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Great War Memorial Hall

Coordinates: 45°27′32″N 73°34′17″W / 45.4590°N 73.5714°W / 45.4590; -73.5714
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The Islamic Centre of Montreal circa 2017

The Great War Memorial Hall now Islamic Centre of Montreal is an historic building in the Verdun neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is located on rue de Verdun across from Verdun borough hall and Verdun station. From its opening in 1929 to 2012, it was owned by the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #4. The building was then sold to the Islamic Centre of Montreal, which has used the space as a mosque and community centre.[1]

Notes left on the building following the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting

The hall's design and construction were overseen by Montreal architect Frank R. Foster on land supplied by Verdun mayor J.A.A Leclair. The cornerstone was laid on April 20, 1929, and it officially opened on October 6, 1929, with a ceremony including Governor-General Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon.[2] Verdun, then an independent city, was a booming street suburb of Montreal, and approximately 20% of male residents were veterans of World War I.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Harris, Owain (9 November 2012). "A legion hall's last days". Cult MTL.
  2. ^ "A Gathering Place". Verdun in Wartime: An Engaged Community. communitystories.ca. Retrieved 2 March 2024.
  3. ^ Durflinger, Serge (1 November 2011). Fighting from Home: The Second World War in Verdun, Quebec. UBC Press. p. 116. ISBN 978-0-7748-4104-7.

45°27′32″N 73°34′17″W / 45.4590°N 73.5714°W / 45.4590; -73.5714