Île Notre-Dame
Encyclopedia
Artificial island
An artificial island or man-made island is an island or archipelago that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means...
built in 10 months from 15 million tons of rock excavated for the Montreal Metro
Montreal Metro
The Montreal Metro is a rubber-tired metro system, and the main form of public transportation underground in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada....
in 1965. It was created for Expo 67
Expo 67
The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...
to celebrate Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
's centennial. The island is part of the city of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
and forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago
Hochelaga Archipelago
The Hochelaga Archipelago, also known as the Montreal Islands , is a group of islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers in the southwest part of the province of Quebec, Canada.-Size:...
. It is located in the Saint Lawrence River
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
immediately east of Île Sainte-Hélène and west of the Saint Lawrence Seaway
Saint Lawrence Seaway
The Saint Lawrence Seaway , , is the common name for a system of locks, canals and channels that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the North American Great Lakes, as far as Lake Superior. Legally it extends from Montreal to Lake Erie, including the Welland Canal...
. Together with Île Sainte-Hélène, it makes up Parc Jean-Drapeau
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Parc Jean-Drapeau is situated to the east of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the Saint Lawrence River. It comprises two islands, Saint Helen's Island and the artificial island Île Notre-Dame....
, which is one of the biggest parks in Montreal. To the southwest, the island is connected to the embankment separating the Seaway's Canal de la Rive-Sud from the St. Lawrence River and Lachine Rapids
Lachine Rapids
The Lachine Rapids are a series of rapids on the Saint Lawrence River, between the Island of Montreal and the south shore. They are located near the former city of Lachine....
.
Nearly all of the remaining Expo 67 pavilions were demolished in 1975 to make way for a long rowing
Sport rowing
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
and canoeing
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
basin for Montreal's 1976 Summer Olympics
1976 Summer Olympics
The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and...
. The Olympic Basin is still the biggest artificial rowing basin in North America. The former pavilion of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the pavilion of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
were gutted, redecorated, and became the Montreal Casino
Montreal Casino
The Casino de Montréal is a casino located on the Île Notre-Dame in Montreal, Quebec. It is the largest casino in Canada, and one of the largest casinos in the world. The casino is open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to patrons aged 18 and older. It opened October 9, 1993.-Features:The...
, a large gambling establishment owned and operated by the government of Quebec. The Canada Pavilion now serves the administration of the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, a para-municipal body of the city of Montréal, manager of Parc Jean-Drapeau.
The park area on the western tip of the island has a small lake with a beach open throughout the summer season for swimming, volleyball and watercraft rentals. During the decades since Expo 67 the city of Montreal has embellished the island with plants and trees, making it look less artificial.
In 1980 the greening and beautification of the island was accelerated when it was the host to the Floralies Internationales, a horticultural exhibition and competition gathering plant masterpieces from dozens of countries. Still accessible today from spring to autumn, these magnificent gardens cover an area of over 25 hectares. The Floralies gardens are preserved and arranged creatively by the Parc Jean-Drapeau team of gardeners. In addition, the micro-climate created in part by the lagoons crisscrossing the island promotes the uniqueness of these gardens by allowing the growth of plants usually intolerant of Montréal's climate.
The park hosted the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in 1986
1986 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1986 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at the Île Notre-Dame. This is also where the canoeing and rowing competitions for the 1976 Summer Olympics took place....
.
For a few days every year the island hosts Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
racing of the Canadian Grand Prix
Canadian Grand Prix
The Canadian Grand Prix , abbreviated as gpc, is an annual auto race held in Canada starting in 1961. It has been part of the Formula One World Championship since 1967...
and, later in the summer, by the NASCAR Busch series - NAPA Auto Parts 200 (stock car race). The cars zoom around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is a motor racing circuit, venue for the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series....
. The remaining of the year, the Circuit is open to the public and is ideal for cyclists, inline skaters, runners etc.
Parc Jean-Drapeau is officially recognized as a registered leg of the Route verte and Trans Canada trail.
In fall and spring, visitors to the site primarily consist of gamblers at the casino and rowers and canoers in the Olympic basin. During the coldest part of winter, ice skaters use the basin as a rink. City workers clear the snow from its icy surface as part of the annual winter festival, "La Fête des Neiges de Montréal" (note: in the last few years, the ice rink was made on Île Sainte-Hélène, close to the metro station). Cross country skiers and snowshoers can also tour the area.