This walk will take you thru the beautiful Shaughnessy Village, said to be the most densely populated neighbourhood in Quebec. It is bordered to the north by Sherbrooke Street West, to the south by Rene-Levesque Boulevard West (and Ville Marie Expressway), to the east by Guy Street and to the west by Atwater Avenue. This area has many high rise apartment buildings, beautiful Victorian era homes, stunning Beau-Arts buildings and many landmarks. Many cafe’s, restaurants and boutiques are located here as well. Shaughnessy Village has several schools and colleges and a university on and within its borders, so at any one time there are many thousands of students living in or passing thru this area. This includes Concordia University on the eastern border and Dawson College on the western border. This walk will take you right along the entire perimeter of the neighbourhood, eventually winding in and out of all the smaller streets like a maze. It starts at the corner of Sherbrooke Street West and Côte-des-Neiges Road (where Guy Street ends).
We did this walk on Sunday June 20, 2021, starting at 8:08AM and finishing at 11:41AM. We measured the total distance at 6.49KM (4.03M). The temperature was 20C (68F) when we started and when we finished it was 25C (77F). It was a sunny day, with few clouds.
- Corner of Côte-des-Neiges (where Guy Street ends) and Sherbrooke West
- Masonic Temple
- Grand Seminary of Montreal and Fort Towers
- Haddon Hall
- Corner of Atwater and Sherbrooke West
- The Forum
- Cabot Square
- Souvenir Street
- Hawarden Avenue
- Joseph-Wilfrid Antoine-Raymond Masson House
- Judah House
- Ernest Cormier Esplanade
- Van Horne-Shaughnessy House
- Corner of René-Lévesque West and Guy
- Grey Nuns Building
- Fulford Residence
- Norman Bethune Square
- Guy and Lincoln Streets
- Lincoln and Lambert-Closse
- Tupper and Sussex
- Hope Street
- Seymour Street
- Tupper and Fort Streets
- Baile and St Mathieu Streets
- Tupper and St Marc Streets
- Fort and Sainte Catherine Streets
- Royal Montreal Curling Club
- Chomedey Street
This walk starts at the corner of Côte-des-Neiges Road (where Guy Street ends) and Sherbrooke Street West.
On the north-east corner of Sherbrooke and Côte-des-Neiges is a classic brownstone, which was the Stanley Clark Bagg House. Built in 1891 it is at 1541 Sherbrooke West.
On the south-west corner of Sherbrooke and Côte-des-Neiges is the beautiful Grosvenor Apartments. Built in 1905 it is at 1600-1610 Sherbrooke West.
Masonic Temple – built in 1928 at 1850 Sherbrooke West.
On the north side of Sherbrooke, as you pass the Masonic Temple, you will find two towers, remnants of the ancient Fort de la Montagne (built in 1694). Also, referred to as The Sulpician Towers. These are some of the oldest structures in Montreal.
On the same grounds as the Towers, is The Grand Seminary of Montreal – built in 1857.
Haddon Hall apartments, built in 1928, at 2150 Sherbrooke West. This building is immense, occupying the entire block.
La Congrégation de Notre-Dame, built in 1913, at 2330 Sherbrooke West. Also known as École Saint-Jacques.
We now arrive at the corner of Atwater Avenue and Sherbrooke West.
This is the north-west boundary of Shaugnessy Village. Walk south on Atwater.
The Alexis Nihon Plaza occupies this block on the west side of Atwater. It is a shopping mall, with offices and the Atwater Metro Station.
Looking north on Atwater – Alexis Nihon Plaza on left and the old Montreal Forum on the right.
The Forum – home to the Montreal Canadiens hockey team for about six decades.
Across Saint-Catherine Street is Cabot Square. Here is the sign of the square at corner of Atwater and Tupper.
Created in 1870, it was first called Western Square (or Western Park). It was renamed Cabot Square in 1957.
A statue of John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto) was gifted by the Italian-Canadian community to the city of Montreal in 1935.
The statue is the work of Guido Casini and was cast in Florence.
Here is an archive photo credit to BANQ of the Cabot Statue.
Cabot Square was originally Western Park that had a fountain in the middle. So what happened to this fountain?
The Atwater Library and Computer Centre at 1200 Atwater. It’s origins go back to 1828. This building was built in 1920.
St. Stephen’s Anglican Church, corner Dorchester and Atwater, built in 1903. Now closed.
Corner of Atwater and Rene-Levesque Blvd where The Montreal Children’s Hospital once stood.
Below shows the administration building of the hospital that was incorporated into the massive development taking place.
When walking on Atwater, just south of Rene-Levesque Blvd, you will come to the charming enclave of Rue du Souvenir, Hawarden Avenue and Rue Lambert-Closse.
Below image is of Rue du Souvenir.
Rue du Souvenir.
Corner of Hawarden and Lambert-Closse.
The Masson House, built in 1850 at 2080 Boulevard René-Lévesque West.
The incredible fence of The Masson House.
Beside the Masson House you will see this bell as a reminder of the Franciscan Church that once stood on this spot.
Here is a postcard image of the Franciscan Church. Built circa 1893, it was destroyed by a fire in 2010. It stood between The Masson House and The Judah House.
The Judah House, built in 1874 at 1980 René-Lévesque Blvd West.
