Views on this page
Published on : October 06 2015
Last modified on : July 16 2025
Alert submitted by: Heritage Montreal
Operated for over 80 years, the Cadieux Forge eloquently represents the many small-scale artisanal manufacturing establishments that were so important to Montreal’s economy, particularly in the Faubourg des Récollets and along the Lachine Canal—neighborhoods strongly shaped by metallurgical activity. At the beginning of the 20th century, Montreal was Canada’s industrial capital.
The modest architecture of this forge is typically Montrealois: it features a workshop on the ground floor and living quarters above. Inside, the old fires, equipment, and forging tools vividly evoke the work and craftsmanship of the blacksmiths. This site stands as a witness to an era, a way of life and work, and a working-class neighborhood where housing coexisted with small industry. It is also one of the few local industrial buildings spared by the construction of the Bonaventure Expressway.
Forge Cadieux
In 1903, blacksmith Wilfrid Cadieux acquired the three-story building where he established his workshop and residence. A family business, the forge housed three generations of Cadieux, who worked as blacksmiths, welders, and machinists. They manufactured and repaired equipment, parts, and tools for the construction industry.
Since its closure in the 1980s, the Cadieux Forge has remained mostly unoccupied, except for occasional events or film shoots that make use of the living quarters. The building has received only basic maintenance and monitoring. The blacksmith’s workshop, housed in an attached former house dating from the 1870s, has already had to be demolished. Given the transformation of the former Faubourg des Récollets into a multimedia district, the dissolution of the Société du Havre, and a certain indifference from the City of Montreal toward this less grandiose heritage in its Bonaventure Expressway reconstruction project, the future of the forge and its equipment remains uncertain.
In July 2024, the building was damaged by a fire.
Ville-Marie
Mechanisms for protection
Interior spaces
Private; individual
Vacant
Lack of knowledge
J.B. Resther & Son firm (construction)
Industrial
1897
How do you see this Montreal site? What legacy has it left us? What future can we create for it? Where to start to get there? Who wants to participate in the project?
You have questions? Want to do more, but lack the information? Consult our toolkit to learn more about the heritage of the Montreal metropolitan area, the preservation mechanisms in place and possible actions.
