The Blue Line & The Yellow Line - project n° 4
Brief History: "In 1966, the Montreal metro had 26 stations. Since 2007, there are 68. All are
operated by the Société de transport de Montréal, including the station at the city of Longueuil and the three inaugurated at the city of Laval, in 2007.
From the beginning of construction in the early 1960s, the designers of the Montreal metro wanted each station to be unique. So they hired several architects to build the stations. From the 1970s, architects were tasked with integrating art and architecture from a station’s early design stages. Some created the artwork themselves, others commissioned them from artists."
The stations are divided into four lines: the Green Line, the Orange Line, the Blue Line and the Yellow Line. Click on the word Subway to see the network map.
For a month in the summer of 2019, alone I visited all 68 stations. I spent 6-8 hours a day going from station to station. Going up and down the steps, escalators and elevators. Each time, I looked at the different stations inside and outside, and I took pictures. In all, about 2000 photos.
In total, I show you photos taken at 41 stations. Sometimes just one photo or several.
The length of the Blue Line is 9.7 kilometers (6.0 miles) with 12 stations. I show you nine.
My information about the stations has been taken from this link:
and for the artworks to this other:
SNOWDON
Snowdon station is located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges--Notre-Dame-de-Grâce. This is a transfer station between the Orange Line and Blue Line; it is the western terminus of the Blue Line.
The station opened on September 7, 1981 with service on the Orange Line only, though the Blue Line platforms were built at the same time. At the time it was the western terminus of the Orange Line, taking over from Place-Saint-Henri-Station; it is thus the only station to have been the terminus of two different lines. Service on the Blue Line began on January 4, 1988.
This station is named for the neighborhood in which it is located, named in turn for the owner of a farm on which it was built. (Snowdon Wikipedia)
"Sculptural grids." Work of Jean-Louis Beaulieu realized in painted steel, in 1981.
The steel grids evoke the branches of a tree. The architect designed the Snowdon subway station. In 1979, he won the Ordre des architectes du Québec’s first prize for designing station Angrignon.
The steel grids evoke the branches of a tree. The architect designed the Snowdon subway station. In 1979, he won the Ordre des architectes du Québec’s first prize for designing station Angrignon.
"The four seasons." Work in Painted fibre cement and tempered glass realized in 1981 by the artist and architect Claude Guité. This one realized four murals representing the four seasons. This one illustrates the fall.
Born in Tadoussac in 1943, self-taught painter Claude Guité enjoyed a successful career as a muralist in the 1970s and 80s.
CÔTE-DES-NEIGES
Côte-des-Neiges station is located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges--Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and serves the Blue Line. It opened on January 4, 1988.
It is a normal side platform station built in tunnel. The western entrance is housed in an imposing building containing a stained glass window.
Côte-des-Neiges station takes its name from the road on which it lies: Côte-des-Neiges Road. And, this one of the Village of Côte-des-Neiges, which was created in 1862, and annexed by Montreal in two parts in 1908 and 1910. The name for the area, Côte de Notre-Dame des Neiges (Our Lady of the Snows Hill), dates from the early 18th century. (Côte-des-Neiges Wikipedia)
Set in the station’s granite walls, this stained-glass mural by Claude Bettinger show coloured stripes streaking down like rays of sunlight. The interplay of lines represent the paths of individual lives, intersecting and separating over time.
Born in Lyon, France into a family of artists and artisans, sculptor and glassworker Claude Bettinger (1942-1998) grew up in Alsace.
UNIVERSITÉ DE MONTRÉAL
The Université-de-Montréal station is located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges--Notre-Dame-de-Grâce of Montreal and is built on the university's campus. The station derives its name from the University of Montreal.
It is a normal side platform station. Constructed in the side of Mount Royal, it is the network's highest station in elevation. It serves the Blue Line. It opened on January 4, 1988. (Université-de-Montréal Wikipedia)
The station’s architect produced two murals made from terra-cotta blocks of varying shapes and sizes. The mural in the station’s main volume refers to the four classical elements of the universe (air, water, fire, and earth).
Born in Montréal in 1946, André Léonard is the architect of three metro stations: Villa-Maria, Henri-Bourassa (west access) and Université-de-Montréal. He later worked with the Montréal regional parks service and took part in the renovation of the central building of the Botanical Garden.
EDOUARD MONPETIT
Édouard-Montpetit is located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges--Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and serves the Blue Line. It is a normal side platform station. It opened on January 4, 1988.
The Edouard-Montpetit station will be connected to the Réseau express métropolitain via an interchange station in the Mount Royal Tunnel. High-speed elevators will connect the two systems through 75 metres (246 feet), making the station the deepest in Canada and the second in North America after Portland's Washington Park station (79 metres (259 feet)).
Construction on the Édouard-Montpetit REM station began in July 2018.
The station takes its name from the street under which it is located: Édouard-Montpetit Boulevard. The boulevard is named after Édouard Montpetit (1881-1954), a Quebec lawyer, economist and academic closely associated with the nearby University of Montreal. (Edouard-Montpetit Wikipedia)
OUTREMONT
Outremont station is located in the Outremont borough of Montreal and serves the Blue Line. It opened on January 4, 1988.
