In this work by John Little, the viewpoint is located in front of Montréal’s City Hall, on Notre-Dame Street looking westward. This iconic location corresponds to the famous Jacques-Cartier square. However, the artist focuses more on the streetscape, capturing it with a sense of nostalgia for the 1950s and 60s. Notably, we see the sign of the La Sauvegarde insurance company on the side of the building. This structure, now classified and protected, still bears the original company signage, serving as a lasting witness to its historical significance.

Here’s what is said about this landmark building on the Old Montréal website:

“Founded in 1902, La Sauvegarde was the first joint-stock life insurance company under French-Canadian control. Driven by the rise of economic nationalism, Guillaume-Narcisse Ducharme brought together a group of politicians and businessmen to support the project, including Henri Bourassa, federal politician and future founder of Le Devoir, Hormidas Laporte, Mayor of Montréal from 1904 to 1906 and President of the Provincial Bank, Senator Raoul Dandurand, and Narcisse Pérodeau, future Lieutenant Governor of Québec.

In 1914, La Sauvegarde moved into a new building at 150 Notre-Dame Street East, which it occupied until 1976, before relocating to the Complexe Desjardins after being absorbed by the Desjardins Group in 1962.”

Source: Old Montréal website