Geneviève Pronovost, a historian specializing in early Montreal, detailed the origins of the city’s original seven avenues on June 24, 2026. She identified François Dollier de Casson, a Sulpician missionary active in the 1600s, as the planner responsible for laying out the first street grid. The layout was deliberately orthogonal, a straight‑line pattern that aimed to streamline movement toward the site of the future Notre‑Dame church.
According to Pronovost, Dollier de Casson’s design linked the seven streets in a manner that facilitated direct access for parishioners and settlers approaching the planned cathedral. The Sulpician order, under whose auspices Dollier de Casson worked, oversaw the early development of the settlement and its religious institutions. By establishing a regular, right‑angle network, the early planners created a framework that would shape Montreal’s growth for centuries.
The historian emphasized that the naming of these first seven avenues formed part of a broader effort to impose order on the nascent colony. The orthogonal plan contrasted with the more organic, winding routes that would later develop in other parts of the city. This early emphasis on accessibility reflected the central role of the Notre‑Dame church in community life and the importance placed on religious structures in the colony’s layout.
Pronovost’s findings add depth to the understanding of Montreal’s urban origins, showing how religious, cultural, and practical considerations converged in the city’s earliest streets. The seven‑street grid remains a physical reminder of the 17th‑century vision that sought to connect residents directly to their place of worship, a concept that influenced subsequent planning decisions throughout Montreal’s history.