Timeline of Montreal history

The timeline of Montreal history is a chronology of important events in the history of Montreal, a big city in Canada. Montreal is the second-most populated city in Canada, with about 3.5 million people living there in 2018. It is also the fourth-largest city where French is the main language spoken in the world. This timeline helps us understand how Montreal grew and changed over many years, from its early days to today.

Pre-Colonization

The area known today as Montreal had been home to the Algonquin, Huron, and Iroquois peoples for about 2,000 years. The oldest artifact found there is also about 2,000 years old. In their stories, the Algonquin traveled from the Atlantic coast and arrived at a place they called the "First Stopping Place," finding a special island shaped like a turtle.

The Iroquois, also known as the Haudenosaunee, lived mainly in northern New York but their influence reached into southern Ontario and the Montreal area. In 1142, the Iroquois Confederacy was formed, according to their oral traditions. In their language, Montreal is called Tiohtià:ke. The St. Lawrence Iroquoians built a village named Hochelaga at the base of Mount Royal.

16th century

In 1535, explorer Jacques Cartier named the St. Lawrence River after Saint Lawrence. He was the first European to reach the area now known as Montréal, which he called Mont Royal. Later in 1556, a mapmaker named Giovanni Battista Ramusio also used the name "Monte Real" for the same mountain. By 1580, the people known as the St. Lawrence Iroquoians had left the area.

17th century

• 1601 – On his map, Guillaume Le Vasseur de Beauplan writes Hochelaga for the inhabited area, and calls the hill Mont Royal.
• 1603 – Samuel de Champlain reaches the Island of Montreal (Île de Montréal) and Île Perrot, and describes Mont Royal, Lake Saint-Louis and the Lachine Rapids.
• 1608 – Québec City is founded by Samuel de Champlain.

1610–1629

• 1611
  • Samuel de Champlain visits the Île de Montréal with a young Huron he had taken to and brought back from France.
  • Champlain decides to establish a fur trading post at present-day Pointe-à-Callière.
  • A young man named Louis drowns, giving his name to both the Sault-Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-Louis.
  • Saint Helen's Island is named by Samuel de Champlain, in honour of his wife.
• 1613–20 – The Compagnie des Marchands operates in New France but, in 1621, loses its rights to the Compagnie de Montmorency.
• 1615
  • Denis Jamet and Joseph Le Caron say the first Catholic Mass on the island of Montréal.
  • Samuel de Champlain does not arrive by July 8, prompting the Aboriginals to leave, taking with them Joseph Le Caron and twelve Frenchmen.
  • Les Franciscains des Recollets, an order of French missionaries, are the first to settle Canada.

1630–1649

• 1634 – Trois-Rivières founded by Sieur de Laviolette.
• 1635 - Death of Samuel de Champlain, 25 December.
• 1636
  • Jean de Lauzon becomes the seigneur of the Île de Montréal.
  • Louis XIII grants the seigneurie of Madeleine to Jacques La Ferté.
• 1639–49 – Sainte-Marie among the Hurons in use. The establishment of Montréal was part of a large missionary movement based in France.
• 1641 – Establishment of the Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal pour la conversion des sauvages de la Nouvelle-France.
• 1641–42 – The colonists spend the winter at St Michel, near Sillery.
• 1642
  • Maisonneuve arrives on May 17; the mission is named Ville-Marie and built at Place Royale.
  • Barthélemy Vimont, the superior of the Jesuits, leads the first mass in Ville-Marie on May 18.
  • The construction of Fort Ville-Marie begins around the initial hamlet as protection against Iroquois attacks.
  • Construction of Fort Richelieu by Charles de Montmagny begins on August 13 when 40 men led by Montmagny arrive.
  • Significant flooding on December 23.
• 1643
  • The first Mount Royal Cross is erected on January 6.
  • On June 9, the first persons are killed at Montréal during an attack by Iroquois.
  • At the end of August, a vessel with a reinforcement commanded by Louis d'Ailleboust de Coulonge arrives at Ville-Marie.
• 1644 – Iroquois attack on March 16 and on March 30.
• 1645 – The hospital is initially located within the fort. Maisonneuve grants the first concession outside the fortifications to Jeanne Mance to build Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal; work begins on it on October 8, 1645.
• 1646–53 – War with the Iroquois.
• 1646 – Fort Richelieu is abandoned at the end of the year and burned down by the Iroquois in February 1647.
• 1647 – Jacques de La Ferté from the Company of One Hundred Associates grants La Prairie to the Jesuits.
• 1648
  • The first white child is born in Ville Marie, Barbe Meusnier, on November 24.
  • A fortified windmill is built by Paul de Chomedey, Sieur de Maisonneuve (in the area now known as Old Montreal).
  • The Iroquois invade Huronia and wipe out most of the Wendat and the French missionaries living in the territory.

