During the Victorian Era public squares began popping up all throughout the Commonwealth. Dominion Square was Montreal’s most prestigious public upon its construction, it was a place to be visited by distinguished visitors. The square was designed as a place to relax in the shade and admire Montreal’s burgeoning skyline. It was built in one of the “poshest” neighbourhoods of Montreal, even snagging the Sun Life Tower which was the tallest building in the British Empire at the time. By 1895 Dominion Square began to become the heart of the new downtown sector.
Dominion Square still remains flanked by many prestigious buildings, both the new and the old. Although the square itself seems all but forgotten by Montrealers except for memorial services held there every Remembrance Day. At times the square seems poorly maintained, littered with garbage, unshoveled paths and in the summer large spots bare ground where the grass has eroded away.
Source: The McCord Museum and personal experience.
