The construction of St. James Church in Montreal, completed in 1825, was initiated by the first bishop of Montreal and became the heart of the city’s French quarter, being the first Catholic cathedral in Montreal in 1836. The presence of the bourgeoisie is more and more asserted and the district develops: beautiful residences, trees lining the avenues. In the winter, children came to slide on the famous Côte à Baron, which used to be full of apple trees.
This rise of the district will lead to the construction of other prestigious buildings.
On July 8, 1852, a terrible fire struck Montreal. All of the houses on Saint-Denis Street and the Saint-Jacques de Montréal cathedral were destroyed.
