CANADA HISTORY - Places-Homes

George Cartier House

The two men who were the most important figures in bringing Confederation together and then making it work as a national partnership between French and English were John A Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier.

Cartier and his house represent many different things in Canada. He was the key power broker and politician from Quebec and with Macdonald formed an English French partnership which governed Canada for most of it's first30 years. Cartier was a refined cultured and highly intelligent man and his home in Montreal was representative of many of the beautiful Victorian houses of the 1870 - 1880's period.

This National Historic Site opened in 1885 and is one of the only houses from that period, which has been fully restored, which is open to the public. A visit to the House with it's beautiful and lavish interior is impressive for that decor but also for the ambiance of history which floods the residence as one can image all of the decisions, actions and ideas which were made by Cartier and his many friends and colleagues who visited.