Montreal Clock Tower

Construction of the Montreal Clock Tower took three years, beginning in 1919 and ending in 1922. The mechanism for the Montreal Clock Tower was one of these. The clock faces are operated by 4 interlocking gears that move each individual clock in unison. The owner of the tower is the Old Port Society, which was developed to manage tourism within the area. The Old Port Society made the Clock Tower a tourist interpretation centre in 1980. In 1984, the Old Port Society restored the Clock Tower, costing $2.5 million. The restoration included painting the steel surfaces and installing a new ventilation system. == Heritage Value ==

Environmental The Montreal Clock Tower was announced as a Classified Federal Heritage Building as determined by the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office (FHBRO) in 1996, due to its visual aesthetics as well as its historical and environmental values. The beach is swim-free and takes up of land. Historical The FHBRO determined the Montreal Clock Tower to be historically valuable due to its association with the role of the Old Port of Montreal in maritime transportation and grain exportation. The FHBRO notes that the Clock Tower's shape and decorative features adhere to the Beaux-Arts style and are also practical. The Clock Tower was constructed through a method of light masonry, by which the entire infrastructure is constructed as individual sections, and then joined at the end. This included separated building of the main clock tower, the smaller tower and the conjoining curtain wall. This building process made the Clock Tower light in weight and high in the quality of material used, allowing it to be supported by the wharf that it was built on without fault. The Clock Tower is made of concrete and is built on a square base, with each supporting corner at a different height on the ground. The stem of the tower consists of the entrance on the east facing side and signs of an old entrance on the south side, which was formally hidden by the grain sheds. The north facing side has a memorial plaque to the sailors who died during the First World War. The western facing side of the Clock Tower has rectangular columns reaching from the base. The FHBRO considers the sailor's memorial plaque, the granite placed by the Prince of Wales and the cannons featured at the entrance of the Clock Tower to be key architectural elements to be maintained. The upper portion of the tower features four clock faces, with columns and rectangular openings below the northern, eastern and western facing clocks. The southern face features rectangular openings in no particular pattern. Further below these, the Clock Tower has smooth concrete walls that extend to the base. Each corner of the concrete walls features a rectangular pillar with an eagle on top. Central to the upper portion of the Clock Tower is an observation deck. The smaller tower features corner pilasters and is linked to the main tower by the concrete curtain wall. == Maintenance ==

The Montreal Clock Tower has a strict maintenance and repair schedule in order to preserve the life of the clock mechanism and ensure that the time displayed is accurate. Currently, professional clockmaker, Daniel Pelletier is responsible for the maintenance of the Clock Tower's mechanism, as well as the continuous adjustment of the time displayed on each of the four clock faces. Pelletier began working on the Clock Tower in 1986, when the mechanism broke down. In the spring and autumn of each year, Pelletier manually adjusts the time displayed the Clock Towers by moving the gears that move the hands on each clock in order to align with daylight saving time. The pendulum that motions the clock mechanism  requires constant maintenance as it breaks more than five times a year. The mechanism and gears within the Montreal Clock Tower structure require ongoing maintenance due to the high temperatures in Montreal during summer and well as the cold climate during the winter months. Due to the high amount of human contact with the Clock Tower and its mechanism, tourism creates a buildup of dust and particles, creating a larger need for ongoing maintenance. The Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office concludes that constant and technical observation of the clock mechanism, as well as the inspection of the lights behind each clock face is essential to preserve the heritage of the landmark.   The FHBRO notes that the exterior of the Clock Tower also requires constant maintenance in order to preserve the architecturally aesthetic qualities of the landmark. The FHBRO concludes that this process should include up keeping the trees behind the curtain wall, painting the exterior walls and the preservation of the memorial plaque on the northern facing side. In 2002, the Old Port of Montreal undertook major maintenance to the Clock Tower and installed a ventilation system and painted exposed steel surfaces. Major restoration on the Clock Tower also took place in 1984. == Tourism ==

In 1984, the Montreal Clock Tower was converted into a tourist interpretation centre following a restoration of the landmark. ==See also==