The Waterfront Route is made up of ancient roads along the St. Lawrence, Lake Saint-Louis, Lac des Deux Montagnes, Rivière des Prairies, the Lachine Canal and the Aqueduct Canal. 180 kilometers long, it is punctuated by more than 1000 heritage elements that evoke the major pages of Montreal's history. Heritage buildings and complexes, maritime infrastructures, nautical equipment, parks and shoreline walks, views of bodies of water, coastal landscapes, natural environments and archaeological sites follow one another.
Each of the heritage elements is associated with a historical theme:
- The Montreal archipelago and the Native American presence
- Rivers to trade and settle
- Agricultural villages
- Water, a resource to be exploited and controlled
- Workers' villages
- The shores, spaces for well-being and leisure
- The parks on the banks
- Water, an obstacle to be crossed by bridges and crossings
- Transit villages
- Other notable items not related to historical themes
An [interactive map] (https://montreal.ca/articles/le-parcours-riverain-22677) is available to explore waterfront routes on Montreal Island.This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).