Ville-Marie is the name of a borough (arrondissement) in the centre of Montreal, Quebec. The borough is named after Fort Ville-Marie, the French settlement that would later become Montreal (now Old Montreal), which was located within the present-day borough. Old Montreal is a National Historic Site of Canada.
The borough comprises all of downtown Montreal, including the Quartier des spectacles; Old Montreal and the Old Port; the Centre-Sud area; most of Mount Royal Park as well as Saint Helen’s Island and Île Notre-Dame.
Many of Montreal’s most famous attractions are situated in Ville-Marie. Most of its office towers, including 1000 de La Gauchetière, 1250 René-Lévesque, the Tour de la Bourse, Place Ville-Marie, the Sun Life Building, the Maison Radio-Canada, and many others are located here.
Three of Montreal’s four universities — McGill, Concordia, and UQAM — are located in Ville-Marie, as are three of its four basilicas — Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral, Notre-Dame Basilica, and St. Patrick’s Basilica. Cultural infrastructure includes Grande Bibliothèque du Québec, Place des Arts, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the Quartier des spectacles, the Montreal Science Centre, Pointe-à-Callière Museum, Musée Grévin Montreal, and numerous other important venues.
Sports complexes include the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadiens; the Percival Molson Stadium, home of the Montreal Alouettes; and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Île Notre-Dame, site of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Hospitals include the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) megahospital, as well as the Montreal General Hospital and Hôpital Notre-Dame.
Major parks and recreation areas include Mount Royal and its park, Parc Jean-Drapeau (the site of Expo 67), Dorchester Square and Place du Canada, and the Old Port