Saint Helen's Island
Saint Helen's Island (French
Île Sainte-Hélène [Not to be confused with the island of Saint Helena, to where Napoleon was exiled]) () is an
island in the
Saint Lawrence River, in the territory of the city of
Montreal. It is situated immediately southwest of the
Island of Montreal, in the extreme southwest of Quebec. It forms part of the
Hochelaga Archipelago. The Le Moyne Channel separates it from
Ile Notre-Dame.
It was named in
1611 by
Samuel de Champlain in honour of his wife, Hélène de Champlain, née Boullé. The island belonged to the Le Moyne family of
Longueuil from
1665 until
1818, when it was purchased by the
British government. A fort, powderhouse and blockhouse were built on the island as defences for the city, in consequence of the
War of 1812.
The new Canadian government acquired the island in
1870; it was converted into a public park in
1874.
The archipelago of which Saint Helen's Island is a part was chosen as the site of
Expo 67, a
World's Fair on the theme of
Man and His World, or in
French,
Terre des Hommes. In preparation for Expo 67, the island was greatly enlarged and consolidated with several nearby islands, using earth excavated during the construction of the
Montreal metro. The nearby island,
Ile Notre-Dame, was built from scratch.
After Expo, the site continued to be used as a fairground, now under the name
Man and His World or
Terre des Hommes. Finally, most of the Expo installations were dismantled and the island was returned to parkland.
Saint Helen's Island and Île Notre-Dame together make up
Parc Jean-Drapeau (formerly
Parc des Îles). Several important attractions are found on the island, including the
Stewart Museum (
Fort de l'Île Sainte-Hélène), the
La Ronde amusement park, and the Biosphere, an interpretative museum about the Saint Lawrence River installed in the former American Pavilion from Expo. The park is a primary recreational site for Montrealers and hosts frequent concerts and shows, including the
Le Mondial SAQ international
fireworks competition.
The island is accessed via the Concorde and
Jacques Cartier bridges, and via the
Jean-Drapeau metro station.
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Parc Jean-Drapeau in French
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Parc Jean-Drapeau in English
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