NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Underground City (Montreal)

Montreal's underground city (French: La ville souterraine) is the well-known underground city complex in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is also known as the indoor city (Ville intérieure) as not all of it is underground. Part of Montreals underground city, a concourse in Bonaventure metro station, showing directional signs leading to buildings accessible through the underground city An underground city is a network of tunnels that connect buildings, usually in the downtown area of a city. ... {{Canadian City/Disable Field={{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: Concordia Salus (Salvation through harmony) Ville de MontrÃ©al, QuÃ©bec, Canada Location. ... During the 1960s, a terrorist group known as the Front de libÃ©ration du QuÃ©bec (FLQ) launched a decade of bombings, robberies and attacks on government offices. ...

In 2004 the underground city was rebranded and given the name RÉSO. The rebranding effort was managed by Bélanger Branding et Design. The name RÉSO is based on the French word réseau, or network (as in a network of tunnels). 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Central component

Several different sections of underground city exist in Montreal. The largest and best-known is located in the centre of downtown, between Peel and Place-des-Arts metro stations on the Green Line and between Lucien-L'Allier and Place-d'Armes stations on the Orange Line. Peel Peel is a station on the Green Line of the Montreal Metro, located in downtown Montreal in the borough of Ville-Marie. ... Place-des-Arts Place-des-Arts is a station on the Montreal Metro Green Line. ... Place-Saint-Henri station The Montreal Metro is the main form of public transportation for the city of Montreal and was the second metro system to be built in Canada, opening 12 years after the Toronto subway. ... The Green (Line 1) line is one of the four lines of the Montreal metro. ... Lucien-LAllier is a station on the Montreal Metro Orange Line, located in the borough of Ville-Marie in downtown Montreal. ... Place-dArmes is a station on the Montreal Metro Orange Line, located in Old Montreal in the borough of Ville-Marie. ... The Orange (Line 2) line is one of the four lines of the Montreal metro. ...

It consists of 30 km of tunnels spread over an area of twelve square kilometres of downtown Montreal. The underground city includes 60 residential and commercial complexes comprising 3.6 square kilometres of floor space, including 80% of all office space and 35% of all commercial space in the centre.

Services include hotels, shopping malls, banks, corporate headquarters, museums, university buildings, seven metro stations, two commuter train stations, and the Bell Centre hockey arena. There are more than 120 exterior access points to the underground city. Some 500,000 people use the underground city per day, especially to escape Montreal's harsh winter. A hotel is an establishment that provides lodging, usually on a short-term basis. ... The Mall, an out-of-town shopping centre at Patchway, near Bristol, England. ... A metro station is a railway station for a metro. ... A Connex commuter train stands by the platform in Melbourne, Australia Regional rail systems, or commuter rail systems, usually provide a rail service through a central business district area into suburbs or other locations that draw large numbers of people on a daily basis. ... The Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell), formerly known as the Molson Centre, has been the home of the Montreal Canadiens since March 16, 1996, when the team departed from the historic Montreal Forum after their last game on March 11 of the same year. ...

It is difficult to establish criteria for ranking, but in terms of length, extent, use, and number of shops, Montreal's underground city beats out Toronto's PATH underground city, recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest. PATH is a 27 kilometre long network of pedestrian tunnels beneath the office towers of downtown Toronto, Canada. ... The Guinness Book of Records (or in recent editions Guinness World Records, and in previous US editions Guinness Book of World Records) is a reference book published annually, containing an internationally recognized collection of world records, both human achievements and the extrema of the natural world. ...

The underground city is promoted as an important tourist attraction by most Montreal travel guidebooks; although the urban planning achievement is impressive, the services accessible through them (mainly shopping malls) are rather commonplace.

Most parts of the underground city are open during the entire hours of operation of the metro (5:30 AM to 1:00 AM); though many accesses are closed outside of business hours, many others remain open. However, the tunnels between the Bell Centre arena and Bonaventure metro station cannot be used before and after events at the arena, owing to fire regulations (access is available via Lucien-L'Allier station instead). Access to the underground city is free. Bonaventure is a station on the Montreal Metro Orange Line. ...

Unlike Toronto's PATH system, the different elements of the underground city are controlled by the individual building authorities; there is no unified signage, which may make use somewhat confusing. However, maps of the underground city and the metro can be obtained free from all metro stations, and the network of buildings is usually indicated on city maps.

History

The first link of the underground city arose with the construction of the Place Ville-Marie office tower and underground shopping mall, built in 1962 to cover an unsightly pit of railway tracks north of the Gare Centrale. A tunnel joined it to Gare Centrale and the Queen Elizabeth Hotel. Place Ville-Marie Place Ville-Marie or 1, Place Ville-Marie is a cruciform office tower built in the International style in 1962 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... The Mall, an out-of-town shopping centre at Patchway, near Bristol, England. ... Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, commonly called the Queen Elizabeth Hotel (Le Reine Elizabeth), is a grand hotel in Montreal, Quebec. ...

