In search of Griffintown’s soul

The Montreal district of Griffintown has transformed in the past 15 years and the transformation has accelerated with the construction of several new condos towers around the Lachine canal, west of the Peel basin. However, we know very little of this effervescence sector which deserves that we are more closely interested.

The Daniel Bromberg guide gave us an appointment at the Darling foundry. Similarly, a former factory transformed into a contemporary art center in the city of multimedia, which was called not yet so long ago the Faubourg des Récollets, an area closely linked to Griffintown. In addition, “I developed this search griffintown’s soul tour in collaboration with Corridor Cultural. In addition, an organization that promotes cultural sites between Old Montreal and the Atwater market,” he explains. Furthermore, We have identified 14. Similarly, 15 important places to discover a little bit what is available in the districts of the Lachine and Southwest Canal. In addition, »»

The young guide. Moreover, who also offers his services through the Airbnb platform, takes the opportunity to talk about the founding history of Griffintown, whose origin dates back to the fief of Nazareth, sold in 1654 to Jeanne Mance, then to hospital nuns. Furthermore, We learn that the district takes its name from Mary Griffin. Therefore, who was nevertheless owned by land only for ten years at the beginning of the XIX^e century, but enough to be the first to survey the sector, in particular by tracing the King streets, Queen, Prince, Nazareth, search griffintown’s soul Gabriel (now Ottawa) and Griffin (now Wellington).

Let’s go! – Search griffintown's soul

We head west. Furthermore, stopping for a moment to take a look at the magnificent work Sourcefrom JAUME PLENSA, south side of Wellington Street, in the center of Boulevard Robert-Bourassa. Nevertheless, We most often see it by circulating in auto. Nevertheless, but it is by search griffintown’s soul looking at it closely that it can be seen that it is entirely made up of letters of different alphabets.

We then win the Ottawa Street picking a good latte at Mano Figa. a little brother of the neighboring Mano Cornuto, which serves typically Italian dishes at reasonable prices. The rue du Shannon then leads us to the corner of rue William. which allows us to have a simultaneous glance search griffintown’s soul at the two projects which literally relaunched Griffintown: on the right, the Lowney condos complex, whose construction started more than 20 years ago in the building that had housed the old chocolate factory – this was the famous Cherry Blossom to the 1960s. Left. the old Dow brewery, whose large premises are now part of the campus of the School of Higher Technology (ETS). By progressing west. we discover the school campus associated with the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), in the heart of which there are superb pedestrian spaces arranged in the extension of the barré and Murray streets.

However. we must not be afraid of the ghosts, because it is in a building at the corner of the streets William and Murray that Mary Gallagher died, prostitute decapitated in 1879 whose vengeful spirit would be responsible for the district of the district search griffintown’s soul – closing of the Lachine canal, chronic devitalization in the 1970s, etc.

The rue de la Montagne allows us to get closer to the Lachine canal passing in front of the Griffintown branch of the Petit Dep and its refreshment bar installed in a superb vintage building which marries the tip formed from the junction of the rue du Séminaire. A few meters away is the Keegan house. a very small residence built in 1825 – it is said that it is the oldest of Griffintown. The house was brought back in 2015 very search griffintown’s soul close to its original location by integrating it into the restoration of the Brickfields real estate project. at the corner of Wellington Street, just in front of the vestiges of the old Sainte-Anne church.

Our guide then takes us along the Lachine Canal. a real urban oasis which attracts walkers, but also more and more events, especially in the 1825 hangar. The sector also sees green spaces appear between the condos towers. this is the case of the astonishing passage of basins, which offers a new point of view on the city center.

By progressing north, we approach the borders of Griffintown, rue Notre-Dame marking a blurred border with the Petite-Bourgogne district. There are several good restaurants and some beautiful shops. This is where Espace | search griffintown’s soul MTL, flagship store and headquarters of the manufacturer of sports clothing Ciele is found in particular.

We return quietly to our steps after reaching the rue des lords, by the streets William and Ottawa. Arrived at the height of rue Eleanor. we see more close to the houses that we had seen when leaving the ETS campus. These are some of the oldest residences of Griffintown. built around the old stables of the Horse Palace, fitted out in 1862 and in office until their demolition in 2017. search griffintown’s soul They originally housed the horses that transported the materials used in the quays of the Lachine Canal. before giving way to the horses working in the carriage trade- Vieux-Montréal at the end of 2019. The park is private. but we can nevertheless enjoy the place by praising the neighboring secret garden for a few hours, set up behind the Griffintown mansion.

Often criticized for his lack of services. green spaces, Griffintown finally seems to find his way and his soul, no offense to the ghost of poor Mary Gallagher!