An archaeological treasure discovered beneath the parking lot behind Hydro-Québec in Montreal

Somewhere between 1801 and 1825, a stone house, built on a well-constructed foundation, stood in what is now the parking lot of Hydro-Québec’s head office in downtown Montreal.

This archaeological treasure trove, recently unearthed by Hydro-Québec archaeologists, tells the story of wealthy residents living on the banks of the now-defunct Côte à Baron stream, fronting on rue Saint-Charles-Borromée (later rue Clark) in the heart of the Faubourg Saint-Laurent.

At the time, Faubourg Saint-Laurent was emerging from a hitherto agricultural area.

“It was a working-class town that grew up outside the fortification walls around the middle of the 18th century, where artisans, people of lesser means and farmers came to settle in response to the ever-increasing densification inside the fortification walls,” recounts archaeologist Martin Perron, who is in charge of the site.

Archeologists look for artifacts at an archeological dig of an early 19th century home behind Hydro-Québec headquarters Thursday, June 22, 2023 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

“We were lucky!”

The discovery was to be expected, he recounts, since other remains had been found during the construction of surrounding buildings, but we hadn’t expected to find a site of such richness.

“We were lucky! The archaeological remains are really shallow under the asphalt pavement,” enthuses Perron.

This building is exceptionally well preserved,” he says. We have foundations almost three or four feet high, with the first courses of the elevation wall. We presume to have it in its entirety because the east front, which faced Saint-Charles-Borromée Street, is under the current Clark Street sidewalk.”

He adds that we found “a water well inside, which was quite common, but it’s quite unusual to find it so well preserved buried. We have the construction layer, the foundations, in which we found several building materials and especially small stone shards that had been cut to fit well into the wall foundations.”

Archeologist Manek Kolhatkar, left, looks for artifacts at an archeological dig of an early 19th century home behind Hydro-Québec headquarters Thursday, June 22, 2023 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

Mysterious 19th-century shards

The cache of precious objects doesn’t stop there, quite the contrary, he continues, explaining that numerous artifacts were discovered, the vast majority dating from the 19th century, but “we did find a few shards, in salt stoneware and earthenware, which definitely date back to the second half of the 18th century, i.e. towards the beginning of the English regime”, which represent an initial mystery, says the archaeologist.

“That’s the big question. Are these scattered shards that were left there when people passed through near the creek? Maybe farmers? But on earlier plans, there’s no trace of any building or activity other than farming. There was no known construction. These artifacts are orphaned for the moment, but it’s hyper interesting and we want to continue the research to try and find other levels perhaps associated with this occupation of the second half of the 18th century.”

“We really do have everything, everything that was used at the time: crockery, presentation crockery, pitchers, plates, bowls, some of which are still richly decorated.

“We have the entire production sequence of these materials in the 19th century, with imports from England, France, the United States, Lower and Upper Canada. We also have bottles of soft drinks, beer, wine, inkwells, objects for everyday hygiene, lots of bones associated with people’s diets, many with traces of butchery, pork, mutton, beef.”

Then, a second mystery was presented to the researchers. The quality of the objects found “points in the direction of a well-to-do owner or tenant”, explains Martin Perron, whereas “Faubourg Saint-Laurent was originally a working-class neighborhood”. The hypothesis of an occupant belonging to a liberal profession, such as a lawyer or notary, is on the minds of the excavators.

Archeologist Martin Perron stands on the foundation as he speaks to the media at an archeological dig of an early 19th century home behind Hydro-Québec headquarters Thursday, June 22, 2023 in Montreal. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz)

A third enigma

Finally, a third enigma presents itself. “This building, for some reason that we still don’t fully understand, was razed to the ground at the end of the 19th century, around 1890, perhaps a little earlier. This house was demolished at a time when the Faubourg Saint-Laurent was booming. Had there been a fire? Were the buildings now dilapidated?”

But the space didn’t remain unoccupied for long. As early as 1890, a sawmill and lumber yard were set up, which remained in operation until the construction of Hydro-Québec’s head office in the late 1950s. What’s left of the sawmill’s wooden floor is currently on display, and probably extends under the portion of the parking lot that hasn’t yet been excavated, but won’t be there for long, says Mr. Perron, who is primarily interested in what’s underneath. “These remains will eventually be dismantled once they’ve been documented more systematically to see if there are any older levels that could be associated with the Faubourg Saint-Laurent.”

The current archaeological digs are not an emergency pre-construction rescue. On the contrary, the aim from the outset was to redevelop the parking lot as a public space. The discoveries are a bonus for the public to enjoy. “We want to make it an educational, didactic and restful place that will come to harmonize with the spirit of the Quartier des spectacles, so a place where people will be able to come and rest, with interpretation panels, murals.”

This may take some time yet, but it will be welcomed, as history is often forgotten in various urban projects.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 23, 2023, and translated by CityNews.