The advent of the Montreal metro in 1966 brought tunnels joining Bonaventure station to the Château Champlain hotel, the Place du Canada office tower, Place Bonaventure, Gare Centrale, and Gare Windsor, forming the core of the Underground City. Square-Victoria station connected to the Tour de la Bourse, Montreal's stock exchange building. Download high resolution version (847x318, 51 KB)Bonaventure metro station, an important link in Montreals Ville souterraine, with directional panels to buildings reachable by the underground city. ... Download high resolution version (847x318, 51 KB)Bonaventure metro station, an important link in Montreals Ville souterraine, with directional panels to buildings reachable by the underground city. ... Square-Victoria is a station on the Montreal Metro Orange Line. ...

Adding to the development of the underground city was the Montreal Urban Community Transit Commission's policy of offering the aerial rights above metro station entrances for construction through emphyteutic leases, an advantageous way to acquire prime real estate. When the metro began running in 1966, ten buildings were already connected directly to metro stations; development would continue until not a single free-standing entrance to Peel, McGill, Bonaventure, Guy-Concordia, or Place-d'Armes stations was left. An Emphyteutic lease is a type of real estate contract specifying that the lessee must improve the property with construction. ... McGill McGill is a station on the Montreal Metro Green Line. ... Guy-Concordia is a station on the Montreal Metro Green Line. ...

In 1974, the Complexe Desjardins office tower complex was constructed, spurring the construction of a "second downtown" underground city segment between Place-des-Arts and Place-d'Armes station, via Place des Arts, Complexe Desjardins, the Complexe Guy-Favreau federal government building, and the Palais des Congrès (convention centre).

Between 1984 and 1992, the underground city expanded, with the construction of three major linked shopping centres in the Peel and McGill metro station areas: Cours Mont-Royal, Place Montréal-Trust, and the Promenades de la Cathédrale (built underneath Christ Church Cathedral). McGill station was already linked with The Bay, Eaton's (now Les Ailes de La Mode), Eaton Centre, and two other office/mall complexes. Between 1984 and 1989, the underground city grew from 12 km of passages to almost 22. Christ Church Cathedral, with the Place de la Cathédrale office tower behind it Christ Church Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the seat of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal. ... La Baie on Montreals rue Sainte-Catherine, with skyscraper in the background The Bay is a chain of 100 fashion department stores that operate across Canada. ... Eatons was once Canadas largest department store retailer. ...

Mega-projects added to the size throughout the 1990s, including Le 1000 De La Gauchetière (the tallest building in Montreal), Le 1250 René-Lévesque, and the Centre de commerce mondiale. Although these office spaces have only a secondary commercial sector, they use their connection to the underground city as a selling point for their office space. Also, the construction of a tunnel between Eaton Centre and Place Ville-Marie consolidated the two central halves of the underground city. The construction of the Bell (originally Molson) Centre connected Lucien-L'Allier metro station to the underground city, as well as replacing Gare Windsor with the new Gare Lucien-L'Allier commuter train station. The Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell), formerly known as the Molson Centre, has been the home of the Montreal Canadiens since March 16, 1996, when the team departed from the historic Montreal Forum after their last game on March 11 of the same year. ...

Finally, in 2003, the complete redevelopment of the Quartier international de Montréal consolidated all the separate segments of the central underground city with continuous pedestrian corridors. The construction of the ICAO headquarters joined Place Bonaventure to Square-Victoria station. This station was in turn was joined to the Palais des Congrès and the Place-des-Arts/Place-d'Armes section via the new Caisse de dépôt et de placement building and a tunnel under the Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle. Uniquely, the new tunnel sections in the Quartier International contain educational and artistic displays sponsored by major Montreal museums. As a result of this construction, one can now walk all the way across the centre of downtown, from Place des Arts to the Bell Centre, completely underground. Download high resolution version (1030x294, 44 KB)The tunnel between the Centre CDP Capital and the Palais des Congrès in Montreals Ville souterraine. ... Download high resolution version (1030x294, 44 KB)The tunnel between the Centre CDP Capital and the Palais des Congrès in Montreals Ville souterraine. ... The Canadian Centre for Architecture is an architecture museum and research centre located in Montreal, Canada. ... As opposed to television and theatrical cinema, video art is a subset of artistic works which relies on moving pictures and is comprised of video and/or audio data. ... The Quartier international de MontrÃ©al (QIM) or Montreals International District is an area of the Ville-Marie borough of downtown Montreal that underwent a major urban renewal as a central business district in 2000â€“2003. ... The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, develops the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ...

List of buildings connected to the underground city

Central segment

Peel station

Founded in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1832, the Bank launched its branch banking system by opening in Windsor, Nova Scotia. ...

McGill station

1501 McGill College seen from Rue Sainte-Catherine. ... McGill University is a publicly funded, research-intensive, non-denominational, co-educational university located in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... La Baie on Montreals rue Sainte-Catherine, with skyscraper in the background The Bay is a chain of 100 fashion department stores that operate across Canada. ... Place de la CathÃ©drale (in back) as seen from Mount Royal Place de la CathÃ©drale is a 34 storey skyscraper located in downtown Montreal that was completed in 1987. ...

