History & Heritage
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A City Project Commemorating Montréal's 375th Anniversary
Located on the Mount Royal Heritage Site, the Cemetery has the privilege of hosting a portion of the Escales découvertes, an initiative of the City of Montréal in celebration of its 375th anniversary.
The project aims to help visitors discover the richness of the Heritage Site's landscape. Composed mainly of 3D maps, stops and clues, the Escales découvertes offer a playful and intuitive way to experience the site. They provide an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the mountain, particularly in terms of its importance in the urban landscape of Montréal.
November 3, 2021
Cultural Connection Between City & Cemetery Heritage
On the Cemetery site, there is a 3D map (near the Decelles entrance), 7 clues and 5 stops, all made of granite and bronze, noble and perennial materials that blend harmoniously into the natural landscape.
The 3D map, placed on a cylindrical base, informs and orients by means of a model reproducing the relief of the place, thus facilitating the understanding of the space.
The clues are presented in the form of truncated and inclined cones, some of which are crossed by a "vein" that directs the eye towards an element of the landscape. They allow you to sit or to climb them to gain a new point of view on the surroundings. The clues are accompanied by short literary messages referring to the surrounding landscape.
The stops invite you to contemplate the interior views of the mountain. They are adorned with short poems composed especially for each location. On the Cemetery site, you can find the words of Pierre Nepveu, Erin Moure, Paul Bélanger, Daniel Canty and Chantal Neveu.
You can discover the stops and clues that line the territory of Notre-Dame-des-Neiges by consulting the interactive map.
"The five stops in the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery are located near the dedicated interior views. [They] offer experiences of the different landscape units of the cemetery: plain, plateau rise, the plateau and the plateau prominence.
Each stop is defined as a consecrated place within which a renewed experience of the Heritage Site is proposed, and particularly the visual horizon offered from the stop on the interior landscapes of the cemetery. Simple geometric forms are used to refer to the emblematic nature of geometry in religious architecture (circle, ellipse). A granite border on the ground defines the enclosure and marks the threshold. The border splits to reveal a granite bench."
— Extract from the project brief, October 2018
National Award Wins
A Project with Distinctions
The Discovery Stopovers have won several national architecture and design awards:
2019
National Merit, Canadian Society of Landscape Architects Award of Excellence
2018
Urban Fragments category winner, National Urban Design Awards, Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
2018
Award of Excellence, Placemaking & Identity category, Society for Experiential Graphic Design.
Design: URBAN-SOLAND / JULIE MARGOT / VLAN / LUU NGUYEN / LAFONTAINE SOUCY
An initiative of the City of Montréal, this project was made possible thanks to the financial support of the Government of Québec.
Latest News
Ecology & Biodiversity
A Coyote Spotted On Cemetery Grounds
This winter, a coyote was spotted on our site, arousing the interest and vigilance of visitors. The municipal authorities remind us of the importance of harmonious coexistence between humans and coyotes in urban environments.
General
Accepted Flowers During The Holidays
Read our regulations concerning the placement of natural flowers during the holiday season in our mausoleums.
Ecology & Biodiversity
The Cemetery Certified as a Haven for Biodiversity by Space for Life
Montreal's Botanical Garden, part of Canada's largest natural science museum complex, Space for Life, has officially recognized the Cemetery as a biodiverse haven.
General
Leftover Ice Storm Damages On-Site
Despite our work to repair the damages and clean the site, trees and branches still block many of the cemetery's 33 kilometres of roads.
General
The Cemetery Devastated by the Ice Storm
Following yesterday's major ice storm, on April 5th, the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is devastated, as are many other areas of Montréal.
Ecology & Biodiversity
The Cemetery Adopts the City of Montréal's Pollinator Protection Plan: 2022-2027 Objective
Our green actions have contributed to a significant increase in the number and variety of insects and butterflies, including the return of the Monarch butterfly, Montreal's emblematic pollinator.
Green Plan | Environment
The Green Plan Meet the Needs of Families & Montréal’s Biodiversity Conservation Goals
Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery is attracting an increased number of families this year. Since January 2022, more than 2,410 families have chosen the cemetery as the burial place for their loved ones, an increase of 11% compared to 2021. In addition, the number of families who have acquired a lot at the Cemetery has increased by 23%, and the total area of lots acquired is up by 48%.
Green Plan | Environment
The Artists' Union Associates Itself with the Cemetery's Green Plan
For the second year of implementation of the Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery's green plan, the Artists' Union and Foundation announce their support for and association with the cemetery’s objectives of reducing its impact on the environment and maximizing its contribution to the development of biodiversity on Mount Royal.
Green Plan | Environment
A Look Back on the First Year of our Green Plan and Next Steps
We try our best to keep our clientele informed about the Green plan as well as present the ongoing challenges the cemetery faces.
History & Heritage
Mount Royal's Discovery Stopovers
Located on the Mount Royal Heritage Site, the Cemetery has the privilege of hosting a portion of the Escales découvertes, an initiative of the City of Montréal in celebration of its 375th anniversary.
Green Plan | Environment
Leave No Trace
We are proud to announce that we are proud partners with the nonprofit Leave No Trace Canada, an organization dedicated to promoting and inspiring responsible use of natural areas.
History & Heritage
The Cemetery Commemorates Canadian Veterans
Every year on the first Sunday of June, the Last Post Fund visits Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery in order to pay tribute to the deceased who died honourably for our freedom.
Ecology & Biodiversity
Groundhog Season
The cemetery, like the rest of Mount Royal, is home to many animal species, such as groundhogs (Marmota monax), also known as woodchucks.
Green Plan | Environment
Remembrance Grove Welcomes Its First Resident
Today, we pay tribute to Mrs. Ana S.L., who was interred yesterday afternoon under the first tree of Remembrance Grove. She thus inaugurates a new chapter at Notre Dame des Neiges, a chapter in her image: in harmony with nature.