Geneviève Pronovost, a historian specializing in early Montreal, announced new findings that explain why the city’s first seven streets bear the names they do. Her research shows that the naming was part of a plan devised by Montreal’s inaugural toponymist, who sought to embed practical and symbolic meanings into the urban layout.
The study focuses on the 17th‑century street grid designed by missionary François Dollier de Casson. Dollier de Casson implemented an orthogonal street plan that arranged thoroughfares at right angles, a configuration intended to streamline movement toward the site earmarked for a future Notre‑Dame cathedral. The street names, according to Pronovost, directly reflect this original scheme and its religious purpose.
The Sulpicians, who played a central role in Montreal’s early development, oversaw the execution of the grid and the associated naming conventions. Their involvement linked the street titles to the broader vision of a city organized around the anticipated cathedral, reinforcing the connection between civic planning and ecclesiastical ambition.
Pronovost’s findings were presented on 24 June 2026, highlighting that the seven inaugural streets were not arbitrarily labeled but were chosen to support the orthogonal layout’s function of improving access to the cathedral’s future location. The research underscores how early urban design decisions were guided by both logistical considerations and the desire to shape the city’s identity around its principal religious landmark.
This revelation adds depth to the understanding of Montreal’s foundational geography, showing that the city’s earliest streets were deliberately named to serve a specific, forward‑looking purpose within a grid that prioritized travel to the planned Notre‑Dame church.