Sources of Montreal Municipal Documents & Information

Introduction

Geographers, urban planners, architects, historians, and other researchers require access to primary source information about the city of Montréal. This is an annotated directory of services and information offered in the Montréal region. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list and more entries will be added.

Contents

Libraries

Archives

City of Montréal Departments and Services

Provincial and Regional Government Services

Museums

Digital Collections

Libraries

Héritage Montréal - Documentation Centre

Contact Information

address 100 Sherbrooke Street East, Suite 0500
telephone 514-286-2662
fax 514-286-1661
English website http://www.heritagemontreal.org/en/
French website http://www.heritagemontreal.org/
e-mail contact [at] heritagemontreal.qc.ca

Description

Héritage Montréal is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Greater Montréal's architectural, landscape, and social heritage. Their Documentation Centre is a unique reference library of heritage, planning, renovation, legislation and urban issues.

 

Heritage Map Collection - Conservation Centre
Bibliothèque et archives nationale du Québec

Contact Information

address 2275 Holt Street
public transport Metro: Rosemont. Bus transfer: 197
telephone 514-873-1100
English website http://www.banq.qc.ca/collections/collections_patrimoniales/collections_speciales/documents_cartographiques/index.html?language_id=1
French website http://www.banq.qc.ca/collections/collections_patrimoniales/collections_speciales/documents_cartographiques/index.html?language_id=3
contact person Jean-Francois Palomino

Description

Maps of Montréal and Quebec and depository of Quebec government maps, accessible by appointment only. Consult website for hours. Web address access to historic maps (French): http://services.banq.qc.ca/sdx/cep/accueil.xsp

 

Humanities and Social Sciences Library
McGill University

Contact Information

address 3459 McTavish Street, McLennan-Redpath Complex
metro McGill
e-mail hssl.library [at] mcgill.ca
website https://www.mcgill.ca/library/branches/hssl/
contact person Contact McGill Library for more information.

Description

Print collection contains fire insurance plans (1950 series), Landuse Plans (post 1960s), scanned historical maps (late 19th and early 20th centuries), aerial photographs, topographic maps, cadastral plans, geology maps, census maps, land use maps and thematic atlases. Digital collection (available to the McGill University community only), contains topographic data, City of Montréal landuse and cadastral drawings, SIURS database, Canadian Census data, and other digital resources.

 

Map Library - Université du Québec à Montréal

Contact Information

address

Bibliothèque centrale (UQÀM)
Pavillon Hubert-Aquin
400 Sainte-Catherine Street East, Room A-M350
metro Berri-UQÀM
telephone 514-987-6545
French website http://www.bibliotheques.uqam.ca/cartotheque
contact person Sylvie St-Pierre (Map Librarian/Cartothécaire), Simon Boudreau (Technician)

Description

Collection consists of Canadian maps, atlases, aerial photographs and other resources accessible for public consultation. Consult their website for hours.

Archives

Archives: Société de transport de Montréal (STM)

Contact Information

address

Information management
800 de La Gauchetière Street West, suite 6600
telephone 514-280-6126
English website http://www.stm.info/en/about/discover_the_stm_its_history/stms-archives
French website http://www.stm.info/fr/a-propos/decouvrez-la-STM-et-son-histoire/archives-de-la-stm
e-mail archives [at] stm.info

Description

The archives contain little-known documents that provide researchers with insight on lesser-known chapters of the history of public transit in Montréal. Accessible by appointment only. Information about the archives catalogue can be found on their website.

 

City of Montréal Archives

Contact Information

address Town Hall: 275 Notre-Dame Street East, room R-108
telephone 514-872-2615
French website http://archivesdemontreal.com/
e-mail consultation_archives [at] ville.montreal.qc.ca

Description

The archives contain five collections: institutional archives, Bibliothèque Montréal's collection (fonds de la Bibliothèque de Montréal), private collections, Société historique de Montréal's collection, a collection from the Communauté urbaine de Montréal. Also available are files of press-clippings from 1930 to present. Hours: Tuesday to Friday, 8:30 to 12:00 & 13:00 to 16:30. Photocopying service available.

 

Bibliothèque et archives nationale du Québec (BAnQ) Old Montréal / Bibliothèque et archives nationale du Québec (BAnQ) Vieux-Montréal

Contact Information

address 535 Viger Avenue East
telephone 514-873-1100 or 1-800-363-9028, press 4 then press 1
fax 514-873-2980
French website http://www.banq.qc.ca/archives/entrez_archives/centres_archives/ca_montreal.html
e-mail archives.montreal [at] banq.qc.ca

Description

The Old Montréal Center contains documents, maps, and photographs about Montréal and surrounding areas. Archival collections' descriptions are available online in the archives catalogue.

City of Montréal's Departments and Services

Montréal's Heritage / Patrimoine Montréal

Contact Information

telephone 514-872-3953
French website ville.montreal.qc.ca/pls/portal/url/page/patrimoine_fr/patrimoine

Description

Website has practical information about the architectural, urban, and archaeological heritage of Montréal. Elements include an architectural inventory and architectural features of Montréal, and much more.

 

Geomatics Service / Comptoir de la géomatique

Contact Information

address 801 Brennan Street, first floor
telephone 514-872-3521
French website http://www1.ville.montreal.qc.ca/banque311/node/305

Description

Up-to-date print maps of: cadastral boundaries, landuse drawings, property line maps, street line-maps, public property land registry. Print copies 8:30 to 12:00 & 13:00 to 16:30. Please note: Some digital copies of cadastral plans, landuse plans, and street line-drawings (AutoCAD and GIS formats) are available at the McGill Library for members of the McGill University community only. Digital copies for commercial purposes are available at the Comptoir de la géomatique.

