Montreal Unveiled Its Plans For A New Public Square That Will Honour Women

It will feature a huge commemorative mirror wall.
Montreal Unveiled Plans For The 'Place des Montréalaises' Public Square Honouring Women
Angela Silver via Réalisons Montréal
Staff Writer

The stunning concept art for a monument in the upcoming "Place des Montréalaises" near Montreal City Hall was finally revealed to the public today via Mayor Valérie Plante's social media channels. 

In an Instagram post, the mayor said that the new public square will honour "several women [...] for their vision, their convictions and the symbol they represent."

The square is intended to "create a green and pedestrian link between downtown and Old Montreal."

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Mayor Valérie Plante

Among its installations will be a large mirror wall honouring seven trailblazing Montreal women: Myra Cree, Idola Saint-Jean, Harriet Brooks, Jessie Maxwell-Smith, Agnès Vautier, Ida Roth Steinberg and Jeanne Mance.

Angela Silver via Réalisons Montréal

The wall will also serve as a permanent tribute to the 14 victims of femicide at the École Polytechnique shooting in 1989. 

Another area near Champ-de-Mars metro station will honour Marie-Josèphe-Angélique, an enslaved Black woman who was accused of starting a fire, given a sham trial and executed in the 18th century.

"Marie-Josèphe-Angélique's fate is a testament to the tragic fate imposed on Native and black people enslaved throughout our history," the city said in a statement.

Work on the Place des Montréalaises is projected to wrap up in 2024.

  • Teddy Elliot
  • Teddy Elliot was a Staff Writer for MTL Blog. He was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec and has a B.A. in Literature. Teddy has been a journalist for three years and was once an English teacher. His creative work has appeared in The Blasted Tree and Parenthetical Magazine. When he's not chasing scoops, Teddy can be found cheering on Aston Villa and listening to 80s power ballads. He was shortlisted for a Digital Publishing Award in 2021.

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