"Two from the 1800s" Old Montreal Tip by tiabunna

Two other significant buildings at Place d’Armes are the Notre Dame Basilica built in 1827, and the New York Life Building, Canada’s first skyscraper and built in 1888.

The Notre Dame Basilica lays claim to having the largest bell in North America and is able to seat 5000 people. Yes, it’s a very substantial building, but by this part of our trip I was “churched out”, so I left it to Pauline to pay the entrance fee and visit the spectacular interior which also features a superb pipe organ (photos 2,3) while I went to the Aldred Building.

Across the way, the New York Life building in its red bricks (photo 4) was very much “the latest thing” when it was built: with its eight storeys and even a lift, it must have really created a stir! It still warrants a photo, after all I doubt that many places had anything like it when it was built!

Address: Pl d'Armes