Irish Commemorative Stone

The Victoria Bridge was the first to span the Saint Lawrence River. Construction began in the mid-19th century and was done mostly by people of Irish descent. It was a cruel twist of fate that during the construction, they came across a mass grave of mostly Irish immigrants who had died of typhoid.

In their honor, the workers erected a monument made from a 33-ton boulder from the St. Lawrence River. The inscription reads: "To preserve from desecration the remains of 6000 immigrants who died of ship fever A.D. 1847-48." The monument is known by several names: The Irish Commemorative Stone, Black Rock, and the Montreal Irish Monument.