Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel de Ville
Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal)
Government Building
Editor's Note: This property is currently undergoing renovations.
President Charles de Gaulle of France marked Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967 by standing on the central balcony of Montréal's ornate city hall on July 24 and shouting "Vive le Québec libre" ("Long live free Québec"), much to the delight of the separatist movement and to the horror of the federal government that had invited him over in the first place. Perhaps he got carried away because he felt so at home: the Second Empire–style city hall, built in 1878, is modeled after the one in Tours, France.
NB: The building has been closed to the public since May 2019 as it undergoes a heritage restoration and modernization project in order to bring it up to standard.
