Help us tell the story of our community with your personal reminiscences or copies of photos or documents. You will enjoy sharing our history with your neighbours. Yvan Pelland
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How Doherty Avenue got its name

Doherty Avenue is said to have been named for Father William Doherty, close friend of father O’Bryan’s and the President of Loyola for three months in 1899. The name Doherty however is closely associated with the history of Loyola and the Irish community. Marcus Doherty was a Judge of the Supreme Court in Montreal. His son Charles, later the Minister of Justice in Borden’s cabinet, was one of St Marys College’s most distinguished graduates. Doherty Avenue was renamed in 1930. Its former names were Manhattan, Nelson and Bathurst.
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How Somerled Avenue got its name

Somerled (also called Sumerled) was one of the earliest heros of Highland Scottish history. The “Lords of the Isles” made famous in the poem by Sir Walter Scott, were his descendants. They ruled over the wild and beautiful lands and islands of the northwest coast of Scotland, Mull, Islay, Skye, Kyntire and as far north as the Hebrides, from the 12th to 14th century. Somerled’s progeny founded many of the great clans of the Western Highlands. Clan Donald, the MacDougalls, the Rosses and Clan Ranald were all descendants of Somerled. Somerled, one of the earliest of these clan chieftains, was described as strong and fearless. He was probably of Norse ancestry. His father had lost his lands in Argyle to a band of viking pirates, and Somerled, between 1156-58, joined forces with Thorfin, one of the Lords of Man, to drive out the King of Man, Godfred the Black. The battle was fought on sea and land and was bloody and terrible. Some say Somerled had five sons, others three. At any rate, he set up his sons, Dugall, Reginald and Angus, as Lords of his conquered lands. Thus were founded the great clans of those regions with the Lords of the Isles as their rulers. The king of the Scots, Malcolm IV, became jealous of Somerled’s power and ordered Somerled to resign his possessions to the King and become a vassal to him, but Somerled refused. Somerled set out with a mighty fleet of 160 galleys, sailed up the Firth of Clyde to land near Renfrew. There he was slain with his son Gillcolm, and his army slaughtered. Some say he was murdered in his tent. One of Somerled’s most famous descendants was Angus Og, father of John of Islay, and friend of Robert the Bruce. It was Robert who was credited for finally driving the English from Scotland in 1314 at the Battle of Bannockburn. Somerled although a genuine hero in Scottish history, is better known for the mighty clans founded by his descendants. I have to imagine that it was a MacDonald or a MacDougall who was instrumental in having a street in NDG named for him 750 years after his death.
J. B. Randle
Fraser Hickson Library
1984 (condensed version)

How Sherbrooke Street got its name

Sir John Coape Sherbrooke’s name is indeed famous; one of the world’s longest streets, and a city in the Eastern Townships have been named for him. But as a historical figure, he seems to have been treated as only marginally important. One is hard-pressed to find him in the indexes of Canada’s history books. This seems a pity given the climate in English-French relations ever since. Sherbrooke was an army officer, a Governor of Nova-Scotia, and for two years, from 1816-1818, the Governor and administrator of Lower Canada. As the Crown’s representative he is interesting, not so much for what he did, but for what he might have done if ill health had not interfered. Sherbrooke, born in England, had, before his appointment to Nova Scotia, seen military service in almost every part of the globe, including a period as second-in-command to Wellington. He is said to have administered the government of Nova Scotia “with much tact and dexterity” during the time of the war of 1812. In 1814 he led an attack on the New England States which led to the annexation of about 100 miles of Seacoast south of New Brunswick. As Governor of Lower Canada, Sherbrooke won the esteem and respect of the farming population after the loss of their wheat crop in 1816. He secured relief for them from Britain of nearly 40,000 pounds which saved them from destitution and allowed seed for a new crop. Later he was involved in an interesting shuffle of Imperial funds into the coffers of the province. The Assembly and the Governor had always been at odds over the dispensing of funds, since the Assembly was able to slow down the process of government by insisting on inspecting every expenditure. Sherbrooke seems to have succeded in placing the financing of Lower Canada in a less adversary position. Sherbrooke should be best remembered, however, for his attemps to deal with the problems created by the governing structure of the time. Britain’s interests in the colony were represented by the Governor, Executive Council, and legislative Council, all appointed positions. The Constitutional (or Canada) Act of 1791 had, in theory, introduced representative government in the form of an elected assembly. In practice, this boby had very little power, since measures voted by the assembly could be vetoed by the council. Sir John Sherbrooke adopted a policy of concord and “bonne entente” and advocated opening the government to the French-Canadians. This was a controversial stand, as can be imagined, but one which had far-reaching implications. Louis Joseph Papineau was the young and fiery speaker of the Assembly. He had been an officer in the militia during the 1812-14 War. Endowed with great oratorical gifts, Papineau was soon recognized as a leader of the nationalistic forces in the Assembly. Sherbrooke knew how to compromise with Papineau and the session of 1817 was in many ways one of the most successful since the establishment of representative government. Sherbrooke even proposed that the Speaker of the Assembly be made a member of the Executive Council. Thus, Sir John Sherbrooke was really a man ahead of his time. His style was one of cooperation and conciliation. Unfortunately he suffered a stroke in1818 and returned to Britain to die there in 1830. He turned the reins over to the famous (or infamous) Duke of Richmond, who reverted to the old colonial attitude which later inflamed the nationalistic spirit of les Patriotes. Sherbrooke recognized Papineau for the leader he was, and was astute enough to see that Papineau should be brought into the governing councils of the province. Had Sir John remained as Governor of Lower Canada, is it possible that the confrontation which developed after his time, and which led to the rebellion of 1837, could have been avoided?
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How O’Bryan got it’s name

