Montmorency station - Large image

Ligne 2 orange MONTMORENCY

Ligne 2 orange  Côte-Vertu

Left arrow De la Concorde

Architect

Architect

Guillermo Farregut

Artist
Inaugurated

Start of service

April 28, 2007

Ligne 2 orange  Montmorency

Terminus ⦸

Art & Architecture

Panorama of the station's vast trainroom, seen from the arrival platform. The trainroom is built in an extremely deep open cut; overhead, a system of huge concrete cross-braces supports the ceiling and walls. At floor level, panels of yellow, red, aqua, dark blue, and black tiling line the walls. The transept and crossover are at left.
The Laval terminus of the orange line, built in a mammoth open cut, is characterized by its immense areas and volumes, with the highest ceilings of any station in the network. The platforms are overflown by these dizzying volumes, with their arches and buttressing beams needed to support the sheer weight of the earth on either side of the station.
The trainroom's deep volume and huge cross-braces loom above the platforms. The trainroom's volume seen through the glass screens of the crossover, looking east. The volume and brace above the stairwell leading from a platform up to the crossover.

Since so much of the design was determined by the structural needs of the building, the decor focused on elements such as the striated textures in the concrete and the wall finishes. At platform level, the wall panels are decorated with tiling in diagonal stripes of aqua, navy blue, straw yellow, brick red, and black. The colours were based on those of a painting by Paul Gauguin, Where Do We Come From? What Are We? Where Are We Going?,1 while the diagonal lines — as if in answer to the latter question — suggest the movement of the trains. The decor stylistically unites the newest extension with the very beginnings of the metro — the tiles and colours of the 60s and the exposed, ridged concrete of the 70s.

View of the platforms from the eastern end of the arrival platform. The main volume with its structural system is overhead; brightly coloured ceramic tiling lines the platform walls. Detail of the diagonal stripes in the platform tiling, in yellow, red, aqua, dark blue, and black. One of the staircases from the Côte-Vertu platform up to the level of the crossover and ticket hall.

The exceptionally wide ticket hall is located at transept level, as with the other Laval stations, with the gateline opening directly onto the crossover and platform stairs.

The transept intersects with the trainroom at the same level as the ticket hall; the glass-enclosed crossover is framed by pillars clad in yellow ceramic. The departure (Côte-Vertu) platform is accessed by the two staircases closer to the ticket hall. The broad ticket hall and gateline seen from the fare-paid zone.
Panorama of the ticket hall. At left, the lengthy gateline leads directly to the platform stairs and crossover, as at all the Laval stations. At right, a sprawling stair and escalator well leads upward. In the background, a recessed area contains ticket machines and gives access to the elevator to the surface and a direct access to the parking garage. Looking down toward the ticket hall from the top of the huge central stairwell. One of the elements of Hélène Rochette's work Les fluides hangs above.

The ticket hall is connected to the upper levels by a very broad stairwell over which float three of the four elements of the station’s artwork: Les fluides by Hélène Rochette, a suite of suspended sculptures. These huge, brightly coloured surfaces, in curved organic shapes, suggest the fluidity and freedom of movement provided by public transit, and add a sense of life, lightness, and playfulness that balances with the station’s imposing, monochromatic concrete structure.

Overview of Hélène Rochette's sculptural cycle Les fluides, with three brightly coloured, flamboyantly curved elements suspended in the huge volume above the main stairwell down to the ticket hall. One of the elements of Hélène Rochette's artwork Les fluides, painted raspberry red. One of the elements of Hélène Rochette's artwork Les fluides, painted lime green. One of the elements of Hélène Rochette's artwork Les fluides, painted orange.

A concourse at the top of the stairwell gives access to the station’s headhouses, as well as underground city access to the Université de Montréal’s Laval campus and the Espace Montmorency development.

