Last Friday morning I took a number of photographs in McGill Ghetto, but rather than taking shots randomly throughout the small district, I concentrated on shooting just 3 streets: rue Durocher, rue Hutchison and rue Sainte Famille.

The reason for selecting these three particular streets was due to having received a request for some shots taken of these streets and I was more than happy to have a project that focussed my attention.

I’ll begin on rue Durocher. The street runs from Sherbrooke street to avenue des Pins, although it turns into avenue Durocher in Outremont just north of avenue du Mont Royal. I believe the street is named after Simon Hyppolite Durocher (1774-1853) who owned the land on which the street was built.

Rue Durocher in the McGill Ghetto
ISO 100 – 10mm – f6.3 – 1/320 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Dépanneur on Milton and Durocher
ISO 100 – 16mm – f5.6 – 1/400 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

A great example of Queen Anne style architecture(among others in the area) is the Frank Fairleigh Parkins house at the corner of Milton. I tried finding out who Parkins was, but my search came to nothing, so if you have any info I would love to hear 🙂

Frank Fairleigh Parkins House on rue Durocher
ISO 100 – 20mm – f6.3 – 1/160 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Durocher in the McGill Ghetto
ISO 200 – 10mm – f4 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Durocher in the McGill Ghetto
ISO 100 – 17mm – f5.3 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Durocher in the McGill Ghetto
ISO 100 – 16mm – f5 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Durocher in the McGill Ghetto
ISO 100 – 20mm – f5.6 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Next on my 3 street tour was rue Hutchison which is just one street east of Durocher. Another one-way street, but this time traffic runs north to south. I understand the street was given the name in 1889 but I was unable to find out why Hutchison – I imagine though it was after the name of the family owning the land. Rue Hutchison continues after avenue du Mont Royal and stretches just past avenue Van Horne.

Rue Hutchison
ISO 100 – 14mm – f5 – 1/100 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Although the Francis Hugh McKenna house is officially number 385 Milton street, it’s on the corner of Hutchison, and since it’s one of my favourite buildings in the neighbourhood, I decided to include it in my photo roundup. It was built in 1891 and like many buildings in the ghetto it belongs to a cooperative housing network.

Francis Hugh McKenna house on rue Hutchison
ISO 100 – 20mm – f5.6 – 1/500 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

The next shot shows in part the mix of property styles that makeup the McGill Ghetto. If you happen to pass by the orange apartment building in the summer, you will notice the small garden in the front is transformed into a prehistoric landscape with models of dinosaurs set up among the rocks and plants. I don’t know the background to this annual appearance…perhaps I will investigate furth this summer.

Rue Hutchison
ISO 100- 18mm – f5.6 – 1/100 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Next, another example of the wide divergence of styles…I know which style I prefer and find it sad to think many of these beautiful old buildings were replaced by non-discript concrete apartment blocks. A number of the apartment blocks are undergoing some major renovations at the moment, which is just as well since some looked in pretty poor shape.

Rue Hutchison
ISO 100 – 18mm – f5.6 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Hutchison
ISO 100 – 20mm – f5.6 – 1/200 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

The final street – rue Sainte Famille – is a couple of streets east of avenue du Parc. Wider than the previous 2 streets, perhaps due to it having been built to serve the Hôtel Dieu Hospital north of avenue des Pins and was one of the first in the area to feature greystone housing –  many of which remain to this day.

Rue Sainte Famille
ISO 100 – 10mm – f4 – 1/160 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Sainte Famille
ISO 100 – 16mm – f5 – 1/60 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Sainte Famille
ISO 100 – 14mm – f4.8 – 1/250 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

Rue Sainte Famille
ISO 100 – 11.5mm – f4.2 – 1/100 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

While researching specific buildings for this post I discovered there was one particular house I wish I had photographed. The house at 3702 rue Sainte Famille was the residence of physicist and 1908 Nobel laureate in chemistry, Sir Ernest Rutherford who lived there while teaching at McGill University. You can just make out his house on the following photograph – the end house on the right hand side, the one that has grafitti running down the side :-/

Rue Sainte Famille
ISO 100 – 18mm – f5.6 – 1/1250 sec (-2ev/0/+2ev)

This exercise made me think of beginning a project of documenting specific streets in Montreal. So if you have a favourite street you would like to see included, leave me a comment. Of course if you would like to commission me to shoot your home/office building as well as the street (I can also do interiors if required), let me know!

Thanks for stopping by. Until next time.

– Martin

Montréal in Pictures

Your virtual guide in and around Montréal

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