Opening the Gates of Eighteenth-Century Montréal explores the development of the city during the eighteenth century, when Montréal was a fortified town. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to consider the building of the eighteenth-century military and commercial town, the nucleus from which Montréal grew.

The product of nearly fifteen years of research and the preparation of an extensive computerized database, this exhibition presents the results of an unprecedented exploration to reconstitute and analyze social and economic activities that affect land use and the built environment. Precise, new maps based on this data link individuals, their occupations, and the lots and buildings they owned. The exhibition focuses on three key elements of Montréal’s urban form: its fortifications; the ownership, distribution, and use of property within its walls; and the nature of its buildings.

Curators: Phyllis Lambert and Alan Stewart, CCA.