Events in Montreal
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Old Montreal
From August 10th to December 31st 2011
May 1642. A group of French settlers, men and women both, founded Montréal on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, on a tip of land that is now part of Old Montréal&
This little 17th-century French settlement, initially baptized Ville-Marie, would grow and change quickly. The site of Old Montréal would become...
.... a fortified town in the 18th century, under French control up until 1760, and then British. And then&
... the bourgeois centre of the city in the early 19th century, as Montréal took the spotlight as the political and commercial hub of Upper and Lower Canada. And then&
... a Victorian showcase in the 19th century, in a Montréal undergoing changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. And then&
... the heart of the metropolis in the early 20th century, symbolized by the head offices of banks on St. James Street. And now&
... the historic city centre, the old centre of Montréal, still thriving thanks to projects highlighting its heritage value since the 1960s.
The rediscovery of Old Montréal
The 1960s breathed new life into Old Montréal, as astute renovators and artists lovingly restored beautiful old homes. Bonsecours Market was rejuvenated. Place Jacques Cartier was given a facelift for Expo 67. Since then, and even more since the late 1970s, major public- and private-sector investment has helped highlight the heritage value of the historic city centre and the Old Port.
A thoroughly modern historic city centre
Old Montréal is more alive than ever, with more than 2,000 households and upwards of 35,000 people working there in design, business and trade, and municipal and legal institutions. Every year, millions of Montrealers and tourists come to enjoy the charms of the old city's meandering streets and sunny squares, fascinating museums and alluring shops, excellent restaurants and the "new" Old Port.
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