It was a stormy meeting at Montreal City Hall in August, 1860, as debate raged over the renaming of “Place des Commissaires” to “Square Victoria”.
Following the visit of the Prince of Wales, some citizens wanted a way to honour the monarchy; however, others argued to maintain the more French-Canadian name. In spite of the protest, Victoria Square was born. Founded in 1813 as Place du Marché-à-Foin, the Square originally functioned as a hay market and weigh station, but gradually buildings with religious affiliations, including the American Presbyterian Church (1826), Le Petit Séminaire (1830), Zion Congregational (1846), and St. Patrick’s Church (1847), added a more elegant ambiance. With such spiritual neighbours, one might imagine the Square to be a peaceful refuge but, in 1853, fighting broke out between Irish Catholics and members of the Zion Congregation over remarks by Father Gavazzi, who had denounced the corruption of the Church in Rome.
The violence grew, and the 26th Regiment was summoned to restore order. In the aftermath, 11 people were killed and many more injured. In 1850, the Temperance League of Montreal made a unique contribution to the Square – a water trough hollowed out of a large boulder. Its purpose: to quaff the thirst of horses and drunken sailors alike. It remained until 1946, when it was smashed during another riot.
During the 1860s, Victoria Square witnessed several catastrophes, including the collapse of St. Patrick’s Hall from snow and fires on adjacent Beaver Hall Hill. However, it survived and, in 1872, an elegant stone sculpture of Queen Victoria was unveiled at its center. Although generally presiding over a leafy park with genteel strollers, the “Queen” also experienced some tense moments over the years, including a flood in 1886 that saw boats floating about her base and a bombing in 1965. She’s seen the rise and fall of grand edifices of industry, the construction of new towers of commerce and trade, and even a complete redesign. However, in spite of it all, she remains nonplussed and aloof. At this very moment, she regally presides over a sea of placards and protestors from “Occupy Montreal” and appears content to observe the sprawling tent city below her feet. After so many years, she’s seen it all before and knows that, eventually, even this “tent-tion” will pass
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