McGill station is a
Montreal Metro station in the borough of
Ville-Marie in the
downtown core
The Downtown Core is the historical and downtown centre of the city-state of Singapore and the main commercial area in Singapore excluding reclaimed lands with many integrated resorts such as the Marina Bay Sands, one of the most expensive buildi ...
of
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple ...
,
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
, Canada. It is operated by the
Société de transport de Montréal
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM; en, Montreal Transit Corporation) is a public transport agency that operates transit bus and rapid transit services in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Established in 1861 as the "Montreal City Passenger Ra ...
(STM) and serves the
Green Line. The station opened on October 14, 1966, as part of the original network of the Metro.
It is currently the third busiest station (after
Berri–UQAM station and
Guy-Concordia station) in the network measured by number of passengers entering the system. Prior to 2002, it was the busiest station in the network. From 2024, the station will be served by the
Réseau express métropolitain (REM).
Overview
Designed by Crevier, Lemieux, Mercier and Caron, it is a normal
side platform
A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platform ...
station built in
open cut
Open-pit mining, also known as open-cast or open-cut mining and in larger contexts mega-mining, is a surface mining technique of extracting rock or minerals from the earth from an open-air pit, sometimes known as a borrow.
This form of mining ...
under
boul. De Maisonneuve, with two ticket halls joined by
corridors that surround the platforms. The station is named after, and is located adjacent to
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
.
The ticket halls are linked to the platforms by four
stairways per platform, including the shortest
escalator
An escalator is a moving staircase which carries people between floors of a building or structure. It consists of a motor-driven chain of individually linked steps on a track which cycle on a pair of tracks which keep the step tread horizo ...
s in the network. The station has large
pillars
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...
, which were originally painted orange, but painted in beer bottle green colour in the late 1990s. In January 2010 the STM repainted the station in its original colours being orange pillars and yellow walls.
As an important part of the
underground city
An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of th ...
, the station has had its
mezzanine level substantially enlarged since its opening, by construction of new buildings around the station: the western end of the mezzanine was added with the construction of the
Tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed ...
BNP and
Eaton Centre, while the southern corridor between the ticket halls was added to link the Promenades de la Cathédrale (now known as
Promenades Cathédrale
Promenades Cathédrale is a retail complex on Saint Catherine Street in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
The complex is located beneath Montreal's Anglican Christ Church Cathedral. Constructed in 1987, the mall is integrated into the undergr ...
) with the station.
No fewer than six buildings are directly connected to the station via underground city. The station has a further six direct street-level entrances, all of which are integrated into the
façade
A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'.
In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...
s of other buildings.
Among this busy station's amenities include several shops and services directly in the station, including a
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc., commonly nicknamed Tim's, or Timmie's is a Canadian multinational coffeehouse and restaurant chain. Based in Toronto, Tim Hortons serves coffee, doughnuts, and other fast-food items. It is Canada's largest quick-service res ...
,
Second Cup, a
Scotiabank, two Pizza Shops, a web terminal, and MétroVision information screens which displays news, commercials, and the time till the next train. This was second station after
Berri-UQAM to have them installed. At one time an "
open-concept
Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan that makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms such as private offices. The term can also refer to landscaping of h ...
" branch of the
Montreal Public Library
The Montreal Public Libraries Network (, previously ''Réseau des bibliothèques publiques de Montréal'') is the public library system on the Island of Montreal in Quebec, Canada. It is the largest French language public library system in Nor ...
was located next to the exit onto
rue Université.
File:Montréal - Métro McGill - 20050310.jpg, McGill station in its former colours of green and burgundy, changed in 2010.
File:McGillMetro-RushHour.JPG, McGill station during rush hour.
Renovation and upgrade works
In March 2012, the station underwent renovation work that included the replacement of
Travertine
Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a p ...
tiles covering surfaces of the whole station, spanning over . Other work included replacing the lighting system, fixing columns, beams, and concrete slabs and replacing granite staircases and handrails. The work was to be completed by March 2013. More recently (end of 2016), modernized signage has been put in place, flooring has been completely replaced and the stained glass installation underwent a restoration and was put back in place.
