A Brief History...cont'd

The 1959 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway allowed direct access to the Great Lakes by trans-atlantic vessels.  Activity in the Port thus decreased greatly and in 1963, the Old Port was declared a historic zone. 

In the 1970’s, in an attempt to restore the activity level of the Old Port docks, the Port of Montreal planned to establish a container terminal across the Bonsecours Market (Bonsecours Basin).  Consequently, the basin between the Jacques-Cartier and Victoria Piers was filled in amidst great controversy.  This action was seen as contradictory to the efforts to revitalize Old Montreal and to transform the area into a new residential, cultural, and tourist district.

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