Ville-Marie: The Cradle of Montreal

Five years before Expo 67, the site it was going to be held on did not even exist — everything was created from scratch. Bruno Paul Stenson tells us about the process of making Expo 67 a reality, and the exceptional results obtained.

Élisabeth Côté highlights the era of early Montréalers, the French missionaries who came to establish Ville-Marie in 1642. Visible traces of this history remain even today.

When Prohibition swept across the United States and the majority of Canadian provinces, Montreal became the destination for individuals on the quest for fun. The legendary Red Light was the go-to spot for those seeking to procure pleasures of the legal, and illegal, kind.

Amazing discoveries were made during the various archaeological excavations on the site of Fort Ville-Marie. A unique project, it required sophisticated technical prowess in the areas of heritage conservation and development.

Ms. Francine Lelièvre, Executive Director of Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal Archaeology and History Complex, tells us about an exceptional archaeological site, that of the first Parliament of the United Province of Canada.

In this video, Pierre Anctil — author, historian, and professor in the Department of History at the University of Ottawa — discusses pivotal moments in the migratory history of Montreal.

Michèle Dagenais, author, historian, and tenured professor in the Department of History at the Université de Montréal, describes key moments in the history of Mount Royal, or “the mountain” as Montrealers so affectionately refer to it.

Nicole O’Bomsawin, of the Abenaki First Nation, shares some of the history of the First Nations that have been established in the Montreal area for centuries.

In this video, René Binette, director of Écomusée du fier monde, shines a light on the history of industrial development in Montreal.

Paul-André Linteau, historian and professor emeritus at the Université du Québec à Montréal, relates the history of iconic Saint Catherine Street.

Joanne Burgess, professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal, highlights key moments in the history of Montreal’s port.