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1

Everyone to Parliament!

2

The Present-Day Place D'Youville

3

Place Royale

4

Place d’Armes

5

Notre-Dame Street

6

Champ-de-Mars

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West Portico

Detail from a 19th-century illustration of the fire that destroyed Montréal’s Parliament. A dense crowd presses in around the structure. A mounted officer tries to force a path through the crush.

“Burning of the houses of assembly, at Montreal” (detail), Pointe-à-Callière, 2011.60c.

According to archival records and eyewitness accounts, it was here, at the west portico of Parliament, that the rioters who had come from the Champ-de-Mars set the fire. After forcing their way through the portico’s wooden entrance, they reached a paper storage area, set sheets alight and hurled them into the building.

Fire

19th-century illustration of the burning of Montréal’s Parliament. A dense crowd presses in around the structure. A mounted officer tries to force a path through the crush.

“Burning of the houses of assembly, at Montreal”, Pointe-à-Callière, 2011.60c.

Within minutes, the building was in flames. All the occupants managed to escape, however: there were no casualties.