Hydro-Quebec has commissioned a new electrical substation in Montreal.

The Des Irlandais facility is located in the city’s Le Sud-Ouest borough. In addition, the provincial utility is donating land adjacent to the substation for the creation of a memorial park honouring the 6,000 Irish immigrants who died of typhus in Montreal in 1847.

The new green space, to be developed in collaboration with the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation, will commemorate the Irish refugees who perished after fleeing famine, transforming the entrance to the city for those crossing the Victoria Bridge.

The $215-million Des Irlandais substation is designed to support energy needs in the rapidly developing Griffintown area and the west side of downtown, while also powering the new Réseau électrique métropolitain (REM), said Hydro-Quebec. With a capacity to supply electricity to approximately 80,000 homes, the substation is part of Hydro-Quebec’s broader plan to modernize infrastructure and advance the energy transition in Montreal.

Claudine Bouchard, executive vice-president and chief operating and infrastructure officer at Hydro-Quebec, highlighted the significance of the project.

“The Des Irlandais substation makes reliable power services possible, and supports the energy transition in this rapidly growing area,” Bouchard said. “Further, with this $215-million investment, Hydro-Quebec is making a significant contribution towards decarbonization.

“We are proud of the collaborative approach behind this project, in working with both the [City of] Montreal and the community. This approach allows us to seize opportunities to complete a better project that is well-received by the community, and seamlessly integrated into the neighbourhood’s urban evolution.”

As part of the substation project, Hydro-Quebec is transferring more than three acres of land to the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation for the creation of the memorial space south of the substation. The commemorative site will pay tribute to the Irish immigrants who died from typhus in makeshift hospitals set up near the waterfront in 1847.

The city will also reroute Rue Bridge to enhance visibility of the Black Rock, a monument marking the burial site of the victims. Preliminary drawings of the future memorial park have been shared, with the project expected to be completed within the next five years.

“This site for gathering and remembrance will underline the Irish community’s invaluable contribution to the growth of the city of Montreal at the turn of the 19th Century,” said Fergus Keyes, director of the Montreal Irish Monument Park Foundation. “It is more than the history of the Irish community. It is the history of all Montreal’s communities, the history of Quebec that we are bringing to light by creating this commemorative space.”

This project aligns with Hydro-Quebec’s long-term goals outlined in its Action Plan 2035, which includes investing between $45 and $50 billion to sustain its infrastructure and approximately $100 billion for future projects to meet the province’s growing electricity demand.