Montréal (Le Sud-Ouest)

The Sud-Ouest borough boasts a rich history and heritage. The inauguration of the Lachine Canal in 1825 profoundly changed the geography of this area, which, until that point, had been home to a number of semi-rural villages. These quiet villages would soon see a population boom with the arrival of Montreal’s first railway, which passed through the Sud-Ouest. The area was also becoming a fast-growing industrial hub, bringing workers and their families. The area’s fate would change, however, with the closing the Lachine Canal in 1970. Factories starting leaving the Sud-Ouest, taking jobs and people with them.