Bonaventure station

Le 1000 de La GauchetiÃ¨re Le 1000 de la GauchetiÃ¨re is Montreals tallest skyscraper, simply named for its address at 1000, rue De La GauchetiÃ¨re Ouest in the citys downtown. ... Place Ville-Marie Place Ville-Marie or 1, Place Ville-Marie is a cruciform office tower built in the International style in 1962 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... The 1250 RenÃ©-LÃ©vesque seen from the east. ... 1887-1889 The Windsor Station was the Canadian Pacific Railway s new headquarter built between 1887-1889. ... The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR; AAR reporting marks CP, CPAA, CPI), known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a Canadian Class I railway operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited. ...

Lucien-L'Allier station

The Bell Centre (French: Centre Bell), formerly known as the Molson Centre, has been the home of the Montreal Canadiens since March 16, 1996, when the team departed from the historic Montreal Forum after their last game on March 11 of the same year. ...

Square-Victoria station

The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an agency of the United Nations, develops the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. ... Bell Canada Enterprises (TSX: BCE) (NYSE: BCE) is a major telecommunications company and a provider of telephone services in Canada. ... The Banque canadienne nationale was a Quebec-based bank in Canada. ... InterContinental is a brand of upscale luxury hotels owned by InterContinental Hotels Group. ... Tour de la Bourse by day. ... The Bourse de Montréal (Montreal Stock Exchange) began in 1832 as an informal stock exchange at the Exchange Coffee House in Montreal, Canada. ...

Place-d'Armes station

Place-des-Arts station

The Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec. ... View of the Place des Arts esplanade. ... Complexe Desjardins is an office and hotel complex and shopping mall located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ... Hydro-QuÃ©bec headquarters in downtown Montreal, with logo Hydro-QuÃ©bec is a government-owned corporation that provides hydroelectric power for Quebec, Canada. ...

Atwater segment

Atwater metro station, on the western edge of downtown just inside the territory of Westmount, is connected to the Plaza Alexis-Nihon and Westmount Square shopping, office, and residential complexes, and to Dawson College, a major cégep. Westmount City Hall Some typical homes in Westmount Westmount is a former (and future) city in southwestern Quebec, Canada on the Island of Montreal, an enclave of the city of Montreal; pop. ... Dawson College is a CEGEP (Collège denseignement général et professionnel or College of General and Vocational Education) located in Montreal, Quebec. ... CÃ‰GEP (CollÃ¨ge denseignement gÃ©nÃ©ral et professionnel - College of General and Vocational Education, pronounced say-jep [fr/en] or see-jip [en]) is a type of educational institution in Quebec. ...

Berri-UQAM segment

Berri-UQAM station, the central station of the metro network, is located at the eastern end of downtown. In addition to several buildings of the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM)—the Judith-Jasmin, Athanase-David, and Hubert-Aquin pavilions—it is also connected to Montreal's central interurban bus station, the Place Dupuis shopping, office, and hotel complex, and to the Grande Bibliothèque du Québec. The UniversitÃ© du QuÃ©bec Ã MontrÃ©al (UQAM) is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec. ... The Grande BibliothÃ¨que du QuÃ©bec (GBQ) is a very large library in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. ...

Guy-Concordia segment

Presently, Guy-Concordia station does not offer direct connections to the tower built above its St-Mathieu entrance.

A major new building soon to start construction, of Concordia University, will connect from the metro station to the western side of Guy. Construction plans have been established to link the Engineering and Visual Arts Complex to the Library Building permitting that funds can be raised. Should this come to pass, the Hall Building will also be connected to the metro station, as it is connected to the Library Building by tunnel. This article is about Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. ...

Concordia can potentially also connect to the Faubourg, the Faubourg Tower and the Grey Nuns campus which are already interconnected, with a single tunnel from Engineering and Visual Arts Complex to the Faubourg Tower. The newly acquired TD building can also potentially be linked to the new building that is to start soon.

Other stations

Several other metro stations outside downtown are directly connected to other buildings.

Plans for the new McGill University Health Centre superhospital include a direct link to Vendôme metro station. Stade Olympique (English: Olympic Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium located in Montreal. ... The UniversitÃ© de MontrÃ©al (UdeM) (University of Montreal) is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec. ... The McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) is a network of five teaching hospitals in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, all of which are affiliated with McGill University. ...

Other resources

External links

Contents

Central component

History

List of buildings connected to the underground city

Central segment

Peel station

McGill station

Bonaventure station

Lucien-L'Allier station

Square-Victoria station

Place-d'Armes station

Place-des-Arts station

Atwater segment

Berri-UQAM segment

Guy-Concordia segment

Other stations

Other resources

External links

See also

Contents

Central component GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

History

List of buildings connected to the underground city

Central segment

Peel station

McGill station

Bonaventure station

Lucien-L'Allier station

Square-Victoria station

Place-d'Armes station

Place-des-Arts station

Atwater segment

Berri-UQAM segment

Guy-Concordia segment

Other stations

Other resources

External links

See also

Central component