The Notre-Dame Basilica is Montréal’s mother church and was the first Gothic Revival style church in Canada. Its history has been marked by the Sulpicians since its foundation and is inseparable from that of Montréal. It speaks to its Catholic roots and the eternal link between art and religion. The Basilica’s style was imitated by several parishes and marked a turning point in religious architectural tradition.
In addition to being a place for prayer and celebration of Catholic worship, Notre-Dame is also a place for important national events like state funerals.
In 1982, Notre-Dame, at the time being a cathedral, was raised to the rank of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II and designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1989. Its religious, historical and artistic importance makes it a treasure of Quebec’s heritage and one of the most visited sites in Montréal.
The city’s founding in 1642 was closely linked to the founding of the Society of the Priests of Saint Sulpice in 1641 in Paris. During this period, which also coincides with the colonization of the Americas, Jérôme Le Royer de la Dauversière (1597-1659), founder of the Filles hospitalières de Saint-Joseph de La Flèche, and Jean-Jacques Olier (1608-1657) met in 1635 and went on to create the Seminary of St. Sulpice in 1642. This meeting led to the creation of the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal in 1641, and its acquisition of part of the Island of Montréal.
Le Royer de la Dauversière and Olier wanted to build a colony there and participate in the evangelization of the Indigenous people. They set out to bring several settlers over, mainly from France. On May 17, 1642, the settlers officially took possession of the Island of Montréal. Jeanne Mance (1606-1673) and Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve (1612-1676) were members of this first wave of settlers.
Chomedey de Maisonneuve has a statue in his honour at Place d’Armes, opposite the Basilica, inaugurated in 1895. Jeanne Mance was only recognized as a co-founder of Montréal in 2012, on equal standing with her male counterpart.
Some of these figures, as well as the major stages of the founding of the city, are represented in several paintings and stained glass windows at the Basilica.
It was lovely to arrive at opening before the “instagraders” take over posing…time for a cappuccino.
Jeff went to get coffee and I looked up and he was sitting there, kind of appeared…just sayin’
By the time Jeff returned he was gone…but he had a vision too
A few tourist shop stops & funny t’s
Time for a good stretch of the legs to our afternoon culinary delight. Sunny and 5 degrees with gusts of 💨. We made it!
L’Express The Story
Since 1980, L’express, the dream of theatre-lovers Colette Brossoit and Pierre Villeneuve, brought to life by architect Luc Laporte, remains a refuge to the artists and businesspeople who long ago recognized its utility as a place for gathering or solitary reflection. Servers still glide among its tables with a shared sense of purpose: to preserve the founder’s insistence on quality and professionalism.
The Kitchen
Since 1980, First assembled by Chef Joël Chapoulie, the menu is an updated repertory of the classics of French bistro cuisine, along with daily specials of a similar tradition. But what’s truly outstanding is the consistent quality of everything that leaves our kitchen, now overseen by Chef Marc-Antoine Lacasse and his team. Preparation is flawless and presentation elegant, whether you order a simple steak frites, a risotto, or grilled salmon. We take extraordinary pride in all that we do.
Thank you nephew Jim for the amazing recommendation. Our meal was exquisite from the pickles & pane to the soup & salad through the main courses steak and salmon…all the way to the tartelette citron, ganache au chocolat blanc…
We parked ourselves at the bar and tried a local gin only buying made in 🇨🇦
Jeff started his steak immediately so no photo op 🤣
Magnificent meal topped off with
Glad we have a 3 mile walk back to our home away from home.
We did pass some more murals & have to share…
And a few sweet birdies sharing whatever was left behind in the cup…one in, one out NEXT
We clocked 14,872 steps and close to 6 miles. We’re thrilled no bad slips & falls because the icy sidewalks are not easy to navigate. These help 👍.
Our tummies are full, we going to have a nice quiet warm evening inside and since we’re on EST we hope to make it until someone’s midnight.
2025 was a great year in so many ways and the other ways that desperately need help, we can hope humanity becomes more caring, tolerant, accepting and helpful to their fellow humans for the good of all.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends. The word of the Lord. 1 Cor 12,31; 13,8
With that I will have hope in 2026 and do something. That will be my resolution.
Bringing in the New Year Montreal style
