Aux origines de Montréal / The origins of Montréal

In May 1642, sieur de Maisonneuve founded Montréal here at the junction of the St. Lawrence River and the now-disappeared Petite rivière Saint-Pierre. For centuries before that, Native peoples knew this area well and gathered here and on the present site of Place Royale. The French built Ville-Marie upon their arrival. Around 1688, Montréal’s governor, Louis-Hector de Calliėre, acquired part of the area and built his residence there, giving rise to the name Pointe à Calliėre. This place where Montréal began also witnessed its transformation into one of Canada’s great metropolitan centres.

Quebec · Canada