Square Phillips is a charming green oasis in downtown Montréal with a unique and historical view of Rue Sainte-Catherine, one of Montréal’s most famous shopping streets. Its location on the corner of Avenue Union and Rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest makes it a perfect place to meet friends or relax.

The square got a makeover between October 2020 and June 2022. It’s now bigger, greener and more comfortable. Its lawn with seven fountain streams enhances the historic monument to Edward VII and the square’s atmosphere in the summertime. Benches integrated into green islands create a friendly space with lots of seating. Its granite cobblestones, some 30 trees and a number of plants and shrubs make it a beautiful square.

A number of cultural events are held at Square Phillips.

History
Square Phillips played an important role in the birth of Rue Sainte-Catherine’s economic and commercial growth. The square was built in 1842 in a wealthy residential area, which attracted the area’s first large stores.

In 189, Henry Morgan moved his company (today, the Hudson Bay Company) near the square, as did Henry Birks, who, several years later, built his headquarters there (Henry Birks and Son). At the centre of the square is a monument to Edward VII built by Québec sculptor Louis-Philippe Hébert, a gift from the Birks family in 1914.

On the south side of the square, the 10-storey Canada Cement Building was built in 1921. The building was considered ahead of its time as the first building made completely out of concrete in Montréal and the city’s first skyscraper with underground parking, considering that car traffic was not as heavy at the time.

In 2012, on the south side, the city built a commemorative monument to victims of the fire at the nearby Blue Bird Cafe in 1972 in honour of the 40th anniversary of the tragedy.