OLD MONTREAL TOUR
1. Canada Steamship Lines Building
(759 Victoria Square, part of World Trade Center)
Built in 1903 for the Greenshields Company, founded in 1833 by John Greenshields of Glasgow. By the turn of the century this firm had become the largest and oldest Canadian dry goods wholesaler and was a pioneer in domestic woolen and cotton goods manufacturing. John was active in Montreal's business and Scottish communities. He was President of
The St. Andrew's Society (1860-61). The Greenshields building was erected on the plans of Hutchison & Wood architects.
2. Merchants Bank Building
(Now Nesbitt Thomson Co., 355 St. Jacques)
The Merchants Bank was founded in 1861 by the Allan brothers and was considered their bank until it closed in the 1920s. Originally located on Place d'Armes, it moved here about 1870.
3. Bank of Montreal
(119 St. Jacques Street)
The first Bank of Montreal opened in 1819 adjacent to this building, built between 1846-1848. The good proportions and craftsmanship gave the bank a reputation of being the best nineteenth century building in Montreal. Scots such as the Honourable John Richardson (called the father of banking in Canada), James McGill, John Forsyth, Peter McGill, Lord Mount Stephen, George Drummond, Richard B. Angus, James Ross, Edward Black Greenshields, and Hugh Allan were associated with the bank.
4. Great Scottish Life Insurance
(701 Cote de la Place dArmes)
This building was built in 1870, by Hopkins and Wily, in Second Empire style. In 1909, two floors were added and in 1975 it was declared a historical site. It was restored in 1977 and it is now the Edifice Plourde.
5. New York Life Insurance Company Building
(511 Place d'Armes)
This building is made of red granite from Scotland.
6. La Presse Building
(7 St. Jacques)
The home of the largest French-language newspaper in North America was built in 1899 by the firm of Hutchison & Wood.
7. Site of the Church of Scotland
(155 Notre Dame Street East)
The church most associated with the early Scottish Presbyterian citizens of Montreal was the Church of Scotland which became known as St. Gabriel's Street Church. The pew holders list reads like a directory of the fur trade and early business leaders in Montreal. When Scottish regiments were in Montreal, they would use the church as their quarters. It is said that the bell in the steeple was the first Protestant bell to ring in Canada.
8. Chateau Ramezay
(Notre Dame East at Gosford)
One of the first influential Scots in the New World was Claude de Ramezay, son of Sir John Ramezay, who spent 15 years exiled in France. Claude de Ramezay quickly moved up the military ranks from lieutenant to general, eventually becoming Governor of Montreal in 1704. I lis daughter, Françoise-Louise de Ramezay, became a respected and successful businesswoman in New France.
9. Louis Joseph Papineau House
(440 Bonsecours Street)
Named for the leader of the 1837-38 Rebellions and renowned French-Canadian statesman, this house was actually built by John Campbell in 1785 after acquiring the previous wooden building and its lot in 1779. He was a colourful Scottish character in the early years of British rule in Montreal. Born circa 1731 in Glendaruel, Strathclyde, Scotland, he came to Canada with the 42nd Regiment (The Black Watch). While stationed at Three Rivers in 1763, he married Marie-Anne, daughter of Luc de La Corne, an important player in French-Indian relations. In 1765, GovernorJames Murray (a Scot) named Campbell "Inspector of Indian Affairs."
10. Rasco Hotel
(281-295 St. Paid Street East)
The Rasco Hotel was opened in May 18361 by Francis Rasco, an Italian immigrant. The elite of Montreal met there regularly. Charles Dickens stayed there and mentioned it in one of his writings. The St. Andrew's Society's first meeting and subsequent meetings were held here for. many years.
11. Simon McTavish House
(411 Saint-jean-Baptiste Street)
Built between 1780 and 1786, this was the home of the famous fur trader, Simon McTavish. He died in 1804 and his estate maintained ownership of this Old Montreal house until 1835. Of simple Georgian style, it was in its day one of the magnificent houses of the city and reflected the status of its influential inhabitant.