1650–1669

• 1650 – The first commercial brewery in New France established in Montréal by Louis Prud'homme
• 1651 – On July 26, 200 Iroquois attacked the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal.
• 1653
  • The Great Recruitment, still better known as La Grande Recrue — Jeanne Mance redirects funds donated by Duchesse d’Aiguillon for the Hôtel-Dieu hospital to Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve for the recruitment of a hundred people; the contingent arrive at Ville-Marie on 16 November. Of the 95 who embark in Saint-Nazaire, 24 are massacred by Iroquois, four drown, and one burned when his house caught fire.
  • Congregation of Notre Dame founded.
• 1657
  • In mid-August, four priests belonging to the Society of Saint-Sulpice in Paris land in Montreal to take over from the Jesuits.
  • Marguerite Bourgeoys – the town's first teacher, who would found a community of teachers, opens the first school in a former stable on 25 November.
• 1658 – Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve signs a contract with Jacques Archambault to have him dig "a well in Fort Ville-Marie in the middle of the Court or parade ground."
• 1659 – Jeanne Mance brings three nuns from the Religious Hospitallers of Saint Joseph in France to act as staff at Hotel-Dieu.
• 1663
  • Charlevoix earthquake struck 5:30 p.m. on 5 February.
  • March, seigniorial rights to the Île de Montréal are transferred by the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal to the Sulpicians. The Sulpicians become the seigneurs of Montréal, taking over from Chomedey de Maisonneuve.
  • New France made a royal province.
  • Emigration of approximately 800 young French women (to become known as the filles du roi, or King's daughters) to New France begins, under sponsorship of King Louis XIV, and continues through 1673.
• 1665
  • Fort Saint Louis (now Fort Chambly) built.
  • Carignan-Salières Regiment rebuilds Fort Richelieu.
• 1666 – According to the 1666 census of New France, Ville-Marie recorded 582 inhabitants. 24 of the 111 families living in Montréal had already been formed in France. A few houses, flanked by a windmill and fort, and connected by a footpath (now beneath Rue Saint-Paul), represented the beginnings of Ville-Marie.
• 1666–75 – Fort Saint-Jean built.
• 1667 – Pelts were bartered in Montreal, which, after 1667, becomes a centre for trade. An annual market for pelts takes place in June on the common of Pointe-à-Callière.
• 1668 – Maison Saint-Gabriel is bought to receive the King's Daughters. The current structure dates back to 1698, when it was rebuilt following a fire in 1693.
• 1669 – Louis XIV ordered that men of New France between 16 and 60 years of age must perform mandatory military service; every parish would have its militia.

