Hochelaga-Maisonneuve () is a neighbourhood in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, situated in the east end of the island, generally to the south of the city's

Olympic Stadium ''Olympic Stadium'' is the name usually given to the main stadium of an Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international Olympic sports, sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports ...

and east of downtown. Historically a poor neighbourhood, it has experienced significant change and

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

in recent years.

History

Early history

Hochelaga was named after the

Iroquois The Iroquois ( ), also known as the Five Nations, and later as the Six Nations from 1722 onwards; alternatively referred to by the Endonym and exonym, endonym Haudenosaunee ( ; ) are an Iroquoian languages, Iroquoian-speaking Confederation#Ind ...

village of the same name, first visited by explorer

Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier (; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French maritime explorer from Brittany. Jacques Cartier was the first Europeans, European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, wh ...

in 1534. The neighbourhood was at one time believed to be the location of the historic village, but modern

historians A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

and

anthropologists An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

have not reached agreement on the exact location. Present-day Hochelaga was founded as a suburban village in 1863. Industry soon started moving in, including the Hudon and Sainte-Anne

cotton mill A cotton mill is a building that houses spinning or weaving machinery for the production of yarn or cloth from cotton, an important product during the Industrial Revolution in the development of the factory system. Although some were driven ...

s and in 1876 the terminal and railway shops of the

Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway The Canada, Canadian province of Quebec formed the ''Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway'' (QMO&OR) in 1874 to link those cities since private companies, without the usual subsidies from the Federal Government of Canada, could not get ...

. In December 1883, Hochelaga was annexed to the city of

against the demands of some of its landowners to the east. In response, they separated their territory to found the village of Maisonneuve. Maisonneuve grew rapidly between 1896 and 1915 and became of one Canada's largest industrial suburbs, marketed as a model industrial city and the ''

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...

of Canada'' during the first two decades of the 20th century. These factories hired many workers, including immigrants and people from the surrounding countryside. They worked in the

shoe A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. Though the human foot can adapt to varied terrains and climate conditions, it is vulnerable, and shoes provide protection. Form was originally tied to function, but ...

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

, tanning,

slaughterhouse In livestock agriculture and the meat industry, a slaughterhouse, also called an abattoir (), is a facility where livestock animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a mea ...

, tobacco, food, and

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

industries. In 1918, $18 million in debt, Maisonneuve was forced to annex to Montreal, consolidated the neighbourhood as Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. The

Montreal Botanical Garden The Montreal Botanical Garden (, ) is a large botanical garden in Montreal, Quebec, Canada comprising of thematic gardens and greenhouses. It was designated a National Historic Sites of Canada, National Historic Site of Canada in 2008 as it i ...

was opened in 1931.

Decline

The construction of major transportation infrastructures such as Highway 25 in 1967, required the demolition of some 2,000 homes and institutional buildings. These changes, combined with the movement of capital and production to

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

, hurt the neighbourhood's economy and vitality. Many factories left the area, along with numerous residents. In 1976 the

was opened, in time for the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...

Beginning in the 1980s, factories started shutting down at an alarming rate, leaving the neighborhood ridden with poverty and a high concentration of

welfare Welfare may refer to: Philosophy *Well-being (happiness, prosperity, or flourishing) of a person or group * Utility in utilitarianism * Value in value theory Economics * Utility, a general term for individual well-being in economics and decision ...

, especially in Hochelaga. This has led to a population exodus, relatively high crime rates, and a generally unfavorable view of the area. The district became particularly notorious for

prostitution Prostitution is a type of sex work that involves engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, no ...

, a contentious issue for many years. During the

Quebec Biker War The Quebec Biker War () was a turf war in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, lasting from 1994 to 2002, between the Quebec branch of the Hells Angels and the Rock Machine. The war left 162 people dead, including civilians. There were also 84 bombings and ...

, the

Hells Angels The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club founded in California whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells ...

had their clubhouse in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, which worsened its reputation for criminality. In the most notorious incident of the ''guerre des motards'', on 9 August 1995, a drug dealer was killed by a

bomb A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechan ...

planted in his jeep while the shrapnel badly injured an 11-year boy, Daniel Desrochers, who died of his wounds four days later.

Present day

The 2010s were marked by increased

, the arrival of students and professionals, and

condo A condominium (or condo for short) is an ownership regime in which a building (or group of buildings) is divided into multiple units that are either each separately owned, or owned in common with exclusive rights of occupation by individual own ...

development leading to protests and some cases of vandalism of commerce. Notable areas that developed include the ''Promenade Ontario''

shopping street A shopping street or shopping district is a designated road or quarter of a municipality that is composed of Retail, retail establishments (such as Retail store, stores, boutiques, restaurants, and Shopping center, shopping complexes). Such are ...

and the ''Place Simon Valois'' revitalized in 2017. Despite this, areas continue to struggle with poverty, prostitution and drug trafficking, particularly in the south-western corner of Hochelaga on Rue Sainte-Catherine Est. In summer 2020, in the same area, a significant number of

homeless people Homelessness, also known as houselessness or being unhoused or unsheltered, is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and functional housing. It includes living on the streets, moving between temporary accommodation with family or friends, liv ...

began camping along Rue Notre-Dame, creating something akin to a

tent city A tent city is a temporary housing facility made using tents or other temporary structures. State governments or military organizations set up tent cities to house evacuees, refugees, or soldiers. UNICEF's Supply Division supplies expandable te ...

