Saint Pierre River (Montreal)

Saint-Pierre River
Memorial site of the former site of the Saint-Pierre River near the Côte-Saint-Paul locks of the Lachine Canal
Map
Location
CountryCanada
ProvinceQuebec
Physical characteristics
Mouth 
 • location
St Lawrence River, Montreal
 • coordinates
45°30′11″N 73°33′12″W / 45.50306°N 73.55333°W / 45.50306; -73.55333
 • elevation
9 m (30 ft)

The Saint Pierre River[1] (French: rivière Saint-Pierre, pronounced [ʁivjɛʁ sɛ̃ pjɛʁ]) was a river in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, flowing into the St. Lawrence River. The city of Montreal was founded at its mouth, at the height of the site Pointe-à-Callière Museum.

Description

The Saint Pierre river originated in the west of Montreal Island; one branch led to the current Old Port of Montreal and the other poured into the river near the Aqueduct of Montreal in Verdun. Not far from the Saint-Jacques escarpment, the river formed Otter Lake at the present location of the Turcot Interchange.

History

The river was long used as a sewer by area residents. In 1832, for safety's sake, it was decided to bury it by channeling in the nearby area Pointe-à-Callière Museum.[2] The various other sections of the river were also buried in the following decades. The development of the property previously located southwest of the river resulted in no visible traces remaining of the river. In 1990, the collector was filled with sand, causing the complete disappearance of the river.[3]

The sewer's relics can be seen at the Pointe-à-Callière Museum, while a section of its route is visible near the Côte-Saint-Paul locks of the Lachine Canal.

See also

References