Anja Borck walks the heritage trail

The city sets up signs for pedestrians to find their way around the roadblocks.

McGill Street has many of these very large buildings. Each left an impact on the city, such as the Shaughnessy Building.

West of McGill Street are factories and old warehouses, east of McGill Street is the old center of Montreal, prepared for tourists and visitors.

With only 7 stories, the Freeman Hotel fit the height of the buildings of its time. Scale can help in dating buildings.

The street is narrow with houses tightly packed on both sides, offering plenty of shade in Montreal’s hot summers. The heavy renaissance style of the LeDevoir Building radiates prestige and exclusivity. Click here to zoom in on the Marconi plaque next to the entrance of the building.

Today, the Centaur Theatre uses the former Stock Exchange building. The current Montreal Stock Exchange is on Square Victoria in a 1960s skyscraper.

1903, Marconi took office in the Exchange Bank Building where the company stayed until 1913.

The old La Presse building is a favorite for many architecture fans with the skillful play of red-stone and yellow brick. The antennas, once on the roof, are long gone. The new La Presse building from the late 1950s is the next property around the corner down the street.

A block of concrete with only doors in wood housed the Canada Cement Company. The story goes that the company refused to pay fire insurance because there was nothing that could burn. The CFCF radio station on the 10th floor had a great view.

The Sunlife Building and the roman catholic Mary Queen of the World Cathedral share the same quarry for their stone. It is worthwhile to step into the palace like office complex at 1155 Metcalfe Street.

The building with a slim façade on Sainte Catherine Street is easily overlooked. CKAC moved into the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) Building right after the building was completed in 1929. In 1962, CIBC builds one of Montreal’s highest skyscrapers with a very tall antenna on top to become the city’s tallest structure.

Today, one of Montreal’s shopping temples took over the old Mount Royal Hotel. We recommend a visit inside. It gives a good idea of the beauty the hotel once displayed.