1670–1689

• 1670s – A large orchard is planted on the side of Mount Royal during the mid-1670s.
• 1670 – Hudson's Bay Company founded.
• 1670–80 – Initially, trading is done in people's homes; traders soon set up stalls between Rue Saint-Paul and the Little St. Pierre River, west of the marketplace. Natives camp on the Point, numbering about 900 in 1672.
• 1671 — founding of the municipality of Verdun.
• 1672
  • Commissioned by François Dollier de Casson, superior of the Sulpicians; notary and surveyor Bénigne Basset Des Lauriers makes the first street layout in Montreal. The original plan of Old Montreal consists of 10 streets, of which three run parallel to the river– Notre-Dame Street, Rue Saint-Paul, Saint Jacques Street –and seven extend perpendicular from the river, including Saint Pierre, Saint François Xavier, Saint Jean Baptiste, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Vincent.
  • The cross is planted to designate the future location of the first Notre-Dame Basilica (Montreal) on June 29 and the first five stones are laid the next day.
  • As a churchwarden, Pierre Gadois supervises the construction of a public well in the Place d'Armes.
• 1674 – Louis Jolliet is wrecked at Sault-Saint-Louis in May.
• 1676 – A Sulpician mission is founded at Mount Royal.
• 1677 – Jacques Bizard is sent to Montreal by Frontenac to investigate claims of illegal sale of alcohol to the natives. However, the leader of the smugglers, Montreal Governor François-Marie Perrot, imprisons Bizard. With the help of Frontenac, Bizard is liberated and Perrot is removed from office.
• 1678 – Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel is completed.
• 1679
  • Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut reaches the western end of Lake Superior in the fall of the 1679 where he concludes peace talks between the Saulteur and Sioux nations.
  • The brigantine Le Griffon, commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes.
• 1680 – Kateri Tekakwitha dies.
• 1680–85 – More and more voyageurs, coureurs des bois and missionaries were exploring the regions upriver from Montreal. As the new territory opens up, part of the fur trade shifts toward the Great Lakes. Fewer and fewer natives came to Montreal, and the annual fur fair became less popular from 1680 to 1685.
• 1682
  • Montrealer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle travels to the mouth of the Mississippi River.
  • Notre-Dame Church is completed; constructed by François Bailly. Throughout the 18th century the city's primary landmarks are the bell tower of Notre-Dame and Citadel hill.
• 1684 – The Congregation of Notre Dame convent is destroyed by a fire.
• 1684–87 – Saint-Sulpice Seminary (Montreal) is built.
• 1686 – Treaty of Whitehall.
• 1687–89 – A wooden palisade is erected to protect the town.
• 1687 – An epidemic of typhus kills approximately 150 people in the autumn.
• 1689
  • On June 13, construction was begun by the Montreal Sulpicians on a 2 km canal to support their monopoly on flour-milling. François Dollier de Casson asserts that such a canal (Lachine Canal) would supply water to Montreal's mills while simultaneously facilitating westbound navigation.
  • Lachine massacre.

1690s

• 1690
  • February 8: Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville leads more than 160 French Canadians and 100 Indian warriors to Schenectady, New York which they attack and burn in retaliation for the Lachine Massacre.
  • The Citadel, Montreal built.
• 1694
  • Louis Tantouin de la Touche is named subdelegate of the intendant.
  • Frères Hospitaliers de la Croix et de Saint-Joseph, known after their founder as the Frères Charon, founded.
  • Louis-Hector de Callière is awarded the cross of Saint-Louis. During his years as governor of Montreal, the Iroquois war has enhanced the importance of that position.
  • François Vachon de Belmont completes the mission on the slopes of Mount Royal. Its circular stone fortress towers still stand on the grounds of the Grand Seminary on Sherbrooke Street.
• 1695
  • Nicolas Perrot brings the Miami, Sauk, Menominee, Potawatomi and Meskwaki chiefs to Montreal at the governor's request, regarding war with the Iroquois.
  • Saint-Charles-Sur-Richelieu is granted to Zacharie-François Hertel, Sieur de la Fresnière (March 1).
• 1696
  • Fire at Fort de la Montagne. The Hurons are transferred to Fort Lorette.
  • Jacques Le Ber is ennobled.
• 1698
  • A chapel dedicated to St. Anne is founded at the south end of Murray street. Le Quartier Ste-Anne becomes infamous as a den of licentiousness, and the clergy restricts the sale of liquor around the chapel.
  • Bishop Saint-Vallier, returning from France, accompanies two English gentlemen, one of them a Protestant minister, on a visit to Jeanne Le Ber.
• 1700
  • At the turn of the 18th century Montreal's population is about 1,500 souls, which gradually grows to about 7,500 in the year 1760, at the time of the British conquest.
  • Gédéon de Catalogne is employed by the Sulpicians in October to dig the Lachine Canal.
• 1700–31 – François Vachon de Belmont is the fifth superior of the Montreal Sulpicians.

