Place des Montréalaises

Place des Montréalaises
TypeTown square
LocationOld Montreal, Ville-Marie Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Coordinates45°30′35″N 73°33′23″W / 45.5098122°N 73.5563387°W / 45.5098122; -73.5563387
Created2025 (2025)
Operated byCity of Montreal
Public transit accessChamp-de-Mars

Place des Montréalaises (French pronunciation: [plas de mɔ̃ʁealɛz], Square of Montréal's women) is a public square in the borough of Ville-Marie, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The site bridges downtown and Old Montreal via a universally accessible pedestrian link centred on the Champ-de-Mars metro station. It was inaugurated on 16 May 2025.[1][2]

History

The name Place des Montréalaises was officialized by the Commission de toponymie du Québec on 5 December 2017.[3]

An international, anonymous, multidisciplinary design competition selected the winning concept in 2018. The team led by Lemay, with artist Angela Silver and AtkinsRéalis, was chosen to develop the project.[4] Construction began in 2022, with the City targeting a 2025 opening;[5] the square was inaugurated on 16 May 2025.[1]

Location and description

Place des Montréalaises is built over a portion of Autoroute Ville-Marie and the Berri ramp, beside Champ-de-Mars station and near Montreal City Hall. The project reconnects pedestrian routes between downtown and Old Montreal by covering highway infrastructure with new public space, adding a universally accessible slope and walkway, and improving adjacent intersections.[2][6][5]

Design and features

The design is organized around three principal components:

  • Flower meadow, a vegetated, inclined urban landscape that functions as a belvedere and seasonal garden;[2]
  • Miroir des Montréalaises, a circular artwork by Angela Silver bearing the names of the 14 victims of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre on one side and seven pioneering Montréal women (Jeanne Mance, Harriet Brooks, Idola Saint-Jean, Ida Roth Steinberg, Agnès Vautier, Jessie Maxwell-Smith, and Myra Cree) on the other;[2]
  • Commemorative staircase, featuring a "field of letters" motif alluding to the names of Montréal women and framing the Marcelle Ferron stained glass at Champ-de-Mars station.[2][1]

Refinements to the final concept included universal-design adjustments to slopes and lighting, a cycling connection between Rue Viger and Rue Saint-Antoine, reworked approaches at nearby intersections, a pedestrian link touching down near Rue Gosford and Rue Saint-Antoine, and additional greening including new tree plantings.[5] Some descriptions of the original concept note 21 plant varieties blooming in succession as a tribute to 21 women.[7]

Inauguration and programming

Mayor Valérie Plante inaugurated the square on 16 May 2025, highlighting its role as both a connective link and a commemorative place. Related celebrations included an all-female cohort receiving the Ordre de Montréal.[1]

Reception and safety

In the weeks following opening, local media reported falls and injuries associated with a drainage detail integrated into the paving. The City temporarily installed cones, signage, and barriers while assessing mitigations.[8][9][10][11] In inauguration-week coverage, the City also indicated corrective work would be carried out during summer 2025.[12]

Cost

Competition documents set the initial construction budget at C$34,080,000 for the public square and pedestrian overpass.[13] In September 2018, the City presented a revised project budget of C$62.4 million, down from a 2017 estimate of C$74.4 million, after opting for an overpass rather than a tunnel.[14] Coverage at the time also specified that the C$62.4 million budget excluded the separate provincial cost of covering Autoroute Ville-Marie, evaluated at approximately C$68 million.[15] By May 2025, the approved project budget was reported at C$98.8 million, and broadcasters commonly summarized the total at "about C$100 million."[12][16]

Access

The square is adjacent to Champ-de-Mars station on the Orange Line and incorporates a universally accessible route between the station area, City Hall, and Old Montreal. A through-bike connection links corridors on Rue Viger and Rue Saint-Antoine.[2][5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Place des Montréalaises public square inaugurated: recognizes the contribution of women in the city". CityNews Montreal. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Place des Montréalaises: A square designed to celebrate the role of women". Ville de Montréal. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Place des Montréalaises (fiche toponymique)". Commission de toponymie du Québec (in French). Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Place des Montréalaises — Winner". Design Montréal (Ville de Montréal). 31 May 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d "Place des Montréalaises — Final concept". Design Montréal (Ville de Montréal). 22 September 2021. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Place des Montréalaises: Project news and impacts". Ville de Montréal. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  7. ^ "Place des Montréalaises — Lemay". Architecture MasterPrize. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Orange cones line newly inaugurated Place des Montréalaises after injuries". CityNews Montreal. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  9. ^ "New Montreal square lined with orange cones after reports of tripping, injuries". Global News / Canadian Press. 5 June 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  10. ^ "« Ils ont peut-être exagéré »: des nouvelles clôtures à la place des Montréalaises". Journal de Montréal (in French). 6 June 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  11. ^ "Une rigole dangereuse à la place des Montréalaises". 98.5 Montréal (in French). 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Inauguration de la place des Montréalaises". Portail Constructo (in French). 20 May 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  13. ^ "Place des Montréalaises — Call for proposals". Design Montréal (Ville de Montréal). 28 June 2017. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  14. ^ "Un «pré fleuri» aux abords de la station Champ-de-Mars". TVA Nouvelles (in French). 6 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  15. ^ "Place des Montréalaises : vers un plan incliné fleuri". Voir vert (in French). 11 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Montreal unveils its new Place des Montréalaises, a tribute to the city's women". Global News. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 4 October 2025.
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