A taste of controversy

At the upper end of Place Jacques Cartier, near the Old Port of Montreal, stands what may be the most controversial monument in Montreal : The Nelson Column, installed in memory of Admiral Horatio Nelson.

An original statue, dating from 1808, was brought there by the English merchants of the city. The 8 feet statue is the world's first Nelson commemorative (Montreal was in fact faster than London, by 33 years). To many, it's like a bad reminder of British imperialism (the reason why it is controversial). The statue has been replaced in 1997 with a copy, probably to preserve it from the weather.