The rivers and water bodies of Montreal are few and mostly artificial. The hydrography of the island of Montreal remained intact until approximately the 19th century, when Montreal underwent major urban works, including the construction of the Lachine Canal and the creation of the first major parks of Montreal.

History

Last Ice Age

After the Ice Age, around 13,000 years ago, Montreal and the Saint Lawrence Lowlands were flooded by the Champlain Sea. Within a few centuries, when these waters receded, Mount Royal and its three summits emerged as islands. With the complete withdrawal of the sea, water was retained in some depressions of the island. This was the case of Beaver Lake, located between the summits of Mount Royal. This gradually dried up to become a fen.Article of "journal Le Devoir" - Beaver Lake (Lac aux Castors) on Mount Royal It was artificially dredged (excavated) in 1938.

Before 19th century

There used to be a complex hydrology, which is now destroyed or channeled.sites.google.com Carte des sites de l'héritage autochtone

(or small lake St. Peter): about four (4) kilometres long by about one (1) kilometre wide, a marshy lake that was halfway between Old Montreal and Lachine, south of Quartier Latin, the Saint-Jacques Escarpment, and west of the Turcot Interchange. It was backfilled and gradually dried up, particularly with the construction of the Lachine Canal and the sector's industrialization. Today Highway 20 runs through its length and breadth in the centre. Saint Pierre River: started in Côte-des-Neiges down to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and widened forming Lake Otter. It then narrowed back to a river and lead to the St. Lawrence River in Nuns' Island. Little St. Pierre River: created artificially in 1697 under the name of "St. Gabriel Canal". This channel connected the Saint-Pierre River (in the east part of Lake Otter) up to the Pointe-à-Callière Museum. One part was channelled as a sewer (William collector) in 1832. The Pointe-à-Callière Museum made it a public place around 2017.a-propos de Pointe-à-Callière museum/museum/future-expansion-museum-projects Article "À propos du musée de Pointe-à-Callière" Saint Martin River or Little River: It begins at Mount Royal Cemetery through Outremont, Quebec and the Mile End district and the Plateau Mont-Royal district until La Fontaine Park (including the pond is a remnant). Then it branched off westward through the Quartier Latin district and ran along the to the river. There are still some traces of the river.Article "Des rivières perdues - un ruisseau méconnu"

Today

Today there are only a handful of streams and lakes in nature. However, many parks have ponds or artificial lakes of large size.

List of water bodies

Below is a partial list of current waters bodies of the island:

Name Photo Location Contact information Type Area (ha) Lachine Canal Montreal artificial Canal de l'Aqueduc Montreal artificial Olympic pool Jean-Drapeau Park artificial Lake Île Notre-Dame Jean-Drapeau Park artificial Centennial Lake Dollard-Des Ormeaux artificial Lac des Dauphins Jean-Drapeau Park artificial Lac des Battures Nuns' Island artificial Main pond Parc Angrignon Angrignon Park artificial Little Basin Parc des Rapides artificial Swan Lake Jean-Drapeau Park artificial Pond Fountain Parc La Fontaine artificial Beaver Lake Mount Royal Park artificial Basin Jarry Park Jarry Park artificial

List of rivers

Rivière à l'Orme Bertrand Brook Saint Pierre River (Montreal) Lachine Canal Canal de l'Aqueduc St. Lawrence River Rivière des Prairies

References

See also

Blue Network of Montreal List of rivers of Quebec List of Quebec water channels