A jewel set amidst the St. Lawrence River, Parc Jean-Drapeau is without doubt one of Montréal's most precious assets. Discover the riches of our cultural heritage…
When the French surrendered to the British in 1760, it was on Île Sainte-Hélène that Lévis ordered all his battalions to burn the regimental flags. There too, in 1775, British Governor Guy Carleton confronted the American invaders. The site began to take on strategic importance for protecting the country as of about 1820, and important military installations were built. Many of these are still in existence, and have been restored.
More recently, Île Sainte-Hélène and Île Notre-Dame have been thoroughly remodeled and have helped define Montréal's image on the international scene. Expo 67 became a focus for world attention, its great success reflecting the caliber of what it offered the world. Over the course of just one summer, 50 million visitors roamed the islands, transformed for the occasion into a microcosm of human civilization. Next came the Games of the 21st Olympiad, which prompted the construction of an Olympic Basin on Île Notre-Dame, then the Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, the International Floralies, major international exhibitions at the Palais de la Civilisation, the Montréal International Fireworks Competition and the XIth FINA World Aquatic Championships. Thanks to the success of these major events in the life of the islands, Parc Jean-Drapeau has been Montréal's international showcase for more than 40 years.