The Montreal Tourist Cabins were located at 6270 Sherbrooke East in Montreal, that's a few blocks before Langelier, about a 15 minute drive from downtown. Beyond that, I know nothing, other than that judging by the photos, it seems to have had an artificial lake in its later years, which would appear to be the 1950s.
It reminds me of a story my dad told me about how he had a piece of land in the countryside which a crazy European persuaded to allow him to develop into tiny cottages all close to each other, a concept unheard-of here but popular in Europe at that time. My father did it with some regret thinking people wouldn't want the tiny cabins with nearby neighbours, but he expressed joy at their completion when they all sold immediately. So a certain demographic of Quebecers have never minded having their bucolic experiences shared with nearby neighbours.This site has long since been developed with a strip mall but very little appears to have been written or discussed about this place.
For years there was an erroneous listing in the Montreal phone book, long past after they were torn down, for the Maple Leaf Cabins on Cote-de-Liesse...we would call the current owner of the number and ask for a room, knowing that Bell supervisors couldn't get traction against someone calling a listed number although we were making cranks...a few years back I came across a postcard of the Maple Leaf on eBay and bought it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Lovell's, the first listing was in 1935-36 for the "Montreal Tourist Camp". It used that name until 1946 when it became the "Montreal Tourist Cabins". In 1958 it became the "Montreal Tourist Cabins and Motel"; in 1959, simply the "Montreal Tourist Motel".
ReplyDeleteThe last Lovell's listing under that name and address was in 1964-65. However - a current Google Streetview shows a "Motel Le Marquis" in roughly the same spot (but a Japanese restaurant seems to have the 6720 address).
http://goo.gl/maps/lN1jf
Looks like it must have been a delightfully perky place to stay after a day at Dominion Park, the amusement park that the transit co. of the day built as a destination at the end of the tram line, about 1 km east of there.
ReplyDeleteShe doesn't seem to mind that he's wearing socks and sandals...
Onkel Charlie
Dominion Park closed in 1937, so there wasn't a long time period when they both existed.
ReplyDeleteThe Grace Dart Hospital (opened in 1907) was (and still is) across the street - maybe some hospital visitors stayed at the cabins?
That's in my neighbourhood, just a couple of streets from where I grew up and still live. The actual address is 6720 Sherbrooke St. East, and the Motel Le Marquis still sits there, across from Le Repos Saint-François-d'Assise, which everyone still calls "le Cimetière de l'Est". (Grace Dart Hospital is located a few blocks to the west.) The area south of Sherbrooke Street is now fully built up, except for a municipal park, Parc Saint-Donat, between De Marseille St. and Hochelaga St. The Longue-Pointe Armed Forces Base sits south of Hochelaga St., down to Notre-Dame St. Dominion Park would have been located further south, between Notre-Dame St. and the river.
ReplyDeleteThe motel closed in 2019 and was demolished
ReplyDeleteIn 2020. A big condominium project is now build there.