Île Sainte-Hélène (also called St. Helen's Island in English) is an island in the Saint Lawrence River, in the territory of the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is situated immediately southwest of the Island of Montreal, in the extreme southwest of Quebec. The Chenal Le Moyne separates it from Île 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 Île Sainte-Hélène 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 the earth excavated during the construction of the Montreal metro; the nearby island, Île 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.
Île Sainte-Hélène 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 Biosphère, 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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Last updated: 08-04-2005 19:27:52
