ORIGIN OF THE NAME

Rue Lionel-Groulx. Father Lionel Groulx (1878-1967), a native of Vaudreuil, was an influential Quebec historian. He studied in theology at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal and was ordained in 1903. He taught at Valleyfield seminary from 1903 to 1915 and was named honorary canon in 1943. Fr. Groulx was also the founding president of the Franco-American History Institute in 1946 and director of the Révue d'histoire de l'Amérique française (1947-1967). Rue Albert, which was to give its name to the station, had its name changed to Rue Lionel-Groulx before the station was opened, to allow the station's name to be changed to commemorate Fr. Groulx after his death. Name during planning phase: Albert. Owing to controversies regarding Fr. Groulx's political views, including accusations of revisionist historiography and anti-Semitism, a number of alternative names for this station have been proposed, including Yitzhak-Rabin, Oscar-Peterson, and Gabrielle-Roy. Additionally, while the station was still being planned, the name Sainte-Cunégonde was suggested, for the surrounding neighbourhood (named for St. Cunegund, the wife of St. Henry), but not retained.

PLATFORM DEPTH Upper platform: 12,5m deep Lower platform: 16,5m deep (29th deepest station)

TRAFFIC 3 912 623 entrances in 2006 (19th busiest station, excluding transfers)

INTERSTATION DISTANCE

To Charlevoix: To Atwater: 1077,31 metres 1387,74 metres To Place-Saint-Henri: To Georges-Vanier: 579,60 metres 530,60 metres

TRIVIA

Architectural rendering of this station: This station was the first transfer station to be inaugurated as such during the extension of the metro. (Berri-UQAM was the transfer station for the initial network; Jean-Talon was part of the initial network, but its transfer to the blue line was not built and opened until 1986.) The decoration was originally supposed to be the opposite of what it is today: grey granite on the floor and coloured walls. The climactic final sequence in the Bruce Willis movie The Jackal was filmed in this station in 1997. The station was redressed to stand in for the Washington DC Metro station Metro Center. The station's name plates were covered and the DC Metro's identifying pillars and maps were installed. Radisson metro was also featured in that movie. Click to expand. Richard Gere and Bruce Willis in The Jackal Images (c)1997 Universal City Studios Inc.

Images artimp.jpg courtesy Benoît Clairoux.