Visiting Dorval, Quebec: A Skyline Dominated by a Parish Church Spire, Dating From 1900
A conspicuous structure in the municipality
[NB: Among the many notable buildings which are the subject of the hubpages, these may include religious buildings, described as churches, etc.; these descriptions centre on the buildings' architectural and historical interest.]
Adjacent to the Saint-Lawrence, the flatness of the low-lying municipality of Dorval, on the Île de Montréal / Island of Montreal thus causes the spire of the Eglise de la Présentation-de-la-Très-Sainte-Vierge to dominate the skyline.
The aerial view of Dorval (above) shows — to the left of the picture — the building today, also showing in the close-up photo (above), dating from 1903.
Features of the building include its spire and pinnacles which might ostensibly indicate overall a Gothic style, which, however, is not the case; Syrian (or Romanesque) arching is present at windows and doorways. There is also a conspicuous rose window.
The main photo, above, is viewed from what is now the rue de l'Église elevation, showing clearly the design features of the building's frontage.
Records show that the building was already being used since 1900 when it was completed in 1901.
The building has been long noted for its five bells, which, when rung, have sometimes been heard at Pointe-Claire, beyond the boundaries of the municipality (1).
The municipality's name is indirectly derived — via the spelling of the name of a local landowner Jean-Baptiste Bouchard d'Orval — from the abbaye d'Orval, in the Belgian Province of Luxembourg (which I have visited; see below).
While the municipality is one which the traveller typically proceeds through rather than to, this is unfortunate, since there are various points of interest to the discerning visitor.
The building is situated at 665, avenue de l'Église, Dorval, Quebec.
March 24, 2020
Notes
(1) See also (in French): https://www.egliselapresentation.com/propos/ ; http://alcasdesign.com/dev/clients/presentation/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Histoire-paroi.pdf
Some sourcing: Wikipedia
Also worth seeing
In Dorval itself, the City's Museum is situated at 1850 Lakeshore Drive; known as the Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage, it is housed in a heritage property — a former coach house — dating from 1874 and originally belonging to Alfred S. Brown. (See also: http://loisirs.ville.dorval.qc.ca/en/arts-culture/museum ; contact: email, musee@ville.dorval.qc.ca ; tel., 514 633-4314.) In 2016 an exhibition about Dorval's history was held.
The architectural and cultural attractions of neighbouring Montreal are too numerous to mention here, but of special note, among many others, are the domed Bonsecours Market (Marché Bonsecours), dating from 1847, which was a venue used to house the Parliament of United Canada, prior to Confederation. The Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique Notre-Dame de Montréal) was built mainly between 1824 and 1829; many Montrealers attend annual performances of Handel's 'Messiah' there. The Olympic Stadium (Stade Olympique) in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district, used for the 1976 Olympics, has the the world's tallest inclined tower, at 175 metres.
Mont-Tremblant (distance: 133 kilometres), in the Laurentian Mountains (Laurentides) is ideal for scenic excursions, golf and skiing; its boutiques attract many shoppers.
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How to get there: Air Canada flies to Montreal (Aéroport international Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau de Montréal ) from Toronto-Pearson, and from New York-Newark and New York-La Guardia, with wide connections. A number of car rental companies offer service at Montreal-Trudeau airport. VIA Rail maintains regular services with Toronto and Windsor. You are advised to check with the airline or your travel agent for up to date information.
MJFenn is an independent travel writer based in Ontario, Canada.
Other of my hubpages may also be of interest
- Visiting Le Parc Michel-Jasmin / Michel Jasmin Park: Close to a Large Airport, the Greening of Dorva
An aerial gateway city is planning more than to double its human population by the number of trees it plants over the next decade. - Visiting the Abbey ruins at Villers-devant-Orval, Belgium: containing the grave of the first Duke of
These Abbey ruins in Belgium contain a replica of the grave of Wenceslas, first Duke of Luxembourg, a title conferred in 1355 by the Holy Roman Emperor