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Become a urban explorer of the past!
Introductory video in which a series of animated 3D reconstructions of the neighbourhood around Parliament scrolls by. The camera moves along, zooming in and out over the areas it passes above, revealing details: dirt roads lined with buildings in a range of styles, close-ups of façades, and more. The video runs for one minute and eighteen seconds and ends with a view that rises above the neighbourhood.
In 1848, Montréal was the largest and most prosperous city in the Province of Canada, a colony of the British Empire. A thriving capital, it brought French- and English-speaking communities together in a whirlwind of political, economic, and social activity.
But everything changed in 1849: the Parliament was set on fire by political opponents. Montréal then abruptly lost its status as the capital. The end of an era… but not the end of its story.
Yet beneath the city, archaeologists and historians have rediscovered the intact remains of the remarkable Parliament site.
Dive into six Montréal neighbourhoods in 1848, each revealing a different side of this bustling capital:
 | Everyone to Parliament! |
 | The present-day Place D’Youville: A Waterway Turned Commercial Artery |
 | Place de la Douane: An Era of Port Development |
 | Place d’Armes: Prestige, Power, and Faith |
 | Notre-Dame Street: Government, Justice, and Commerce |
 | Champ-de-Mars: Military Parades and Public Gatherings |
Authentic objects, remarkable figures, and dramatic events await you along the way.
Welcome to Montréal, capital of the Province of Canada!