What was the very first structure erected on Montreal’s South Shore? No, not a highway. It’s actually a vast fortified castle, built in 1695 by Baron Charles Le Moyne II – who ruled the only barony in North America. With its four turrets and thick stone walls, the structure, one of the few of its kind in New France, was imposing. It is the heart of Longueuil’s historical and heritage centre.
Today, plans and various remains clearly pinpoint its location. In fact, stones from the foundations of the fortified castle, discovered next to the church during archaeological excavations in 1971, can be found on the grounds of the cocathedral.
If these stones could speak… they would undoubtedly say that the landscape has definitely changed.