Unspecified/General

The Clock Tower at the eastern end of the Old Port of Montreal is a slender white memorial tower rising some forty-five metres above the waterfront, built in the early 1920s as a monument to the sailors of the Canadian merchant marine who lost their lives in the First World War. Completed in 1922 and dedicated by the Prince of Wales, the tower was conceived both as a working clock and as a war memorial, its mechanism modelled on the principles of London's famous Big Ben, and it stands at the tip of a quay that bears its name, the Quai de l'Horloge, looking out over the St Lawrence River. For much of the twentieth century the area around it was a busy commercial port, but as shipping moved elsewhere the Old Port was transformed into a recreational and cultural waterfront, and the tower became one of its landmarks. Visitors may climb the staircase of close to two hundred steps that winds up inside the structure, passing displays about its history and the clock mechanism, to reach an observation platform near the top that rewards the effort with sweeping views over the river, the islands, the Old Port and the rooftops of Old Montreal. At the foot of the tower, an urban beach with deck chairs and a boardwalk has been created along the quay, drawing strollers and sunbathers in the warmer months. Modest in size but rich in meaning, the Clock Tower combines remembrance, history and a fine vantage point at the edge of the historic city. The tower's dual nature, at once a practical timepiece and a solemn memorial, gives it a significance beyond its modest scale, for it was raised in memory of the merchant seamen of the country who died in the First World War, the often-overlooked sailors who kept the supply lines open across dangerous seas. Set at the very tip of its quay, the white tower has become a familiar sight on the Old Port waterfront, watching over the changing fortunes of the harbour for a century, from its busy days as a working port to its later rebirth as a place of leisure. Visitors willing to climb the spiral of steps inside are rewarded along the way with displays explaining its history and the clock mechanism, said to be modelled on that of Big Ben, and at the top an open platform commands fine views over the St Lawrence River, the nearby islands and the historic streets of Old Montreal. Below, the quay around the base has been developed with an urban beach of sand, deck chairs and a boardwalk, a popular spot to relax by the water in the warmer months.

Type: Tourist Attraction

Address: Quai de l'Horloge, Montreal, Canada

Opening Date: 01/01/1922