. This was attributed in part to the ongoing

housing crisis An affordable housing crisis or housing crisis is either a widespread housing shortage in places where people want to live or a financial crisis in the housing market. Housing crises can contribute to homelessness and housing insecurity. They are ...

in Montreal, significantly heightened by unemployment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as overcrowding of existing shelters. In December 2020, the camp was shut down by

the police The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. Within a few months of their first gig, the line-up settled as Sting (lead vocals, bass guitar, primary songwriter), Andy Summers (guitar) and Stewart Copeland (drums, percussi ...

, following a fire a few days earlier and hygiene concerns. This occurred despite promises from the mayor that they would not be forcibly relocated. However, by the summer of 2022, many of the occupants had gradually returned, and were again removed by the SPVM in June, leading to an outcry from homeless advocates and certain opposition politicians.

Features

A notable attraction is the

Olympic Park An Olympic Park is a sports campus for hosting the Olympic Games. Typically it contains the Olympic Stadium and the International Broadcast Centre. It may also contain the Olympic Village or some of the other sports venues, such as the aquatics ...

, which contains the Stadium, Olympic Tower,

Saputo Stadium Saputo Stadium (Canadian French, French: ''Stade Saputo'') is a soccer-specific stadium at Olympic Park, Montreal, Olympic Park in the borough of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The stadium opened on May 21, 2008, a ...

, Biodome,

Olympic Pool An Olympic-size swimming pool is a swimming pool which conforms to the regulations for length, breadth, and depth made by World Aquatics (formerly FINA) for swimming at the Summer Olympics and the Swimming (sport), swimming events at the World A ...

and

Maurice Richard Arena Maurice Richard Arena () is a 4,750-seat multi-purpose arena at Olympic Park in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was built in 1962. It is named in honour of Maurice Richard. The rink was renovated in 1994, the arena includes a multi-media exhibiti ...

. The Biodome was renovated between 2018 and 2020. It reopened to the public on August 31, 2020. Part of

Parc Maisonneuve Maisonneuve Park is an urban park in the Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is considered to be one of Montreal's large parks. Established in 1910, it is in size, in three sections. The primary section is a pu ...

is in the neighbourhood, as is the Marché Maisonneuve, one of the city's largest public markets. Recent features to develop include ''Promenade Ontario'', a

that becomes pedestrian in the summer to host

street fair A street fair celebrates the character of a neighborhood. As its name suggests, it is typically held on the main street of a neighborhood. The principal component of street fairs are booths used to sell goods (particularly food) or convey informa ...

s and

street performers Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is pr ...

. The revitalized ''Place Simon Valois'', a

public square A town square (or public square, urban square, city square or simply square), also called a plaza or piazza, is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town or city, and which is used for community gatherings. Relat ...

on the corner of Ontario and Valois, is home to a variety of new commerces and attractions as well. The borough operates the Hochelaga and Maisonneuve libraries.

Geography

A part of the

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve () is a borough of Montreal, Quebec, Canada located in the southeastern end of the island. History ''See Mercier and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve articles for a more detailed histories of respective areas'' Hochelaga w ...

, its borders are roughly the CP rail line west of Rue Moreau to the west, Rue Sherbrooke to the north, the train tracks east of Rue Viau to the east, and the

Saint Lawrence River The St. Lawrence River (, ) is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrenc ...

to the south. Boulevard Pie-IX is the traditional dividing point between Hochelaga and Maisonneuve. It is bordered by Ville-Marie ( Centre-Sud) to the west,

Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie () is a borough (''arrondissement'') in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located centre-east of the island. Geography The borough is bordered to the northwest by Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension, ...

to the north, and Mercier to the east. Its main commercial arteries running east to west are Rue Sainte-Catherine Est,

Rue Ontario Ontario Street (officially in ) is an east-west artery in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It crosses the boroughs of Ville-Marie, Montreal, Ville-Marie and Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve. In the latter borough, the street becomes a mix of residenti ...

, Rue Hochelaga and Avenue Pierre de Coubertin.

Transportation

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is served by the Préfontaine,

Joliette Joliette () is a city in southwest Quebec, Canada. It is approximately northeast of Montreal, on the L'Assomption River and is the seat of the Regional County Municipality of Joliette. It is considered to be a part of the North Shore of G ...

