Bonsecours Market (Marché Bonsecours)

Bonsecours Market (Marché Bonsecours) is a silver-domed neoclassical building completed in 1847 at 350 Rue Saint-Paul Est in Old Montreal, Quebec. It first served as a public market and also housed Montreal's city hall, and it later became a home to Canada's parliament briefly when Montreal was the capital of the Province of Canada. Today it holds Quebec craft and design boutiques, galleries and restaurants, and entry is free.

The building stretches along Rue Saint-Paul with a long stone facade, columned portico and a distinctive dome that is visible from the Old Port and the river. Inside, the main hall and upper floors host boutiques selling Quebec-made jewellery, clothing, ceramics, leather goods and design objects, as well as food products such as maple items. Temporary exhibitions and events are often held in the hall, and the ground-floor restaurants offer a place for a meal in a historic setting.

A typical visit lasts 30 minutes to one hour, though shoppers may stay longer. The boutiques typically open from around 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with longer hours in summer, so hours should be confirmed on the official website. There is no admission fee, and prices depend on purchases.

Summer afternoons are the liveliest, when Rue Saint-Paul fills with visitors, and the market makes a pleasant stop between Old Montreal sights such as Château Ramezay, Place Jacques-Cartier and the Old Port. Winter visits are quieter and offer a calm indoor break in the cold. For photographs, the dome and facade are best seen from across the street or from the Old Port promenade. The market is a seven-minute walk from Champ-de-Mars metro station on the Orange Line, and a single metro fare is CAD 3.75.