Comments on: 1ière avenue, part 4: Rosemont/St-Michel

By: Xavier

Xavier — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 19:27:40 +0000

Here's an ad from 1913 selling lots in "Rosemount", a new modern neighbourhood next to the Angus shops.

"Rosemount possesses all the conveniences of the oldest parts of Montreal including SIDEWALKS, WATER, DRAINS, CHURCH, BANKS, FIRE STATIONS, MACADAMIZED STREETS, SCHOOLS, STORES and ELECTRIC LIGHT"

http://bibnum2.banq.qc.ca/bna/massic/detail/c-74-a.jpg

By: Georgia

Georgia — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:42:41 +0000

Never been to Montreal. Fascinated by the exterior curved staircases.

By: Des

Des — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:01:33 +0000

Holt was pretty active in big business around the turn of the 20th century, and also had some interests in land development and infrastructure (Montreal Light, Heat, and Power).

From the Centre d'histoire de Montréal:

En fait, l'achat des terrains pour les ateliers Angus se fait entre 1892 et 1902. Dès 1899, U.-H. Dandurand et son associé, Herbert Holt, s'intéressent à une terre située juste au nord des terrains du Canadien Pacifique, la terre Crawford. Holt fait d'ailleurs partie de ces hommes qui ont su se bâtir un véritable empire financier au tournant du XXe siècle, avec des ramifications dans tous les secteurs de l'économie. Dont le secteur ferroviaire, et plus précisément avec le Canadien Pacifique, dont il a été l'ingénieur en chef. En 1918, Holt siège au conseil d'administration de pas moins de 135 entreprises ou organismes!

http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=2497,3090217&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

By: Maria Gatti

Maria Gatti — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:17:41 +0000

The official boundary between Villeray and St-Michel is actually ridiculously far wast - think it has become rue de Lanaudière. Some of us suspect the city is trying to eliminate Villeray (grrrrr!) The latest map I've seen of the Villeray-St-Michel-Parc-Extension arrondissement also has the western boundary of Villeray on St-Dominique, putting all of Parc Jarry in St-Michel! This is ludicrous as there is a natural border - the CP tracks.

I'd definitely put the psychological border west of St-Michel - I'd say rue d'Iberville. It is indeed a fuzzy boundary.

Other than condos, there is also a new co-operative housing development going up at the corner of Jarry and 1ière avenue, including a bicycle repair shop and an organic restaurant. That area is rather desolate but changing - and there is the great Asian supermarket already depicted on Spacing in a post by Cédric Sam.

I think the English-speaking people in that area were mostly Ukranian and Polish people. Note the two nearby Ukranian churches at the corner of St-Michel (one Orthodox; one Catholic).

I've seen a few shotgun houses boarded up around here (Petite-Italie and Villeray not far from marché Jean-Talon) but usually it is because a taller plex is going up.

By: dan

dan — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:50 +0000

Thanks for posting - despite the availability of Google Street View, your posts are much more interesting. :)

By: Chris Erb

Chris Erb — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:39:50 +0000

I've always thought of St-Michel beginning at either Papineau or de Lormier (the space in between has always been kind of grey for me). But you're right, although the city might have its own official boundaries, where one neighbourhood begins and ends is completely personal.

By: soup

soup — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:39:47 +0000

i like to think of St Michel as starting from St Michel Boulevard and moving east. So the part that you photographed along Jean Talon is actually in Villeray. St Michel has a different look and feeling. But most of these boundaries are personal, of course.

By: FX

FX — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:43:05 +0000

Great post!