The history of Jane Mance Park dates back, in fact, to the second half of the 19th century, when the Montreal authorities acquired land in and around Mount Royale for the city. Because of the nearby farm of which Mr. Fletcher was the owner, the area of today’s park quickly acquired the name “Fletcher’s Field. At various times Fletcher’s Field was used as a military plaza, golf course, and soccer field. In 1878 the Montreal exhibition center Crystal Palace was located there (the building was completely destroyed by fire in July 1896).

The park received its present name in honor of one of the founders of Montreal – French nurse Jane Mance (also known as the founder of the city’s oldest hospital – Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal). The idea was first voiced at the Montreal Eucharist Congress in 1910 and was widely supported by the public, but officially the “Fletcher’s Field” was renamed “Parc Jane Mans” only in 1990.

Today, Jane Mance Park is one of the best places in Montreal for outdoor activities or a Sunday picnic. You’ll find a soccer field, tennis courts, softball field, children’s playgrounds and more. In summer the park has a children’s pool, and in winter there are two skating rinks – one for free skating and the other for team sports (usually open from mid-December to mid-March).

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Park Mont Royal was designed by the famous American architect and landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted (one of the creators of New York’s famous Central Park). It is worth noting that the original plan as a result underwent significant changes, and some of Olmsted’s ideas were never implemented. The grand opening of the park took place in 1876, despite the fact that the works by this time had not yet been completed.

In 1906 an excellent observation deck known today as the “Kondiaronk Belvedere” was built in Mont Royal Park as a rather imposing semicircular plaza with magnificent panoramic views of downtown Montreal, the St. Lawrence River, and the Monteridge Hills. In good weather, though, the Kondiaronk Belvedere also offers views of the Adirondack Mountains (a ridge in northeastern New York State) and Vermont’s Green Mountains. The second observation deck offers equally breathtaking views of the Mont Royal Plateau and the Olympic Stadium, and is often used for various fairs.

But Mont Royal is not only a famous observation deck and a great place for long walks and picnics, it also has a beautiful artificial lake called Beaver (used as an ice rink in winter), a sculpture garden, great ski slopes, and much more.

The famous Montreal Catholic Cross (31.4 meters high), built by the Society of St. John the Baptist in 1924, is also on the grounds of Mont Royal. The imposing steel structure is equipped with LED illumination and can be seen from almost anywhere in Montreal at night. Next to the cross you will see a commemorative plaque indicating the location of the “time capsule” bricked up here in 1992, which contains the messages and drawings of children depicting their vision of Montreal in 2142, when the capsule is actually to be opened.

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The initiator of the creation of the botanical garden in Montreal was a talented Canadian botanist Joseph Louis Conrad Marie-Victoren, who took several years to persuade the city authorities to this project. The garden was founded in 1931 at the height of the Great Depression by Montreal Mayor Oud Camillen. The botanical garden was laid out by the famous landscape architect Henry Tauscher, while the art deco administrative building was designed by Lucien Kerouac. In 1936 the Jardin d’Acclimatation was opened to the public.

Today, the Jardin Botanique de Montréal offers 75 hectares of themed gardens and greenhouses with a variety of plants from all over the world (over 22,000 species and varieties). There is also a research center.

The real gem of the Botanical Garden is the Chinese Garden, one of the largest Chinese gardens outside of China. It was laid out in 1990-1991 by the Shanghai Institute of Landscape Design and Architecture and is a typical Chinese garden of the Ming dynasty. In the pavilion located in the garden you can admire such Chinese art forms as bonsai and pengjing.

The Japanese Garden, created in 1988 by Ken Nakajim, is also of special interest. In addition to seeing the most interesting plants, the Japanese garden offers its guests the famous tea ceremony (in summer), as well as the traditional arts such as Iaido and ikebana.

In the garden of the First Nations grow endemic species of the province of Quebec and other North American regions – maple, birch, pine trees, various medicinal plants, as well as plants used as food by indigenous peoples. The special flavor of this garden gives the Indian totem poles and various exhibits, perfectly illustrating the traditional arts and construction methods of the first peoples. Equally interesting are the Alpine Garden, Rose Garden, English Garden, Rhododendron and Azalea Garden, Poison Garden, Arboretum, Flower Stream and much more. The Montreal Botanical Garden is also home to local fauna such as squirrels, ducks, turtles and herons.

At the entrance to the Rose Garden, you’ll see a statue of a huge bronze lion by René Dardel. This lion was a 1992 gift from Lyon, France, to the city to commemorate the 350th anniversary of Montreal.

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