It is a normal side platform station with a mined train room and open-cut volume at one end, containing the ticket hall and topped by the one large entrance and a glazed skylight.
The station takes its name from the borough (formerly city) of Outremont, in which it is located. Originally named Côte-Sainte-Catherine, the town took its name in 1875 from a mansion, still extant, built in 1833 by Louis-Tancrède Bouthillier and named "Outre-Mont" ("beyond the mountain" from the main settlement of Montreal). (Outremont Wikipedia)
Gilbert Poissant's mural conveys the feeling of a stroll through the streets of Outremont by transposing the neighbourhood’s architectural elements into the metro. No fewer than 1,436 different glazes were used on the hundreds of ceramic blocks in this mural.
Born in Iberville in 1952, Gilbert Poissant works chiefly in ceramic sculptures, installations, and murals.
DE CASTELNAU
De Castelnau station is located in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough and serves the Blue Line. The station opened on June 16, 1986. It is a normal side platform station, built in tunnel with a central volume built in trench.
Rue De Castelnau is named for French general Noël Édouard, vicomte de Curières de Castelnau, who successfully defended the French town of Nancy during World War I. (De Castelnau Wikipedia)
Using the colours and materials of the ancient cities of Italy, the station celebrates Montréal’s Italian community. These whimsical bas-reliefs (1986) by Jean-Charles Charuest depict everyday scenes in nearby Jean-Talon Market.
Born in Québec City, Jean-Charles Charuest (1925-2015) had a long career as an interior designer for churches, working on more than 150.
JEAN-TALON
Jean-Talon Station is located in the Little Italy district on the border between the boroughs of Rosemont--La Petite-Patrie and Villeray--Saint-Michel--Parc-Extension in Montreal.
It is a transfer station between the Orange Line and Blue Line. The Orange Line station opened on October 14, 1966, as part of the original network of the Metro.
The original station was designed by Duplessis, Labelle et Derome. It is a normal side platform station built in a tunnel, with a mezzanine. In 1986, with the construction of the Blue Line the station was greatly expanded and was designed by Gilbert Sauvé. Reopening is on June 16, 1986.
As of November 2019, both the Orange and Blue lines are accessible via elevator. This station is named for Jean-Talon Street. Jean Talon (1626–1694) served as intendant of New France from 1665 to 1668 and 1670 to 1672. (Jean-Talon Wikipedia)
FABRE
Fabre station is located in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough.
Villeray neighborhood and serves the Blue Line. The station opened on June 16, 1986. It is a normal side platform station.
Villeray neighborhood and serves the Blue Line. The station opened on June 16, 1986. It is a normal side platform station.
Fabre is named for the nearby rue Fabre. The street name honours Monseigneur Édouard-Charles Fabre (1827–1896), Montreal's first archbishop (1886). (Fabre Wikipedia)
SAINT-MICHEL
Saint-Michel station is located in the Villeray--Saint-Michel--Parc-Extension and is the eastern terminus of the Blue Line. The station opened on June 16, 1986.
It is a side platform station. Unlike all other stations on the Blue Line, the station is only as long as the six-car trains used on the line; all of the other stations were built to accommodate a nine-car train. However, the station cavern is long enough for a nine-car train.
Saint-Michel station takes its name from the street under which it lies, boulevard Saint-Michel, named since about the late eighteenth century for the former Ville Saint-Michel within which it is located. (Saint-Michel - Wikipedia)
LONGUEUIL-UNIVERSITÉ-de-SHERBROOKE
The length of the Yellow Line is 4.25 kilometers (2.64 miles) with 3 stations. I show you two.
Longueuil station, officially Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke station, is located in the city of Longueuil. It is operated by the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and is the southern terminus of the Yellow Line. The station is connected to a campus of Université de Sherbrooke. It opened on April 1, 1967.
It is a normal side platform station, with a ticket hall installed directly at platform level on the departure platform. As a result, a new fare must be purchased to switch platforms. A commercial building has been built above the station.
Both the station and the train station are named Longueuil, which is the name of the city where it is located. It was renamed Longueuil-Université-de-Sherbrooke on September 26, 2003, to reflect the fact that this university has a campus nearby. Longueuil–Université-de-Sherbrooke (Wikipedia)
JEAN-DRAPEAU
Jean-Drapeau station is situated on the Saint Helen's Island in the Saint Lawrence River and serves the Yellow Line. This island is part of the city of Montreal. The station opened on April 1, 1967; it is a normal side platform station.
The station was named after Jean Drapeau, mayor of Montreal from 1954 to 1957 and 1960 to 1986. Among the great achievements of Jean Drapeau: the construction of the Montreal metro, universal exhibition Expo 67 and the 1976 Summer Olympics.
The station was originally named Île Sainte-Hélène, after the island on which it is located, until it was renamed in Drapeau's honour in May 2001. (Jean-Drapeau Wikipedia)
Thank you for watching!
