Keep the Old Port of Montreal public! We need you!
Send key decision-makers a letter speaking out about the situation. Feel free to include a personal note about what the Old Port means to you. Stand with us to protect the window to the river.
Over the past decade, the landscape of Montreal’s Old Port has been quietly shifting. Private interests have moved in, public access to the river has dwindled, the skating rink is gone, the IMAX cinema now closes on weekends and job losses are mounting. With every job cut, one question becomes increasingly urgent: is the Old Port being steered toward wholesale privatization? Is its signature “window to the river” concept from the 1980s doomed?
The Old Port covers 40.7 hectares and provides public access to the St. Lawrence River, attracting over six million annual visitors. It is also home to the Montréal Science Centre, Quebec’s only science museum. More than 200 on-site workers maintain the same welcoming experience Montrealers have loved for over forty years.
Why This Campaign?
The Old Port of Montreal is a perennially popular destination for Montreal residents and tourists alike. Located in the Ville-Marie borough, the Old Port covers 40.7 hectares and provides public access to 2.5 kilometres of St. Lawrence River shoreline. It also hosts a variety of commercial, cultural and scientific attractions. With over six million annual visitors, 39% of whom are tourists, the Old Port is a bustling hotspot and a key showcase for Montreal and Quebec.
Once defined by its river access, today the federally managed Old Port is better known for a number of controversial developments. A Master Plan for the site unveiled by the Canada Lands Company (CLC) in 2017 and shelved in 2024 today stirs concerns about safety, ongoing access to public spaces and the Old Port’s future.
Plan or no plan, the CLC’s strategic direction is altering the face of the Old Port. Over the last decade, the site has undergone significant changes: more developers, reduced access to the river and workforce reductions. The question of whether job cuts at the Old Port foreshadow a shift toward privatization and the closure of our window to the river feels more urgent than ever.
Read on to learn about the Old Port’s origins and its signature “window to the river” concept that guided its development in the 1980s. In November, an alternative public consultation will be held on the Old Port’s future.
Thank you for your support!
The origins and history of the Old Port of Montreal
The Old Port of Montreal, which is today managed by the Canada Lands Company (CLC), has a storied history that stretches back to the 1700s. Let’s look back through the centuries to understand its origins.
The years 1825 to 1890 marked the first discussions on the future of the Port of Montreal. These were prompted by the 1825 inauguration of the Lachine Canal, which eased the flow of goods by linking the St. Lawrence River with the Great Lakes.
From 1890 to 1930, the Port experienced a boom marked by major infrastructure projects, but with facilities not up to the task, a new round of modernization was needed. The federal government granted the Montreal Harbour Commission a loan to build essential infrastructure such as concrete quays, steel storage sheds, basins, docks and grain elevators.
As operations resumed after the Great Depression, management of the Port was transferred to the National Harbours Board (reporting to the Department of Transport), and the Montreal Harbour Commission was dissolved. The Port grew significantly through the late 1950s due in part to World War II. The south pier was reconstructed in 1936, and the Alexandra Pier extension added in 1938. Construction began on an expressway over Rue de la Commune in 1948, sparking a heated debate about the Port’s future in 1958. The Conveyor Dock was built in 1956, along with elevated conveyors and two marine towers on the Pointe-du-Moulin pier.
In 1959, the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway enabled ships to travel directly to the Great Lakes without having to transship their cargo in Montreal, and port activity sharply declined.
The Window to the River
The 1960s and ’70s were a period of renewal in Montreal. Old Montreal was designated a “historic district” in 1963, and Montreal’s port activities shifted eastward. As a result, Old Port facilities slowly fell into disuse.
In May 1975, an Old Port redevelopment study commissioned by the General Urban Systems Corporation recommended building a new urban neighbourhood, but the City of Montreal opposed residential development between the river and Old Montreal.
Montrealers, meanwhile, saw potential in the abandoned port: it was riverside land next to a historic district just a few steps from downtown. As competing visions clashed—better to recreate the 19th century shoreline or build thousands of housing units along the quays?—a vision and a concept begin to emerge: A window to the river.
