Guelph Mercury - Glorious history restored in Old Montreal; Rejuvenated Place d'Armes offers more than just a great view of Notre Dame Basilica

It's the frequently overlooked public square that rests in the shadow of Old Montreal's captivating Notre-Dame Basilica and only a statue of the city's founder offers a hint of its significance. Place d'Armes is one of the most-visited sites in Montreal, but sightseers usually stroll across its cobblestones to line up the perfect photo of the iconic Basilica's towers. Few realize the 320-year-old plaza itself radiates the city's long history. Now, after a two-year, multimillion-dollar facelift, one of Montreal's oldest public squares has reopened to the public.

McGill architecture Prof. Julia Gersovitz says the plaza offers the quickest-possible history lesson about Montreal's transfer of power but she notes the area is often overlooked. "There's a lot that happened in the negative space that isn't built up, that has an impact on us." Until recently, the square, which is visited by five million people annually, was hidden behind construction fences as it underwent a $15.5-million makeover.