The Bay is leaving iconic downtown Montreal building

Shoppers flocked to the iconic Bay location in downtown Montreal. Heritage advocates would like the building preserved.

The minute the doors opened, a stampede of people rushed into the Hudson’s Bay on Sainte-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal.

It is one of three Montreal stores featuring liquidation sales, and one with a history dating back to the 60s.

“It’s a history going down and it’s so sad,” said shopper Louise Trepanier.

The neo-Romanesque-style building has been home to The Bay since 1960.

According to Heritage Montreal, the building was constructed in 1890 and originally a Morgan’s department store.

“It’s the store that started the movement of the of commercial and retail to Saint Catherine Street back in the 1890s,” said Heritage Montreal policy director Dinu Bumbaru.

Bumbaru said the building does not have official heritage status, but it’s part of the city’s fabric. He suggests Montreal should play an active role in the property’s future.

“The city has invested huge amount of money in revitalizing Phillips Square [across the stree], upgrading to the public domain and widening the sidewalk,” he said. “You don’t want to have a black hole in the middle there.”

Anyone hoping to snag a deal should know that all sales are final, and the liquidation process is expected to wrap on June 15.