Ville-Marie in Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
Le berceau de l'industrie
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Cradle of Canadian Industry
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024
1. Le berceau de l'industrie / Cradle of Canadian Industry Marker
Le berceau de l'industrie
Entre 1850 et 1950, les abords du canal abritent le plus important complexe industriel du pays. Depuis les écluses du port de Montréal jusqu’à celle de Côte-Saint-Paul, et plus loin encore à Ville Saint-Pierre et à Lachine, les usinés bourdonnantes d'activité forment un ruban quasi ininterrompu de part et d'autre du canal. La zone y gagne même le nom peu flatteur de Smoky Valley (vallée enfumée). Au fil des ans, près de 800 compagnies représentant tous les grands secteurs de production de l'industrie manufacturière se succèdent sur ses berges. C’est ici que des milliers de Canadiens et de Canadiennes ont fait l’expérience de la révolution industrielle.
[légendes]
• Navire à vapeur devant la raffinerie Canada Sugar (Redpath), 1897.
• La scierie de James Shearer et la minoterie St. Lawrence Flour Mills, Pointe-Saint-Charles, vers 1918.
• Vue partielle du complexe de la Steel Company of Canada, Sainte-Cunégonde, 1910.
• Travailleurs célébrant le 50e anniversaire de la raffinerie de sucre Redpath, 1904.
Cradle of Canadian Industry
Between 1850 and 1950, the shores of the canal
this page online
[captions]
• Steamship in front of the Canada Sugar (Redpath) Refinery, 1897.
• James Shearer Planing Mills and St. Lawrence Flour Mills, Pointe St-Charles, circa 1918.
• Partial view of the Steel Company of Canada, Sainte-Cunégonde, 1910.
• Workers celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Redpath Sugar Refinery, 1904.
Erected by Parcs Canada & Société du Vieux-Port de Montréal / Parks Canada & Old Port of Montreal Corporation.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1850.
Location. 45° 29.786′ N, 73° 33.146′ W.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 21, 2024
2. Le berceau de l'industrie / Cradle of Canadian Industry Marker
This marker is the second from the left of four interpretive panels overlooking Rue de la Commune Ouest at this location.
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: Trois Siecles D'histoire / Three Centuries of History (here, next to this marker); Une ville en profonde mutation / Transformation of a City (here, next to this marker); Un petit monde en soi / A World Unto Itself (here, next to this marker); Les canaux du Saint-Laurent / The St. Lawrence Canals (here, next to this marker); La batellerie du Saint-Laurent / The St. Lawrence Fleet (here, next to this marker); Vers L'intérieur du continent / Gateway to the Interior (here, next to this marker); L'époque revolue des canalers / The Era of the Canaler (here, next to this marker); Le site des écluses nos 1 et 2 / The site of locks 1 and 2 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montréal.
Also see . . . The cradle of industrialization (Lachine Canal National Historic Site).
Excerpt: Around 1840, Montréal had several assets that would help it become an important industrial center. Having one of the largest Canadian ports, this city was also the country's financial and commercial center. The completion of the canal up to the Great Lakes and the development of the railway network would turn it into a transportation hub.(Submitted on June 1, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)Montréal underwent its first industrial boom in 1848, when the Lachine Canal was first widened, making available a new power source. Wise investors jumped at the opportunity of setting up new businesses or increasing their establishments' level of production, as in the case of flour mills and foundries. From 1880 to 1896, industrial development continued and even speeded up in some areas. First grouped together around hydraulic sites, the industries gradually occupied all of the canal's banks to the east of the Côte-Saint-Paul Lock. From 1896 to 1939, development was characterized by an increase in large businesses. Industries began to progressively occupy the west sector of the canal in the cities of Saint-Pierre and LaSalle. These new businesses specialized in the chemical and petrochemical fields as well as in iron and steel production.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 11 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 1, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