18th century

The 18th century was a time of big changes for Montreal. In 1701, the French and Native Americans made a historic alliance at Pointe-à-Callière. By 1705, the city was officially named Montreal. Over the years, stone walls were built around the city for protection, and new neighborhoods like Pointe-Claire were established.

There were also important events like fires that changed how the city was built, and new groups of people arrived, making Montreal more diverse. The city grew from around 4,200 people in 1740 to over 9,000 by 1799. Leaders made decisions that shaped laws, trade, and daily life for the people living there.

19th century

1801–1819

• In 1802, the first informal group for horse soldiers started in Montreal.
• From 1803 to 1815, big ships needed lots of wood, and Montreal helped by growing more trees. This helped the city grow, and by 1825, there were 26,154 people living there.
• Between 1804 and 1817, the old walls around Montreal were torn down.
• In 1805, a man named Thomas McCord came back to Montreal and got his land back. The area was called Griffintown after Mary Griffin, who had divided the land.
• Thomas Porteous opened a store in Sainte-Thérèse-de-Blainville and also made potash there.
• In May 1807, two newspapers started: The Canadian Courant and Montreal Advertiser, run by Nahum Mower. Brothers James and Charles Brown began publishing the Canadian Gazette in July.
• In 1808, a new market house was planned in Montreal. Edward Edwards sold the Montreal Gazette to the Browns because he was sick and in debt.
• The importation of slaves was banned in 1808.
• In 1809, Nelson’s Column was started in Montreal. It was the second monument built there. John Molson’s steamboat PS Accommodation sailed from Montreal to Quebec, making the trip in 36 hours.
• In 1810, John Jacob Astor started the Pacific Fur Company.
• In 1811, the Montreal Herald newspaper was started by William Grey and Mungo Kay.
• In 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain, starting the War of 1812. U.S. troops invaded Canada in July.
• In 1814, the Treaty of Ghent ended the War of 1812.
• In 1815, John Molson built the Mansion House Hotel. Money was voted for the Lachine Canal.
• In 1816, Montreal’s population was about 16,000. The National School opened. Commissioners were appointed to improve travel between Montreal and Lachine.
• From 1816 to 1818, John Coape Sherbrooke was the Governor General of British North America. Sherbrooke Street and the town of Sherbrooke were later named after him.
• In 1817, the Bank of Montreal started. Guy Street was named after Étienne Guy, who gave the land for the street.
• In 1818, the British government bought Saint Helen’s Island and built Fort de l'Île Sainte-Hélène to protect the city because of the War of 1812.
• In 1819, there was darkness at noon on November 9.

1820–1839

• In 1821, the Earl of Dalhousie gave Dalhousie Square to Montreal. McGill University was established by Royal Charter. Work started on the Lachine Canal.
• In 1822, the first iron bridge was built. The Montreal General Hospital building was completed. A whale was seen in the Saint Lawrence River.
• In 1824, a school for Irish children opened. The first Saint Patrick’s Day Parade was held. Construction began on Notre-Dame Basilica in Montreal.
• In 1825, the Lachine Canal opened, bringing new industries. The first permanent theatre, Theatre Royal, was built by John Molson.
• In 1826–37 and 1842–99, La Minerve was published.
• In 1827, a windmill was built.
• In 1829, most of Notre-Dame Basilica was finished.
• In 1830, the Montreal harbour became official.
• In 1831, Alexis de Tocqueville visited Montreal.
• In 1832, Montreal became a city with 27,000 people. The Exchange Coffee House opened. Many people died from cholera. A school was founded by Jean-Baptiste Meilleur.
• In 1833, Jacques Viger became the first mayor. The city’s coat of arms was adopted. The first Trans-Atlantic steamship, SS Royal William, sailed from Pictou, Nova Scotia.
• In 1834, slavery ended in all British territories. More people died from cholera.
• In 1836, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal became separate from the diocese of Quebec. Montreal got gas lighting. The first railway in British North America connected La Prairie with Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.
• In 1837, Britain refused more control in Canada, leading to rebellions. A small fight in Place d'Armes started the Lower Canada Rebellion.
• In 1838, coal gas street lighting started. The Old Montreal Custom House was finished. A rebel leader read a declaration of independence. A second rebellion happened. Two rebels were executed.
• In 1839, more rebels were executed. Canadian rebels were sent to New South Wales.

