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Everyone to Parliament!

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The Present-Day Place D'Youville

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Place Royale

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Place d’Armes

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Notre-Dame Street

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Champ-de-Mars

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Transforming the Market into a Parliament

Detail from a 19th-century illustration of Montréal’s Parliament. Passersby stroll around the Parliament. A man on horseback can be seen in front of the Parliament.

Augustus Kollner, “Parliament House Montreal” (detail), Library and Archives Canada, 2887627.

In less than a year, a building that had only recently been devoted to selling beef, fish and vegetables had to be transformed into a place worthy of a Parliament with many functions. The challenge was immense! Fortunately, the architect put in charge of the project, George Browne, was a seasoned professional.

Renovations

Handwritten list of work to be carried out for Montréal’s Parliament. Each item has an associated cost. The page is yellowed and aged.

George Browne, “Detailed Estimate of the Quantity & Cost of the alterations to be made to St. Anns Market in Montreal for the use of the Parliament House (Canada)”, Library and Archives Canada, RG11-A-1-b, vol 76.

George Browne’s plans to transform Sainte-Anne Market into a parliament have not been found. His handwritten notes, however, reveal the scale of the work he intended to carry out in less than a year. To light the new library of the Legislative Assembly, he altered the roof of the central block and added a glazed lantern, while also installing skylights at the ends of the wings.

Doors, partitions and corridors were mostly glazed to let the light in. Gas lamps augmented the natural lighting, while seven large chandeliers illuminated the parliamentary chambers. The result: you could see clearly!

Making Room for Parliamentarians

At the top, 3D rendering of the Montreal parliament. The parliament is a long building with two wings and a central body. It is of neoclassical style and is built with grey stone. At the bottom, 3D cross section of the Montreal parliament. The parliament has two stories. The first floor is comprised of offices. The second floor holds large halls and a library. There is a second library in the dome of the central body.

Guy Lessard, Pointe-à-Callière.

This sectional view shows the Parliament as it was laid out after the renovations. George Browne had to incorporate two parliamentary chambers—the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council—along with many offices, meeting rooms and administrative spaces. The building also housed two large libraries, lounges to relax and even living quarters for some permanent employees.

To achieve this, Browne completely redesigned the interior, making use of every available space.

Street Furniture Ornaments

A collection of antique bronze ornaments.

René Bouchard, Pointe-à-Callière, City of Montréal archaeological collection.

These bronze ornaments, uncovered during archaeological excavations, likely once adorned luxurious furnishings.

Drawing of the Parliament

19th-century illustration of Montréal’s Parliament. Passersby stroll around the Parliament. In the foreground, one man is on horseback and another rides in a horse-drawn carriage. Two men talk in the lower-left corner.

Augustus Kollner, “Parliament House Montreal”, Library and Archives Canada, 2887627.

Rare contemporary drawing of the Parliament, produced by Augustus Kollner in 1848. Note the number of windows on either side of the central block: the building’s symmetry was clearly not respected.

George Browne

19th-century portrait photograph of George Browne. Browne is an older white man with a partially grey beard. He is wearing a suit with a waistcoat and a tie. His expression is calm, and he is looking slightly to the side. The portrait is presented in an oval frame against a plain background.

Studio of Inglis, “Portrait of George Browne”, Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 2725794.

Born in Belfast, George Browne (1811–1885) made a name for himself in 1841 with his design of Kingston City Hall. In Montréal, he transformed the Sainte-Anne Market into a parliament and completed the Bonsecours Market. In the 1850s, he partnered with his son and designed several major buildings, including the Molson Bank and the Merchants’ Exchange.

In many ways, George Browne embodied the very spirit of 19th-century Montréal architecture.