Free tours of 19th century parliament dig in Old Montreal start today
CBC News | Posted: July 19, 2017 10:11 AM | Last Updated: July 19, 2017
Pointe-à-Callière offering tours every half hour from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday
Free tours of one of Canada's most important archaeological digs start today as part of an exhibition at the Pointe-à-Callière archaeological and historic site in Old Montreal.
The site of the Parliament of the United Province of Canada is being excavated in full view of the public until October.
The building housed the legislature for five years until it was destroyed by a fire during a riot in 1849.
The historic site was buried under a parking lot for about 90 years and archeologists have been working to dig up the remains since 2010.
"It's to understand the structure, it's to understand the functioning of the people inside it," said Pointe-à-Callière chief archaeologist Louise Pothier.
"We know that the second floor, which was the higher floor, had the library. The most important library in Canada was there. So we found some traces of it," Poitier added.
The City of Montreal is investing $6 million in the project, hoping to have half the site excavated by the end of the year.
The excavation is currently at the one-and-a-half metre mark.
"Imagine when we get to five metres," Pothier said.
A learning experience
The united Province of Canada was created in 1841 when the provinces of Lower Canada and Upper Canada were brought together by the Act of Union.
The act established a single government and legislature.
Archaeologist Coralie Dallaire-Fortier said learning about the site is in Canada's best interest.
"Most people don't really know the real history. In schools we don't learn everything. And some information [we receive is] not entirely true," Dallaire-Fortier said.
Pointe-à-Callière is offering tours every half hour during the day, from Wednesday to Sunday.