Saint-Sulpice Library


The Saint-Sulpice Library is an historic building located at 1700 Saint Denis Street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was designated a Historic Monument of Quebec in 1988.
Designed by architect Eugène Payette, the Saint-Sulpice Library is considered one of the finest examples of Beaux-Arts architecture in the province. Built between 1912 and 1914, the building opened as a private library operated by the Society of Saint-Sulpice in 1917. It was notably the first French-language library in the nation of Canada. In the 1960s the library folded due to waning membership. Its large collection was donated to the newly formed Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec in 1967 and the Ministry of Culture and Communications purchased the building.
In 2005 the Université du Québec à Montréal bought the building, but was forced to sell it back to the ministry of culture due to financial reasons in 2007. In 2008 plans were announced to turn the building into a music centre that will house Le Vivier, a group of 22 Quebec music groups. Le Vivier presented its first season of 15 concerts from September 2009 to May 2010. In 2016, it was announced the building will be used as a new technology incubator and library for teens.