The concourse at the head of the main stairwell (centre) down to the metro station's ticket hall. At right are the stairs to the metro headhouse; facing the feet of this staircase is the access to the bus terminal and parking garage. This concourse also receives the underground city links to Espace Montmorency (left) and the Laval campus of the Université de Montréal (right).

Overall, the station’s above-ground installations occupy a vast area of some 49,000 m². The station has two headhouses, located just a few metres apart. Both buildings, clad in pale yellow harmoniously with the interior theme above platform level, feature large windows and projecting, glazed vestibules around the doorways.

The first building, designed as the metro station’s dedicated headhouse, is a spacious, abundantly glazed building located atop the main stairwell and overlooking the concourse. An elevator connects it with the ticket hall, with another elevator connecting to the accessible underground city link to Espace Montmorency.

Overview of the metro headhouse. The broad building is clad in pale yellow blocks and features broad windows. The entrances are surrounded by glass and metal porticos leaning outward at the top. The metro station's independent headhouse (left), clad in pale yellow blocks, is located north of the bus terminal building (right).
Interior of the metro headhouse. A broad staircase (left) leads down to the concourse and the stairwell down to the ticket hall. At centre, next to the door, is the elevator access to Espace Montmorency; it connects to this level to provide access to the elevator between the street level and the metro ticket hall.
The interior of the metro headhouse features exits to the west and north, set in large glassed-in porticos. The interior of the metro headhouse, looking toward the stairwell down into the station (centre). The glass surface at right overlooks the concourse and the main stairwell to the ticket hall.

The other access, just to the south, is a bus terminal building connected to the station’s parking garage. Similar in decor to the first headhouse, it is also marked by a tower with a wing-shaped roof adjacent to its entrance on Rue Lucien-Paiement. The terminal incorporates the station’s large STL and metropolitan bus depot, a waiting area with concessions, as well as the fourth segment of Les fluides, over the stairwell towards the concourse.

The main portico leading into the bus terminal building from the street, consistent with the entrances to the metro station headhouse a few steps away. To its right, a stairwell in the service area is topped by a butterfly roof and repeats the same window layout and glazed red brick material as other stairwells along the perimeter of the adjacent parking garage. The narrow hallway from the main entrance to the bus terminal building to the terminal waiting area. The hallway from the main entrance leads into the waiting area of the bus terminal building. The enclosed area at left leads to the exit toward the terminal platforms and to the staircase down to the metro station.
The bus terminal waiting area seen from its south end. Ticket windows and concessions are at left; at right are elevators to the parking garage and metro station, and an additional exit toward the terminal platforms. The fourth segment of Hélène Rochette's artwork Les fluides, coloured yellow, is suspended in the stairwell in the bus terminal building leading down to the metro station. The south entrance to the bus terminal building adjoins the taxi stand and kiss-and-ride area, offering a covered waiting area for these.
Panorama of the exterior platforms of the bus terminal. The terminal building is at left; its south entrance is visible. The platform areas, including the two jetties framing the bus loop, are open but roofed, with a glass wall on one side.
Overview of the bus terminal platforms from Boulevard de l'Avenir. The south pier of the bus terminal. The station building is in the background. The terminal building seen from the south bus platform. Raised areas of the platform roof mark the entrances to the building.

The terminal was originally intended to be incorporated into a gigantic multistorey above-ground parking garage. Instead, the four-storey, 1,357-space parking complex was built directly into the downward slope south of the station, atop the train garage serving the orange line terminus. The indoor parking is paying and can be reserved, while the outdoor parking is free. One of the outdoor lots is built on the roof of the garage. The parking garage enjoys direct access to the metro station at two entry points, at the ticket hall and concourse levels, and the upper two garage levels also have outdoor exits onto the surrounding parking lots.