12. Pointe-à-Callière – Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
(350 Place Royale)
This is a valuable stop to acquire an understanding of the history of Montreal. The audio-visual presentation places the role of Scots within the context of the city'• development. The museum is located on the site of Ville-Marie, the original settlement of Montreal founded in 1642, and its underground archaeological vaults are a must-see.
13. Ogilvie Flour Mills Co. Building
(224 Place d'Youville)
Built in 1890 for W.W. Ogilvie, who was born in Banffshire, Scotland, in 1835, it was designed by architects Hutchison & Steele.
14. Harbour Board Commissioners Building
(357 de la Commune at St. Pierre)
Built between 1874-78, in the Second Empire style, it was a joint contract for architects A.C. Hutchison and the firm of Hopkins & Wiley to house the Harbour Board. The Board was founded in 1830 to oversee the development and functioning of Montreal's harbour. The name most associated with the change of the harbour from a small, natural anchorage to a world-class port was John Young. Born in Ayr, Scotland in 1811, he came to Canada in 1826 at the age of 15, fought with the Patriotes of 1837, and went on to a career of varied public set-vice, including more than 20 years as Harbour Commissioner. He. was active in the development of the railway system, and was a prime mover in the project to bridge the St. Lawrence, leading to the Victoria Bridge.
15. Allan Building
(333 de la Commune at St. Pierre)
Hugh Allan was the promoter of shipping and the railway. Ile bought this building from the Grey Nuns in 1856 and made it into an office building for the Montreal
Ocean Steamships Company. The Federal government bought and restored the building. In 1983, it was transformed into offices ;11A apartments.
Sir Hugh Allan
Hugh Allan was born on September 29, 1810, in Ayrshire, Scotland, and he immigrated to Canada in 1826, and began as a clerk in a general merchandising firm. In 1835, lie became a partner in the shipbuilding firm of John Miller and Company and then set up the Allan Line. He received lucrative transatlantic government contracts, including the mail. Allan became involved in the Canadian Pacific Railway expansion towards the west and in numerous other industries at the forefront of technology and trade including telegraphs, telephones, textiles, shoes, iron and Steel.
16. Board of Trade Building
(300 St. Sacrement Street)
The Committee of Trade was organized at a special meeting held April 11, 1822, chaired by the Honourable John Richardson. The Committee was to represent the views of Montreal merchants in persuading Government to undertake a number of projects and legislation to improve Montreal's commerce. Renamed The Montreal Board of Trade in 1842, its Scottish Presidents to 1900, included Sir Hugh Allan, The Honourable John Young, Peter Redpath, John and Hugh McLennan, Andrew Robertson, The Honourable Sir George Drummond, E.B. Greenshields, W.W. Ogilvie, J.A. Cantlie and the Honourable Robert MacKay.
17. Caverhill & Learmont Building
(451-457 St. Pierre Street)
The oldest and at one time the largest hardware wholesalers in Canada, this firm was founded by James Crathern and Thomas and John Caverhill, all of Scottish descent, in 1853. The firm built a nation-wide reputation for guaranteed quality. This highly decorative Victorian greystone was built in 1865.
18. The Sun Life Assurance Company Building
(260-266 Notre-Dame Street West)
Built between 1885 and 1891. the Sun Life Assurance Company remained at this site until 1918. Although the founder, Matthew Hamilton Gault, was an Irishman, his backers included prominent Scotsmen such as Lord Mount Stephen, Alexander Walker Ogilvie and James Ferrier Jr.
19. McGill Street
McGill Street was opened on the former Fortification Walls of Montreal. It recalls one of the members of the commission appointed around 1802 to demolish the fortifications, the Honourable James McGill (1744-1813). McGill, who made his fortune in the fur trade, was a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and his estate was used to establish McGill University.
