Notre Dame Island Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Notre-Dame Island
Geography

Notre-Dame Island Location in Montreal Site by Montreal Island, in St. Lawrence River
Location	Saint Lawrence River
Coordinates	45°30′15″N 73°31′35″W / 45.50417°N 73.52639°W / 45.50417; -73.52639
Archipelago	Hochelaga Archipelago
Administration
Canada
Province	Quebec
City	Montreal
Borough	Ville-Marie
Demographics
Population	0

Notre-Dame Island (also known as Île Notre-Dame in French) is a special island in the Saint Lawrence River, near Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It's not a natural island; it was actually built by people!

This artificial island sits next to Saint Helen's Island. Together, these two islands form Parc Jean-Drapeau. This park is part of the larger Hochelaga Archipelago, a group of islands in the river.

Notre-Dame Island is a popular spot for many activities. It's home to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a famous race track. This track hosts the exciting Canadian Grand Prix of Formula One racing. The island is also part of the Route Verte and Trans Canada Trail, which are long paths for biking and walking across Canada.

How Notre-Dame Island Was Built
Island Changes for the Olympics
- New Uses for Old Buildings
Nature and Gardens on the Island
- The Floralies Gardens
What to Do in the Off-Season
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Gallery
See also

How Notre-Dame Island Was Built

Notre-Dame Island was created in 1965. It took only ten months to build! Workers used 15 million tons of rock to make the island. This rock came from digging the tunnels for Montreal's underground train system, called the Montreal Metro.

The island was built for a very important event called Expo 67. This was a huge world's fair held in Montreal to celebrate Canada's 100th birthday.

Island Changes for the Olympics

After Expo 67, many of the buildings from the fair were taken down in 1975. This made space for a large basin, or water channel. This basin was built for rowing and canoeing events during the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal.

Today, this Olympic Basin is still the biggest artificial rowing basin in North America. It's a great place for water sports.

New Uses for Old Buildings

Some of the old Expo 67 buildings were given new life. For example, the former pavilions (buildings) of France and Quebec were changed. They became the Montreal Casino, a large place for gambling run by the Government of Quebec.

The old Canadian Pavilion now serves as the office for the people who manage Parc Jean-Drapeau.

Nature and Gardens on the Island

Over the years, Montreal has worked hard to make Notre-Dame Island beautiful. They have planted many plants and trees. This makes the island look much more natural, even though it was built by people.

On the western side of the island, there's a small lake with a beach. You can go swimming, play volleyball, or rent small boats there during the summer.

The Floralies Gardens

In 1980, the island became even greener. It hosted the Floralies Internationales, a big flower show. Many countries showed off their amazing plants.

These beautiful gardens are still there today, covering over 25 hectares (about 62 acres). You can visit them from spring to autumn. The gardeners at Parc Jean-Drapeau take great care of these gardens. The island even has a special micro-climate, which means some plants that usually can't grow in Montreal's cold weather can thrive here.

The island also hosted the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in 1986.

What to Do in the Off-Season

When it's not summer, Notre-Dame Island is still busy! In the fall and spring, many people visit the casino. Rowers and canoeists also use the Olympic Basin for practice.

During the coldest part of winter, the Olympic Basin freezes over. It turns into a giant ice rink! City workers clear the snow so people can skate. You can also go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing around the island.

Circuit Gilles Villeneuve

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a famous race track on Notre-Dame Island. Every summer, it hosts the Canadian Grand Prix for Formula One racing. It also used to host NASCAR's Nationwide Series (now called the Xfinity Series).

The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve opened in 1978. When there are no races, the track is open to the public. You can walk, bike, or rollerblade on the same track where famous race car drivers compete!