Travel Photo Thursday - Montreal

I'm posting over at The Budget Travelers' Sandbox 

September 2014 - Montreal Quebec

City Hall

Construction on the building began in 1872 and was completed in 1878. The building was gutted by fire in March 1922, leaving only the outer wall and destroying many of the city's historic records. The architect Louis Parant was commissioned for the reconstruction, who decided to build an entirely new building with a self-supporting steel structure built inside the shell of the ruins. This new building was modelled after the city hall of the French city of Tours. Other changes included a remodelling of the Mansard roof into a new Beaux-Arts inspired model, with a copper roof instead of the original slate tiles.

The coat of arms


The Montréal coat of arms was adopted in 1833 by the city councillors of the time. It was modified 105 years later and that version remains in use today. In fact, this crest was the only city emblem until 1981 when a stylized logo was developed. Both the coat of arms and logo now represent Montréal, although traditionally, the crest is reserved for special uses.

These emblems are:
The fleur de lys, of the Royal House of Bourbon. This is shown in the first quarter of the shield and represents the French settlers who were the first to claim the island of Montréal

The Lancastrian rose which occupies the second quarter. It stands for the English component of the city's population.

The thistle, which is shown in the third quarter, represents those of Scottish descent.

In the fourth quarter is the Irish shamrock, likewise indicative of the fact that many of Montréal's early settlers and their descendants are of Irish blood

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Stunning flower arrangements representing anniversaries of Montreal institutions.