How did French- and English-speaking communities become concentrated in different parts of Montreal?

The linguistic division of Montreal into distinct French- and English-speaking communities was primarily shaped by the city's economic development during the 19th century. Following the British takeover of New France in 1763, the city’s economy came to be controlled largely by Anglophones, while the growing French Canadian population provided the labor force for the city's expanding manufacturing sector.1

This workplace hierarchy was reflected in the city's geography. Boulevard Saint-Laurent (St. Lawrence Street) emerged as a linguistic partition, with Francophones predominantly settling to the east and English speakers to the west.1

This spatial pattern has persisted in various forms over time. Today, the majority of Anglophones and members of ethnic-cultural minorities continue to reside in the central and western sections of Montreal Island. In contrast, the eastern parts of the city have historically remained centers for the French-speaking population, a status the provincial government has sought to preserve through various administrative measures to ensure Montreal remains the largest French-speaking city in North America.2