Mercier | |
|---|---|
 Rue Curatteau. In background, a ventilation tower forLouis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel | |
  Mercier Location of Mercier inMontreal | |
| Coordinates:45°35′45″N73°30′59″W / 45.5958°N 73.5163°W /45.5958; -73.5163 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| City | Montreal |
| Borough | Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve |
| Postal code(s) | |
| Area codes | (514) and (438) |
Mercier (French pronunciation:[mɛʁsje]ⓘ) denotes the eastern portion of theMercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuveborough of the city ofMontreal, Quebec. It consists of two neighbourhoods Mercier-Ouest (Longue-Pointe) and Mercier-Est (Tétreaultville).
Mercier was named afterHonoré Mercier (1840–1894),Premier of Quebec from 1887 to 1891.
Urbanization began in 1890, and the western portion, Longue-Pointe, become an industrial area by the early 20th century. This social transformation was induced by the arrival of large industries in Longue-Pointe and the building of a tramway onNotre-Dame Street.
Originally an agglomeration of old villages, Longue-Pointe and Tétreaultville, they were annexed to Montreal in 1910.
The neighbourhood's social and economic character was vastly transformed during the urban planning of the 1960s in Montreal in anticipation ofExpo 67.
In 1960, the construction of theAutoroute 25 saw the demolition of many residential buildings in Mercier and divided it into two districts, Mercier-Ouest and Mercier-Est.
The extension of the metro and elimination of the tramway exacerbated industrial activity, and the remnants of the rural landscape of Longue-Pointe disappeared. Citizens battled against the urbanization plans of the 1960s in hopes of preserving their village community. The only success they had is limiting thePort of Montreal's expansion along theSt. Lawrence River in Mercier-Est. They preserved thepromenade Bellerive south ofNotre-Dame Street in Mercier-Est.[1]
Unlike neighbouringHochelaga-Maisonneuve, it suffered a lesser degree of economic decline and poverty related to the movement of capital and production toToronto.
Since 1987, Mercier-Est has become well known for social mobilization against government projects intended to intensify industrialization. Social organization still exist today. Solidarité Mercier-Est is an example of citizen's groups fighting againstgentrification, further urbanization and industrialization. Their activism is focused toward the RUI Integrated Urban Renewal and Contrecoeur projects currently underway in the district.[1]
Mercier is home toPromenade Bellerive Park, one of the east end's largest green spaces. Other notable features include thePlace Versailles shopping mall, theInstitut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, the Sanctuaire Marie-Reine-des-Coeurs and the historicChateau Dufresne.
TheCanadian Armed Forces also have a reserve base,CFB Montreal, in Mercier-Ouest.
Mercier is bordered roughly by the train tracks near Rue Viau to the west, Avenue Georges-V to the east, Rue Sherbrooke to the north, and theSt-Lawrence River to the south.
Hochelaga-Maisonneuve is located to the west,Montréal-Est to the east,Rosemont to the northwest andSaint-Léonard andAnjou to the northeast.
Autoroute 25 divides the neighbourhood into Mercier-Est and Mercier-Ouest.[2]
Mercier is served by theAssomption,Cadillac,Langelier,Radisson andHonoré-Beaugrand stations of theGreen line. Assomption, Cadillac and Langelier stations are in Mercier-Ouest, whereas Radisson and Honoré-Beaugrand stations are in Mercier-Est. All of the stations mentioned above, except for Assomption, are located alongRue Sherbrooke Est.
Autoroute 25 cuts through Mercier, leading to theLouis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Tunnel.
Its main arteries running east to west areRue Notre-Dame, Avenue Pierre De Coubertin, Rue Hochelaga andRue Sherbrooke.
Mercier is in the federal ridings ofHochelaga,Honoré-Mercier andLa Pointe-de-l'Île.
Provincially it's located in the ridings ofBourget (renamed to Camille-Laurin in 2022) andAnjou-Louis-Riel.
At theMontreal city council it's represented in the municipal electoral districts of Maisonneuve–Longue-Pointe, Louis-Riel and Tétreaultville.
TheCommission scolaire de Montréal (CSDM) operates French-language public schools.[3]
TheEnglish Montreal School Board (EMSB) operates English-language schools.[4]
(for high school, students must go to nearbyVincent Massey Collegiate in Rosemont)