1840–1859

• In 1840, the Act of Union combined Lower Canada and Upper Canada.
• In 1841, there were at least 6,500 Irish Catholics in Montreal, mostly in Griffintown.
• In 1842, Charles Dickens performed in Montreal.
• In 1843, canals opened. The Montreal Police Service started. The first labour strike in Canada happened. Notre-Dame Basilica was finished. A religious group was founded by Émilie Gamelin.
• In 1844, the government moved to Montreal.
• In 1845, a hotel and a store opened.
• In 1846, a savings bank was founded.
• In 1847, a telegraph company started. The Bonsecours Market opened. The railway from Montreal to Lachine opened. Many Irish immigrants died from a fever.
• In 1848, streets flooded. A religious group was founded.
• In 1849, the Parliament Buildings in Montreal burned down.
• In 1850, the Anglican Diocese of Montreal was established. Dredging of the St. Lawrence began.
• In 1851, the Grand Trunk Railway Company formed. The first YMCA opened in Montreal.
• In 1852, Laval University opened. A big fire burned 11,000 houses.
• In 1853, the first screw steamer arrived. The Grand Trunk Railway opened to Portland. Notre-Dame-de-Grâce was built.
• In 1854, Villa Maria was founded. The first stone of the Victoria Bridge was laid. Cholera killed over 1,000 people. A steamship company started.
• In 1855, the Redpath Sugar Refinery opened. The Montreal Ocean Steamship Company started.
• In 1856, Montreal’s Water Works were ready. A balloon flew over Griffintown. The Grand Trunk Railway started passenger service to Toronto. Christ Church Cathedral burned down.
• In 1857, ocean steamships were in Montreal. A fire on a steamer killed 253 people. Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End Church was completed. Part of Griffintown flooded.
• From 1857 to 2000, Seagram opened.
• In 1858, the Royal Canadian Regiment formed. Ottawa became the seat of government. Flooding and riots happened in Griffintown.
• In 1859, an institute was condemned. The Victoria Bridge opened. The first train passed through it. A Black Rock was erected to remember cholera victims. The National Bank of Canada was founded.

1860–1879

• In 1860, Victoria Square opened. The Prince of Wales visited Montreal. The Crystal Palace was built. The Victoria Railway Bridge opened.
• In 1861, Griffintown flooded again. British troops were sent to Canada. The horsecar started as public transport. A church was founded.
• In 1862, the Montreal Corn Exchange was organized. The Montreal Sailor's Institute was founded. Ocean steamships to Montreal increased. The Montreal Fire Department was planned.
• In 1863, bounties were offered for USA recruits. The Fire Alarm was established. The Art Association of Montreal was incorporated.
• In 1864, the Montreal City Passenger Railway Company had tracks. A conference in Quebec City discussed Confederation.
• In 1865, the Parliament favored Confederation. The Montreal Board of Trade Building burned. A convention discussed a new treaty.
• In 1866, a bank building was built. A glass company started. Troops left Montreal to stop invaders. The first transatlantic telegraph cable was laid.
• In 1867, Canada East became the Province of Quebec. The Dominion of Canada was formed.
• In 1868, a person was accused of a crime and hanged.
• In 1869, the first transcontinental railroad was completed. A rebellion happened. A college was established. A newspaper was founded.
• In 1870, a second raid happened.
• In 1872, an exchange was created. A team was founded. A statue was presented.
• From 1872 to 1878, Montreal City Hall was built.
• From 1873 to 1882, a chapel was built.
• In 1874, an island became a park. A house was built.
• In 1875, the Presbyterian Church formed. Hockey was first played in Montreal. A music academy opened. Trains connected Montreal and New York City.
• In 1876, Dorchester Square and Place du Canada opened. Mount Royal Park opened.
• In 1877, antiseptic methods were introduced at the Montreal General Hospital. The first telephone call happened in Quebec.
• In 1878, the Université de Montréal was established. The Windsor Hotel was completed.
• In 1879, a person was murdered, and another person drowned.

