Episode 3 moves into the 20th century, beginning with the impact of the 1929 Great Depression on Griffintown, where many homeowners lost their properties and became tenants under banks and large landlords. It recalls the 1944 RAF Liberator bomber crash at Shannon and Ottawa streets that killed fifteen people and highlights the area’s industrial peak from 1931 to 1966, driven by shipping routes and railways. The episode also examines City Councillor Frank Hanley’s influence, including his role in the 1959 opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway, which made the Lachine Canal obsolete, led to its 1970 closure, and marked the beginning of Griffintown’s decline.

In this five-part series, Griffintown: A People’s History, historian Dr. Matthew Barlow recounts the fascinating social history of Griffintown, a former industrial neighbourhood just south of downtown Montreal, that has all but disappeared.