Saint-Laurent Boulevard

Saint-Laurent Boulevard, commonly known as The Main, has held a special place in the emergence and development of cultural communities in Canada. Since the end of the 19th century, waves of immigrants from around the world arrived at the foot of this 17th-century artery and moved onto the street and into Canadian society. Along this backbone of Montréal, neighbourhoods such as Chinatown, the Jewish and Portuguese quarters, and Little Italy helped forge a vibrant cosmopolitan heart for the city. For more than a century, new Canadians lived and worked, merged and mixed, and claimed and transformed the street in a constant cycle of renewal. With its many small businesses, textile and clothing factories, and world of theatre and entertainment, this corridor of immigrants, commerce, and culture developed a way of life that intrigued and inspired novelists, poets, singers, and filmmakers.

Quebec · Canada