 

Master Plan, City of Montréal / Plan d'urbanisme, Ville de Montréal

Contact Information

French website www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/plan-urbanisme/index.shtm
e-mail plan-urbanisme [at] ville.montreal.qc.ca

Description

The Master Plan is a reference document that presents a planning and development vision for the City of Montréal, as well as measures for implementing the goals and objectives resulting from that vision. The Plan deals with issues applying both to Montréal as a whole and to the specific characteristics of the 27 boroughs. In addition, this document contains information on the planning exercises for the "Detailed Planning Areas" such as: Griffintown, Pie-IX Boulevard, and Turcot Yards as examples. The Plan also provides maps, a glossary and information on the public consultation process. Document available in HTML and PDF formats, in both English and French.

 

Property Valuation Department / Service de l'évaluation

Contact Information

address Click this link to find an office
telephone 514-280-3825
fax 514-280-3899
French website https://servicesenligne2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/sel/evalweb/index
e-mail evalinfo [at] ville.montreal.qc.ca

Description

 

This department produces, maintains and defends property valuation and rental value rolls for taxation purposes in accordance with the Act respecting Municipal Taxation. Valuation summaries are currently available here.


Provincial and Regional Government Services

Land Register of Quebec - Montréal Office / Registre foncier du Québec - Bureau de Montréal

Contact Information

address 2050 de Bleury Street, local RC 10
telephone 514-399-2055
fax 514-873-1670
English website www.mrn.gouv.qc.ca/english/land/register/
French website https://www.registrefoncier.gouv.qc.ca/sirf/
e-mail services.specialises [at] mern.gouv.qc.ca

Description

The Land Register of Quebec is a public register of all real property transactions in Quebec. All citizens can access it and trace the history of transactions made on a lot since its creation. Lists, registers, and documents pertaining to property lots in Montréal can be consulted at the Montréal registry office. It is possible to consult documents online at www.registrefoncier.gouv.qc.ca/sirf/ (French only), provided they have been entered in the digital Land Register database. Please note that fees are charged for the online database, in-person consultations, and reproductions.

 

Montréal Metropolitan Community / Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM)

Contact Information

telephone 514-350-2550
French website www.cmm.qc.ca
e-mail info [at] cmm.qc.ca

Description

The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal is the organization responsible for the planning, coordination and financing of the following jurisdictions: Land Use Planning of the Territory, Economic Development, Social Housing, Equipment, Infrastructure, Services and Activities for the Metropolitan region, Public Transit, Metropolitan Transportation Network, Sewage Planning and Management, Air Quality Treatment Atmospheric Purification, and Wastewater Treatment. Further information is available on their website.


Museums

Centre of the history of Montréal / Centre d’histoire de Montréal

Contact Information

address 335 place D'Youville, Old Montréal
telephone 514-872-3207
English website http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=9077,101943699&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
French website http://ville.montreal.qc.ca/portal/page?_pageid=8757,97305573&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
e-mail chm [at] ville.montreal.qc.ca

Description

The Centre d’histoire de Montréal is a museum with permanent and temporary exhibitions about the history of the City of Montréal.

 

Écomusée du Fier Monde

Contact Information

address 2050 Amherst Street 
telephone 514-528- 8444
website http://www.ecomusee.qc.ca/
e-mail info [at] ecomusee.qc.ca

Description

Ecomusée du fier monde is a museum that focuses on the industrial and working class history of Montréal. It also serves as the museum of the Centre-Sud neighbourhood of Montréal. The hours and entry prices are posted on their website. Their documentation and collection centre is available for consulting (fee-based). Most of the information available at this Museum is in French.

 

Pointe-à-Callière: Montréal Archaeology and History Complex

Contact Information

address 350 place Royale, Old Montréal
telephone 514-872-9150
English website http://www.pacmusee.qc.ca/en/home
French website www.pacmusee.qc.ca/fr
e-mail info [at] pacmusee.qc.ca

Description

The museum has both a permanent and temporary collections about the history and archaeology of the region of Montréal. The documentation centre is open to the public, for more information by phone at 514-872-9121 or by email at emajor [at] pacmusee.qc.ca.

Digital Collections

Digital Program, McGill University Libraries

Contact Information

English website https://www.mcgill.ca/library/find/digitization/

Description

The Digital Program has been created to digitally capture and provide electronic access to McGill University's unique rare and special collections via the World Wide Web using advanced digital technologies. These collections include, rare books, maps, manuscripts, prints, photographs, sound recordings, and more. Several resources about the city of Montréal are available through the Digital Program.

 

Images of Montréal, Canadian Metropolis: 1872-1898

Contact Information

website http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/montreal/montreal.html

Description

Images of Montréal, Canadian Metropolis: 1872-1898, offers a collection of more than 300 images taken from old documents: L'Opinion publique, a weekly published in Montréal from 1870 to 1883, Art work on Montréal, Canada and Montréal illustrated 1894. Its growth, resources, commerce, manufacturing interests, published in 1898 and 1894, respectively. These three illustrated works are part of the Pointe-à-Callière collection.

 

Montréal: Municipalité et métropole 1920-1960: 301 photographies

Contact Information

French website http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/205/301/ic/cdc/mtl/default.htm

Description

A searchable database of photographs, containing 301 historical photographs of Montréal that range from buildings, places, municipal services, and people.

 

Last updated: March 27, 2017

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