Tall, handsome powerful and vigorous. In 1930, these words describe Father Gregory O’Bryan after whom O’Bryan Avenue was named. His story is intertwined with that of the Irish in Montreal, the Jesuits and Loyola College, for he became Loyola’s first President in 1896. The Irish population in Montreal was not that large until about 1817, when their presence in the city began to grow. The potato famine struck Ireland in 1847, and a flood of immigrants sailed for the new world under appalling conditions. The American ports were not always open to them and so many sailed up the St-Lawrence. When the boats unloaded at the docks of Montreal, the passengers were sick with typhus, and caring for the sick and weary became a problem of enormous proportions. During the summer of 1847 large sheds were built in the Pointe St Charles and Goose Village areas. These became barracks of horror, infected by bugs and disease with very little medical help available for the poor sick souls. Jesuit fathers along with nuns and priests from other orders and many lay persons, ministered as best they could, but 50 to 60 people died everyday. However a strong bond was formed between the Jesuit and Irish communities which continued through the religious and educational history of Montreal. As the epidemic passed, the number of Irish grew to about 28,000 in 1861, which constituted half the English speaking population. St-Patrick’s Church was the focal point and the Jesuit fathers working there began to lay plans for a college to serve both the English-speaking and French-speaking populations. Land was donated by the wealthy merchant, Joseph Donegani, near Beaver Hall Hill. In 1848 St-Mary’s College opened its doors on St Alexandre Street to 13 boys, 6 Irish and 7 French. McGill had opened in 1943, and by 1852 both colleges had about the same enrollment. Over the years, the College developed close ties with Fordham University, in Bronx, N.Y., and eventually became predominantly English-speaking. The study of the French language was still an important part of the curriculum. St-Mary’s College offered classical, commercial education when it opened. The location moved several times as the college grew and prospered. It soon became evident that an independant Catholic college was needed and in 1896 Loyola College was incorporated. Originally located on Bleury Street, it moved several times, but was for many years on the corner of Drummond and St Catherine. Father O’Bryan, a superb administrator and tireless worker , soon was searching for a new site, and in great foresight and imagination looked westward to the farms and orchards of what is now NDG and Montreal West. The Décarie farm reputed to grow the finest musk-melons in the world, was purchased in 1900 for the future site of Loyola. Father O’Bryan did not live to see his dream realized, as he died, apparently of overwork and heart failure, in 1907. Building starded on the western Campus in 1913 and three years later Loyola moved to its present site. O’Bryan’s Avenue former names were Scarabee and Russel. The avenue was renamed in 1930.
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How Monkland Avenue got it’s name