, Pie-IX and

Viau Viau () is a provincial electoral district in the city of Montreal in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It consists of the Districts of Saint-Michel and François-Perrault (east of Papineau Avenue) in the Bo ...

stations on the Green Line. The following STM bus routes transit through the neighbourhood;

Popular culture

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is prominently featured in Québécois culture and media. Notable songs about the neighbourhood include ''Voyou by

Les Cowboys Fringants Les Cowboys Fringants () are a Quebecker folk rock band formed in 1995 in Repentigny, Quebec. The French word ''fringant'' can be translated as "dashing", or "frisky". They perform '' Quebecker'' néo-trad music (modernized Quebec folk music ...

,'' ''Hochelaga'' by Alexandre Poulin as well as ''La question à 100 piasses'' and ''Rue Ontario'' by

Bernard Adamus Bernard Adamus (born December 16, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter based in Quebec, whose music draws on folk, blues, country and hip-hop influences.

. The film '' Hochelaga'' directed by

Michel Jetté Michel Jetté is a Québécois director, screenwriter, producer and editor. He produced three full-length movies, several short films, and over a hundred television reports.

and the documentary '' East End Forever'' are also about the neighbourhood.

Politics

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is located in the federal riding of Hochelaga, and represented by MP Soraya Martinez Ferrada of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

. Provincially it's located in the riding of the same name, and represented by MNA

Alexandre Leduc Alexandre Leduc is a Canadian politician, who was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2018 provincial election. He represents the electoral district of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve as a member of Québec solidaire. Following the 202 ...

Québec Solidaire Quebec is Canada's largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, New Brunswick to the southeast and a coastal border ...

. Municipally it's part of Hochelaga and Maisonneuve–Longue-Pointe, represented by

Éric Alan Caldwell Éric Alan Caldwell is a politician in Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He has served on the Montreal city council since 2013, representing the Hochelaga division as a member of Projet Montréal. In November 2017, he was appointed to the Montr ...

and Laurence Lavigne-Lalonde of

Projet Montréal Projet Montréal (officially Projet Montréal - Équipe Luc Rabouin) is a progressive, environmentalist municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 2004, it is led by Luc Rabouin and holds a majority of seats on Montre ...

at the Montreal City Council.

Notable people

Pierre Falardeau Pierre Falardeau (; December 28, 1946 – September 25, 2009) was a Québécois film and documentary director, pamphleteer and noted activist for Quebec independence. Falardeau wrote at least one book, ''Rien n'est plus précieux que la liber ...

, film director, activist for

Quebec independence The Quebec sovereignty movement (French: ''mouvement souverainiste du Québec'', ) is a political movement advocating for Quebec's independence from Canada. Proponents argue that Quebecers form a distinct nation with a unique culture, language, ...

* Julien Poulin, film director and actor *

Bernard Adamus Bernard Adamus (born December 16, 1977) is a Canadian singer-songwriter based in Quebec, whose music draws on folk, blues, country and hip-hop influences.

, singer-songwriter * Robert Guy Scully, journalist, English-rights activist *

Maurice Boucher Maurice Boucher (21 June 1953 – 10 July 2022) was a Canadian gangster, convicted murderer, reputed drug trafficker, and outlaw biker. He was once president of the Quebec Nomad (motorcycle club membership), Nomads chapter of the Hells Angels M ...

, outlaw biker, former

president

Education

The

Commission scolaire de Montréal In-Commission or commissioning may refer to: Business and contracting * Commission (remuneration), a form of payment to an agent for services rendered ** Commission (art), the purchase or the creation of a piece of art most often on behalf of anot ...

(CSDM) operates French-language public schools.

Elementary

*''École Baril'' *''École Notre-Dame-de-L'Assomption'' *''École Maisonneuve'' *''École Saint-Clément'' *''École Saint-Jean-Baptiste-de-Lasalle''

High school

*''École Sécondaire Chomedey-De Maisonneuve''

Specialized

*''École des Métiers de la Construction de Montréal'' *''École pour Adultes Centre Hochelaga-Maisonneuve'' *''École Eulalie-Durocher'' (for

intellectually disabled Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability (in the United Kingdom), and formerly mental retardation (in the United States), Rosa's Law, Pub. L. 111-256124 Stat. 2643(2010).Archive is a generalized neurodevelopmental ...

) The

English Montreal School Board The English Montreal School Board (official name: Commission scolaire English-Montréal English-Montréal School Board; CSEM or EMSB) is one of five public school boards and one of two English-language school boards on the island of Montreal in Q ...

(EMSB) operates English-language schools.

Elementary

* ''Edward Murphy Elementary School'' (in nearby Mercier)

High school

(for high school, students must go to nearby Vincent Massey Collegiate in

Rosemont Rosemont may refer to: People Rosemont is a surname. Notable people with this surname include: * David A. Rosemont, American television producer * Franklin Rosemont (1943–2009), American poet, artist, historian * Norman Rosemont (1924–2018), ...

or F.A.C.E. School downtown)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Neighbourhoods in Montreal History of Montreal Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Red-light districts in Canada Urban decay in Canada Poverty in Canada Gentrification in Canada

History

Early history

Decline

Present day

Features

Geography

Transportation

Popular culture

Politics

Notable people

Education

Elementary

High school

Specialized

Elementary

High school

See also

References

External links