We love this colourful neighbourhood of the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough! In fact, folks love it so much, it’s earned a few nicknames: HOMA, Hoch’lag, Chlag – whatever you call it, we love it! 

Les Jardineries, La Pépinière sur l'Esplanade du Parc Olympique 

Photo : Courtoisie La Pépinière ©Alexandre Guilbeault

A lively and laid-back neighbourhood

To get your bearings, look for the Olympic Stadium tower. Take Ontario Street east, go under the overpass near Moreau Street, and you're there! Flanked by two railway lines – CP to the west and CN to the east – the neighbourhood borders Rachel and Sherbrooke streets to

 the north and the St. Lawrence River to the south.

A former working-class sector now populated by artists and young graduates, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve has a dynamic mix of demographics. While some may lament its gentrification, let’s not forget that neighbourhood has not only known tough times; it also had its heyday when it was home to the French-speaking Montréal bourgeoisie, who left a magnificent architectural heritage here. And although it is constantly evolving, it’s still an unpretentious neighbourhood where people like to talk to each other, help each other out and work together for common goals.

At the heart of Montréal's industrialization

The area’s modern history begins in the middle of the 19th century, with the industrialization of eastern Montréal fostered by the arrival of the railway in 1876. Several factories were established there, particularly cotton mills and tobacco factories, attracting many families of French-speaking workers. The village of Hochelaga, incorporated in 1875, experienced such great growth that it obtained city status on March 30, 1883. Unfortunately, crippled with debt, the city was annexed to Montréal on December 22 of the same year.

Dissatisfied, a group of land developers east of Hochelaga decided to found a new city named Maisonneuve, in honour of Paul de Chomedey de Maisonneuve, co-founder of Montréal. They want to make it a model city. Prestigious buildings were built there, modern public services were set up and tax holidays were offered to attract new businesses. Maisonneuve became so prosperous that it managed to become the fifth most industrialized city in Canada. Unfortunately, the First World War broke out and, hard hit by the recession, the city declared bankruptcy and was annexed to Montréal in 1918.

Starting in the 1960s, times were tough: factories closed, unemployment and poverty were rampant, and it marked the beginning of the era of “people’s banks”, credit unions, citizen mobilization and community organization. It would not be until the 2010s that the neighbourhood began to be revitalized.

The pinnacle of the Beaux-Arts style mixed with multiplexes

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is densely built and mainly residential, if we exclude the industrial areas bordering the railway lines and the shores of the river. At first glance, the urban landscape, dominated by rows of multiplexes with exterior staircases, seems typical of many other neighbourhoods in Montréal.

Bain Morgan, 1875, avenue Morgan, Montréal (Québec) H1V 2R1 

Photo credits: Marie-Claude Lamothe, @mclam_

But take a walk on Morgan Avenue, and you will discover a gorgeous building: the former Maisonneuve public bath (now Bain Morgan), inaugurated in 1916. Designed by architect Marius Dufresne in the spirit of Roman baths, this building is one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts style architecture in Montréal. Residents can still enjoy the beauty of this building, as Bain Morgan houses the municipal swimming pool, the MHM History Workshop and the Éco-quartier.

Bibliothèque Maisonneuve, 4120, rue Ontario Est, Montréal (Québec) H1V 1J9

Photo credits: Marie-Claude Lamothe, @mclam_

And that's not all! During its prosperous years, the city of Maisonneuve was inspired by the “City Beautiful” movement, an American school of urban beautification, to build several majestic municipal buildings, including a city hall (which became the municipal library in 1981), a fire station and a public market (closed in 1967). In front of the old market stands one of the most beautiful fountains in Montréal, created in 1915 by the famous Québec sculptor Alfred Laliberté.

When it comes to private residences, Château Dufresne is the crown jewel of the neighbourhood. Built between 1915 and 1918 for the Dufresne brothers, this building, inspired by the Petit Trianon at the Palace of Versailles in France, stands at the corner of Sherbrooke and Pie-IX streets. Classified as a historical monument in 1976, it was converted to a museum in 1979.

Alongside this architectural splendor are vestiges of the area’s working-class past. Just walk down Saint-Germain Street, between Adam and Rouville, to discover a row of about sixty workers' houses. Built in the 19th century by the Hudon cotton mill, they are brick-clad and have no balconies. The only ornaments on these understated homes are the elegant dormers and cornices.

Finally, in the Viauville sector, you will see a whole quadrilateral of small houses popping up on Saint-Clément, Théodore, Leclaire and Sicard streets, between Rouen and Hochelaga. These are old veterans' houses, built in the 1940s and 1950s for returning soldiers at the end of the Second World War. They add a unique personality to the neighbourhood, which has many surprising gems to discover!

For more in-depth architectural explorations, follow the self-guided walking tours on Gilles Beaudry’s blog (in French only).

Who will your neighbours be?

Just over 50,000 people live in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, most of them in rental housing (74.3%). So it will be easy to get to know your neighbours; they are sure to say hello to you when you pass each other on the landing!

According to the portrait of the neighbourhood published by the Table de quartier Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (available in French only), in 2019, single-person households made up 50.7% of the neighbourhood. Adults aged 25 to 54 are make up a slight majority (54.7%), while those aged 24 and under represent 23.1% of the population. There are only 5,600 families with children, of which 44.5% are single-parent households.

French is the language spoken at home by 89% of residents, even though the immigrant population (16.1%) almost doubled between 1996 and 2016. Immigrants in the neighbourhood come from France (19.5%), Morocco (5.5%), China (5.4%) and Algeria (5.3%).

While the median income is $42,156, just over a quarter of households (28.7%) are considered low income.   

Things to do in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve

Culture is at the heart of neighbourhood life. Start soaking it up by exploring De la Poésie Street along Desjardins Street, where local poets have been presenting excerpts of their works every year for the past ten years. You can also subscribe to a season of plays at Théâtre Denis-Pelletier, located in the former Granada cinema (1930), follow the diverse program of shows, movies, workshops and exhibitions at the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve (Ontario Street), take part in the many borough festivals or visit the Musée du Château Dufresne and the Guido Molinari Foundation.

For younger explorers, there’s no shortage of activities! They will naturally be drawn to Pie-IX or Viau metro stations, right near the Olympic Stadium. It’s all right there: the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, the Montréal Biodôme, the Saputo Stadium and the Starcité movie theatre. On the Esplanade of the Olympic Park, they can also go climbing on the granite rocks, go skateboarding at the Vans skate park (free), work out at the sports centre or take in one of the many events organized throughout the year. Foodies flock to the Esplanade every first Friday of the month from May to October for the largest gathering of street food trucks in the country.

For a fun family outing, nothing beats a game of bowling at Darling, an institution on Promenade Ontario for 58 years! With its vintage decor and typical 60s diner atmosphere, this bowling alley has reintroduced the great tradition of bowling to a new generation. 

And don't forget, just north of Sherbrooke Street, you also have the Botanical Garden and Maisonneuve Park.

Hochelaga-Maisonneuve