St-James church on Ste-Catherine.
From
wikipedia: When it was built in June 1889, it was the largest Methodist church in Canada, with 2,000 seats; it was nicknamed the "Cathedral Church of Methodism." In 1927, to cover upkeep costs, the church permitted a commercial building to be built in front of its Sainte Catherine Street façade. The building, adjoining the church's structure, concealed the church for over 78 years, the church itself being announced by a large neon sign.
In 2005, as part of an $8-million restoration effort sponsored by the city of Montreal and the Quebec government, a portion of the commercial buildings were demolished, once again revealing the facade of the church, lovely restored to its former glory.
The original
Source:
McCord museum
From 1927 to 2005:
Source:
Vanishing Montreal
Today:
Source
By blork on
Flickr
By aljuarez on
Flickr