Montreal road crews unearth 1860s era botanical garden where hippos once roamed
Montreal road crews unearthed a buried part of the city's past when they discovered botanical gardens from the 1860s.
Crews renovating an area of Pins Ave. near Parc Ave. in the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough found the "Guilbault Gardens" which also had a zoo with a beluga whale and elephants.
After making the discoveries, archaeologists were called in and dug up part of the imposing Guilbault Gardens fountain.
"They believe they found the stone at the entrance of this largest, most important zoological garden in Canada at the time," said Jeanne-Mance city Councillor Alex Norris. "One hundred and fifty species kept at this zoo!"
Joseph-Edouard Guilbault's botanical and zoological gardens were a large-scale attraction.
"They had hippopotamus, elephants, and a whale on display right here on the corner of Pins and Clark avenues," said Norris.
Other small artifacts, such as inkpots and fragments of crockery from residential buildings, that were expropriated to allow the construction of Pine Ave. at the end of the 19th century, have also been unearthed.
The extensive work being done on Pins involves replacing the underground infrastructure. The renovations will alter the area to a more pedestrian-friendly neighbourhood like it was during the age of the Guilbault Gardens, with lots of trees and wide sidewalks along the stretch of road.
As crews continue to work east towards St-Denis St., they will keep an eye out for more finds.
"There's a whole wealth of archeological material under the street here," says Norris.
The city wants "to take advantage of this opportunity to better understand the history of our city, which is very rich, particularly in the older neighbourhoods like this one."
Despite its success, the Guilbault business went bankrupt in 1869.
The fountain was destroyed, and the land was subdivided for sale.
Yet, a tribute remains - a plaque honouring Guilbault and his accomplishments on the small street that bears his name in the area.
In addition, a pink hippopotamus public art installation is on permanent display as a reminder that there were once hippos here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Air quality advisories issued in 5 provinces, 1 territory
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
opinion Harry and Meghan's Nigerian adventure: traditional attire to warm welcomes
For her latest column on CTVNews.ca, royal commentator Afua Hagan writes about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's recent visit to Nigeria, calling it a 'deeply meaningful campaign' that was about aligning their ongoing efforts to foster mental-health awareness and promoting the Invictus Games.
Ontario's need for nurses, PSWs to top 33K and 50K by 2032: document
Ontario will need 33,200 more nurses and 50,853 more personal support workers by 2032, the government projects — figures it tried to keep secret but were obtained by The Canadian Press.
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
DEVELOPING Michael Cohen takes the stand as testimony in Trump hush money case enters 4th week
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
'It happened so fast': Evacuees describe fleeing Fort Nelson, B.C., wildfire
Thousands have been forced to flee a wildfire burning near Fort Nelson. Meanwhile, some experienced volunteers are staying behind to fight the fire.