The Churches of Montreal, Canada: A Travel Guide

One of the first things any visitor to Montreal notices is the literal plethora of its grand churches, cathedrals and basilicas. In the French language, Montreal has a nick-name, la ville aux cent clochers, which translates as "the city of a hundred bell-towers." American author and raconteur, Mark Twain once remarked of Montreal, "This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window."

Christ Church Cathedral Located amid the skyscrapers of downtown Montreal, this 1857 Gothic styled church provides a nice change of pace to the modern glass and steel streetscape in which it has found itself nestled. Historically, the church has had to overcome many obstacles. The most significant problem involved movement of the church's giant stone tower. Apparently, it was too heavy for its foundation, so as a result, over time, the tower began to sink and eventually lean to the side. The steeple needed to be removed, and new foundations poured. A new steeple was built, but this time made of light weight aluminum. It is made to resemble the former stone steeple, and from the street, the difference is not apparent. Also of note about Christ Church is their decision to allow a thirty-four story office tower to be constructed on its grounds directly behind the church. Also, beneath the church, as part of Montreal's underground world, there is a large shopping and dining arcade. It is said that the church takes in $400,000 in annual rent, which goes towards the upkeep of their historic cathedral.