August 4, 2026, marks the 325th anniversary of one of the treaties that brought together the largest number of nations prior to the creation of modern international institutions—the Great Peace of Montreal. The result of lengthy negotiations conducted across a vast territory—traveled primarily by canoe—which highlighted the importance of diplomacy and, undoubtedly, the role of interpreters, this Great Peace had a profound impact on North America and Montreal, which historical research and debate help us understand.

August 4, 2026, marks the 325th anniversary of one of the treaties that brought together the largest number of nations prior to the creation of modern international institutions—the Great Peace of Montreal. The result of lengthy negotiations conducted across a vast territory—traveled primarily by canoe—which highlighted the importance of diplomacy and, undoubtedly, the role of interpreters, this Great Peace had a profound impact on North America and Montreal, which historical research and debate help us understand.

In May 2017, at the Place d’Armes during the 375th anniversary of Montreal’s founding, Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, noted that the site of Montreal, long before the arrival of Europeans and modern events such as Expo ’67 and the Olympic Games, which the Government of Quebec has listed in the Cultural Heritage Register—was destined to become a metropolis and an international city.

Today’s anniversary of the Great Peace calls on us to recognize this long-forgotten Indigenous dimension of Montreal. Just as we did when we modified the Montreal flag in 2017 or, following archaeological discoveries, with the Peel Street trail inaugurated in 2024, seeing, understanding, explaining, and bringing this aspect to life also offers an opportunity to enrich the built, urban, and artistic heritage of our city and its neighborhoods. A new perspective on Montreal…

We invite you to continue this reflection by visiting the permanent exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience at the McCord Stewart Museum, as well as the exhibition marking the 325th anniversary of the Great Peace of Montreal at Pointe-à-Callière, where the only known copy of the 1701 treaty is on special display, for the first time in 25 years, through September 20, 2026.