Old Port of Montreal in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)

Lieu de passage et d'échange

Vieux-Port

⎯⎯⎯
A Place Transit & Trade

Old Port

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024

1. Lieu de passage et d'échange/A Place Transit & Trade Marker (north side)

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

[Français] À quelques pas d'ici, autrefois au croisement de la rivière Saint-Pierre et du fleuvee Saint-Laurent, cette pointe de terre nommée en l'honneur du gouverneur général de la Nolvelle-France, Louis-Hector de Callière, fait partie de la genèse de la ville de Montréal.

Des vestiges et artefacts témoignent d'une activité ancestrale sur ces terres : commerciale, culturelle, religieuse et militaire.

Le 4 août 1701 marque la fin d'une longue négociation de plus de dix ans, initiée par le gouverneur général Louis-Hector de Callière et Kondiaronk, chef huron-wendat. Ce jour-là, la signature du traité de la Grande Paix vient souligner l'apaisement des tensions entre les communautés autochtones et les colonies françaises.

Saviez-vous que…?
En cette occasion, 39 nations autochtones signent le traité de paix.

[English] Just a few steps from here, where the St. Pierre and St. Lawrence rivers once crossed, is a point of land named after Louis-Hector de Callière who served as the governor general of New France. The area is closely tied to the early history of Montreal as a city.

Vestiges and artefacts bear witness to innumerable centuries of activity on these lands, both commercial and cultural as well as religious and military.

August 4, 1701, marks the end of negotiations led over more than a decade by Governor General Louis-Hector de Callière and the Huron-Wendat Chief Kondiaronk. It was on this day that the Great Peace treaty was signed, marking the easing of tensions between Indigenous communities and the French colonies.

Did You Know?
On this occasion, 39 Indigenous nations signed the treaty.

[autres légendes de photos/other photo captions]
• Traité de la Grande Paix de 1701/The Great Peace treaty of 1701

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This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is August 4, 1701.

Location. 45° 30.09′ N, 73° 33.163′ W. Marker is in Montréal, Québec. It is in Old Port of Montreal. It can be reached from Rue Quai Alexandra just east of Rue de la Commune Ouest, on the right when traveling east. The marker is located on the Promenade du Vieux-Port, on the south side of the Grand Quay of the Port of Montréal. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 Rue de la Commune Ouest, Montréal QC H2Y 4B2, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

and the Western World.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Lieu Phare de l'histoire du Canada / A Landmark in Canada's History (a few steps

Lieu de passage et d'échange/A Place Transit & Trade Marker (<i>south side</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024

2. Lieu de passage et d'échange/A Place Transit & Trade Marker (south side)

from this marker); De la Berge Aux Quais / From Riverbanks to Piers (a few steps from this marker); Luttes contre l'eau et la glace / Battle with Waters and Ice (a few steps from this marker); Porte d'entrée d'une autre époque / Gateway to a Different Time (within shouting distance of this marker); Naissance du port moderne / Birth of a Modern Port (within shouting distance of this marker); Russel Quay / quai Russel (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Naissance du port moderne / Birth of a Modern Port (within shouting distance of this marker); Le plus grand port céréalier du monde / The World's Largest Grain Port (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montréal.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Vieux-Port/Old Port

Also see . . . Great Peace of Montreal (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: A peace treaty between New France and 39 First Nations of North America that ended the Beaver Wars. It was signed on August 4, 1701, by Louis-Hector de Callière, governor of New France, and 1300 representatives
City of Montréal archives, CA MOO1VM066-1-P008, original published in 1884

3. Marker detail: Bird's-eye view of Montréal from 1645 to 1650
Montréal vu à vol d'oiseau de 1645 à 1650. Original publié en 1884. Provenance: Archives de la Ville de Montréal, CA MOO1VM066-1-P008.
of 39 Indigenous nations. Present for the diplomatic event were the various peoples; part of the Iroquois confederacy, the Huron peoples, and the Algonquin peoples. This has sometimes been called the Grand Settlement of 1701. It has often been referred to as La Paix des Braves, meaning "The Peace of the Braves".
The treaty was highly symbolic for the aboriginal nations as the Tree of Peace was now established among all the Great Lakes' nations. Commerce and exploratory expeditions quietly resumed in peace after the signing of the treaty. Jesuit priests resumed their spiritual mission-based work in the north. The Great Peace of Montreal is a unique diplomatic event in the history of both North and South America. The treaty is still considered valid by the Indigenous people of the American First Nations tribes involved.

(Submitted on March 27, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: View of the Harbour, Montréal, 1830 image. Click for full size.

Courtesy Musée McCord Museum

4. Marker detail: View of the Harbour, Montréal, 1830

Le port de Montréal, 1830
Artiste: Robert Auchmuty Sproule (1799-1845)

Marker detail: The Great Peace of Montréal, 1701 image. Click for full size.

5. Marker detail: The Great Peace of Montréal, 1701

Lieu de passage et d'échange/A Place Transit & Trade Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024

6. Lieu de passage et d'échange/A Place Transit & Trade Marker

Looking south along the Promenade du Vieux-Port.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024

7. Lieu de passage et d'échange/A Place Transit & Trade Marker

Looking north along the Promenade du Vieux-Port.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 130 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on March 27, 2025, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Lieu de passage et d'échange

Vieux-Port

⎯⎯⎯A Place Transit & Trade

Old Port

⎯⎯⎯
A Place Transit & Trade