Canadian skylines of the past

[connect2source]

Amazing pics of Van 1984 Phesto thanks!! loved the vibe of Coal Harbour back then, fond memories of the Keg Coal Harbour just east of the Westin Bayshore. Just FYI, the 4th pic is post 1991 as the Palais Georgia condo was completed 1991, building just west of the Qube ( Westcoast Transmission Building ).

[ssiguy]

Great Vancouver pics. Vancouver was so cool and funky back then.

[Martin Mtl]

Montreal

Sainte-Catherine Street, 1948



Sainte-Catherine Street, 1956


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Sainte-Catherine Street, 1950's


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Sainte-Catherine Street, 1964


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Phillips Square, 1937


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Avenue du Parc, 1950's


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Avenue du Mont-Royal and St-Denis, 1920


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Avenue du Mont-Royal, 1950's


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Peel street 1950's


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Hutchison street, 1898


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St-Hubert street, 1956


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Place Jacques-Cartier, circa 1900


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Mount Royal lookout, 1906


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[MTLskyline]

Great set! Montreal looked so bustling and lively in those days.

[urbandreamer]

Wow. Now I know what my relatives mean when they say Montreal was the Canadian city to be in the 1950s. That could be my great grandmother on top of Royal Mountain.

[MolsonExport]

one of the most famous Chinese food restaurants anywhere back in the day. Montreal's Ruby Foos:


verdunblogger

[MolsonExport]

beforeandafterflicker


beforeandafterflicker

[J.OT13]

Well, at least they maintained the urban street frontage on both sides of the Décarie. As far as plowing a highway though an urban area, it's well done I guess?

[MolsonExport]

The trench completely ruined what was once a prime retailing strip. The spots along the trench are very low rent for retail and housing. Luka Magnottaland.

[MolsonExport]

Montreal's Metropolitan Expressway under construction.

Gazette

[Martin Mtl]

A THEN AND NOW COMPARISON

1948



Today



1959


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Today



Early 1950's


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Today

[hipster duck]

Does anyone know why Decarie Blvd was so wide to begin with?

PS: great photo set, Martin. Interesting to see the clear linguistic divide in the 1950s between Park Ave and the corner of Ave Christophe Coulomb (never “Christopher Columbus Ave”) and Mont Royal, a kilometre to the east.

[MolsonExport]

The Main (St. Laurent Blvd) was historically considered a dividing line for anglo vs. franco Montreal.

[Martin Mtl]

On this one, the hardware store is still there; it became a Rona.


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Today

[J.OT13]

Montreal has done an amazing job in preserving its historic urban form.

[urbandreamer]

Really it's because Montreal was economically depressed for generations.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by urbandreamer

Really it's because Montreal was economically depressed for generations.

Montreal was booming in the 50s, 60s and 70s, the period where most of our heritage was lost...

[urbandreamer]

Most of our heritage buildings have been lost in the past 25 years. Beautiful postwar bungalows, industrial buildings, factories and CRU redeveloped for grey glass condo towers and office buildings.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Montreal has done an amazing job in preserving its historic urban form.

Montreal had some pretty egregious urban renewal as well (eg. Radio Canada Tower). It wasn't really better or worse at preservation than anywhere else in Canada - it just had a bigger stock of buildings to start with.

[MolsonExport]

Montreal during the 1910s & 1920s (all c/o vintage news, via Archives de la Ville de Montréal)