As you walk east on René-Lévesque Blvd, right after The Judah House, is the Esplanade Ernest Cormier. A tribute to the renowned Montreal architect.
Esplanade Ernest Cormier is a sculpture garden, designed by Montreal artist-architect Melvin Charney .
It has a great view overlooking Little Burgundy and beyond.
Directly across the street from Esplanade Ernest Cormier is the stunning Van Horne-Shaughnessy House.
Van Horne-Shaughnessy House, built in 1874 at 1923 René-Lévesque Boulevard West.
Continue walking east on René-Lévesque Boulevard and you will come to the Mother House of the Grey Nuns, built in1871.
Below is image of its magnificent gate and fence.
Mother House of the Grey Nuns, built in1871, now occupied by Concordia University. (old postcard image).
Corner of Guy Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard West. This is the south-east border of Shaughnessy Village.
Corner of Guy Street and René-Lévesque Boulevard West.
On Guy Street you will find the entrance of the Grey Nuns Mother House.
Walking north on Guy Street, you will see the Fulford House, built in 1859 at 1221 Guy Street.
Corner of Guy Street and Saint-Catherine Street West. Concordia University occupies this corner as well.
If you look off to your left down Saint-Catherine Street , you will see the Faubourg Saint-Catherine – a large indoor market extravaganza.
Continue walking north on Guy and at the corner of de Maisonneuve is the Norman Bethune Square (foreground) and Concordia University (background).
Norman Bethune Square.
Turn left (west) on Lincoln Avenue. Many Victorian buildings converted into shops and restaurants.
Corner of Lincoln and Saint-Mathieu streets.
Corner of Lincoln and Fort streets.
Corner of Lincoln and Chomedey streets. This is the back of Haddon Hall apartments.
Corner of Lincoln and Lambert-Closse streets. This is the back of La Congrégation de Notre-Dame.
Walk south on Lambert-Closse.
As you cross de Maisonneuve Street, you will see these Victorian Homes in contrast to older and newer apartment buildings.
Continue south on Lambert-Closse passing Cabot Square, with the massive development looming above.
Corner of Hope and Sussex streets.
Parc Hector-Toe-Blake.
Off of Hope Avenue, across form Toe Blake Park, is a Ruelle Verte (Green Alley) Take the alley thru to Seymour Avenue.
Seymour Avenue.
Seymour Avenue.
Walk north on Seymour to Tupper Avenue.
Walk east to the corner of Tupper and Fort. Here you will find an informal park built by the citizens of Shaughnessy Village.
Walk south on Fort Street.
Turn on Baile Street and walk east.
Beautiful Victorian homes.
Baile Street.
On the south side of Baile Street is The Canadian Centre for Architecture.
Corner of Baile and Saint-Marc streets.
Mother House of Grey Nuns on St. Mathieu street.
Old homes on St. Mathieu Street built in 1890’s.
Walk north on St. Mathieu one block to Tupper Street.
Corner of St. Mathieu and Tupper – walk west on Tupper.
Tupper Street.
Tupper Street.
North-east corner of Tupper and Saint-Marc streets.
South-west corner of Tupper and Saint-Marc streets.
Corner of Fort and Tupper streets….looking west down Tupper with new development looming in distance.
Walk north on Fort Street to Saint-Catherine Street, where you will find the majority of shopping and eating.
Walk west on Saint-Catherine to Saint-Marc.
Then walk north on Saint Marc, and you will come to corner of de Maisonneuve.
de Maisonneuve Boulevard. It has a protected bike path.
Royal Montreal Curling Club at 1850 de Maisonneuve boulevard.
This is the oldest curling club in North America, dating back to 1807. The building dates to 1921.
Old Victoria School, built in 1888 at 1822 de Maisonneuve Boulevard.
At the south-east corner of de Maisonneuve and St. Mathieu is original Police and Fire Station. The fire station is still active.
This is a beautiful Art Deco building built in 1931.
North-west corner of de Maisonneuve and St. Mathieu.
turn around and walk west on de Maisonneuve.
de Maisonneuve boulevard.
de Maisonneuve boulevard, walk to Chomedey Street and go south to Saint-Catherine.
Saint-Catherine Street looking west.
Corner of Chomedey and Saint-Catherine.
On Saint-Catherine Street West, corner of Chomedey Street once stood the fabulous Seville Theatre.
Built in 1929, it was a movie theatre, then a venue for live acts and then a repertory theatre before being abandoned and then demolished in 2010.
Below is the Seville Theatre in 1952 (credit to BANQ).
Today, this what we are left with…two brownstone windows built into the structure that took its place.
We hope you enjoyed this walk as much as we did. Shaughnessy Village is incredible, vibrant and historical.
When walking this neighbourhood, you really must try and see each street there is.
From busy Saint-Catherine, to majestic Sherbrooke, to the Victorian homes on du Souvenir and the beautiful Tupper Street.
Hi, I’m a teacher at Dawson College working on a new project about the Shaughnessy Village. I would love to talk to the person or people who were involved in putting this fabulous walk together.
Thanks for contacting me.
Reisa Levine
I always liked that pocket of houses below Ste-Catherine on Baile, Tupper & Seymour streets. You get a glimpse of how special the quarter once was, before new developments in the 1960s demolished most of it.
Hi David, Absolutely! some beautiful houses here and great area to walk in. Thank you for visiting WalkMontreal!