| My exciting long weekend in Montreal
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| | Price to draw up plans for a modern
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| unfortunately had to come to an end.
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| | railway station in 1887 to serve Canada's
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| After an exciting day of exploration
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| | transcontinental railroad. Price had
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| yesterday that ended with an absolutely
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| | already gained lots of experience from
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| delicious dinner at Nuances, the fine
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| | constructing skyscrapers in Manhattan, he
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| dining restaurant at the Casino de
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| | had also built the Chateau Frontenac in
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| Montreal, capped by an impressive
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| | Quebec City, the Banff Springs Hotel and
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| pyro-musical performance at La Ronde, I
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| | other chateau-style buildings across
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| rested up so I would be able to squeeze
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| | Canada and was the prime candidate to
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| in a few more hours of discovery this
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| | build this project. The railway station
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| morning. One more exploration of the city
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| | opened in 1889 and was enlarged in 1916
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| before I would have to had back to
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| | with a 15-story main tower. Windsor
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| Toronto on the train before noon. With
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| | Station, built in a solid Richardson
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| all my suitcases duly packed I went off
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| | Romanesque revival style, witnessed a big
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| for one more urban adventure. Fortunately
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| | expansion in rail travel in the early
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| checkout wasn't until noon, so I was able
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| | 20th century. In 1979 Windsor Station was
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| to leave my luggage at the hotel and just
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| | abandoned in favour of Montreal's Gare
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| head off with my camera and my backpack.
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| | Centrale for transcontinental passenger
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| I started walking west on Rue De La
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| | traffic, but continued to house local
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| Gauchetière Ouest which starts off as a
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| | commuter trains until 1993. Today it
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| fairly small street surrounded by five or
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| | holds a hotel, a variety of stores and
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| six story high older buildings. The first
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| | offices and the beautifully preserved
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| major sight I came across was St.
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| | central concourse still features the
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| Patrick's Basilica. This gothic revival
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| | original arrivals and departure board and
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| building, a designated Canadian heritage
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| | is used as a venue for major events. A
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| site, is one of the most magnificent
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| | major beer festival is also held at the
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| examples of this style in all of Canada.
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| | Station annually. In recognition of its
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| The massive arrival of Irish immigrants
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| | historic and architectural significance
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| in the early 1800s created the need for
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| | Windsor Station was named the first
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| more houses of worship and construction
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| | heritage train station in Canada in 1990.
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| of St. Patrick's was started in 1843 with
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| | After my explorations on Dorchester
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| the first mass being celebrated in 1847.
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| | Square I strolled to the north-east end
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| The interior of this church features 150
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| | of this grand public space to enter one
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| oil paintings of saints and is known for
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| | of Montreal's most popular streets: Rue
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| the "St. Patrick's Chimes", a chime
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| | St-Catharines. This street stretches for
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| system composed of ten bells, the oldest
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| | a length of 15 km and is Montreal's main
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| of which dates back to 1774. I continued
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| | commercial artery. Hundreds of stores and
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| west past increasingly modern buildings
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| | fashion retailers are located along this
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| until I happened across a major urban
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| | busy street and it also is the main
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| square: Dorchester Square, formerly known
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| | location of the Montreal Jazz Festival.
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| as Dominion Square. This wide open public
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| | Since the 1960s several shopping centres
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| space is a former cemetery which held the
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| | have sprouted up and replaced some of the
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| victims of the 1832 cholera epidemic.
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| | older townhouses that used to flank this
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| Today it holds several statues, including
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| | historical thoroughfare. Montreal's Eaton
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| a monument commemorating the victims of
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| | Centre is the most recent addition to the
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| the Boers War, a statue of Robert Burns -
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| | shopping centres on St. Catharines. This
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| a Scottish poet, and another statue of
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| | street also features a wealth of historic
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| Sir Wilfried Laurier, a former Canadian
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| | buildings including Christ Church
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| prime minister. The south side of the
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| | Cathedral. This impressive Neo-Gothic
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| square is called Place du Canada, which
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| | church was built in 1858 and consecrated
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| is the setting for the annual Remembrance
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| | in 1867 in the growing Gold Square Mile
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| Day ceremony which honours Canadians that
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| | area. The architect Frank Mills used the
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| were killed in the First and Second World
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| | cathedral of Salisbury, his home town, as
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| Wars as well as the Korean War.
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| | a model for this building. The church
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| Dorchester Square is surrounded by
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| | features a beautiful stained glass window
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| several magnificent buildings. The north
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| | and surprisingly, the church itself rests
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| end holds the Dominion Square Building
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| | on the roofs of an underground mall.
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| which is also the location of the Centre
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| | Prior to the construction of the mall,
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| Infotouriste, Montreal Tourism's
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| | the church was actually sinking into the
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| headquarters. The east side of Dorchester
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| | soft ground. Indeed the original steeple
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| Square is adorned by one of Montreal's
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| | had to be removed in 1927 due to its
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| most astounding buildings: Mary Queen of
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| | heavy weight and a much lighter steeple
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| the World Cathedral. This impressive
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| | made of aluminum was constructed in 1940.
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| church is one of two surviving local
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| | Today the underground shopping centre,
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| churches from the era before 1875. It
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| | whose 1987 excavation required the church
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| illustrates the power that the church
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| | to be supported by concrete beams in
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| wielded before the Quiet Revolution of
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| | mid-air, provides adequate structural
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| the 1960s. One of Montreal's catholic
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| | support for the church. The 34-story
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| bishops, Ignace Bourget, devised a
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| | office tower behind the church is topped
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| grandiose plan to outshine the Notre Dame
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| | by a crown of thorns and makes for a
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| Basilica. He decided to commission a
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| | popular photo motif. I continued to walk
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| church that would be a replica of Rome's
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| | east on St. Catherines and happened upon
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| St. Peter's Cathedral with a location
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| | Phillips Square, a beautiful urban space
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| right in the middle of a Protestant
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| | where the retail trade began in Montreal.
