You can walk down the narrow streets of Old Montreal and pick up that sense of Old World meets New. But you can delve deeply into the stories of nearly every building in the Old City here.
I’ve spent hours “walking the streets” on this site, looking up building after building, reading about the previous owners, the construction history, the changing uses of the edifice over decades and even centuries. It’s the kind of exploration that exposes the history of the city, layer by layer. I can’t get enough of it. Unfortunately, most of it is in French only, but the site offers up a few English records, “for demonstration purposes only.” (Apparently, this is to demonstrate that translation is actually possible.) Among them is the record for 171 rue St Paul ouest, the present day auberge where Chuck and I stay every year.
Check out the detailed history of the buildings, as well as a very complete timeline of events in and around Old Montreal from the 17th century to the present. It will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation – not just of Old Montreal – but also of the way cities and buildings change and morph as time passes.