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    The Main

    Montreal's Cultural Directory

    Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

    Leave feedback

    For partnerships and collaborations:

    partnerships@themain.com

    Content

    • Articles
    • Food & Drink
    • Arts & Culture
    • History Lesson
    • Bulletin
    • Events

    Guides

    • All Guides
    • Best Restaurants
    • Best Cafés
    • Best Bars
    • Best Brunch
    • Best Bakeries

    Explore Montreal

    • Browse Directory
    • Restaurants
    • Bars
    • Cafés
    • Bookstores
    • Leaderboard
    • Editor's Picks
    • New Places

    About

    • About us
    • Subscribe
    • Shop
    • Advertise
    • Pitch us
    • RSS Feed

    Legal

    • Terms of service
    • Membership Terms
    • Privacy Policy
    Follow us
    InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin

    The Main Media Inc. 2026

    ✦ Built By Field Office

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      Your cart is empty.

      --°C|Wednesday, June 3, 2026|
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      --°C|Wednesday, June 3, 2026|
      Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month.Get 50% off your first 5 rides with Lyft
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      EN/FR
      The Main Logo
      Magazine
      Sections
      • Arts & Culture
      • Beyond Montreal
      • Design
      • Food & Drink
      • History Lessons
      • The Bulletin
      Explore
      Popular Guides
      • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
      • Best new Restaurants
      • Best Cafés
      • Unique Boutiques
      • Romantic Restaurants
      • Best Bookstores
      • See all Guides
      Neighbourhood
      • Downtown
      • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
      • Mile End
      • Mile-Ex
      • Saint-Henri
      • See All
      Business Type
      • Restaurant
      • Café
      • Boutique / Store
      • Bar
      • Bakery
      • See All
      Near the Metro
      • Peel
      • Mont-Royal
      • Place-Saint-Henri
      • Place-d'Armes
      • Jarry
      • View all
      ShopWeather
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      More History Lesson

      What Happened to Frederick Law Olmsted’s Vision for Mount Royal?
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Happened to Frederick Law Olmsted’s Vision for Mount Royal?

      As Mount Royal Park turns 150, the story of its creation reveals how Olmsted's vision for the mountain was compromised almost from the very beginning.

      The Strange Architectural Afterlife of Joseph-Arthur Godin
      History Lesson
      Sara Mizannojehdehi

      The Strange Architectural Afterlife of Joseph-Arthur Godin

      You may not recognize the name, but the Montreal architect’s curved facades, vanished theatres, churches, and landmark apartment buildings remain woven into the city’s everyday landscape.

      The Historic Mount Royal Hotel Is Now Home to Montreal's Best Office Space
      History Lesson
      Sponsored
      The Main

      The Historic Mount Royal Hotel Is Now Home to Montreal's Best Office Space

      Once known as the historic Mount Royal Hotel, the Les Cours Mont-Royal is seeing renewed demand as its overlooked office spaces fill up and tenants move in.

      The Day a Downtown Campus Burned and What Came After
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Day a Downtown Campus Burned and What Came After

      What began as a complaint about grading bias escalated into a two-week occupation, a fire, and one of the most consequential reckonings with institutional racism in Canadian higher education.

      The Flying Cathedral That Made a City Lose Its Mind
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Flying Cathedral That Made a City Lose Its Mind

      In the summer of 1930, a British airship the length of two and a half Boeing 747s locked onto a mooring mast on the South Shore. Nearly a million people came to watch.

      The Montreal Punch That May Have Killed Houdini
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Montreal Punch That May Have Killed Houdini

      A backstage encounter at a Montreal theatre, a few punches, a death six weeks later. The cause remains disputed.

      More History Lesson

      What Happened to Frederick Law Olmsted’s Vision for Mount Royal?
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Happened to Frederick Law Olmsted’s Vision for Mount Royal?

      As Mount Royal Park turns 150, the story of its creation reveals how Olmsted's vision for the mountain was compromised almost from the very beginning.

      The Strange Architectural Afterlife of Joseph-Arthur Godin
      History Lesson
      Sara Mizannojehdehi

      The Strange Architectural Afterlife of Joseph-Arthur Godin

      You may not recognize the name, but the Montreal architect’s curved facades, vanished theatres, churches, and landmark apartment buildings remain woven into the city’s everyday landscape.

      The Historic Mount Royal Hotel Is Now Home to Montreal's Best Office Space
      History Lesson
      Sponsored
      The Main

      The Historic Mount Royal Hotel Is Now Home to Montreal's Best Office Space

      Once known as the historic Mount Royal Hotel, the Les Cours Mont-Royal is seeing renewed demand as its overlooked office spaces fill up and tenants move in.

      The Day a Downtown Campus Burned and What Came After
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Day a Downtown Campus Burned and What Came After

      What began as a complaint about grading bias escalated into a two-week occupation, a fire, and one of the most consequential reckonings with institutional racism in Canadian higher education.

      The Flying Cathedral That Made a City Lose Its Mind
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Flying Cathedral That Made a City Lose Its Mind

      In the summer of 1930, a British airship the length of two and a half Boeing 747s locked onto a mooring mast on the South Shore. Nearly a million people came to watch.

      The Montreal Punch That May Have Killed Houdini
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Montreal Punch That May Have Killed Houdini

      A backstage encounter at a Montreal theatre, a few punches, a death six weeks later. The cause remains disputed.

      History Lesson

      Traces of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe in Montreal

      On the futuristic allure of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Montreal creations, where sleek and minimalistic architecture reimagined modern living.

