Île Notre-Dame

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Junior Women's War Canoes (C-15) come across the line at the 2005 Canadian Canoe Association Championships, held at le bassin olympique.

rowing basin in the winter

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Hairpin

Île Notre-Dame ( 45°30′15″N, 73°31′35″W) is an artificial island built in 10 months from 15 million tons of rock excavated for the Montreal Metro in 1965. It was created for Expo 67 to celebrate Canada's centennial. The island is part of the city of Montreal and forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago. It is located in the middle of the Saint Lawrence River, immediately east of Île Sainte-Hélène and west of the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Together with Saint Helen's Island, it makes up the Parc Jean-Drapeau, which is one of the biggest in Montreal. It was named to honour Jean Drapeau, the mayor who brought Expo and the Olympics to Montreal.

Nearly all of the remaining Expo 67 pavilions were demolished in 1975 to make way for a long rowing basin for Montreal's 1976 Summer Olympics. It is still the biggest artificial rowing basin in North America. The former pavilion of France and the pavilion of Quebec were gutted, redecorated, and became the Montreal Casino, a large gambling establishment owned and operated by the government of Quebec. The park area on the western tip of the island has a small lake with a swimming beach called "La plage des iles", which is open during the summer season. During the decades since Expo 67 the city of Montreal has gradually embellished nearly all of the nooks and crannies of the island with plants and trees, making it look less and less artificial.

In 1980 the greening and beautification of the island was accelerated when it was the host to the Floralies Internationales, a horticultural exhibition and competition gathering plant masterpieces from dozens of countries.

For a few days every year the quiet environment of the island (the casino buildings are set back in a corner by themselves) is shattered by the roar of Formula 1 racing of the Canadian Grand Prix. The cars zoom around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

In fall and spring there are few visitors to the site, except for the gamblers at the casino and the rowers and canoers in the Olympic basin. In the coldest part of winter, ice skaters use the same basin as a rink. City workers clear the snow from its icy surface as part of the annual winter festival, "La Fête des Neiges de Montréal". Cross country skiers can also tour the area.