The old Pied-du-Courant jail, in Montreal, was the scene of the 1837 Patriots revolt in what was then Lower Canada. A total of 1355 patriots were imprisoned here during the rebellion. Above this wall, which runs along Notre-Dame street, a wooden scaffold was set up and 12 of the 99 patriots condemned to death were publicly hanged here.
"Long live freedom, long live independence!", shouted by Chevalier de Lorimier on February 15th, 1839 as he was executed.
The building is now occupied by the SAQ offices (Société des Alcohols du Québec, or Québec Alcohol Society) a state-run company with a monopoly on alcohol distribution in Québec. Built at the beginning of the 1830's, the building was abandoned in 1912 until the Liquor Commission (the future SAQ) installed its offices here, dismantling all jail cells. Inside there are no traces of the patriot episode with the exception of some interior walls. Following pressure from heritage supporters, a part of the basement was transformed into a permanent exposition center dedicated to the patriots.
