Quebec pledges $600K for Montreal’s Irish Monument park

The Irish memorial stone, known as the Black Rock, can be seen on Friday Oct. 20, 2023, in Montreal. This monument commemorates the deaths of 6,000 immigrants, mainly Irish, who arrived in Canada in 1847–1848 and died of typhoid fever. (The Canadian Press/Ryan Remiorz)

The memorial project at the Irish Monument site on Bridge Street in Montreal is receiving a $600,000 contribution from the Quebec government.

Chantal Rouleau, the provincial minister responsible for Social Solidarity and Community Action, made the announcement Sunday during St. Patrick’s Day festivities as the parade moved through Montreal’s streets.

“I am deeply moved by this project, which pays tribute to the thousands of Irish immigrants who lost their lives here while fleeing the Great Famine,” Rouleau said in a statement Sunday.

“We have a duty to preserve their memory and recognize the exceptional solidarity many Montrealers showed toward them.”

“By supporting this commemorative park, our government is helping make this site a space for reflection and learning, while highlighting the important contribution of Quebecers of Irish origin to our metropolis,” she added.

The $600,000 grant was awarded to the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation through Stream 2 of the Signature Metropolis Fund, administered by the Secrétariat à la région métropolitaine of the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 22, 2026.