By the start of the nineteenth century, the old market was too small and a larger area had to be found. In 1803, a fire destroyed about a hundred buildings, including the Vaudreuil residence, and the new market hall was built on the cleared site, which is now Place Jacques Carter. Nelson's Column, built by public subscription to honour the victor of Trafalgar, is the oldest monument in Montreal. A large wooden structure was erected behind the column and stalls were rented to butchers from the city and to people from the surrounding countryside who had come there to sell their produce. Fruit and vegetable sellers who bought produce at the market and resold it in the streets of the city were not allowed to make their purchases until the afternoon so that people who bought their supplies directly from the market could have first choice. There was a team of inspectors to deal with disputes about weights and measures and, in an attempt to control the carters, a police regulation required that they all draw up on the same side of the street so as to avoid congestion of one of the busiest parts of the town. This colour print is derived from a watercolour by James Pattison Cockburn (1778-1847).
