One Hundred Years of History
In the Beginning, there were Rapids …
Cascading down at a strategic spot beside the Island of Montreal, the Lachine Rapids form a natural barrier to navigation on the St. Lawrence River. The building of a canal to bypass them would open the way to transporting goods to markets in Canada’s interior and in the United States. Moreover, at a time when electricity did not exist, the Canal would also allow for the production of hydraulic energy necessary for industrial activity. With this potential for economic development, a canal was sure to bring prosperity.
By allowing access to the biggest navigable river network in the world, the inauguration of the Lachine Canal in 1825 marked the inauguration of the manufacturing industry in Canada. Its expansion in 1848 increased the flow of water, which created the conditions necessary to meet energy needs in the manufacturing process. From that point on, cargo ships, ferryboats and barges became frequent users of the canal, while piers, shipping cranes, loading towers, warehouses, silos and mills grew up around them. The construction of the Grand Trunk Railway added to these infrastructures, turning the Canal into a crossroads for the transportation of manufactured goods to the North-eastern portion of the continent. This created an industrial and urban boom which would transform the South-west corner of the island of Montreal, and confirm Montreal’s reputation as Canada’s leading city.
Between 1840 and1940, on the Canal’s north shore in Saint Henri, on its south shore in Côte St. Paul and to the west of it in Lachine, a thousand businesses of every sort and description–big and small–established themselves around the waterway. A large number of suppliers followed the big manufacturers, creating another set of jobs. These companies employed approximately 28,000 workers between the First and Second World Wars. As the workers needed lodgings, houses were built and small businesses and services appeared. The area underwent rapid urbanization, and the neighbourhoods within it eventually became the District of South-western Montreal.
At the Heart of History
It is in this lively period that the entity we now refer to as the “Complexe Dompark” was born. Its design dates back to 1875, when the Mount Royal Spinning Company mill decided to construct a textile factory. Comprising six buildings, the brick and cement complex at 5524 St. Patrick Street opened its doors in 1908. Significant renovations to the site followed in the years 1928, 1935, 1947 and 1959.
D. Jerome Spence, a native of Louisville, Kentucky with an architecture degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), designed what was to be the Complexe Dompark. Spence’s other architectural creations in Quebec include the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the building overlooking Philips Square and the building housing the Dominion Wire Rope Company in Lachine.
In 1952, D. Jerome Spence received the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Award of Merit.
Spinning at Top Speed
The Mount Royal Spinning Wool Company Ltd.’s opening of the Dompark factory marked the beginning of the mechanization of textile production. Up until that point, most operations in the cotton-spinning process–eg. carding, hackling, drawing, spinning, winding, printing, etc--had been done by hand. Rather than farm out these tasks to sub-contractors, the Mount Royal Spinning Wool Company decided to regroup them all under its own roof. The advent of industrial machinery began a technical revolution that would transform factory work.
During this period, the Dominion Cotton Mills Company, founded in 1890, also expanded. In 1905, it merged with three other Montreal textile companies, one of which was the Merchants Cotton Company. The result was the Dominion Textile Company, also known as Domtex. In 1919, it bought out the Mount Royal Spinning Wool Company, thereby taking possession of a huge industrial complex bordering the Lachine Canal.
From this point on, Dominion Textile, which already controlled over 40% of the Canadian cotton sector, became the industry’s uncontested leader. By allowing its various production units to specialize, it increased production efficiency and became competitive on the world market.
When Domtex unionized, labour conditions for the company’s factory workers improved. Domtex’s union movement also had repercussions for other industries in the Lachine Canal area, resulting in positive changes to the working classes.
Despite its solid foundations, Dominion Textile was eventually overtaken by growing international competition following the Second World War. Nevertheless, it did manage to remain an important player in Quebec’s economy for most of the 20th century. Times were such, however, that the entire Quebec textile industry was becoming precarious. By the 1960s, the situation could no longer be denied. In 1970, in a move that seemed to symbolize the general decline of the textile industry, the Lachine Canal was closed to navigation.
Recent Expansion of the
Complexe Dompark
In 1995, Complexe Dompark was purchased from a bankruptcy by the current owners who had a vision to convert the building from industrial to commercial lofts.
When it was taken over, the building was occupied at 40% and its’ tenants consisted of manly small workshops. Our first step was to convert the 3rd floor into office spaces and return the original splendour of the buildings’ architecture. Suspended ceilings were ripped out, hardwood floors were sanded & varnished, the original 12 x 6 feet windows restored. Now we had a pallet to create with….
One at a time, each space was custom designed with the individual needs of each client incorporated to create a work space to optimize creativity, employee satisfaction, and functionality- what we believe is the formula for success.
So with 16-18 foot ceiling heights, we built lofts with two levels: a combination of private offices, conference rooms and open work space to create a look reminiscent of Soho in New York. The mezzanines alos allowed for tenants to have the flexibility to expand their companies within their own loft, thereby eliminating the costs of relocating.
Our flexible and client-centered approach allows Complexe Dompark to offer a different product to the office market that is well suited to many types of creative businesses such as: multi-media, TV production, graphic design & photography, professional offices such as architects, engineers and software development, and as showrooms for the clothing and sporting goods industries.
As our clients requirements for success are at the forefront of our approach, many of our tenants continue to expand within the building and refer their suppliers to relocate into the Complexe. This has resulted in an incredible synergy and engine for networking within our walls-a one-stop-shop of companies that generate business opportunities. That is what we call a win-win situation.
With over $5 million in tenant improvements, each space has become a showcase of productivity in the workplace and has redefined how people do business. Our administration has added to this concept by attracting value added services to the building such as IT and network management, printing facilities, and full service restaurant. Soon to come is a daycare center.
We are grateful to celebrate this 100 year history with you and are very excited what the future brings!