1880–1900

• In 1881, Mark Twain visited Montreal.
• In 1882, a museum was established. The Montreal-Sorel railway opened. Montreal got electric lighting.
• In 1883, the first winter carnival happened. A locomotive works opened.
• From 1883 to 1985, the Montreal Locomotive Works operated.
• From 1883 to 1984, a train station was built.
• From 1884 to 1933, a hockey club was established.
• In 1884, a newspaper started. A funicular railway was built on Mount Royal.
• In 1885, a smallpox epidemic killed 3,164 people. The Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. A library opened.
• From 1885 to 1886, flooding and fires happened in Griffintown.
• In 1886, the first Trans Canada train left. The Canadian Pacific Railway train reached Vancouver. Major flooding and fires happened. A bridge company was founded.
• From 1887 to 1889, a station was built.
• In 1888, a park was created. A college was founded.
• In 1889, a church was built.
• In 1890, a sanctuary was built.
• From 1891 to 1894, a monument was built.
• In 1892, a market had a serious fire. Electric trams started as public transport.
• In 1893, a hospital was established. A hockey team won the Stanley Cup. A monument was unveiled.
• In 1894, a monument was unveiled. A cathedral was consecrated.
• In 1895, a monument was unveiled.
• In 1896, motion pictures were first shown in Canada.
• In 1897, a monument was unveiled. A survey of living conditions was done. A company was established.
• In 1898, a place was constructed. A hospital was founded.
• From 1898 to 1903, a church was built.
• In 1899, a team won the Stanley Cup. A college was incorporated. The First Canadian Contingent left for the Boer War. Montrealers saw their first car. A dam was built in the Old Port to stop flooding.
• In 1900, a team won the Stanley Cup again.

20th century

1901–1919

• 1901: Montreal Light, Heat & Power was established. The city had a growing Chinese community, which created a neighborhood called Chinatown.
• 1903: A monument for Ignace Bourget was put up, and there was a big strike by tram workers.
• 1904: The Montreal Children's Hospital opened, and someone showed election results using a special machine.
• 1906: The first cinema in Montreal opened, a big park started, and people saw a new kind of airship called a zeppelin.
• 1907: A war memorial was put up, and a horse racing track opened.
• 1909: A train had an accident, a monument was put up, the Montreal Canadiens hockey team started, and an arena opened.
• 1910: A big religious event happened in Montreal.
• 1912: The Titanic sank, and some Montrealers were on board. A fancy hotel opened, and a lighthouse was built on an island.
• 1914: Another big ship, the RMS Empress of Ireland, sank with Montrealers on it. A monument was put up, and a library started.
• 1915: Yet another ship, the RMS Lusitania, sank with Montrealers on it. A new custom house opened.
• 1916: A big fire happened at a train station.
• 1917: There were riots in Montreal about whether people should go to war.
• 1918: Montreal came under direct control of the government. A train tunnel was finished, and a big railway company was created.
• 1919: A clock tower was started, the first bus service began, Montreal got its first regular radio station, and a bagel bakery opened.

1920–1939

• 1920: Because of rules in the United States, many people came to Montreal to buy alcohol.
• 1922: A radio station started broadcasting in French.
• 1923: A new church group started.
• 1924: A big cross was put up on Mount Royal, and a man started a business that would become very famous.
• 1925: Several church groups joined together.
• 1926: The stock exchange opened, a monument was put up, and the first skyscrapers began to appear.
• 1927: A school opened, a theatre caught fire, and buildings got taller.
• 1928: An airport opened, and a school started.
• 1929: Another school opened, a big bridge opened, and flights began from Montreal.
• 1931: The first TV station in Canada started in Montreal, and a garden was founded.
• 1932: A new church opened.
• 1933: Two big markets opened, a radio station started, and a children’s theatre began.
• 1934: A hospital and a research institute opened, and a bridge was finished.
• 1936: Air Canada started as a small airline.
• 1937: A theatre opened, a bridge opened, and a radio station started.
• 1939: A school opened, a bridge was built, and the city’s flag was first shown. During World War II, a mayor spoke out against going to war and was sent away by the government.