The name Monklands recalls a tumultuous period in Montreal’s history, a period in the middle of the 19th Century when the city’s fortunes went from boom to bust. Chosen in 1843 to be the capital of Canada, the city which had delighted Dickens with its grace, beauty and vigor, 10 years later was depression-riddled, scarred by fire and riot, and blighted by racial anger, poverty and pestilence. Monkland avenue derives its name from the adjacent country home which was built by the Honorable James Monk, Chief Justice of the Court of Queeen’s Bench from 1804 to 1824. Born in Boston and educated in Halifax, Monk was called to the bar in Nova Scotia and later in England. His public career started with election to the provincial legislature representing Yarmouth , but he soon moved on to become the Attorney-General of Lower Canada. He eventually became one of the chief administrative officers of the colony. Monklands became the vice-regal residence from 1844-49 when Lord Elgin was Governor General of Canada. These were difficult days. Lack of response to demands for responsible government had triggered rebellions in 1837 and ‘38 in both Upper and Lower Canada. In Lower Canada the “Patriotes” had been ruthlessly decimated and properly destroyed beyond all military necessity. Farms had been burned around Odelltown, on the Richelieu and at St Eustache, leaving a residue of hate and anger among the French-Canadians. On the other side, the Loyalists, or Tories denounced the French as aliens and rebels. In Upper Canada, although the details were different, the rebellions had caused great rifts between nationalities and religious groups. Lord Durham’s Report, although it recommended responsible government, also fueled the fires of French nationalism. Kingston was briefly the capital, but in 1841, Montreal was chosen at the seat of the new parliament because it was neither too British nor too French. Louis Hippolyte Lafontaine and Robert Baldwin led their joint assemblies in a peculiar sharing of the prime minister role. Thus the scene was set for riot and tumult and the trigger was the Rebellion Losses Bill. This provided compensation for property losses during the rebellions to all (except convicted rebels) from both sides. Most of the damage had been suffered by rebels. The Tories cried “foul!” When Lord Elgin left Monklands on Wednesday, April 25, 1840, to travel to the city to give assent to the Bill, he was attacked by people on the street and his carriage pelted with missiles. A Loyalist mob formed and descended on the Parliament Building, then situated on what is now Youville Square. The mob invaded, members fled. Newly installed gas pipes were cut and the building was soon engulfed by flames. Firemen stood by and let it burn. The army fired shots into the air, but let the mob have its day. So ended Montreal’s brief sojourn as Canada’s capital. The city recovered, of course although the years after the fire were marked by further burnings, economic depression, and epidemics of plague and smallpox. However by the end of the Century, Montreal had become a great manufacturing, commercial and transportation center. Monklands was bought in 1882 by the Daughters of the Congregation Notre Dame, founded by Marguerite Bourgeoys, and was their home until they moved to new spacious quarters on Sherbrooke Street. The elegant old building, still surrounded by beautiful parkland, is now known as “Villa Maria” and is a private secondary school for girls.
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How Hingston Avenue got its name

Picture the Mayor of Montreal, on his bay horse, riding at a fast gallup accross Mount Royal. He was hoping to avert a bloody clash between troups and staunch Catholics gathered at the Côte-des-Neiges Cemetary. The year was 1875. The Mayor was Dr William Hingston, and the occasion was the burial of the body of Joseph Guibord 5 years after his death. The “Guibord affair” involved the controversial anti-clerical l’Institut Canadien and their nemesis, Bishop Bourget. Members of l’Institut had been excommunicated, and when Guibord died, burial in a consecrated plot was refused. When, after years of court proceedings, Guibord’s burial in the Catholic cemetary was ordered, feelings were high and violence expected. Mayor Hingston’s ride accross the mountain to join the funeral cortège before the troops arrived was acknowledged to have prevented bloodshed and allowed a bitter controversy to fade. The Fraser Hickson library is tied to this period of Montreal’s history since it eventually accepted the library of l’Institut Canadien when no other library would guarantee free access to the collection. William Hales Hingston was born near Huntingdon in 1829, the son of Lt Colonel in the 100th Regiment (the Dublins). A brilliant student, he graduated in medecine from McGill in 1851. When the House of Assembly of Lower Canada was burned by a mob on April 25, 1849, the mace was rescued by two young men. One was a naval officer,the other a young student named William Hingston. Hingston studied surgery in Edinburgh and several other European centres. Returning to Montreal, he practised surgery on McGill Street and rapidly became a renowned and innovative practitioner and teacher. Dr Hingston was a prominent surgeon at Hôtel-Dieu, a teacher at McGill, and founder of Bishop’s College Medical School. He was president of many professional societies, truly a scholar and gentleman. Elected Mayor of Montreal in 1875, Dr Hingston was appointed to the Senate in 1896. While he was Mayor, most of the land on Mount Royal was acquired for parkland and the road accross the mountain was completed. Ten years after his involvment in the Guibord affair, he was again the centre of controversy. A smallpox epidemic was raging ,and Dr Hingston as chairman of the Provincial board of Health, ordered compulsory vaccination for everyone. Knighted in 1895, he continued his research and writing until his death in 1907. He was truly one of the most distinguished Montrealers of his time. His wife was very prominent in charitable and benevolent work. One of his sons, William Jr., became a rector of Loyola College. Hingston Avenue formerly called Balmoral Street, was renamed for Sir William Hingston in May, 1941. 
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How Girouard Avenue got its name

