In the Building Montréal exhibition, visitors are whisked back in time to relive key moments in our city’s past, from the first inhabitants some 6,000 years ago to the French and British regimes, and to the cultural melting pot that we know today.

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An in-depth look into the human experience of the city, it explores seven eras of its history (First Nation territory; French regime; British regime, pre-industrial era; industrial city; large modern city; French metropolis and the city of tomorrow) through three main questions concerning its inhabitants:

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Who are they? - Population, demographics, waves of migration, families, social strata, etc.
What do they do? - Trades and economic activity, religion, daily life, cultural practices, etc.
Where do they live? - Montreal houses, workplaces, social interaction areas, different types of spaces, etc. 

 

Another section of the exhibition works as a gallery of moving portraits of Montrealers. In yet another, visitors can look up their ancestors in a bank of genealogical data containing over 22,000 family names. As part of the exhibition, a timeline illustrates highlights in the city’s history and an archaeological crypt shows evidence of several centuries of occupancy.

 

Created in collaboration with a panel of historians and First Nation consultants, Building Montréal is a testament to the men and women who shaped the city, from the past to the present. Montréal’s history unveils itself in this astonishing exhibition that offers a uniquely captivating and engaging experience.