Pool halls in Montreal have long been part of the urban fabric, with the greatest concentration being found on the Lower Main, as this map shows.
Notable moments in such establishments are surprisingly few, as arrests and killings were not unheard of, but were relatively rare.
- Montreal had more pool halls and bowling alleys than any other North American city, according to a 1914 article from Detroit.
- Fascist leader J. Anaclet Chalifoux fought and beat the city after they tried to deny him a license in 1937 at 6442 St. Lawrence.
- Leo Levitt became the first in history to record 147 perfect break score in snooker, at the Windsor on St. Catherine on Nov. 24, 1948.
As expected, the popularity of such joints fell with the advent of television but the numbers hovered around 100 for quite some time.
Cyrille Dion is likely the most famous Montreal billiard player of the city's past as he bagged several championships in the 1870s before dying at age 35.
Click the map to see exact names and addresses of Montreal's pool halls from 1950.
Number of pool halls listed in Lovells directory
1935- 111
1940 - 117
1945 - 107
1950 96
1955- 99
1960- 81