Commercial Archives | Laval, a Region Well Positioned for a Diversified Economy

We still love it!

Although it sounds like a cliché, our first contact with a cultural community came through restaurants, such as those serving Chinese cuisine, which everyone loves.

Strength in Numbers

With the opening of the Laval public market in June 1983, a wide variety of specialized food stores came together, to the great delight of the community’s food […]

A Variety of Services

Neighbourhood businesses sometimes offered an unusual combination of services, as can be seen here. A taxi service, a restaurant, a hairdressing salon and a drugstore were all housed […]

Only the Best!

Neighbourhood businesses had to diversify to serve their customers. J. O. Labelle ran a grocery store and a restaurant at the same address.

Everything!

The Ouimet sisters ran a general store in the village of Sainte-Rose for many years. You could find a little bit of everything there: fabric, perfume, dolls, flowers, […]

It’s a Bargain!

In the first half of the 20th century, Montrealers began to experience a housing crisis. With the goal of finding a home for their families, many of them […]

The Golden Age of Beaches

Île Jésus was long known for its many beaches. At its height, it was home to more than 50 public and private beaches.

Everything!

Maison C. Bisson was a department store on Montée St-François, across from the Saint-Vincent-de-Paul penitentiary. Cyrille Bisson had been the proprietor for 40-some years when it was destroyed […]

A branch of the Provincial Bank of Canada, Sainte-Rose, circa 1900

In the early 20th century, residents could safely deposit their savings at the Provincial Bank of Canada in Sainte-Rose.