Montreal Districts

LaSalle Canada

In 1912, the LaSalle district located in front of the Rapides Lachine, took the name of its first Lord, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle. The name of the famous Rapides de Lachine remained unchanged.

The Rapides de Lachine are located in LaSalle, a reality known only by a small number of Montrealers. Those who use the cycle paths skirting the river between Verdun and the Montreal Aqueduct do know that the impressive Rapides de Lachine are not located in Lachine.

The LaSalle district is located in the southern part of the island of Montreal, between Verdun, Lachine and the St-Lawrence River.

The borough and district is similar to Anjou or Montreal-Nord districts with large residential developments and long commercial roads with huge parking and giant billboards. Besides residential developments of different densities, the home styles are various. The neighborhood offers various schools, many parks and several industries located south of the railway.

Today the LaSalle district is one of the least densely populated territory of Montreal. Its immigrants mostly come from India, Hong-Kong, El Salvador, Poland and Italy. The mobility of the population remains high and explains the strong proportion of tenants and of various "plex".

Canal Lachine Montreal

The traveler who would be bold enough to go down the St-Lawrence River would notice that it slows down after the Lake St-Louis, accelerates around the Mercier Bridge and changes into rapids – the Rapides de Lachine - in front of a territory that was once called Lachine. Between Lake St-Louis and the port, the slope of the river reaches 10 meters (about 33 feet), enough to frighten any traveler.

To avoid the dangerous Rapides de Lachine, our traveler would have to "porterage" on a path now called Lasalle Boulevard. Passed the uproar of the Île aux Hérons, the river then flows peacefully towards the Ste-Marie Current and the Port of Montreal.

From the beginning of the fur trade to the completion of the St-Lawrence Seaway, the commercial activities of the country were highly centered on how to avoid the impetuous Rapides de Lachine.

The opening of the Canal Lachine Montréal in 1825 was a major event in the history of Quebec and Canada. The Canal helped Montreal become the economic turning point of the whole country. Its main purpose was to avoid the Rapides de Lachine and make sure the maritime transport between Lake St-Louis and the Port of Montreal went well.

Business Montreal Opportunity

Until the beginning of the 20th century, Montreal was one of the most important industrial centre of Canada. While the majority of the territories bordering the Canal Lachine Montreal had started their industrial expansion, LaSalle was still a vast green meadow.

In the 1920's, and in spite of the 1930 crisis, several industries, some quite prestigious, established themselves in the LaSalle district.

Those industries like the Distillers Corporation settled near the river because of their requirements in water, near the railways because of their requirements in transport and close to the Canal Lachine Montreal that borders the north of the Town. This section of the Canal doesn't have any locks.

At the end of the 1950’s, the now LaSalle district had become one of the most industrialized municipalities of the country. Between 1965 and 1970 its residential and commercial development also experienced a dazzling growth.

The fast growth of the previous decades slowed down at the end of the 1970's when middle class families moved to the suburbs. Still, the industrial activity remained important, even after the closing of the Canal Lachine Montreal in 1970.

The manufacturing and industrial sectors still employ thousands of workers. Large companies like Labatt, General Kraft Foods, Fleischmann and Quebecor are still present in LaSalle Canada. The commercial sector with its thousands of SME’s – Small and Medium Enterprises - is also quite important.

The times when the LaSalle district could accommodate large industries are over. Its current land availabilities no longer allow the establishment of new industries, but does allow the addition of new floors to the present buildings. The tendency that currently prevails is the large presence of SME’s, the automation of the production systems and the increase of the service industries.

Types of Institutions

Unfortunately, the period also corresponds to the destruction of many private houses and public buildings.

The modernization of the territory has not always been done in harmony with its rich architectural past. Several areas with rich patrimonial value were completely destroyed. The most important wave of demolition happened between the end of 1960 and the beginning of 1970. The main roads that frame the area like St-Patrick go back to those good old architectural days.

The need for space for commercial and industrial activities, the spectacular development of new residential sectors and the necessity to build additional roads have been done at the expense of old and beautiful buildings.

The lack of interest for its patrimonial heritage and the systematic demolition of everything that seemed to stop the "progress" of the LaSalle district - including the Fleming Mill - reached its peak with the destruction of the Ogilvie Manor by a criminal fire.

The Ogilvie Manor was the property of Sarah and Alexander Walker Ogilvie, president of the St-Andrews Society of Montreal in 1870. The fire of the Ogilvie manor irremediably tarnished the image of the administration of the time while revealing a feeling of attachment for the historical inheritance of LaSalle.

In 1976, archaeological excavations unearth the foundations of the first Église des Saints-Anges de Lachine. The location officially became a classified archaeological site and eventually became the first archaeological interpretation park of the island of Montreal.

Main Street Canvas

The de la Vérendrye Boulevard owes its importance to the fact that, while skirting the Montreal Aqueduct, it also crosses all the southern part of the area.

The boulevard de la Vérendrye is a very important road and an essential connection between the Mercier and the Champlain bridges. In 1952, the Newman Boulevard was enlarged to facilitate the access to the Mercier Bridge. In the 1960's and the 1970's, the Dollard Street became one of the busiest roads of LaSalle.

In 1961, the Ukrainians of the LaSalle district wanted to underline the 100th anniversary of the death of their national poet, Taras Schevchenko. In the fall of 1967, the Shevchenko Boulevard was officially opened. Schevchenko, along with the St-Patrick Street, the Lafleur Avenue, the Newman, Lasalle, de la Vérendrye and Champlain Boulevards, now represent the main roads of the territory.

Thank you for visiting LaSalle District.
More to come soon.

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