This watercolour by R.A. Sproule (1799-1845) shows what the Place d'Armes was like before the old parish church was demolished. The stonecutters in the foreground are probably putting the finishing touches to the new church. The buildings around the Place d'Armes were soon to give way to taller ones in a different style. It is interesting to note the traditional pre-1850 Montreal houses with their high fire walls and the ladders which had to be kept permanently in place. In addition to newspapers, Montrealers had wall posters to keep them informed. Some of these can be seen at the right of the picture. The priest in the foreground is a reminder of the Saint-Sulpice seminary in pre-industrial Montreal: the Sulpicians were then seigneurs of the Island and the incumbents of the enormous parish of Montreal which took in the whole city and the surrounding countryside. All the births, marriages and deaths of Montreal Catholics were registered and blessed at Notre-Dame Church.
