New 315/25-kV Des Irlandais substation
Enhancing the archaeological heritage of the Irish community
The site of the future Des Irlandais substation is inextricably linked to the history of Irish immigration to Québec.
From 1845 to 1847, the massive influx of Irish refugees in Montréal led to the construction of a vast camp and temporary hospitals where the newcomers could be housed. Many of them contracted typhus and an estimated 6,000 died of the disease. Their remains were buried in an improvised cemetery just south of Rue Bridge. A monument that stands at the entrance of Pont Victoria commemorates the tragic events.
From 2017 to 2020, Hydro-Québec conducted archaeological surveys on the site of the future substation. The digs uncovered remains that may be associated with the makeshift hospitals, as well as objects that may have belonged to patients or the family members and caregivers who were at their bedside.
In spring and summer 2022, archaeological digs must occasionally be conducted before or during the mechanical excavation work in order to document and preserve the site’s archaeological heritage.
The Black Rock monument was erected in 1859 by the workers who built the Pont Victoria in memory of the 6,000 immigrants who died of typhus.
The fever sheds, as seen from the Pont Victoria jobsite (southwest of the site). Drawing based on a photograph taken by William Notman around 1858–1859 (©McCord Museum Collection).
Everyday items from the mid-19th century, uncovered during archaeological digs conducted at the site (Ethnoscop 2018).