1940–1959

• 1941: A big airport opened.
• 1942: It was the 300th anniversary of Montreal.
• 1943: A new train station opened.
• 1944: A big company started, and a bomber plane crashed into houses.
• 1945: A radio service for other countries started, and a radio station began.
• 1947: An organization for airplane rules was set up.
• 1948: A museum opened.
• 1949: A big shopping centre opened, and a company that makes iron started.
• 1951: A big bus station opened, and a chicken restaurant started.
• 1952: Trams were replaced by buses, and TV broadcasts started.
• 1954: A real estate group formed, and a hamburger place opened.
• 1955: A big riot happened after a hockey player was suspended, a gas company started, and streets were widened.
• 1957: The coldest temperature ever was recorded.
• 1958: A theatre for Yiddish plays opened, and a fancy hotel was finished.
• 1959: A big water way opened, the last tram ran, and a college started.

1960–1979

• 1960: A big temple was finished.
• 1962: A tunnel opened, a building was finished, and a bridge opened.
• 1963: A TV network started, and a place for arts opened.
• 1964–67: A big building was constructed.
• 1965: A hospital opened, an island was made, and a college started.
• 1966: A planetarium opened, the subway started, and an aquarium was built.
• 1967: A big bridge opened, a world fair happened with many new buildings and events, and several schools opened.
• 1969: A bomb went off at the stock exchange, there was a big problem with police, a bridge opened, a university started, and there was trouble at a university.
• 1970: A church was torn down, a canal closed, and there was a big problem in October.
• 1971: A film festival started, and Montreal had a big amount of snow.
• 1972: A fire killed many people, and a big art theft happened.
• 1974: A university was created, a TV channel started, an airport opened, and a hockey team played against a team from Russia.
• 1975: The hottest temperature ever was recorded, an airport opened, and a hockey team played against a team from Russia.
• 1976: The Olympics happened, a building became a historic site, and Toronto passed Montreal in population.
• 1977: A film festival started.
• 1978: A big race moved to Montreal.
• 1979: A memorial was set up, and the first marathon happened.

1980–1999

• 1980: A music group, a jazz festival, and a flower show started.
• 1982: A music group was founded, and a tour company started.
• 1983: A history centre opened, and a music group started.
• 1984: A bomb went off at a train station, the Pope visited, a leader was killed, a famous circus started, and a park opened.
• 1987: A day for museums started, there was a big rain problem, walks were built near a cathedral, and an important agreement was made.
• 1989: A very sad event happened at a school, and the space agency of Canada was formed.
• 1990: There was a big problem near a place called Oka.
• 1992: A very tall building opened, another sad event happened at a university, a trade centre opened, and an airport group started.
• 1993: A casino opened.
• 1995: A big meeting happened before a vote about Quebec leaving Canada.
• 1996: A film festival started.
• 1997: A health centre was founded, and a big sports problem happened.
• 1998: A huge ice storm affected Montreal.
• 1999: An important agreement was made, an economics group started, and an agency against cheating in sports was set up.

21st century

2001–2019

In 2001, Montreal went through a reorganization and had about 1.6 million people. In 2002, Montreal merged with 27 nearby areas to become one big city. The Lachine Canal reopened for pleasure boating in May of that year.

In 2004, the Montreal Expos baseball team moved to Washington, D.C. Some areas voted to leave the new unified city. In 2005, Montreal hosted important meetings about climate change and aquatic sports.

In 2006, some areas left the unified city, and fifteen stayed. In 2007, Montreal hosted games for a world youth soccer event. In 2008, a new stadium opened, and in 2009, a bike-sharing program called BIXI started.

In 2011, small antiques were stolen from a museum. A new concert hall opened in September. In 2012, a commission started looking into corruption in city government. The mayor stepped down due to financial issues, and another person took over temporarily.

In 2013, the interim mayor was arrested and charged with fraud and corruption. Another person was elected mayor later that year. In 2015, some women’s soccer world cup games were held in Montreal. In 2017, Montreal celebrated its 375th anniversary, and a new mayor was elected.

In 2020, Montreal faced challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic and a strike at the port. In 2023, a fire happened in Old Montreal, and a new public transport system opened. In 2024, students at McGill University held a protest. In 2025, a new mayor was elected.