Champ-de-Mars: Military Parades and Public Gatherings

From the late 17^th century, Montréal was known as a garrison town. By the 19^th century, British soldiers and officers, together with the barracks, residences and officers' messes which dotted the neighbourhood, leant the city a certain flair and a very “British” look. During the frequent, major fires of the 1840s, the army supported the civil authorities in fighting the blazes and maintaining order.

In the early 19^th century, the demolition of the fortifications freed up and expanded the Champ-de-Mars, which had been used for military exercises since 1740. The esplanade became a vast space for parades, marching bands and drills, but also Montréal’s main public gathering place: a site for strolling, socializing and assemblies that could draw thousands of people, as in 1846 during the demonstration in support of building the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railway.

And on an evening in April 1849, this same Champ-de-Mars became… the stage for a high-stakes political rally.