Victoria Square, Montreal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victoria Square Square Victoria
View towards the south-east with the Tai Chi Single Whip sculpture in foreground and Metro entrance towards the center.
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Type	Town square
Location	Old Montreal, Ville-Marie Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Created	1860
Operated by	City of Montreal
Status	Open all year
Public transit access	Square-Victoria-OACI

Victoria Square (also known as Square Victoria in French) is a famous public space in downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It's a special kind of open area called a town square. You can find it where Beaver Hall Hill and McGill Street meet.

This square is a key part of Montreal's public transport system. It's also seen as a very important address for international businesses in the city. The square is surrounded by different streets: Viger Street to the north, Saint Jacques Street to the south, Beaver Hall Hill to the west, and Square Victoria Street (which is part of McGill Street) on its eastern side. Like other city squares, Victoria Square is open all day, every day. It offers a green, open space for everyone in Montreal to enjoy.

History of Victoria Square

Victoria Square in 1943, showing its busy city life.

Victoria Square has been around since 1813. It had different names before, like Place du Marché-à-Foin and Place des Commissaires. In 1860, it was renamed for Queen Victoria. This happened when the Prince of Wales (who later became King Edward VII) visited Montreal.

Over the years, Victoria Square has changed its look many times. Sometimes it was used more like a parking lot. Other times, it was a simple open space. It has also been a very beautiful and well-kept garden. The square was given its current design in 2002 and 2003.

Today, the square has some cool features. You can see an Art Nouveau entrance to the Square-Victoria-OACI Metro station. This entrance was designed by Hector Guimard. There's also a statue of Queen Victoria and a sculpture called Tai Chi Single Whip by artist Ju Ming. Many trees line the streets around the square, making it a pleasant place to visit.

Where to Find Victoria Square

Victoria Square is surrounded by many important buildings. On its east side, you'll find the CDP Capital Centre, the World Trade Centre Montreal, and the Hotel W Montréal. To the west, there's the Tour de la Bourse and Place de la Cité internationale. The Altoria/Aimia Tower is to the north. To the south, you can see the Quebecor building, which has a newly designed front.