Désiré Girouard, after whom Girouard Avenue was named, was known to hi friends as Jérémie. He combined an outstanding career in law and politics with important contributions to historical studies of the island of Montreal. His family had been in Canada for over a hundred years by the time he was born in St Timothée in 1836. The family was descended from Antoine Girouard, a native of Mont Lucon, Bourbonnais, France, who became secretary to Governor De Ramezay in 1720 in Montreal. Girouard studied law at McGill University where he won the first prize for three consecutive years. He joined the law firm of his former principal and was soon associated with the most important lawyers of his time. Always a scholar and researcher, he published several treatises on commercial law and was considered an expert in his field. But he was an history buff as well and contributed to several journals of his time, one of which, La Revue Critique, he conducted. He also lectured at l’Institut Canadien Français. Girouard’s political start is rather interesting. He ran for Parliament in 1872 in Jacques Cartier, but was defeated by an obscure liberal, R.Laflamme. He was again defeated in Beauharnois in 1874, but finally won Jacques Cartier by 2 votes in 1876 on appeal to the courts. Afterwards his real majority was found to be 200. Girouard is best known politically for the spirited stance which he took against his own party’s decision to execute Louis Riel. He with 16 other French conservative members, , formed a group of rebel parlementariens rebels known as the” Bolters” and his letter defending Riel’s plea of insanity was widely circulated. As a result of long and patient research in the archives of the young country, Girouard began a series of essays dealing with early history of the Lake St Louis area and the Indian wars In 1983 at the World’s Fair in Chicago, his compilation of these essays was given to the public in a book entitled Lake St Louis, Old and New, Illustrated and Cavelier de Lasalle. For his effort he was awarded the Confederation Medal. He published several other historical works in English and French. Girouard was appointed to the Bench as a Judge of the Supreme Court in 1895. He was married three times; all Three wives were English speaking. He was the father of six sons and four daughters. One of his sons also Désiré, became a lawyer and assisted his father in his literary endeavors. Edouard Percy Cranville, another son, attended Royal Military College in Kingston and became a distinguished soldier and railway engineer. He worked for the Canadian Pacific and British raiway companies before joining Kitchener in several Africa campaigns. Edouard Girouard built many railways in South Africa and was awarded a D.S.O. while working in Egypt in1896. He also was an author, but his topic was railway history. For two years, Maj. General Girouard was Governor of northern Nigeria, but finished his career during World War I as Director General of munitions in Britain. Désiré Girouard Sr died in 1912, and Girouard Avenue was named for him in that year. The avenue was formerly called Plateau, Toronto and Chapleau.
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How Fielding Avenue got its name

