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The mound of ice that forms when Montmorency Falls freeze in winter is a sports enthusiast’s delight. This portrayal by James Pattison Cockburn illustrates the great enthusiasm for winter entertainment. People skating, sledding and hiking enjoy themselves to their hearts’ content, while British servicemen look on, lost in thought.
1807 - 1830

A Sunday at the Falls

Montmorency Falls owes its name to Samuel de Champlain, who named the site in 1613 in honour of the Duc de Montmorency, the viceroy of New France. At the turn of the 19th century, Governor Frederick Haldimand commissioned the construction of a manor house overlooking the Falls. By this time, the Falls had become a popular destination for the locals. The mound of ice that accumulates in winter in front of the Falls was nicknamed the “sugar loaf.” See this attraction for yourself through the eyes of the period’s artists!

The ice cone at Montmorency Falls

James Pattison Cockburn The mound of ice that forms when Montmorency Falls freeze in winter is a sports enthusiast’s delight. This portrayal by James Pattison Cockburn illustrates the great enthusiasm for winter entertainment. People skating, sledding and hiking enjoy themselves to their hearts’ content, while British servicemen look on, lost in thought.
Chronoscope What do you notice in this scene? (unilingual French for a limited time) Source: Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Document in the public domain (free of copyright): 1830