Griffintown

Griffintownis a historic neighbourhood ofMontreal,Quebec,southwest ofdowntown.The area existed as a functional neighbourhood from the 1820s until the 1960s and was mainly populated by Irish immigrants and their descendants. Mostly depopulated since then, the neighbourhood has been undergoing redevelopment since the early 2010s.

Griffintown
Neighbourhood
Mountain Streetin Griffintown
Griffintown Location of Griffintown inMontreal
Coordinates:45.48756°N 73.56677°W/45.48756; -73.56677
Country	Canada
Province	Quebec
City	Montreal
Borough	Le Sud-Ouest
Area
• Land	1.31 km2(0.51 sq mi)
Elevation	20 m (70 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	6,446
• Density	4,920.6/km2(12,744/sq mi)
• Change(2006-11)	67.3%
• Dwellings	4,714
Postal Code	H3C
Area code(s)	514, 438

Griffintown is the portion of the ward of St. Ann north of the Lachine Canal; the part south of the canal is now part ofPointe-Saint-Charles.This part of the ward was delimited byNotre-Dame Streetto the north, theBonaventure Expresswayto the east, and a short segment of the city limit between Notre-Dame Street and the canal west of the St. Gabriel Locks to the west.It was the earliest and largestfaubourgannexed to Old Montreal before the introduction of thetramcar in the 1840s.

Etymology

The nameGriffintownwas derived from Mary Griffin. Griffin illegally obtained the lease to the land from a business associate of Thomas McCord in 1799. She then commissioned land surveyor Louis Charland to subdivide the land and plan streets for the area in 1804. Griffin's husband, Robert, owned a soap factory in the area and went on to become the first clerk of theBank of Montrealupon its formation in 1817.

History

Griffintown in 1896.

Griffintown was first populated in the early nineteenth century mostly by Irish immigrant labourers. They worked on theLachine Canaland in the industries surrounding it, theVictoria Bridge,railways, and thePort of Montreal.

The Irish community was centered on St. Ann's Catholic Church, which opened in 1854 at the corner of McCord (nowMountain Street) and Basin Streets, across from Gallery Square, which was named after the Gallery brothers, John Daniel Gallery, who ran a large and successful bakery and his brotherDaniel Gallerywho was an alderman of Montreal, Schools commissioner and a Liberal member of parliament.

By the early twentieth century, the Irish were being replaced by Jewish, Italian, Ukrainian, and Francophone communities, with the Irish becoming a minority group by 1941.

TheCanadian National Railwayelevated tracks approachingMontreal Central Stationcut a wide swathe between Dalhousie and Nazareth Streets around 1930.

Post-war economic changes beginning in the 1950s led to the depopulation of "The Griff". The Lachine Canal lost its role as a major transport artery when it was replaced by theSaint Lawrence Seawayin 1959.

In 1962, Griffintown was re-zoned as "light industrial". Many buildings were demolished in the 1960s to make way for theBonaventure Expresswayand for parking lots.

Ruins of St Ann's, today an outdoor museum and park.

St. Ann's Church was demolished in 1970,and is now the site of the Parc Griffintown-St-Ann, where parts of the church's foundations remain visible, and park benches are positioned where thepewswould have been. By 1974, the population of Griffintown was 546.

In 1990, the eastern part of the area was included in the planning sector of "Faubourg des Récollets". By then it only somewhat resembled the historic neighbourhood due to the lack of remaining historical architecture. TheCité Multimédiawas built partly above the ruins. The remainders are preserved in theMcCord Museum.

In 2014, Griffintown became part of an ongoing movement to introduce a "Quartier de l'innovation" to lower Montreal.This area would look to foster creativity and entrepreneurship in the city, designed to promote and encourage economic development for district residents.

Redevelopment

Condominiums under construction in October 2014.

In October 2012, the city of Montreal revealed its plans concerning the redevelopment of the Griffintown area, with a desire to transform what was then an industrial, sparsely inhabited area into a pleasant, high-density neighborhood. In order to do this, the city announced plans to establish parks and bike paths and to provide permits for the building of dozens of condominium towers in the area, ranging from 10 to 20 stories high.

Another stated goal of the project was to preserve the historical significance of some of the remaining century-old buildings.

The Griffintown redevelopment is expected to be completed by 2025.

Administrative status

The entire area currently considered to be Griffintown is located within theboroughofLe Sud-Ouest,although the western end of the historic district extends into the borough ofVille-Marie.Griffintown spans theoretically from the neighbourhood ofPoint St. Charlesto theOld Port,and north to Notre-Dame Street. Currently, it holds the stables (theGriffintown Horse Palace,at the corner of Ottawa and Eleanor) for the horses that provide tours in carriages (calèche) around the Old Port. Many technological companies built office space in the area, andÉcole de Technologie Supérieure(ÉTS) built its residence there. Very few residents still live in the area, and very little of the original architecture remains, however. Because of its location, some residential projects are taking shape, including Lowney Lofts, a multi-phase condominium project revitalizing a chocolate factory and the surrounding block.

In 2006, a project to move theMontreal Casinoto the Peel Basin, as part of an entertainment complex in partnership with theCirque du Soleil,caused a controversy because of the social impact of the establishment of gambling in an underprivileged district. The project was finally abandoned. In July 2007, promoter Devimco announced plans to develop 12 hectares of the neighborhood into a modern complex of office towers and residential homes.

On theCity of Montreal Website,additional plans to update the now-renamed Griffintown are described.

Culture

Michel Régnier made a film on the subject in 1972, which used archival photos of Griffintown, along with interviews of former residents in order to paint a picture of the landscape, community, and a people. Richard Burman made a documentary in 2003 called 'Ghosts of Griffintown'. It starts off telling the story of Ms Mary Gallagher, a prostitute who was brutally murdered in 1879 and would return every seven years to William Street in search of her head. Although the last reported sighting was in 1928, Mary Gallagher Day is on June 27 (the date of the sightings), every seven years. It then explores the history using this story as a metaphor on how the community itself has disappeared like a ghost. Alan Hustak has written a book 'The Ghost of Griffintown' which explores in great detail the murder of Mary Gallagher. Lisa Gasior created the Griffinsound Project that is a walking tour designed to be completed individually. It provides a background and interviews regarding the changing landscape of this space.

Demographics

Home language (2021)

Language	Population	Pct (%)
French	865	8.2%
English	1,455	13.9%
Both English and French	8,050	76.6%
Other languages	145	1.4%

See also

• Goose Village, Montreal
• Irish Montreal before the Great Famine
• Little Dublin, Montreal

External links

• Committee for the Sustainable Redevelopment of Griffintown Web site
• Quebec Heritage Web site
• The Siege of Griffintown,Montreal Mirror
• Last Irishman standing,Montreal Mirror
• Ghosts of Griffinitown: Stories of an Irish Neighbourhood
• Sounding Griffintown
• Griffintown, Ville de Montréal (French)
• McCord Museum.Griffintown Game, the Irish in Montreal
• Walk in Griffintown