Ever wonder why this neighborhood feels so familiar? La Petite-Patrie owes its name to Claude Jasmin’s novel. The novel “La Petite Patrie” came out in 1972. It was later adapted into a television series.
Welcome to La Petite-Patrie. This area was once mostly farmland. Limestone quarries dotted the landscape. Today, it is a vibrant residential area.
Until the late 1800s, agriculture dominated. The exception was the limestone quarries. One major quarry was Martineau Quarry. It sat between Marquette, Garnier, Beaubien, and Carrières streets. Stones from here built Église Saint-Édouard. They even built the Notre-Dame Basilica. In its prime, over 150 workers toiled here. By the 1930s, the quarry became dangerous. It was filled with waste and earth. It transformed into a park. Now, it is Parc Père-Marquette. Other parks like Laurier and Rosemont also hide old quarries.
The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway changed La Petite-Patrie. Industries sprang up around the railway. Angus Shops built trains. It started with 3,000 workers in 1904. That number grew to 5,000. During World War II, it peaked at 12,000. Other businesses followed. L. Villeneuve lumberyard and Catelli pasta factory opened. The Coca-Cola factory also set up shop. These were all near Bellechasse and Saint-Laurent. Some buildings are still here today.
The railway isolated La Petite-Patrie. Bridges and viaducts were built to reconnect it. Saint-Denis and Saint-Laurent got bridges first. Papineau and De Lorimier followed in the 1930s. Today, viaducts remain essential for entering or leaving. Their safety is still a concern.
Around 1910, factory workers outnumbered farmers. By 1911, almost 75% of residents worked in factories. Cheap land and jobs attracted people. Italian immigrants arrived in large numbers. Soon, it was called Little Italy. They joined Scottish and French-Canadian residents. Villages vanished. The city expanded. In 1910, these areas joined Montreal. It became the Saint-Édouard neighborhood. This name came from the new Catholic parish in 1895.
Parishes formed as the area developed. After Saint-Édouard Church in 1909, Notre-Dame-de-la-Défense opened. This Italian church opened in 1918. Dozens more places of worship followed. Residents no longer needed to travel far to churches. From the 1970s, immigrants of other faiths arrived. Temples and mosques appeared.
Commerce thrived here. Saint-Hubert Street became a hotspot. Businesses like Plaza Theatre still operate today. Lozeau photography and Raffin bookstore opened. Labelle Furriers and the first St-Hubert BBQ also arrived. In 1954, merchants formed an association. Plaza St-Hubert became famous. It was the city’s second-biggest commercial street. Only Sainte-Catherine Street was bigger.
From the 1980s, immigration increased in La Petite-Patrie. The Italian population became the third-largest group. Spanish and Arabic speakers grew in number. The area transformed. It changed from farmland to an industrial zone. Now, it is mainly residential. Shops and restaurants make it lively. La Petite-Patrie has changed. Its alleys, houses, parks, and shops tell its story.