#2 in the Towering Above mini-series, a brief look up at 4 of the many stone church towers that stand stoically above the streets of Montréal.

Saint-Jacques Cathedral, at the corner of Rue Saint-Denis and Rue Sainte-Catherine, has had an eventful life. Constructed in 1825, it stood proud until 1852, when it was one of 1,200 buildings to tragically burn down in the Great Fire. Rebuilt in 1857, it burned down again the very next year. Rebuilt yet again in 1860, with the added improvements of a spire, transept, and golden weathervane, it burned a 3rd time in 1933. Fortunately, it was not burned down completely, and was quickly repaired, though attendance dropped dramatically after that.

Almost torn down in 1965, it was instead designated as a pilgrimage site, and hobbled its way along for another decade. Purchased in 1973 by the Université du Québec à Montréal, it was demolished except for this spire and transept, which are all that remain today, incorporated into the architecture of the university grounds.