| Names often conceal an unexpected meaning! Whether it is for an individual, a place, a city, a state or a country…. the choice of a name is never at random. It often is the acknowledgement of a patronage, a consecration, a mystical vocation. |
Quels mystères nous dévoilent les noms! Qu’il s’agisse d’un individu, d’un endroit, d’une ville, d’un état, d’un pays… le choix d’un nom est rarement le fruit du hasard. Il marque souvent la reconnaissance d’un patronage, une consécration, une vocation mystique. |
| The city of Montreal presents a toponymy that unveils its historical past. Ville-Marie is actually the very first “french” name given to the settlement that its founders, Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance, were establishing on the Island of Montreal on May 17, 1642, in honour of the Virgin Mary. Historian Jacques Lacoursière, in his final report to Montreal’s city counsel on March 5th, 2012, emphasizes that de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance were simply carrying out the wishes of the Société Notre-Dame de Montréal, of which they were members: “In their desire to make of this city an avenue for catholicism in this new world, they had decided to dedicate this foundation to the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph; to place it under the special protection of the divine Virgin, the forever shield of their faith, and for that reason, to name it Ville-Marie.” |
La ville de Montréal présente une toponymie révélatrice de son histoire… Ville-Marie est le nom français donné par Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, et Jeanne Mance, le 17 mai 1642, à la colonie naissante qu’ils fondaient sur l’île de Montréal, en l’honneur de la Vierge Marie. L’historien Jacques Lacoursière, dans son rapport final à l’administration de la ville de Montréal le 5 mars 2012, précise que Maisonneuve et Jeanne Mance appliquaient les directives de la Société de Notre-Dame de Montréal, dont ils étaient membres: «Voulant faire de cette ville un boulevard du catholicisme dans le nouveau monde, ils se proposaient de la dédier à la Sainte Famille de Jésus, Marie & Joseph; de la placer sous la protection spéciale de cette divine Vierge, le bouclier de la foi dans tous les temps, et de la nommer pour cela, Ville-Marie.» |
| How did the name “Montreal” slip in, to designate the city? Did we stray away from the original purpose of the foundation? |
Comment alors en sommes-nous arrivés à adopter le nom «Montréal» pour désigner la ville? S’est-on éloigné des fondations? |
| The name Montreal was first encountered at the turn of the 16th century, and was linked to the name of the island, because of the mountain sitting right at its center: during his second trip to Canada in 1535, Jacques Cartier had named the mountain Mons Realis, in honour of François Ist, king of France. At that time, there was only a Mohawk settlement called Hochelaga on the island, which means, amongst other things “where we spend winter”. It must have been abandoned or destroyed shortly thereafter, since Cartier makes no mention of it during his subsequent visit in 1541. |
Le nom de Montréal remonte au début du 16e siècle et fut associé à l’île à cause de la montagne qui se trouvait au centre: lors de son second voyage au Canada en 1535, Jacques Cartier avait nommé cette montagne, Mons Realis, en l’honneur du roi de France François 1er. Il n’y avait alors sur l’île qu’une bourgade iroquoienne du nom d’Hochelaga, nom qui signifie entre autres «On y passe notre hiver». Elle fut sans doute abandonnée ou détruite par la suite car Cartier cesse d’en faire mention à son retour sur l’Île en 1541. |
| In 1556, geographer Giovanni Battista Ramusio used the name Monte Reale, on one of his maps, to designate the island. But very quickly Monte Reale became Montreal, the same name as when De La Dauversière and baron de Fancamp gained possession of the titles to the island. They named the new settlement Ville-Marie, and it was used over the duration of Maisonneuve’s stay as governor of the Island (1642-1665), and that of Jeanne Mance (1642-1673), up to the very end of the 17th century. |
En 1556, le géographe italien Giovanni Battista Ramusio utilisa le nom de Monte Reale sur une de ses cartes, pour désigner l’île. Mais Monte Reale s’est vite transformé en Montréal, nom que portait l’île lorsque les titres furent acquis par La Dauversière et le baron de Fancamp. Ceux-ci nommèrent Ville-Marie la nouvelle colonie, et ce nom fut officiellement utilisé durant toute la période du séjour de Maisonneuve (1642-1665) et de Jeanne Mance (1642-1673) jusqu’à la fin du 17e siècle. |
| As time went on after the death of its founders, Ville-Marie’s name progressively faded. |
Par la suite, plus on s’éloigne du vivant des fondateurs, plus le nom de Ville-Marie s’efface. |
