Shaughnessy Village: a landmark rich in history
Shaughnessy Village: a landmark rich in history
Nestled in the heart of downtown Montreal, Shaughnessy Village symbolizes an important part of Montreal's history and heritage. While the neighbourhood embraces modern development, it also provides a wealth of artifacts that give insight into the culture. Let's discover the treasures of this unique urban district!
A central location
Bounded by Atwater Avenue, Sherbrooke Street, Bishop Street, and the Ville-Marie Expressway, Shaughnessy Village has a distinctive cachet and hosts residential buildings, businesses, restaurants, cultural centres, green parks, as well as two metro stations: Atwater and Guy-Concordia. The quaint small avenues cross main arteries like Sherbrooke Street, De Maisonneuve Boulevard and Sainte-Catherine Street.
With a scope of approximately one square kilometre, it’s now one of the most densely populated areas in the city. Business people are attracted by the proximity of Place Ville-Marie and neighbouring buildings, and students from Montreal and abroad enjoy living near learning institutions such as McGill University, Concordia University, LaSalle College, and Dawson College. No wonder it’s a bustling neighbourhood!
Steeped in history
The name Shaughnessy Village honours the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, Thomas George Shaughnessy who settled there in the neighbourhood in1874, like most of Canada's industrial fortune. Many houses from this period are still standing. You can see them on Baile Street, Du Souvenir Street, and Seymour Avenue.
Moreover, the Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA), located at 1920 Baile Street, incorporates the Shaughnessy House mansion. This artistic and cultural mecca contains a large library and archives, and is host to various exhibits throughout the year. It is home to a study centre open to the general public. It also provides educational programs and cultural activities.
Among the neighbourhood's historic buildings, you will find the Montreal Forum, where the Canadiens trained and played from 1924 to 1996.
A neighbourhood beautified by street art
Throughout Shaughnessy Village, you will find many heritage monuments hidden around parks, buildings and residences. In a small urban square stands the statue of Norman Bethune, a renowned surgeon and early advocate of socialized medicine. In Canada, Bethune’s social vision of medicine influenced the creation of universal health care in the 1960s.
At the corner of Sherbrooke and Saint-Marc streets, near the Masonic Temple of Montreal, you will see many architectural treasures from the Beaux-Arts style. This building is listed in the Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec. Next to the Masonic Temple is the Joe Fafard sculpture Emily Carr et ses Amis, a six-foot-tall, 1,000-pound bronze sculpture of Emily Carr, a Canadian artist who made her mark on the national art scene.
From a contemporary point of view, street art enthusiasts will be delighted to explore the many works that adorn the exterior walls of several buildings, such as those on Pierce Street, 1270 Saint-Mathieu Street, on the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Towers streets, Hope Avenue and Hector-Toe-Blake Park, at the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Chomedey streets, and the former Montreal Children's Hospital on Lambert-Closse Street.
Greenery all around
Among the neighbourhoods’ remarkable sites is Square Cabot, renowned for its variety of trees, its architecture and its iconic works of public art that enhance Montreal’s built environment.
Despite its high urban density, Shaughnessy Village offers many nice spots to relax and enjoy the company of family and friends, such as Esplanade Ernest-Cormier, Shaughnessy Park and Place Henri-Dunant.
Every day, thousands of cyclists use the Claire-Morissette bike path which runs along De Maisonneuve Boulevard. It was named in honour of Claire Morissette, an ecologist, feminist and visionary activist who fought for equal cyclists' rights in Montreal.
Would you like to know more about Shaughnessy Village, its restaurants, cafes and must-see places? Check out this video from Urbania, where François Letendre-Joachim, owner of Café Shaughnessy, talks about his favourite spots!
Would you like to rent a condo in the heart of Shaughnessy Village?
Alexander Apartments offers studios, 3½, 4½, 5½ apartments and penthouses in an all-inclusive rental formula. Located at the corner of René-Lévesque Boulevard and Atwater Avenue, close to the metro station, Alexander Apartments offers unparalleled common areas, in the heart of one of the most vibrant environments in downtown Montreal!
