Sud Ouest DistrictSaint-Henri
Around 1780 a family, the Lenoir family known as Rolland, settled in what is now Saint-Henri. The grandfather was a tanner and his trade was transmitted from father to son. The community constantly needed leather, leather was an essential element in those days. Many items like furniture, saddles, shoes, gloves, coats and many more were made out of leather. At the end of the 18th century, more than half a dozen of tanneries, a considerable number for the time, existed in what was once commonly called the "Tanneries des Rolland". 
After 1825, industrialization emerged. Any goods transported to Lachine by terrestrial way had to go through the area. To facilitate the transport, simple roads like the Upper Lachine Road now called Notre Dame were built. Formerly full of holes the now historic East West Notre Dame street is also known as the Chemin du Roy and continues North East towards Lanaudière, Mauricie and Quebec. The district is a working and industrial one but it gradually lost most of its industrial function. Except for the old middle-class residential blocks built at the end of the 19th century, there are very few streets where a residence is not close to a factory. 
The traditional area is delimited by Atwater, the Lachine Canal, the CP Railway and the Turcot Interchange. In addition, all the space occupied by the Industrial Park from the Lachine Canal to the CPR railways and from the Turcot Interchange to Montreal West also represents Saint-Henri. In 1930, in the absence of unemployment insurance and social assistance, the government established direct help and multiplied public works to create jobs. It is during those times that the striking 1933 art deco Atwater Market was built, along with the fire station on Place St-Henri and the viaducts on de la Montagne and Guy. 
The vicinity is the proud owner of two of the most beautiful public parks of the city. The Saint-Henri park, the oldest, was created at the end of the 19th century at the instigation of the then municipality. The Sir George Étienne Cartier park was created in 1912. Its beautiful fountain has been recently restored. Michel Tremblay evokes the urban life of the Plateau Mont Royal with immense talent. Richard Séguin beautifully sings the life of the workers living in Montreal East. Yvon Deschamps tells tales about the daily life of the population of St-Henri with great pride. One can feel the sense of belonging of this remarkable artist who was born and raised in Saint-Henri. 
Saint-Henri, La Petite Bourgogne and Ville Émard are where some of the scenes of "Omerta 3" have been filmed. Those three territories are cherished by the 7th art. Many American producers are interested by the atmosphere and the architectural complexity. The Atwater market and the Lachine Canal are particularly appraised by the American cinema. The Simmons and Coleco buildings, bastions of industrial times now accommodate artists, craftsmen, designers and photographers. The arrival of the Victor Studio and the Pilon brothers in the old RCA Victor building put the territory on the map. Victor Studio offers sound recording, mastering and post-production services. Daniel Lavoie, Rock Voisine, Richard Séguin, Michel Rivard, Robert Charlebois are among those who recorded some of their albums at the Studio. Thank you for visiting Saint-Henri. Sud Ouest District / Sud Ouest Borough Web Sites We Like
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