| Bonsecours Market | |
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| Marché Bonsecours | |
Bonsecours Market, as seen from the Old Port of Montreal
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival |
| Address | 300 Rue Saint-Paul East |
| Town or city | Montreal |
| Country | Canada |
| Construction started | 1844 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Footner |
| Website | |
| http://www.marchebonsecours.qc.ca/en/index.html | |
| Official name | Bonsecours Market National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1984 |
Bonsecours Market (French: Marché Bonsecours), at 350 rue Saint-Paul in Old Montreal, is a two-story domed public market. For more than 100 years, it was the main public market in the Montreal area. It also briefly accommodated the Parliament of United Canada for one session in 1849.
Named for the adjacent Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, it opened in 1847. During 1849 the building was used for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. The market's design was influenced by Dublin's Customs House.[1]
Contents
History[edit]
Construction of this Palladian style building began in 1844 and was designed by British architect William Footner, and alterations completed in 1860 by Irish-born Montreal architect George Browne (1811–1885).[2] Bonsecours Market also housed Montreal City Hall between 1852 and 1878. The former city hall chambers is now a 3700-square-meter meeting room.
The market was also a venue for banquets, exhibitions and other festivals. Browne was charged with adding a 900-square-meter concert hall and banquet hall.[3]
Closed in 1963 as a farmer's central market, it was slated for demolition.[3] Today, the market is multi purpose facility:
- an up-scale mall that houses outdoor cafés, restaurants and boutiques on the main and second floors.
- Hall and banquet rooms are rented on the lower and upper floors.
- municipal office space
Bonsecours Market was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984.[4][5]
Legacy[edit]
On 28 May 1990 Canada Post issued 'Bonsecours Market, Montreal' designed by Raymond Bellemare. The stamp features an image of the Bonsecours Market, which was designed by Montreal architect William Footner and constructed from 1842-45. The $5 stamps are perforated 13.5 and were printed by British American Bank Note Company & Canadian Bank Note Company, Limited.[6]
References[edit]
- ^ Dickens's Montreal: May 1842
- ^ George Browne - The Canadian Encyclopedia
- ^ a b Marché Bonsecours
- ^ "Bonsecours Market". Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada. Parks Canada. Retrieved 29 July 2011.
- ^ Bonsecours Market. Canadian Register of Historic Places. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ Canada Post Stamp
External links[edit]
Coordinates: 45°30′32″N 73°33′05″W / 45.50889°N 73.55139°W
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| Preceded by St. Anne Market — now Place d'Youville |
Site of the Legislative Assembly of the United Provinces of Canada (as well as Freemason's Hall) 1849–1850 |
Succeeded by Parliament of Canada West (3rd site), Toronto |