      ByJustine Smith

      January 31, 2024 · 5 min read

      Traces of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Montreal
      Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed three buildings in Montreal, including Westmount Square, between 1964 and 1969. | Photograph: Montreal Archives

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      A model of Westmount Square is on display in one of the galleries near the entrance to a tunnel that leads to the Atwater metro. Like a modernist dollhouse, the model encased in glass offers a bird's eye view of sleek architectural innovation. 

      The four towers—two commercial and two residential—frame Mount-Royal, and on a clear day near twilight, a sunset casts pastel hues between the tall glass structures.

      But to experience to see it as its architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe first envisioned it is to imagine the glistening potential of the future.

      Mies van der Rohe's time in Montreal corresponds to the end of his career and subsequent death in 1969, and Montreal's entry into modernity with Expo 67. As one of North America's oldest cities, stifled in the first half of the twentieth century by a repressive Catholic leadership, it's coming-of-age as a modern city came late. 

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      Comments

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      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

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      Follow on Google
      How Little Portugal carved out its place in the Plateau
      History Lesson
      Phylida Tuff-West

      How Little Portugal Carved Out Its Place in the Plateau

      From postwar migration to piri piri chicken, Azorean immigrants transformed an iconic Montreal neighbourhood with enduring community.

      When Montreal had a steam-powered shortcut to the top of Mount Royal
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      When Montreal Had a Steam-powered Shortcut to the Top of Mount Royal

      From 1884 to 1918, a steam-powered cable railway hauled Montrealers to the summit in minutes, despite a park designer's vision of leisurely mountain strolls.

      The century-long smoked meat legacy of Schwartz's Deli
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Century-long Smoked Meat Legacy of Schwartz's Deli

      How a Romanian immigrant's recipe and stubborn refusal to change built Montreal's most iconic sandwich.

      What Montreal's 1976 Olympics left behind, 50 years later
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Montreal's 1976 Olympics Left Behind, 50 Years Later

      Were the Summer Games a triumph, a total failure, or somewhere in between?

      Get to the heart of Montreal's Latino communities through a single grocery store
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      Get to the Heart of Montreal's Latino Communities Through a Single Grocery Store

      For decades, Sabor Latino's been the gravitational centre for Montreal's Latino communities.

      What Happened to Montreal's Red Light District?
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Happened to Montreal's Red Light District?

      Jazz legends, burlesque queens, and organized crime made it one of the most alive corners in North America. Then Montreal decided it had a reputation to protect.

      History Lesson

      Traces of Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe in Montreal

      On the futuristic allure of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's Montreal creations, where sleek and minimalistic architecture reimagined modern living.

      ByJustine Smith

      January 31, 2024 · 5 min read

      Traces of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in Montreal
      Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed three buildings in Montreal, including Westmount Square, between 1964 and 1969. | Photograph: Montreal Archives

      The Main is reader-supported. Subscriptions are what keep us independent. Five dollars a month — the restaurants, the guides, the weekly bulletin, and what to do each weekend. Support us today.

      A model of Westmount Square is on display in one of the galleries near the entrance to a tunnel that leads to the Atwater metro. Like a modernist dollhouse, the model encased in glass offers a bird's eye view of sleek architectural innovation. 

      The four towers—two commercial and two residential—frame Mount-Royal, and on a clear day near twilight, a sunset casts pastel hues between the tall glass structures.

      But to experience to see it as its architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe first envisioned it is to imagine the glistening potential of the future.

      Mies van der Rohe's time in Montreal corresponds to the end of his career and subsequent death in 1969, and Montreal's entry into modernity with Expo 67. As one of North America's oldest cities, stifled in the first half of the twentieth century by a repressive Catholic leadership, it's coming-of-age as a modern city came late. 

      Free account required

      For readers who care about Montreal

      Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

      Independent. Local. Reader-supported.

      or

      Already a member? Sign in

      Comments

      Welcome to The Main's comments section!

      Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

      No comments yet. Be the first!

      Follow on Google
      How Little Portugal carved out its place in the Plateau
      History Lesson
      Phylida Tuff-West

      How Little Portugal Carved Out Its Place in the Plateau

      From postwar migration to piri piri chicken, Azorean immigrants transformed an iconic Montreal neighbourhood with enduring community.

      When Montreal had a steam-powered shortcut to the top of Mount Royal
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      When Montreal Had a Steam-powered Shortcut to the Top of Mount Royal

      From 1884 to 1918, a steam-powered cable railway hauled Montrealers to the summit in minutes, despite a park designer's vision of leisurely mountain strolls.

      The century-long smoked meat legacy of Schwartz's Deli
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      The Century-long Smoked Meat Legacy of Schwartz's Deli

      How a Romanian immigrant's recipe and stubborn refusal to change built Montreal's most iconic sandwich.

      What Montreal's 1976 Olympics left behind, 50 years later
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Montreal's 1976 Olympics Left Behind, 50 Years Later

      Were the Summer Games a triumph, a total failure, or somewhere in between?

      Get to the heart of Montreal's Latino communities through a single grocery store
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      Get to the Heart of Montreal's Latino Communities Through a Single Grocery Store

      For decades, Sabor Latino's been the gravitational centre for Montreal's Latino communities.

      What Happened to Montreal's Red Light District?
      History Lesson
      J.P. Karwacki

      What Happened to Montreal's Red Light District?

      Jazz legends, burlesque queens, and organized crime made it one of the most alive corners in North America. Then Montreal decided it had a reputation to protect.

      The Main

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      Ināt: Crafting Perfect Imperfections in Montreal's New Chabanel

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