The Promoters' City: Building the Industrial Town of Maisonneuve 1883-1918

by Paul-André Linteau, Robert Chodos (Translator)

When incorporated as a municipality in 1883, Maisonneuve was just another quiet village on the outskirts of Montreal. But a group of local landowners had big plans for the new town. Twenty years later it was "The Pittsburgh of Canada," boasting an industrial output that ranked second in Quebec and fifth in Canada. Grand civic projects--imposing public buildings, a spacious central boulevard and a huge park--were begun to crown Maisonneuve's achievement. The story of how a handful of local landowners became rich by combining private interests with public ones is a fascinating example of a process that was repeated with minor variations across Quebec. The Promoters' City sheds light on both the process of urbanization that transformed Quebec at the turn of the century, and on the too-often underrated role of French-Canadian businessmen in Quebec's development.

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great book if you want to learn about little unknown pockets of Montreal and her past. Maisonneuve was only around for 35 years but it had a great story and has a great legacy. Linteau explores the developement, enrichment, and annexation of the small successful municipality before it became too ambitious and ran itself into near bankruptcy, ending in annexation by Montreal in 1918. Nice and short, too.