The more things change, the more they remain the same. Our prime minister’s resignation, the effect of his reign on national unity, and his relation with one of his lieutenants, John Turner is reminiscent of another pair of politicians of 70 years ago, Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Williams Steven Fielding. At first glance William Stevens Fielding, after whom Fielding Avenue was named, seems to have had little connection to the history of Montreal, and it seems unusual that such an important street in NDG should bear his name. However, Fielding was certainly a distinguished and famous Canadian in his time and for a short period was editor of the Montreal Journal of Commerce and the Montreal Herald. He received several honorary degrees, one of them from McGill University. Born in Halifax in 1848, Fielding had little formal education but was an avid reader and a self-taught craftsman in the English language. He rose through the ranks of the Halifax Morning Chronicle and became managing editor in1884. Politics soon claimed him and he sat in the Nova Scotia House until 1896, serving briefly as Premier for a few Months early in this period. Fielding was enticed to Ottawa by Sir Wilfrid Laurier’s promise that he should be minister of finance in the new government in 1886. His tenure in the finance job is indeed remarkable. He served 15 years at a time when the reciprocity debate was at its height. What is more, he balanced the budget in all but one of those years, an unusual feat viewed from today’s perspective. The Honorable Mr Fielding was very active in international affairs, negotiating trade treaties with the United States, Great Britain and France in this period. He was received by King Edward and other heads of state accross Europe and had an audience with the Pope. He was called “a master parlementarian” and “one of the brightest intellects that Canada has yet produced”. William Stevens Fielding retired once from politics in 1910, and was presented with a subscription gift of $120,000 donated by “citizens of all shades of political opinion”. But after his brief period as a journalist in Montreal, Laurier persuaded him to rejoin the party. The recent controversy about French language rights in Montreal had its roots of course, in the last century, and Laurier’s government was embroiled in the debate. It is interesting that Fielding threatened to resign if Laurier followed through with his plan to guarantee Catholic education in the legislation which was to create the new provinces of the West in 1905. Laurier backed down under pressure from English Canada and education was left under the control of the provincial governments. Laurier was in trouble again in 1917 when, with much anguish, he saw the Liberal Party split asunder by the conscription question. Laurier felt he could not betray his French-Canadian roots and that he must oppose conscription. It was a great blow to Laurier when W.S.Fielding left his colleague and the Party over the issue and supported Borden’s Union government. Laurier had devoted his whole life to Canadian unity, yet when he came to the end of his tenure as prime minister, the country was more divided than it had ever been. History seems to be repeating itself. Fielding’s desertion of the Liberal Party probably cost him the chance to become Prime Minister. When Laurier died in 1919, Fielding who had rejoined the Liberals was narrowly defeated in his bid to become leader of the party. The winner was a young Ontario reformer, William Lyon MacKenzie King. The Hon. Mr Fielding served again as Finance Minister in the King cabinet after the Liberals swept back into power in 1919. He retired in 1925. The end of his life was tragic and he lost his wife and a daughter (he had one son and four daughters). He himself died in 1929 of a long and painful illness. Fielding Avenue was named in his honour in 1912. It had also been known as Maple and Sandfield.
Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984

How Trenholme Avenue got its name

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce was a pleasant community of just over 4,000 people when Thomas Anderson Trenholme, in 1910, brought the village into the City of Montreal. He had been elected Mayor in 1906 and, when NDG was first incorporated, is said to have brought the village “many modern improvements”. Trenholme is better remembered however as a model farmer and the founder of Elmhurst Dairies. He was born in Trenholmville, a town in Drummond County, in 1847. The town was named for his grandfather, William trenholme, who settled there from England and had become a well-to-do and influential landowner. John Trenholme, his son and Thomas’ father, became the Mayor of Kingsey, a near by town. Thomas Anderson Trenholme came to Montreal in 1873 to finish his education. He soon rented a small farm and was so successful that two years later he was able to buy the Jeremy Hurtubise Homestead. This large tract of 125 acres had been deeded to the Hurtubise family and on it Thomas Trenholme started a modern sanitary dairy operation, Elmhurst Dairy, which eventually icluded 400 acres of prime land stretching from what is now Upper Lachine Road to Côte-St-Luc, east of Montreal West Station area. Milk from Elmhurst Dairy was of highest quality and supplied the “leading hospitals and physicians of Montreal”. In 1890, the provincial government awarded Mr Trenholme the silver medal for having the best conducted and equipped farm in the province. The melon patches of the fertile farmlands and the excellent ice cream from Elmhurst Dairies combined to create a favourite summer resort. Trenholme was an astute businessman. He formed a partnership with J.N. Greenshields (who had defended Louis Riel) to found the Guaranteed Pure Milk Company, later turned over to a nephew, William Henry Trenholme. This Trenholme was also a distinguished citizen, and the Mayor of Westmount for two years. J.N. Greenshields later ran a model dairy farm near Danville along with pursuing an important judicial and business career. Always a staunch liberal, Trenholme broke with Laurier and the party in 1911 over reciprocity. He felt that free flow of goods over the border would put his dairy business in trouble, so he switched his allegiance to the Conservative Party. Laurier was defeated in 1911 on this issue. Thomas Anderson Trenholme was a public-spirited citizen and served on the boards of the Montreal General, Montreal Western and the Protestant Hospital for the insane (now the Douglas). He was the father of six daughters and two sons. The daughters married prominent citizens of Montreal, the sons took over the business………..prosperous years. The eldest was Harry, a former McGill football captain, and an engineer. Wilfred Trenholme owned a stable of horses and won the Queen’s Plate twice. Eventually Sealtest Dairies took over the operation. When the city of Montreal wanted the land for Trenholme Park, Thomas donated it with the proviso that the Trenholme name be perpetuated. Trenholme Avenue was changed from Atlantique in 1912, five years before Thomas Anderson Trenholme’s death.

 Many thanks to Trenholme Armitage for his help and information on this distinguished Montreal family.

Jeanne Randle
Fraser-Hickson Library
1984