Saint Urbain Street

Saint Urbain Street (French: rue Saint-Urbain) is a major one-way street located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The original, southernmost section of the street was built by Urbain Tessier (c. 1624–1689), a farmer and carpenter who settled in the area. The name also makes reference to Saint Urbain.

Saint Urbain Street
Saint Urbain Street in Downtown Montreal.
Native nameFrench: rue Saint-Urbain
LocationMontreal
South endSaint-Antoine Street
North endGouin Boulevard
Construction
Inauguration1817

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the street, now stretching northward, was home to several of Montreal's prominent British and French merchants, notably the explorer Alexander Henry the elder. By the turn of the 20th century, sections of the street were industrialised and became run down, and were settled by Jews, predominantly from Eastern Europe. Writer Mordecai Richler immortalised the Mile End section as a centre of the Jewish community in Montreal, and he documented the life there in novels such as St. Urbain's Horseman.[1]

From roughly 1970 onwards, the Jewish community uprooted to Outremont and the street was settled by Greek, Portuguese and Caribbean immigrants.[2] Today, much of the street has been gentrified.

It traverses the boroughs of Ville-Marie, Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, Rosemont–La Petite-Patrie, Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension and Ahuntsic-Cartierville.

See also

References
  1. Columbo, John Robert (1984). Canadian Literary Landmarks. Willowdale, Ontario: Hounslow Press. p. 79. ISBN 0-88882-073-9. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  2. Canadian Literary Landmarks (1984), by John Robert Colombo


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