Sainte-Anne-du-Bout-de-l'Île Historical Society

Sainte-Anne-du-Bout-de-l'Ile corresponds today to the area of Senneville, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue and Baie-D'Urfé

The history of the Sainte-Anne-de-Bout-de-l'Île Historical Society

Sainte-Anne-de-Bout-de-l'Île refers to the western end of the West Island, which was originally part of one parish whose first church, was built on what is called today Pointe Caron in Baie-d'Urfé.

The Sainte-Anne-du-bout-de-l’Ile Historical Society was founded at a meeting back in October of 1961 when the new society applied to the Historic Sites and Monuments Committee with a request that the Simon Fraser House (153 Sainte-Anne Street) be declared a historic site.

The Simon Fraser House had fallen in disrepair and the provincial government wanted to demolish the house while working on Highway 20. Thomas Lee, a former Mayor of Baie-D'Urfé, and Louis Carrier, curator of the Chateau Ramezay in Montreal, decided to save this historic building.

The house is said to have been build in 1798 for Peter Grant (1764-1848), a partner in the North West Company. More recent research suggest however that the year of constrution could have been at any time between 1790 and 1810. The house is also of heritage value because of Simon Fraser (1760-1839). Born in Scotland, Fraser moved to Canada with his family in 1789 and became one of the shareholders of the North West Company. He worked in the fur trade and was the Seigneur of the Bellevue Fief, where he settled. Following a fire of this original house he aquired the residence of Peter Grant in 1820. Simon Fraser lived in the house until his death. His descendants kept ownership of the house until 1965, when it was sold to the Canadian Heritage Foundation of Quebec. From 1906 to 1954, the property was home to a branch of the Bank of Montreal. The private real-estate company Base Spaces Inc acquired the house from the Canadian Heritage Foundation during the summer of 2021.

Bout de L'Isle with church at pointe D'Urfé, sulpician map, 1700, source: wikipedia

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Bout-de-l'Ile Historical Society, Montreal Gazette, Oct 25, 1961

Simon Fraser House, March 2008, Canadian Heritage Foundation sign, source: wikimedia

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Simon Fraser House, Feb 2023, source: Guido Socher

BMO in the Simon Fraser House, postcard from around 1930, source: banq

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Simon Fraser House, 1898, source: Fonds Richard collection, via spoi.ca

Drawing of the original Simon Fraser House, source: booklet "History of Simon Fraser, Tom Moore House"

Désiré Girouard writes in his book that Irish poet Thomas Moore (1779-1852) resided at this house around 1804 and this is where he composed his text "The Canadian Boat Song" (text).

Picture of the Irish poet Thomas Moore and the Simon Fraser House (aka Thomas Moore house) as seen 1892, source: the book "Lake St. Louis Old and New" by Montreal judge and historian Desire Girouard, book printed 1893

For more information about the historic value of the Simon Fraser house see https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5037 and https://www.patrimoine-culturel.gouv.qc.ca/rpcq/detail.do?methode=consulter&id=92666&type=bien.

Sainte-Anne-du-Bout-de-l'Ile Historical Society