Plateau-Mont-Royal, one of Montreal's trendiest neighbourhoods, was once home to a 19th-century botanical garden and zoo, housing hippopotamuses, acrobatic circus acts and more
MONTREAL — Long before the Plateau-Mont-Royal became one of Montreal's trendiest neighbourhoods, the area was home to a 19th-century botanical garden and zoo where Montrealers marvelled at the sight of hippopotamuses, acrobatic circus acts and a live whale in a tank.
"I don't know if there's a tourist attraction today that would compare," Choronzey said in a phone interview. "It was as much English as French, rich and poor who could go there to admire the exotic animals and the shows." Justin Ber, a board member of the historical society for the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood, said Guilbault started out selling exotic plants to the rich but soon branched out to other forms of entertainment.
Newspaper accounts from the day suggested the entrepreneurial Guilbault even hired someone to capture a white whale — likely a beluga — which he planned to transport to the zoo site in a tank by train. "Remember, we're well before the invention of cinema, before the invention of radio, so people for entertainment need things that happen in real life," Ber said.
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Roadwork unearths remnants of 1800s Montreal zoo run by the 'Canadian Barnum'Long before the Plateau-Mont-Royal became one of Montreal's trendiest neighbourhoods, the area was home to a 19th-century botanical garden and zoo where Montrealers marvelled at the sight of hippopotamuses, acrobatic circus acts and a live whale in a tank.
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Roadwork unearths remnants of 1800s Montreal zoo run by the ‘Canadian Barnum’ - Montreal | Globalnews.caThis piece of history has resurfaced in recent weeks thanks to an archeological dig that unearthed what is believed to be part of a fountain marking the former site's entrance.
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Roadwork unearths remnants of 1800s Montreal zoo run by the 'Canadian Barnum'MONTREAL — Long before the Plateau\u002DMont\u002DRoyal became one of Montreal’s trendiest neighbourhoods, the area was home to a 19th\u002Dcentury botanical garden and zoo…
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Roadwork unearths remnants of 1800s Montreal zoo run by the 'Canadian Barnum'MONTREAL — Long before the Plateau\u002DMont\u002DRoyal became one of Montreal’s trendiest neighbourhoods, the area was home to a 19th\u002Dcentury botanical garden and zoo…
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Roadwork unearths remnants of 1800s Montreal zoo run by the 'Canadian Barnum'\u0022I don\u0027t know if there\u0027s a tourist attraction today that would compare.\u0022
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