A public consultation in 1979 resulted in 10 key recommendations. Specifically, the plan called to revitalize the Old Port, open the area to the public, and create a linear park along the river without any residential construction south of Rue de la Commune. Other recommendations included that the federal government invest in this historic district, that the area not be considered a real estate project or source of revenue, and that public consultations continue throughout the planning and redevelopment process.
In 1981, the Old Port of Montreal Corporation (OPMC) took over management of the site with a mandate to revitalize and redevelop the area. The OPMC moved forward with opening the site to the public, addressing long-standing calls from local residents.
Between 1984 and 1985, the OPMC launched a new public consultation to address the concerns of neighbouring communities and determine how the Old Port should be redeveloped. The OPMC Board of Directors created an advisory committee to conduct public consultations about the Old Port’s future and gather perspectives from people across Montreal. The goal was to identify common ground regarding the intended use and planning details for the area.
Eight principles emerged:
- The new urban area’s functionality must complement nearby areas, especially downtown, rather than compete with them.
- Access to the area must be easy and unrestricted at all times.
- The redevelopment must be tailored and relevant to the area, highlighting its coastal character and history as a port.
- The site must be redeveloped gradually, following a master plan.
- The land must remain public, and the redevelopment must be government-led.
- All levels of government must be involved in decision-making.
- Development must meet actual needs for which the site is particularly suitable.
- The area’s many archaeological sites must be preserved.
In the early 1990s, the OPMC built the promenade and restored some buildings for Montreal’s 350th anniversary. This launched a major period of investment that would culminate in the opening of the Montreal Science Centre in 2000. Les années 60 et 70 sont des décennies de renouveau à Montréal. Le Vieux-Montréal est déclaré “arrondissement historique” en 1963 et les activités portuaire de Montréal se déplacent vers l’Est. Ainsi les installations du VPM sont lentement délaissées.
Where are we today?
In the early 2010s, a Master Plan was developed for the Old Port’s revitalization after Toronto-based Canada Lands Company (CLC) took over management from the Old Port of Montreal Corporation (OPMC).
In 2013, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) conducted public consultations on the future of Old Montreal, including the Old Port. Based on these consultations, the City of Montreal released a plan to protect and enhance Old Montreal, which set out the following guiding principles for the Old Port’s development:
- anyone must be able to easily access the area and move through it unrestricted at all times;
- any development must preserve or highlight the exceptional views of the port, river and city;
- the Old Port’s significant historical, shipping and port-related heritage must be showcased.
This plan reaffirmed that the primary objective for the Old Port is to provide a public space for relaxation and recreation. Specifically, it clearly stated that “this excludes residential use, intensive commercial development or industrial port activities.”
Among the key issues underpinning this report were the urbanization and accessibility of the area, the preservation of the Old Port’s symbolic and historical character and the conditions of its future development. The third guiding principle states that “Any development must also preserve or highlight the exceptional views of the port, the river, Rue de la Commune and the city.”
In 2017, the CLC announced it would implement its Master Plan and invest $50 million to revitalize the Old Port, but the plan was scrapped in 2024 after several pandemic-related delays. Despite this, the Old Port has undergone significant changes over the past 10 years. The site has been partially privatized by developers, the IMAX theatre is now closed on weekends and exhibition space in the Science Centre has been reduced.
Is the window to the river closing?
The Old Port has welcomed several new attractions over the last decade, including the Grande roue de Montréal, and a pirate ship, zipline and bungee jump. All of these attractions are privately owned and charge entry fees. The Science Centre is also falling prey to private developers: PHI Studio now offers an immersive experience in a space formerly occupied by the Science Centre.
Developers are increasingly taking over public spaces to generate private profits. Some of these private, permanent installations significantly change the Old Port’s landscape and accessibility.
If these changes have come about over the last 10 years, who knows what the future may hold? What will become of the Old Port? Will it become less accessible? Is the window to the river closing? These are just a few of the questions and concerns being raised. Au tournant des années 2010, l’élaboration du plan directeur d’aménagement du VPM intervient dans un contexte particulier marqué par un changement de gouvernance. En effet, la gestion du VPM est retirée à la Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal (SVPM) pour être confiée à la Société immobilière du Canada (SIC) basée à Toronto.