Monument-National

Built with steel bones and nationalist ambition in the early 1890s, the Monument-National is the oldest active theatre in Quebec—and still one of the most dynamic. Originally commissioned by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Association as both a cultural and political stronghold, it served as a launchpad for Quebec theatre, feminist activism, and the cooperative movement, while also hosting Yiddish productions, Cantonese opera, and early suffragette gatherings. The venue’s main hall—now named for Ludger-Duvernay—has seen everything from Fridolinades to Édith Piaf, and remains a proving ground for emerging talent thanks to its current steward: the National Theatre School of Canada. After narrowly escaping demolition mid-century, the building was fully restored in 1993, and today houses three performance spaces that blend heritage architecture with state-of-the-art production. It’s a living artefact of Montreal’s layered history, spoken and sung and shouted from the stage.