)
M – Rudolph A. Marcus (1923) - Jim Montgomery (1969)
N - James E. Norris (1879)
O - Kevin O’Leary (1954)
P - Mimi Parent (1924) - Mary Pierce (1975)
R - Maurice “Rocket” Richard (1921) - Nancy Richler (1957) - Jesse Rath (1989)
S - William Shatner (1931)
T – Pierre Trudeau (1919)
V - Jean-Marc Vallée (1963) - Marc-Édouard Vlasic (1987)
W - Gump Worsley (1929) - Martha Wainwright (1976)
LINKS
Montreal Streets (Wiki)
Updated 31.8.2022