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Champ-de-Mars

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Champ-de-Mars

A 19th-century painting of Montréal’s Champ-de-Mars on a beautiful winter day. A multitude of horse-drawn sleighs glide through the centre of the field. Two dogs play in the snow in the foreground.

James Duncan. "The Quebec Tandem Club, Champ De Mars, Montreal" (detail), ca 1840, Royal Ontario Museum, 953.186.1.

Originally, a “field of Mars” was a space set aside for military drills and parades. The name dates back to Antiquity: Mars was the Roman god of war.

Montréal’s has existed since 1740. After the city’s fortifications were demolished, the esplanade was expanded in 1812, becoming a broad terrace behind the institutional buildings on Notre-Dame Street.

An Esplanade Beneath the Trees

19th-century watercolour of Montréal’s Champ-de-Mars. A row of tall trees lines the field. Behind the trees stands the Montréal courthouse.

John Elliott Woolford, "On the Parade at Montreal", ca 1819, Library and Archives Canada, 2887663.

After the fortifications were demolished, the Champ-de-Mars esplanade was redesigned and lined with tall poplars, which quickly became its signature feature. They are easy to spot in 19th-century images.

Another striking detail: the staircase linking Notre-Dame Street to the large esplanade.