It was a trail used by Indians. After the foundation of Ville-Marie (the first name of Montreal) the Marquis de Vaudreuil built a “Castle” which subsequently served as a residence for French Governors and, under the English occupation, used as College for boys. In 1803, a fire destroyed it. Now on the ground, granite tiles trace the location of the Castle and the ancient fortifications.
After the fire, the place became a market. Two days a week, farmers were selling their products. All around, stone buildings were erected, hostels for visitors, shops for various products, artisans’ workshops. At a stone’s throw away, the Bonsecours Market opened its doors in 1847, which led to the disappearance of the Place Jacques-Cartier market. That’s when Place Jacques-Cartier got its name. However farm products were still sold. A few years later, the hotels made their appearance and so did restaurants and shops. Even a shoe factory moved there in 1867. The market survived two days a week until the 1950s as an extension to the Bonsecours market.
Today, the place is always lively, especially in summer course. A kiosk supplies flowers, artists draw cartoons or portraits, animators and acrobats, musicians and craftsmen entertain the tourists. The old buildings host restaurants that offer tempting menus.
But where is Jacques-Cartier? His statue should be here but indeed it is in Saint-Henri Park! In 1893, a patriotic revival resulted in the creation of a monument honoring Jacques-Cartier. Made of welded bronze sheets, water infiltration produced significant damage to the statue that was repaired in 1963. In 1979 it collapsed. In 1992, a copy was put in the park while the original was kept in the Saint-Henri Metro station.
Who is overlooking the Place on the high column? Horacio Nelson. Experienced sailor, after participating in the war of American independence on the British side, he defeated the French fleet in 1798. But he is especially famous for his victory against the Franco-Spanish coalition in Trafalgar, Spain, in 1805 that gave England the military superiority on the seas for a very long time. He died during the fight and was sent back in England in a barrel of brandy. The British Montreal merchants had this monument installed in 1810, some 33 years before the London one! To show their pride, our “British-Canadian” named “Trafalgar” an important building on Côte-des-Neiges, a staircase which faces it and provides access to the mountain, two squares, and an avenue. One is victorious or he is not! All men are equal and therefore all nations. But some are more “equal” than others.
