Parc station (Montreal) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Park Avenue station |
|
|---|---|
|
Gare Jean-Talon
|
|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Metro station, Retail, and former railway station |
| Architectural style | Art Deco |
| Location | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Address | 395 Jean Talon Street West |
| Coordinates | 45°31′50″N 73°37′25″W / 45.5305°N 73.6237°W |
| Current tenants | Joe Fresh |
| Inaugurated | 1931 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Colin Drewitt |
The Parc station is a special building in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It used to be a busy train station called Park Avenue station or Jean-Talon station. Today, part of the building is a Montreal Metro subway station. Other parts of the building are now home to different businesses.
Even though the main building no longer serves trains, there's a separate Exo commuter train station right next to it. You can find this historic building on Jean-Talon Street at the end of Park Avenue. It's located in the Park Extension neighborhood.
The Canadian Pacific Railway built this station in 1931. It was a very important place for travelers for many years. However, fewer people used trains in the 1950s. The station eventually closed in 1984. The City of Montreal then bought the building. They turned the western part into a Metro station. The rest of the building was made ready for shops and other businesses. Today, a Joe Fresh store is located there.
Contents
A Look Back: The Station's History
The Canadian Pacific Railway built the Park Avenue station. It opened in 1931. The famous architect Colin Drewitt designed the building. Montreal's mayor at the time, Camillien Houde, was there for the opening. This new station took the place of an older one called the Mile End railway station.
In its busiest years, all Canadian Pacific trains heading to places like Quebec City, Ottawa, and the Laurentians passed through Park Avenue Station. This included a popular train called Le Petit Train du Nord.
Because it was such an important stop, the station welcomed many famous people. In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the station. They were with Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.
Park Avenue station was a key spot for train passengers until the early 1950s. After another station, Place Viger, closed in 1951, fewer people used Park Avenue station. It finally closed in 1984. That's when Via Rail Canada moved its train services to Montreal Central Station.
In the same year, the City of Montreal bought the building. They gave part of it to the Montreal Urban Community. This was for building the underground Montreal Metro's Parc station. The Metro station opened in 1987. Later, in 1997, the Exo commuter rail station opened. It was first called Jean-Talon, but its name changed to Parc in 2000. This was to avoid confusion with the Jean-Talon Metro station.
Over the years, the middle part of the building has housed different businesses. It was once an Indigo Books and Music store. Then, a Société des alcools du Québec store was there, which closed in 2010.
What's Inside Today: Current Uses
The middle part of the old station building now has a Joe Fresh store. The Montreal Metro's Parc station is located at the western end. Right next to it, but in a separate area, is the Parc commuter rail station.
Exploring the Montreal Metro Station
 Parc |
|||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||||||||
| Location | 7245, Hutchison Street, Montreal, Quebec H3N 2Y8 Canada |
||||||||||
| Coordinates | 45°31′49″N 73°37′26″W / 45.53028°N 73.62389°W | ||||||||||
| Operated by | Société de transport de Montréal | ||||||||||
| Connections |
|
||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||
| Depth | 15.1 metres (49 feet 6 inches), 35th deepest | ||||||||||
| Architect | Blouin, Blouin & Associés Colin M. Drewitt (Park Avenue Station) |
||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||
| Fare zone | ARTM: A | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
| Opened | 15 June 1987 | ||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||
| Passengers (2020 ) | 1,404,426  54.7% |
||||||||||
| Rank | 36 of 68 | ||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Parc station is part of the Blue Line of the Montreal Metro. The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) operates it.
The Metro station opened in 1987. It was built after the city bought the old Jean-Talon station in 1984. The entrance was created inside the far west end of the historic building. It even used to be the men's smoking room!
Inside the station, you can see some cool art. There's a special frieze by Huguette Desjardins on the platform level. A skylight at the bottom of the stairs has a sculpture called Métamorphose d'Icare. This artwork by Claire Sarrasin honors the local Greek community.
In 2022, the STM announced plans to make the station easier for everyone to use. They started working on designs to make it accessible.
Catching Commuter Trains
 Parc |
||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Location | 300 Ogilvy Avenue Montreal, Quebec H3N 2Y4 |
|
| Operated by | Exo (public transit) | |
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | |
| Tracks | 2 | |
| Connections |
|
|
| Construction | ||
| Structure type | At-grade | |
| Parking | None | |
| Bicycle facilities | 7 spaces | |
| Other information | ||
| Fare zone | ARTM: A | |
| History | ||
| Opened | May 12, 1997 | |
| Traffic | ||
| Passengers (2019 ) | 863,500 (Exo) | |
| Services | ||
| Lua error in Module:Adjacent_stations at line 236: Unknown line "12".
|
||
The Exo commuter train service also has a station here. It's right next to the old historic building. Parc station is part of Exo's Saint-Jérôme line.
The Exo station's platforms are built along the main railway line. The area where the old train station's platforms used to be is now a Maxi & Cie supermarket.
Nearby Fun Places to Visit
- CLSC Parc Extension
- IGA Stadium
- Jarry Park
Images for kids
-
The station as it was in 1936.