In 2020, work began on making the station universally accessible, ahead of the arrival of the REM. The project involves the construction of a new entrance building, two elevators and refurbishment of three of the other entrances.
Réseau express métropolitain station
In November 2016,
CDPQ Infra announced that the proposed
Réseau express métropolitain
The Réseau express métropolitain (REM; en, Metropolitan Express Network) is a light metro rapid transit system under construction in Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. When completed in 2025, the system will link several Montreal suburbs and ...
(REM) system would connect to the Green line at McGill.
As with the 1980s Line 3 proposal, the REM will use the historic
Mont Royal tunnel to head north from downtown. The REM station will be located under
McGill College Avenue
McGill College Avenue (officially in french: avenue McGill College) is a street in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Named for McGill University, the street was widened in the 1980s and transformed into a scenic avenue with McGill's Roddick Gat ...
, and a pedestrian tunnel will connect it to the Green Line station concourse, as well as the wider
Underground City
An underground city is a series of linked subterranean spaces that may provide a defensive refuge; a place for living, working or shopping; a transit system; mausolea; wine or storage cellars; cisterns or drainage channels; or several of th ...
.
CDPQ Infra indicate that the station will be the 2nd busiest station on the REM, with over 25,000 passengers per day.
Construction on the McGill REM station began in September 2018. In this location, the Mont Royal tunnel is not bored through solid rock, and therefore work to strengthen the historic tunnel was required. , the REM station is planned to open at the end of 2024.
Entrances
The station has 6 entrances:
: 690,
De Maisonneuve Ouest
: 640, De Maisonneuve Ouest
: 811, De Maisonneuve Ouest
: 2055,
Boulevard Robert-Bourassa
A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway.
Boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former city walls.
In American usage, boulevards may ...
: 2021,
Avenue Union
: 1445, Av. Union and La Baie
Architecture and art
This station contains several pieces of artwork.
The most prominent is
Nicolas Sollogoub's ''Montreal Scenes Circa 1830'', depicting the industrial era in the city as well as its early mayors and civic arms. This set of five stained-glass murals was donated by
Macdonald Tobacco
The Macdonald Tobacco Company (initially called McDonald Brothers and Co.), founded in 1858 by William Christopher Macdonald and his brother Augustine, converted tobacco leaf from southern U.S. suppliers to pipe and chewing tobacco in Montreal. A ...
, and installed in 1974.
Maurice Savoie created a set of
terra cotta
Terracotta, terra cotta, or terra-cotta (; ; ), in its material sense as an earthenware substrate, is a clay-based unglazed or glazed ceramic where the fired body is porous.
In applied art, craft, construction, and architecture, terracotta ...
murals depicting fruit and flowers, surrounding the entrance to
Eaton's (now the
Complexe Les Ailes
, image = Le Centre Eaton de Montréal - panoramio.jpg
, image_width = 260px
, caption = Interior of the Montreal Eaton Centre (2016)
, address = Montreal, QuebecH3B 4G5
, coordinates =
, opening_date = 1990
, developer =
, manager = I ...
). This were installed when the station opened in 1966.
The construction of the Promenades de la Cathédrale in 1992 brought two new works of art, a light sculpture called ''Passūs'' by
Murray MacDonald, and an installation of an aerial view of Montreal complete with miniature figures of the buildings, by art collective
Les Industries perdues. The latter work is entitled ''To rise, we must push against the ground onto which we have fallen.''
Finally, a tapestry by
Kelvin McAvoy
The kelvin, symbol K, is the primary unit of temperature in the International System of Units (SI), used alongside its metric prefix, prefixed forms and the degree Celsius. It is named after the Belfast-born and University of Glasgow-based eng ...
depicting the life of
James McGill
James McGill (October 6, 1744 – December 19, 1813) was a Scottish Canadian businessman and philanthropist best known for being the founder of McGill University, Montreal. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Montreal ...
was donated by Canadian Universal Limited Insurance in 1969; however, after being vandalized, it was removed by the company for restoration, and then given as a perpetual loan to
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
instead, where it is now exhibited at the
McLennan Library
The McLennan Library Building of McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada is situated at 3459, rue McTavish (3459, McTavish Street) on the northeast corner of rue Sherbrooke (Sherbrooke Street) and rue McTavish (McTavish Street). The building ...
