Beaver Lake (Montreal)
The Beaver Lake (French: Lac aux Castors) is an artificial basin fitted in 1938 on a former swamp located on the Mount Royal, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was designed by architect Frederick Todd.
| Beaver Lake Lac aux Castors (French) | |
|---|---|
 View of Beaver Lake | |
  Beaver Lake Lac aux Castors (French) | |
| Location | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Coordinates | 45°29′56″N 73°35′49″W |
| Type | Artificial |
| Max. length | 0.24 km (0.15 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 172 m (564 ft) |
It takes its name from an old beaver dam discovered during the work.
Description
About 200 metres (660 ft) by 150 metres (490 ft), Beaver Lake is shaped like a four-leafed clover. It was traditionally used an outdoor rink in winter, but this practice was ended in 2017 and skating now takes place on an artificial rink nearby. The average depth of the lake is approximately 15m and is said to cover approximately 1.5 hectares (15000m).
The surroundings of the lake are equipped for various recreational activities: skating and sliding in the winter, vast lawns in summer.
History
Workers adjusting the lake in 1938
Skaters on the lake in 1940
Walkers in 1945
Ducks stand next to a shelter on a raft floating on the lake
The Beaver Lake pavilion
Built between 1956 and 1958, inaugurated in 1961, the pavilion is located west of the lake. Designed by architects Hazen Sise and Guy Desbarats of montreal-based architectural firm Arcop, it was considered one of the most innovative buildings in Montreal, with a corrugated roof and large windows. It was renovated in 2005-2007.
The pavilion houses a restaurant named The Pavilion.
In 2007, the Ordre des architectes du Québec (Order of Architects of Quebec) awarded the Excellence Award in architecture to architects Pierina Saia and Réal Paul and to the City of Montreal for the conservation and heritage restoration of the Beaver Lake pavilion.
External links
- (in French) Official site of Mount Royal Park Archived 2016-05-28 at the Wayback Machine
- (in French) Calypso: equipment image collection from the University of Montreal
- Mount Royal Pavilion web site