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
There's actually no such thing as vegetables. Here's why you should eat them anyway
The rumours are true: Vegetables aren't real — that is, in botany, anyway.
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
The Met Gala was in full bloom with Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Mindy Kaling among the standout stars
The Met Gala and its fashionista A-listers on Monday included Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and a parade of others in a swirl of flora and fauna looks on a green-tinged carpet lined by live foliage.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.