.
Origin of the name
McGill is named for
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
. Founded in 1821 with money and on land bequeathed by Scottish-Canadian businessman
James McGill
James McGill (October 6, 1744 – December 19, 1813) was a Scottish Canadian businessman and philanthropist best known for being the founder of McGill University, Montreal. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada for Montreal ...
, this is one of Canada's most prestigious institutions of higher education.
Connecting bus routes
Nearby points of interest
Connected via the underground city
*
Centre Eaton and
Saint Catherine Street
Sainte-Catherine Street (french: rue Sainte-Catherine) () is the primary commercial artery of Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It crosses the central business district from west to east, beginning at the corner of Claremont Avenue and de ...
*
Tour McGill College and
McGill College Avenue
McGill College Avenue (officially in french: avenue McGill College) is a street in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Named for McGill University, the street was widened in the 1980s and transformed into a scenic avenue with McGill's Roddick Gat ...
*
Place Montréal Trust
*
Tour Industrielle-Vie
*
2020 Robert-Bourassa
2020 Robert-Bourassa is a 104.0 m tall skyscraper located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
It was built in 1974 and hosts a number of tenants, including Home Trust, Income Access, Intact Financial, and Monster.ca. The building previously served as ...
* Place London Life/Les Galeries 2001
University Street
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
*
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
- 688
Sherbrooke Street
Sherbrooke Street (officially in french: rue Sherbrooke) is a major east–west artery and at in length, is the second longest street on the Island of Montreal. The street begins in the town of Montreal West and ends on the extreme tip of ...
*
Hudson's Bay and avenue Union
*
Place Ville Marie and
Gare centrale
*
Peel Metro station and points west
*
Bonaventure
Bonaventure ( ; it, Bonaventura ; la, Bonaventura de Balneoregio; 1221 – 15 July 1274), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Catholic Franciscan, bishop, cardinal, scholastic theologian and philosopher.
The seventh Minister G ...
Metro station and points south
*
Place de la Cathédrale and Saint Catherine Street
Other
*
McGill University
McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous ...
*
Percival Molson Memorial Stadium /
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes (French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Canad ...
*
McCord Museum of Canadian History McCord may refer to:
__NOTOC__ Places Canada
* McCord, Saskatchewan
*McCord Museum, Quebec
*Mount McCord
United States
* McCord, Oklahoma
* McCord, Wisconsin
*McCord Bend, Missouri
*McCord Crossroads, Alabama
McCords Crossroads (formerly, Hopewe ...
*
Redpath Museum
The Redpath Museum (french: Musée Redpath) is a museum of natural history belonging to McGill University and located on the university's campus at 859, rue Sherbrooke Ouest (859 Sherbrooke Street West) in Montreal, Quebec. It was built in 1882 ...
*
Christ Church Cathedral
*
CJNT-DT
CJNT-DT (channel 62) is a television station in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, part of the Citytv network. Owned and operated by network parent Rogers Sports & Media, the station maintains studios inside the Rogers Building at the corner of McGill ...
/
Citytv studios
*
Royal Victoria Hospital - Legacy Site
*
Montreal Neurological Hospital
The Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital (MNI), also known as Montreal Neuro or The Neuro, is a research and medical centre dedicated to neuroscience, training and clinical care, located in the city's downtown core of Montreal, Quebec, Cana ...
*
Phillips Square
Phillips Square (french: square Phillips) is a public square located in Downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Square was established in 1842 thanks to a gift from Alfred Phillips to the city of Montreal.
History
In 1842, the square was firs ...
References
External links
McGill Station - official siteMontreal by Metro, metrodemontreal.com- photos, information, and trivia
2011 STM System Map2011 Downtown System Map
{{MTL Metro Green
Green Line (Montreal Metro)
Downtown Montreal
Railway stations in Canada opened in 1966
Railway stations in Canada at university and college campuses
Réseau express métropolitain railway stations