Mount Royal Cross

Mount Royal Cross
Daytime image
Location	Mount Royal
Material	iron
Height	31.4 metres (103 ft)

The Mount Royal Cross is a monument on top of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It stands at the northeastern edge of the mountain, overlooking the east end of Montreal.

The first Mount Royal Cross the mountain was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, the founder of the city, in fulfillment of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary when praying to her to stop a disastrous flood.

An illuminated cross was installed in 1924 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and is now owned by the city. The current cross stands 31.4 m (103 ft) tall. It was converted to fibre-optic light in 1992, allowing the cross to be lit in red, blue or purple.

In 2008-9, the cross was deactivated for five months, during which it was repaired and converted to LED lights, with additional work to improve access to the cross and install new park furniture. The cost for all the work was $2 million, funded by the City and by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Status of Women.^[1]

The cross contains 26 tons of steel, including 1,830 pieces joined by 6,000 rivets. It is 31.4 metres tall and its arms span 11 metres. It stands 252 metres above the St. Lawrence River. Following the latest renovation, it is illuminated by 158 elements of 18 LEDs each.^[2]

The cross is usually illuminated in white; the new LED system permits it to be changed to any colour, including the purple traditionally used between the death of the Pope and the election of the new Pope. Before the installation of the fibre-optic system, this was accomplished by changing all the light bulbs. It is now controlled by computer. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal is responsible for informing the city of the death of the Pope.^[3] On various occasions, the cross has been turned red for AIDS awareness and blue for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.

On March 28, 2009, it was turned off for an hour to mark Earth Hour.^[4]

Time capsule

Beside the cross, a plaque marks the placement of a time capsule in 1992, during Montreal's 350th birthday celebration. It contains messages and drawings from 12,000 children, depicting their visions for the city in the year 2142, when the capsule is scheduled to be opened.^[5]

Gallery

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  Night image

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  Cross illuminated in purple to mark the death of Pope John Paul II, April 2005

References

1. ^ Laurence, Jean-Christophe. "Nouvel éclairage pour la croix du mont Royal." La Presse, 4 February 2009.
2. ^ Laurence, Jean-Christophe. "Nouvel éclairage pour la croix du mont Royal." La Presse, 4 February 2009.
3. ^ Hour.ca - News - Brief
4. ^ "Montreal to go dark for Earth Hour". Montreal Gazette (Canwest). 2009-02-22. http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Montreal+dark+Earth+Hour/1317535/story.html. Retrieved 2009-02-22. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ Walking tour: Mount Royal, Frommer's

Coordinates: 45°30′32″N 73°35′16″W / 45.50889°N 73.58778°W / 45.50889; -73.58778