Dominion Gallery, Montreal 

The current Viau Bridge, inaugurated in 1929, connects Laval to Montreal and reflects a pivotal phase in the development of the territory. As early as the late 19th century, the area saw its first residential settlements while still part of the parish of Saint-Vincent-de-Paul (now Duvernay). The gradual structuring of this village core led to the official creation of the municipality of Pont-Viau in 1926.

In this work, Marc-Aurèle Fortin captures this transition from rurality to urbanization by situating the bridge’s architecture within a landscape still marked by its natural origins. The motif of the bridge, recurrent in modern iconography, functions here as a symbol of passage, connection, and transformation within Quebec’s territory in the early 20th century.

Source: Signé Laval – Quartier Pont-Viau https://signelaval.com/fr/quartiers/pont-viau