Mount Royal Cross
Encyclopedia
The Mount Royal Cross
is a monument on top of Mount Royal
in Montreal
, Quebec
, Canada
. It stands at the northeastern edge of the mountain, overlooking the east end of Montreal.
The first Mount Royal Cross the mountain was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
, the founder of the city, in fulfillment of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary when praying to her to stop a disastrous flood.
An illuminated cross was installed in 1924 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and is now owned by the city. The current cross stands 31.4 m (103 ft) tall. It was converted to fibre-optic light in 1992, allowing the cross to be lit in red, blue or purple.
In 2008-9, the cross was deactivated for five months, during which it was repaired and converted to LED
lights, with additional work to improve access to the cross and install new park furniture. The cost for all the work was $2 million, funded by the City and by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Status of Women.
The cross contains 26 tons of steel
, including 1,830 pieces joined by 6,000 rivets. It is 31.4 metres tall and its arms span 11 metres. It stands 252 metres above the St. Lawrence River. Following the latest renovation, it is illuminated by 158 elements of 18 LEDs each.
The cross is usually illuminated in white; the new LED system permits it to be changed to any colour, including the purple traditionally used between the death of the Pope
and the election of the new Pope. Before the installation of the fibre-optic system, this was accomplished by changing all the light bulbs. It is now controlled by computer. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal
is responsible for informing the city of the death of the Pope. On various occasions, the cross has been turned red for AIDS awareness and blue for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day
.
On March 28, 2009, it was turned off for an hour to mark Earth Hour
.
Christian cross
The Christian cross, seen as a representation of the instrument of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, is the best-known religious symbol of Christianity...
is a monument on top of Mount Royal
Mount Royal
Mount Royal is a mountain in the city of Montreal, immediately west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the city to which it gave its name.The mountain is part of the Monteregian Hills situated between the Laurentians and the Appalachians...
in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It stands at the northeastern edge of the mountain, overlooking the east end of Montreal.
The first Mount Royal Cross the mountain was placed there in 1643 by Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve
Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve was a French military officer and the founder of Montreal.- Early career :...
, the founder of the city, in fulfillment of a vow he made to the Virgin Mary when praying to her to stop a disastrous flood.
An illuminated cross was installed in 1924 by the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and is now owned by the city. The current cross stands 31.4 m (103 ft) tall. It was converted to fibre-optic light in 1992, allowing the cross to be lit in red, blue or purple.
In 2008-9, the cross was deactivated for five months, during which it was repaired and converted to LED
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
lights, with additional work to improve access to the cross and install new park furniture. The cost for all the work was $2 million, funded by the City and by the Quebec Ministry of Culture and Status of Women.
The cross contains 26 tons of steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
, including 1,830 pieces joined by 6,000 rivets. It is 31.4 metres tall and its arms span 11 metres. It stands 252 metres above the St. Lawrence River. Following the latest renovation, it is illuminated by 158 elements of 18 LEDs each.
The cross is usually illuminated in white; the new LED system permits it to be changed to any colour, including the purple traditionally used between the death of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and the election of the new Pope. Before the installation of the fibre-optic system, this was accomplished by changing all the light bulbs. It is now controlled by computer. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Montréal is a Roman Catholic archdiocese that includes part of the Province of Quebec. The Archbishop of Montréal is Metropolitan of a province that includes the suffragan dioceses of Joliette, Saint-Jean-Longueuil, Saint-Jérôme, and Valleyfield...
is responsible for informing the city of the death of the Pope. On various occasions, the cross has been turned red for AIDS awareness and blue for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day
Fête nationale du Québec
Quebec's National Holiday is celebrated annually on June 24, St. John the Baptist DayIn Quebec, the national holiday is a paid statutory public holiday covered under the Act Respecting Labour Standards...
.
On March 28, 2009, it was turned off for an hour to mark Earth Hour
Earth Hour
Earth Hour is a global event organized by WWF and is held on the last Saturday of March annually, asking households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights and other electrical appliances for one hour to raise awareness towards the need to take action on climate change...
.