An Emblematic Tower

Here is a photograph of one of the last vestiges of the war in Verdun: the tower of the former munitions factory built in 1916 and used during both world wars. This part of the building has been preserved and integrated into a condominium complex. The building is part of a vast conversion project of the former industrial site located at the eastern end of Verdun in a residential and commercial neighbourhood. 

In 1970, Verdun decided to convert the site formerly owned by Defence Industries Limited. The project took several years, and really only got underway at the end of 1979, when the City rezoned the eastern portion of Wellington Street for commercial purposes. The project continued through the 1980s and ‘90s in order to develop the remaining space into a residential neighbourhood. The promoter at the time called the project the Village de la Poudrière, a nod to the site’s history of munitions production.