1. Canada Steamship Lines Building
(759 Victoria Square, part of World Trade Center)
Built in 1903 for the Greenshields Company, founded in 1833 by John Greenshields of Glasgow. By the turn of the century this firm had become the largest and oldest Canadian dry goods wholesaler and was a pioneer in domestic woolen and cotton goods manufacturing. John was active in Montreal's business and Scottish communities. He was President of
The St. Andrew's Society (1860-61). The Greenshields building was erected on the plans of Hutchison & Wood architects.
2. Merchants Bank Building
(Now Nesbitt Thomson Co., 355 St. Jacques)
The Merchants Bank was founded in 1861 by the Allan brothers and was considered their bank until it closed in the 1920s. Originally located on Place d'Armes, it moved here about 1870.
3. Bank of Montreal
(119 St. Jacques Street)
The first Bank of Montreal opened in 1819 adjacent to this building, built between 1846-1848. The good proportions and craftsmanship gave the bank a reputation of being the best nineteenth century building in Montreal. Scots such as the Honourable John Richardson (called the father of banking in Canada), James McGill, John Forsyth, Peter McGill, Lord Mount Stephen, George Drummond, Richard B. Angus, James Ross, Edward Black Greenshields, and Hugh Allan were associated with the bank.
4. Great Scottish Life Insurance
(701 Cote de la Place dArmes)
This building was built in 1870, by Hopkins and Wily, in Second Empire style. In 1909, two floors were added and in 1975 it was declared a historical site. It was restored in 1977 and it is now the Edifice Plourde.
5. New York Life Insurance Company Building
(511 Place d'Armes)
This building is made of red granite from Scotland.
6. La Presse Building
(7 St. Jacques)
The home of the largest French-language newspaper in North America was built in 1899 by the firm of Hutchison & Wood.
7. Site of the Church of Scotland
(155 Notre Dame Street East)
The church most associated with the early Scottish Presbyterian citizens of Montreal was the Church of Scotland which became known as St. Gabriel's Street Church. The pew holders list reads like a directory of the fur trade and early business leaders in Montreal. When Scottish regiments were in Montreal, they would use the church as their quarters. It is said that the bell in the steeple was the first Protestant bell to ring in Canada.
8. Chateau Ramezay
(Notre Dame East at Gosford)
One of the first influential Scots in the New World was Claude de Ramezay, son of Sir John Ramezay, who spent 15 years exiled in France. Claude de Ramezay quickly moved up the military ranks from lieutenant to general, eventually becoming Governor of Montreal in 1704. I lis daughter, Françoise-Louise de Ramezay, became a respected and successful businesswoman in New France.
9. Louis Joseph Papineau House
(440 Bonsecours Street)
Named for the leader of the 1837-38 Rebellions and renowned French-Canadian statesman, this house was actually built by John Campbell in 1785 after acquiring the previous wooden building and its lot in 1779. He was a colourful Scottish character in the early years of British rule in Montreal. Born circa 1731 in Glendaruel, Strathclyde, Scotland, he came to Canada with the 42nd Regiment (The Black Watch). While stationed at Three Rivers in 1763, he married Marie-Anne, daughter of Luc de La Corne, an important player in French-Indian relations. In 1765, GovernorJames Murray (a Scot) named Campbell "Inspector of Indian Affairs."
10. Rasco Hotel
(281-295 St. Paid Street East)
The Rasco Hotel was opened in May 18361 by Francis Rasco, an Italian immigrant. The elite of Montreal met there regularly. Charles Dickens stayed there and mentioned it in one of his writings. The St. Andrew's Society's first meeting and subsequent meetings were held here for. many years.
11. Simon McTavish House
(411 Saint-jean-Baptiste Street)
Built between 1780 and 1786, this was the home of the famous fur trader, Simon McTavish. He died in 1804 and his estate maintained ownership of this Old Montreal house until 1835. Of simple Georgian style, it was in its day one of the magnificent houses of the city and reflected the status of its influential inhabitant.
