Peace Park History

 
1800: The lot of land on which Peace Park is situated, was a public space were immigrants would congregate on the Main. It is also were the French and the English would settle their differences.

 

1828: The public space was declared a public market space.

1852: The public market space survived a fire that destroyed most of the Saint-Laurent borough, which became know as the big fire of 1852.

 

1860: The decision to build a market building was made as the Saint-Laurent neighbourhood recovered from the big fire of 1852.

 

1861: The first St-Laurent market underwent construction in April 1861, and officially opened on the 12th of September.

 

1889: There was talk about tearing down the first St-Laurent market.
 

1902: Instead of tearing down the St-Laurent market as planned in 1889, the city decided to renovate it in 1902.

 

1907: A major fire burned the Main, similar to the big fire of 1852, which the St-Laurent market survived, and instead of being destroyed the market was expanded.

 

1932: The end of the great depression in the 30’s was also the end of the first St-Laurent Market. It was demolished in March 1932, however some of the frame was used in the reconstruction. The second market finished construction in September 1932.

1961: The city decided to close the St-Laurent market for economic reasons and for the aesthetic look of the city. The market was not making any money, and the electrical wiring had become dangerous.

 

1963: The second St-Laurent market was taken down in May 1963. The city turned the market into a parking lot to try and bring back people to shop downtown, because clients were spending their money in shopping centers that were popping up out side the city.

 

1964:  The city wanted to sell the parking lot land in order to build a skyscraper, but they couldn’t sell land because of the areas bad reputation at the time, therefore the lot land would remain a parking lot for a while.

 

1986: Montréal became a Nuclear Free Zone, under the Doré administration.

 

1988: With Montréal’s new commitment to peace the mayor Jean Doré announce that we would build a place of peace, which would later become Place de la Paix / Peace Park.

 
1994: Peace Park was inaugurated on November 20^th.