The parking lot and parking garage seen from the southeast. The driveways and pedestrian entrance to level P1 of the parking garage. In addition to the ground-level parking lots (left), outdoor parking is also visible on the roof of the garage (right). Pedestrian entrance to level P2 of the parking garage, on the south side of the structure. The arrangement of windows and the brickwork match features of the terminal building.
Interior of the parking garage. Access to the elevators and metro station from level P1 of the parking garage. The access area on level P1 of the parking garage, leading to the metro station concourse and the elevator up to the bus terminal.
Hallway connecting level P4 of the parking garage with the metro station ticket hall. A unique small elevator connects the hallway on level P4 of the parking garage with the metro ticket hall. Access to the parking garage from the metro ticket hall. At left is the elevator up to the metro headhouse.
Unfortunately, the space inside the bus terminal is quite cramped, with narrow corridors that reduce the feeling of security. One might wonder why this smaller but very busy facility was built separately, just steps away from the spacious, rather underused metro headhouse. This separation would have made more sense when the bus terminal was planned to be incorporated into the huge above-ground parking garage, but when this plan was abandoned, it is unfortunate that the two were not combined for a more efficient use of space. Also, following this change of plans, the outdoor bus terminal platforms were ultimately built with open canopies, rather than enclosed to protect passengers from the elements, as at the Longueuil terminus. As a result, the bus terminal represents some sadly missed planning opportunities for a facility of its importance.

Matt’s Rating

***

Accessibility

This station is equipped with elevators for wheelchair accessibility, and like the other Laval stations, has been since it was opened. One elevator connects the northern headhouse to the ticket hall at transept level, while two more connect that level to the platforms. Two additional elevators connect the bus terminal building to the four storeys of the parking garage and, via a last, smaller elevator on the lowest level of the parking garage, to the ticket hall.

The underground city link from Espace Montmorency is also wheelchair-accessible. The link includes an elevator up to the street-level metro headhouse, giving access to the direct elevator from the headhouse down to the metro ticket hall.

History & Trivia

Traffic

Traffic

4,327,177 entrances in 2023
17th busiest station

Platform depth

Interstation distances

Interstation Distances

To De la Concorde: 847.60 metres

Origin of the Name

Collège Montmorency. Laval’s only cégep was founded on November 5, 1969, and has 9,500 students in 26 programs of study.

The college’s name derives from Saint François Xavier Montmorency de Laval (1623-1708), the first Bishop of Quebec, for whom the city of Laval is also named. Born at St. Martin de Montigny-sur-Avre in Normandy, he entered the Jesuits and was ordained as a priest in 1647. King Louis XIV chose him as the first bishop of Quebec, a diocese that then included nearly all of North America; he was consecrated in 1658 and left for Quebec the following year. He founded the Seminary of Quebec, which later grew into Laval University in Quebec City, and forbade the trade of alcohol in the colony. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1980 and canonized by Pope Francis in 2014.

St. François Xavier Montmorency de Laval.

St. François Xavier Montmorency de Laval
(Source2)

Collège Montmorency.

Collège Montmorency

Trivia

  • Unlike the other two Laval stations, Montmorency station was built in an undeveloped greenfield site which had been expropriated by the City of Laval around 1985 for the future development of a downtown area for the city. This made it possible to build the station and its adjacent train garage in a huge open cut.1
  • Given the development possibilities, the architecture of the headhouse and bus terminal were kept relatively simple in case they would one day be integrated into new high-rise buildings or other developments.1
  • Despite being the terminus of the eastern branch of the orange line, this station is actually located about 3 km further west than the other terminus, Côte-Vertu.
An architectural rendering of the station complex from February 2003, showing the enormous above-ground parking garage originally planned, which would have incorporated the bus terminal.

An architectural rendering of the station complex from February 2003, showing the enormous above-ground parking garage originally planned, which would have incorporated the bus terminal.
(Source3)

Excavation of the station volume in 2003.

Excavation of the station volume in 2003
(Source3)

Construction of the bus terminal.

Construction of the bus terminal
(Source3)

Construction of the concourse below the metro headhouse.

Construction of the concourse below the metro headhouse
(Source3)

Construction of the platforms.