| But the island of Montreal gained in recognition as the crossroad of fur trading, and the name Ville-Marie was gradually abandoned. Was it because Mount-Royal, which sat near the outer limits of Ville-Marie, was a natural beacon, a very recognizable landmark for those traveling by way of the river, drawn towards the city, a burgeoning hub for fur traders? |
L’Île de Montréal devint de plus en plus un centre de traite des fourrures et le nom de Ville-Marie est graduellement abandonné. Était-ce à cause du fait que le Mont-Royal, qui était situé à proximité de Ville-Marie, s’affichait comme un excellent point de repère de l’île de Montréal, pour tous les navigateurs attirés par la traite des fourrures? |
| The census of 1700 establishes at 2,969 the number of inhabitants of the Island of Montreal, spread over 4 districts: Ville-Marie, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Rivière-des-Prairies and Lachine. It is around 1705 that “Ville-Marie more or less officially adopts Montreal as its name.” It becomes de facto the name for the city, as many maps of that period will attest. But it is only on March 31, 1831, that it becomes definitive as the City of Montreal officially becomes incorporated. |
En 1700, le recensement indique 2 969 habitants sur l’île de Montréal comprenant 4 établissements: Ville-Marie, Pointe-aux-Trembles, Rivière-des-Prairies et Lachine. On l’appelle donc encore Ville-Marie. C’est en 1705 que «Ville-Marie prend plus ou moins officiellement le nom de Montréal». Ce nom devient l’appellation de facto de la ville; plusieurs cartes en témoignent. La Ville en adopte définitivement le nom le 31 mars 1831, date d’incorporation de la Ville de Montréal. |
| Nevertheless Montreal kept the name Ville-Marie for one of its districts. Its territory includes the area covered by the city throughout the 18th century, intermingled with more contemporary landmarks. A bird’s eye view would capture the following: Notre-Dame basilica, the old Saint Sulpice seminary, city hall, Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours chapel, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys, Pointe-à-Callière, Place Jacques Cartier, Place Ville-Marie, the Ville-Marie underground expressway, the old General Hospital, château Ramesay (now a historic site and museum), CEGEP Marianopolis (managed by the sisters of Congregation Notre-Dame, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys), etc… |
Montréal a toutefois gardé le nom de Ville-Marie pour désigner une partie de la ville, l’arrondissement Ville-Marie. Il inclut dans son territoire ce qu’était Ville-Marie au 18e siècle, entremêlé de ce que la ville est devenue. On y retrouve la Basilique Notre-Dame, le vieux Séminaire de Saint Sulpice, l’hôtel de ville, la chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, fondée par Marguerite Bourgeoys, la Pointe-à-Callière, la Place Jacques Cartier, la Place Ville-Marie, le tunnel Ville-Marie, l’ancien Hôpital Général, le château Ramesay, le collège Marianopolis (administré par les sœurs de la Congrégation Notre-Dame dont Marguerite Bourgeoys était la fondatrice), etc… |
| Ville-Marie, Hôtel-Dieu…. Names may change over time but it is impossible to wipe out the ever present underlying mystical reality. |
Ville-Marie, Hôtel-Dieu… on peut toujours changer les noms, mais il est impossible d’en modifier la réalité mystique sous-jacente. |
| Christian Tessier |
Christian Tessier |
Hello Christian,
I haven’t heard from you in a while!
Very interesting indeed. Can you tell me in which District St-Joesph’s Oratory is located? Is it in the town of Mt-Royal?
Because my thinking is the following, would Mary choose to give a place to Joseph on Mount Royal and that this is what we see at the moment as the beacon for those not only travelling by river but from all directions?
We have the Oratory, the Cross, place Ville-Marie, all encompassed in Montreal as significant landmarks of our underlying mystical reality.
Theresa,
The connection you are making is quite interresting, and you bring out a good point in suggesting that Mary might have prepared a location of choice for Saint Joseph’s Oratory, on Mount-Royal. After all, the foundation of Ville-Marie was dedicated to the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary and Jesus, and Joseph is a direct descendant of King David: Mount-Royal is a very appropriate location from which Joseph can look after Mary’s city.
By the way, Saint Joseph’s Oratory is located in the residential neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges & Notre-Dame-de-Grâces. Interestingly enough, I have found in Montreal’s City Guide that Côte-des-Neiges’ original designation was Notre-Dame-des-Neiges (the cemetary on Mount-Royal is still called Notre-Dame-des-Neiges) How fitting! Another geographical link between Mary and Joseph that ciments the idea of a mystical connection. Thanks for bringing it up in the first place.