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| neighbourhood. Construction lasted from
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| | Rue St. Catharines had formerly been a
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| 1870 to 1894 and the copper statues of
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| | purely residential area. Henry Morgan, a
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| thirteen patron saints of Montreal's
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| | Scottish immigrant with excellent
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| parishes were installed in 1900. The
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| | connections in the dry goods retail trade
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| church underwent extensive modernization
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| | in Glasgow, had moved a retail store to a
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| in the 1950s. In recent years there has
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| | new location at St. Catharines and
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| been significant reconstruction and the
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| | Phillips Square after the old city ,
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| statue of Bishop Ignace Bourget outside
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| | location of most of the retailers
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| the cathedral was restored in 2005. Mary
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| | warehouses, had suffered a devastating
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| Queen of the World was named a National
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| | flood in 1886. This store, built in the
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| Historic Site of Canada on May 14, 2006.
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| | solid Richardson Romanesque style, later
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| Further north on Place du Canada is the
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| | became "The Bay", for the "Hudson's Bay
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| Sun Life Building which was finished in
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| | Company", which is a chain of about 100
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| 1931 after three stages of construction.
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| | fashion department stores operating
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| It was built exclusively for the Sun Life
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| | throughout Canada whose origins date back
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| Assurance Company and measures 122 meters
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| | to the fur traders of the 1600s. The
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| in height and counts 24 stories. Although
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| | centre of Phillips Square is home to a
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| the new head office of the Royal Bank of
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| | monument of King Edward VII, and a Birks
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| Canada at 360 Saint Jacques Street in
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| | jewellery store, located in an attractive
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| Montreal was taller by several floors,
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| | sandstone building, flanks the square on
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| the Sun Life Building was at the time the
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| | the west side. It was getting close to
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| largest building in terms of square
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| | departure time so I speeded up my walk
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| footage anywhere in the British Empire.
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| | back to the hotel. There was one more
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| The Sun Life Building has historic
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| | major architectural attraction on my way:
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| significance: during World War II the
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| | St. James United Church. Completed in
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| basement vaults of the Sun Life Building
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| | 1889, the present St. James Church is the
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| were the secret hiding place of the Crown
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| | fourth home of the St. James congregation
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| Jewels of England and the gold bullion of
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| | and due to its impressive size it used to
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| the Bank of England. Today it stands as
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| | be known as the Cathedral Church of
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| Montreal's 17th highest building. On the
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| | Methodism. The two towers anchored around
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| West side of Place du Canada are also
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| | a central large rose window are
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| several historic buildings, starting with
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| | reminiscent of great French Gothic
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| St. George's Anglican Church, a Gothic
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| | cathedrals. As a matter of fact, St.
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| Revival-style church, which was opened
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| | James United Church was hidden by
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| for worship in October of 1870. Its main
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| | commercial storefronts from 1926 onwards
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| features include the magnificent double
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| | in order to raise revenue. The church
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| hammer-beam roof, one of the largest of
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| | remained concealed for more than 78 years
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| its type in the world. The unique
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| | and after the demolition of the
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| column-free interior combines elements of
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| | commercial buildings it was finally
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| both English and French Gothic plans, and
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| | uncovered again in 2005 and is currently
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| the church features magnificent wood
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| | undergoing some exterior renovations. On
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| carvings in the chancel. The original
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| | my way back to the hotel I thought what
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| bells of the church had to be sent out to
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| | amazing architectural wealth and beauty
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| a country church since the sound of the
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| | Montreal has to offer. From Old Montreal
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| 13 bells was considered too loud for a
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| | and the Old Port, first and foremost led
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| city church. A new set of 10 bells of a
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| | by Notre-Dame Basilica, to its stunning
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| lower tone was installed in 1901 and the
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| | Second Empire City Hall area to the
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| new sound was deemed to be beautiful. The
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| | historic centres of commerce on Rue
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| original architect considered to include
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| | St-Jacques or St. James Street to the
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| a clock in the clock tower but was
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| | magnificent public and religious
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| concerned about a clock spoiling the
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| | buildings that can be seen all over the
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| appearance. In addition, with the church
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| | downtown core, Montreal dazzles with its
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| facing Windsor Station, the architect was
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| | architectural heritage. Any architecture
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| afraid of the wrath of railway passengers
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| | and history buff can't help but love this
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| in the event that the clock was going to
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| | city and I realized that three and a half
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| be inaccurate. Nevertheless, the clock
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| | days in this city are barely enough to
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| was installed, only losing 6 seconds a
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| | scratch the surface. As I settled into my
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| year. A public clock was extremely
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| | comfortable seat in the Via Rail coach
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| important to people at the time since
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| | back to Toronto I concluded that this
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| wrist watches had not been invented yet
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| | trip was just an introduction, a mere
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| and pocket watches were difficult to
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| | overview, a brief taste of a diverse,
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| access under thick winter apparel. Right
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| | multi-faceted city, with so many more
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| across the Street from St. George's is
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| | places to explore in detail next time I
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| Windsor Station - one of Montreal's
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| | come back.
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| historic railway stations. Cornelius Van
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| | Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a web
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| Horne, the famous chairman of Canadian
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| | portal for unconventional travel &
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| Pacific, asked well-known architect Bruce
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| | cross-cultural connections.
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