Construction of the platforms
(Source3)

Construction of the stairwell to the ticket hall in 2006.

Construction of the stairwell to the ticket hall in 2006

  • On Thursday, April 26, 2007, this station hosted the sumptuous ceremony in which Premier Jean Charest officially inaugurated the three stations of the extension of the metro to Laval. The stations were opened to the public two days later.
Some of the treats awaiting the inauguration ceremony guests.

Some of the treats awaiting the inauguration ceremony guests.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest, centre, makes his way to the inauguration ceremony accompanied by Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt (left) and Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest, centre, makes his way to the inauguration ceremony accompanied by Laval Mayor Gilles Vaillancourt (left) and Montreal Mayor Gérald Tremblay.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest officially inaugurates the Laval extension.

Quebec Premier Jean Charest officially inaugurates the Laval extension.

The inauguration ceremony took place the day before the 40th anniversary of the opening of Expo 67. Singer Michèle Richard performed her hit 'Un jour, un jour,' the musical theme for Expo. Former Expo 67 hostesses in their original uniforms were also in attendance.

The inauguration ceremony took place the day before the 40th anniversary of the opening of Expo 67. Singer Michèle Richard performed her hit ‘Un jour, un jour,’ the musical theme for Expo. Former Expo 67 hostesses in their original uniforms were also in attendance.

The media, STM officials, and metro fans, including the author, were on hand for the beginning of revenue service in the early morning of April 28, 2007. The first train to leave Montmorency station for Montreal is pictured.

The media, STM officials, and metro fans, including the author, were on hand for the beginning of revenue service in the early morning of April 28, 2007. The first train to leave Montmorency station for Montreal is pictured.

  • The round pillars along the platform were originally tiled with ceramic in colours similar to the platform wall tiles. These tiles were soon removed and have not been replaced. It is not certain whether this was due to similar problems to those that afflicted the blue ceramic walls at De la Concorde.
  • Unlike other terminus stations in Montreal, this station is equipped with double or scissors crossovers in the tracks both before and after the platforms. These X-shaped connections allow trains to switch to the other track as they enter the station. As a result, instead of having to stop at the Montmorency (arrival) platform to unload passengers before continuing to the tail track and reversing back to the Côte-Vertu (departure) platform to pick up passengers, arriving trains can switch tracks and stop alongside the departure platform to both unload and load, reducing the time needed before they can depart again.4
The round pillars along the platform seen in 2008, before their coloured tiles were removed.

The round pillars along the platform seen in 2008, before their coloured tiles were removed

General Information

Platform diagram

Most convenient metro cars to use when travelling to this station

Platform diagram - Montmorency station

Station surroundings

Montmorency - Station surroundings (east)
Montmorency - Station surroundings (west)

Station address

City of Laval, quartier of Laval-des-Rapides
Fare Zone B

Metro entrance: 555 Rue Lucien-Paiement, at Rue Jacques-Tétreault / 1800 Rue Jacques-Tétreault, at Rue Lucien-Paiement
Bus terminal: 545 Rue Lucien-Paiement, between Rue Jacques-Tétreault and Rue Claude-Gagné

OpenStreetMap link
Google Maps link

STM neighbourhood map (PDF)

Underground city connections

Nearby attractions

Official websites

Service information, opening hours, frequency, bus routes

STM logo
STL logo

Most recent update: 2026-09-17

References
  1. Senosier Roberge, Véronique (producer). (2019, October 21). "Station Montmorency" [TV series episode]. Le métro voyage dans le temps. MAtv Montréal. ↩ ↩ ↩
  2. Image source: Sulte, Benjamin. (1882). Histoire des Canadiens-français, 1608-1880. Volume VI. Plate 2. Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, 0000059302.  ↩
  3. Source: © Agence métropolitaine du transport. ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩ ↩
  4. Info-STM. (2014, March 13). “L’aiguillage en X à la station Montmorency.” 24 Heures, p. 15. ↩