12. Pointe-à-Callière – Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
(350 Place Royale)
This is a valuable stop to acquire an understanding of the history of Montreal. The audio-visual presentation places the role of Scots within the context of the city'• development. The museum is located on the site of Ville-Marie, the original settlement of Montreal founded in 1642, and its underground archaeological vaults are a must-see.
13. Ogilvie Flour Mills Co. Building
(224 Place d'Youville)
Built in 1890 for W.W. Ogilvie, who was born in Banffshire, Scotland, in 1835, it was designed by architects Hutchison & Steele.
14. Harbour Board Commissioners Building
(357 de la Commune at St. Pierre)
Built between 1874-78, in the Second Empire style, it was a joint contract for architects A.C. Hutchison and the firm of Hopkins & Wiley to house the Harbour Board. The Board was founded in 1830 to oversee the development and functioning of Montreal's harbour. The name most associated with the change of the harbour from a small, natural anchorage to a world-class port was John Young. Born in Ayr, Scotland in 1811, he came to Canada in 1826 at the age of 15, fought with the Patriotes of 1837, and went on to a career of varied public set-vice, including more than 20 years as Harbour Commissioner. He. was active in the development of the railway system, and was a prime mover in the project to bridge the St. Lawrence, leading to the Victoria Bridge.
15. Allan Building
(333 de la Commune at St. Pierre)
Hugh Allan was the promoter of shipping and the railway. Ile bought this building from the Grey Nuns in 1856 and made it into an office building for the Montreal
Ocean Steamships Company. The Federal government bought and restored the building. In 1983, it was transformed into offices ;11A apartments.
Sir Hugh Allan
Hugh Allan was born on September 29, 1810, in Ayrshire, Scotland, and he immigrated to Canada in 1826, and began as a clerk in a general merchandising firm. In 1835, lie became a partner in the shipbuilding firm of John Miller and Company and then set up the Allan Line. He received lucrative transatlantic government contracts, including the mail. Allan became involved in the Canadian Pacific Railway expansion towards the west and in numerous other industries at the forefront of technology and trade including telegraphs, telephones, textiles, shoes, iron and Steel.
16. Board of Trade Building
(300 St. Sacrement Street)
The Committee of Trade was organized at a special meeting held April 11, 1822, chaired by the Honourable John Richardson. The Committee was to represent the views of Montreal merchants in persuading Government to undertake a number of projects and legislation to improve Montreal's commerce. Renamed The Montreal Board of Trade in 1842, its Scottish Presidents to 1900, included Sir Hugh Allan, The Honourable John Young, Peter Redpath, John and Hugh McLennan, Andrew Robertson, The Honourable Sir George Drummond, E.B. Greenshields, W.W. Ogilvie, J.A. Cantlie and the Honourable Robert MacKay.
17. Caverhill & Learmont Building
(451-457 St. Pierre Street)
The oldest and at one time the largest hardware wholesalers in Canada, this firm was founded by James Crathern and Thomas and John Caverhill, all of Scottish descent, in 1853. The firm built a nation-wide reputation for guaranteed quality. This highly decorative Victorian greystone was built in 1865.
18. The Sun Life Assurance Company Building
(260-266 Notre-Dame Street West)
Built between 1885 and 1891. the Sun Life Assurance Company remained at this site until 1918. Although the founder, Matthew Hamilton Gault, was an Irishman, his backers included prominent Scotsmen such as Lord Mount Stephen, Alexander Walker Ogilvie and James Ferrier Jr.
19. McGill Street
McGill Street was opened on the former Fortification Walls of Montreal. It recalls one of the members of the commission appointed around 1802 to demolish the fortifications, the Honourable James McGill (1744-1813). McGill, who made his fortune in the fur trade, was a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and his estate was used to establish McGill University.
