Montreal has some nice statues hidden where you wouldn’t expect. Here are just a few highlights.
“The Goalie” is now is on the Metro level of Place Montreal Trust, part of the huge Underground City. It was moved there in 2011 after spending 26 years at the Place Vertu mall.
The statue created by Robin Bell is a cast bronze sculpture. Its molding was done in Pietrasanta, Italy. It is a life size tribute to Ken Dryden , one of the great hockey goalkeepers of the Montreal Canadians. During his time there, 1971-1979, the Canadians won the Stanley Cup six times and Dryden was awarded the Vezinza trophy 5 times.
“The Lesson” by Cedric Loth is across the street from McGill University. It’s a lampoon of student life. It’s a bronze sculpture of a frantic student with a laptop and fast food around on a bench. The details are interesting. The pear shaped logo on the laptop, the squirrel and Steve Jobs is Dead on his browser. With all the road construction going on during our visit, it was pretty hidden.
The “Lion of Belfort” in Dorchester Square was dedicated in 1897. It is in a more traditional place for a statue but because it was there before the beautiful Sun Life Building across the street, it’s kind of hidden because of the size and shadows of big buildings. The Lion was sculpted by George William Hill and its base was designed by Montreal architect Robert Findlay. It was initially part of a fountain established for Oueen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee. In 2009 during construction in Dorchester Square, a burial site was found. 50 people were moved and they let the rest remain. New crosses were imbedded in the pavement. Dorchester Square and Place du Canada were built on top of the Saint Antoine Cemetery where over 40,000 people are buried many victims of cholera.
