Griffintown
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Griffintown is an area of Montreal, located to the south of rue Notre-Dame between rue Guy and rue McGill. It is part of the borough of Le Sud-Ouest. It spans from the borough of Point St. Charles to the Old Port, and north to Notre-Dame street.
It was first settled by mostly Irish immigrants during the mid-late 1800's. The population consisted mostly of labourers who worked in the industries and construction in the area. It was marked by poverty and cramped living conditions. It was heavily involved in the construction of major structures such as the Lachine Canal and the Victoria Bridge. The Irish community gathered at the Sainte-Anne church, destroyed in 1970.
Currently, it holds the stables for the horses that provide tours in carriages (calèche) around the Old Port. Many technological companies built office space in the area, and École de Technologie Supérieure (ÉTS) built its residence there. Much of the original architecture remains, however, and the locals who grew up in the area keep old ghost stories alive.
In 1963, the city of Montreal decided to raze the district by creating an industrial park. The area is now known as Faubourg des Recollets and bears little trace of its Irish heritage. It forms part of the borough Le Sud-Ouest.
The Cité du multimédia was built partly above the ruins. The remainders are preserved in the McCord Museum. Michel Régnier made a film on the subject in 1972. David O' Keefe published a historical book titled The Ghosts of Griffintown.
In 2006, the project to move the Montreal Casino to the Peel Basin, as part of an entertainment complex in partnership with the Cirque du Soleil, caused a controversy because of the social impact of the establishment of gambling in an underprivileged district. The project was finally abandoned.
