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Golden Square Mile in Montréal in Communauté-Urbaine-de-Montréal, Québec — Central Canada (French-Canadian)
 

Monuments Macdonald et/and Laurier Monuments

 
 
Monuments Macdonald et/and Laurier Monuments Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 18, 2018
1. Monuments Macdonald et/and Laurier Monuments Marker
Inscription.  

Se faisant face de part et d'autre du boulevard René-Lévesque, les statues de Macdonald et de Laurier sont respectivement le plus ancien et le plus récent des monuments qui ornent le square.

Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891), avocat et homme politique d'origine écossaise, établi en Ontario, fut premier ministre du Canada de 1867 à 1873 et de 1878 à 1891. Avec Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier, avocat et homme politique montréalais, Macdonald a été le principal initiateur de la Confédération de 1867, qui a réuni dans le dominion du Canada la plupart des possessions britanniques en Amérique du Nord. Au nombre de ses réalisations figure également la construction de la ligne transcontinentale des chemins de fer du Canadien Pacifique, achevée en 1885 et reliant le pays d'un océan à l'autre.

L'imposant monument qui s'élève du côté sud du boulevard René-Lévesque a été inauguré le 6 juin 1895 sous la présidence d'honneur du gouverneur général du Canada, Lord Aberdeen. La statue de bronze est l'œuvre du sculpteur anglais Georges Edward Wade (1853-1933). Les deux canons placés devant le monument

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ont été utilisés par les Britanniques à la bataille de Sébastopol, pendant la guerre de Crimée de 1855. Ils furent offerts à la Ville de Montréal par la reine Victoria en 1892, à l'occasion du 250e anniversaire de la fondation de Montréal.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919) fut à la fois le premier Canadien de naissance et le premier Canadien français à occuper le poste de premier ministre du Canada, de 1896 à 1911. Brillant orateur aussi bien en anglais qu'en français et doué d'un grand charme, il était surtout connu pour son désir d'harmoniser les diverses composantes de la société canadienne au cours de la période de croissance rapide que traversa le pays au début du xxe siècle.

Œuvre du sculpteur montréalais Jean-Émile Brunet (1892-1977), le monument Laurier avait été conçu en 1927 à l'occasion d'un concours pours la colline parlementaire, à Ottawa. L'artiste a repris ce projet jamais réalisé pour le monument du square Dorchester, inauguré en 1953. S'élevant du côté nord du boulevard, le monument de Laurier fait face symboliquement à celui de Macdonald. Les bas-reliefs Art déco du monument évoquent l'unité des deux cultures. La face postérieure porte les armoiries de neuf des dix provinces canadiennes, le monument ayant été dessiné avant 1949, date de l'entrée de Terre-Neuve dans la Confédération.
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The

Monuments Macdonald et/and Laurier Monuments Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 18, 2018
2. Monuments Macdonald et/and Laurier Monuments Marker
On the Sun-Life Building, near the main entrance
statues of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Wilfrid Laurier that face each other across boulevard René-Lévesque are, respectively, the oldest and the most recent monuments in the square.

Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John A. Macdonald (1815-1891) was a Scots-born lawyer and Ontario-based politician who was Canada's first Prime Minister (1867-1873 and 1878-1891). Macdonald, in political partnership with Montreal lawyer and politican Sir George-Étienne Cartier, spearheaded the drive to Confederation, unifying most of Britain's North American possessions into the Dominion of Canada in 1867. Among his other lasting achievements was the completion in 1885 of the Canadian Pacific Railway, linking the country from sea to sea. The imposing monument on the south side of boulevard René-Lévesque was unveiled at a large public ceremony by Canada's Governor General, Lord Aberdeen, on June 6, 1895. The bronze is the work of the English sculptor George Edward Wade (1853-1933).

The two cannons flanking the monument were used at Sebastopol in the Crimean War of 1855 and were a gift from Queen Victoria to the City of Montreal in 1892, to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of Montreal.

Sir Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919) was Canada's first native-born and first French-speaking Prime Minister, serving from 1896 to 1911. Considered a brilliant

Monument Macdonald Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 18, 2018
3. Monument Macdonald Monument
orator in both English and French and a man of great personal charm, he is best remembered for his efforts to harmonise the various elements of Canadian society in the period of rapid growth that marked the beginning of the 20th century.

Montreal-born sculptor Jean-Émile Brunet (1892-1977) originally submitted the design for this monument in a competition for a statue for Parliament Hill in Ottawa. He did not receive that commission, and revived his design for this memorial, unveiled in 1953 on the north side of then Dorchester Street, symbolically facing that of Laurier's English-speaking predecessor, Macdonald. Art Deco in style, the monument's bas-reliefs represent the unity of the two cultures. The reverse side includes the coats of arms of nine of Canada's ten provinces. Since the monument was designed prior to 1949, when Newfoundland joined Canada, that province's coat of arms is missing.
 
Erected 2004 by Many Friends in Memory of Peter N. Quinlan 1934-1997. (Marker Number 4.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicRailroads & Streetcars. In addition, it is included in the Art Deco series list. A significant historical date for this entry is June 6, 1895.
 
Location. 45° 29.994′ N, 73° 34.213′ W. Marker is in Montréal

Monument Macdonald Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., March 18, 2018
4. Monument Macdonald Monument
, Québec, in Communauté-Urbaine-de-Montréal. It is in Golden Square Mile. Marker is on Rue Metcalfe just east of Rue du Square Dorchester, on the left when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1153 Rue Metcalfe, Montréal QC H3B 2V6, Canada. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Fontaine commémorative (here, next to this marker); Immeuble de la Sun Life (within shouting distance of this marker); Mathew Hamilton Gault (within shouting distance of this marker); Wilfred Laurier Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Boer War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Ignace Bourget Monument (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); War Memorial (about 180 meters away); Hochelaga (approx. 0.6 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Montréal.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker.
 
Also see . . .
1. Sir John A. Macdonald at The Canadian Encyclopedia. (Submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
2. Sir John A. Macdonald. (Submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
3. Sir Wilfred Laurier at The Canadian Encyclopedia. (Submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
4. Sir Wilfred Laurier at Dictionary of Canadian Biography. (Submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
Wilfred Laurier Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.
5. Wilfred Laurier Monument

5. Sir John Alexander Macdonald at Dictionary of Canadian Biography. (Submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
6. The Life and Times of Sir Wilfrid Laurier. (Submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
 
Wilfred Laurier Statue on Monument image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr.
6. Wilfred Laurier Statue on Monument
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 9, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 1, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 272 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 2, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.   5, 6. submitted on March 22, 2018, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 29, 2024