The Legal History of Montreal

Prohibition

The Prohibition period back in the 1920s and the 1930s was a colorful time for the legal history of Montreal because Americans who could not get liquor within the US resorted to visiting Montreal instead to buy liquor. This helped Americans bypass US laws banning the sale and consumption of liquor.  Burlesque shows also became very popular as alcohol was bought in large quantities, leading some to name Montreal “Sin City.”

Multiple school shootings

Another aspect of the legal history of Montreal that many people may be surprised to discover is the spate of multiple school shootings done by Montreal students. The most violent of these multiple school shootings was initiated in 1989 – also called the Ecole Polytechnique Massacre of 1989. Anunusual  school shooting was done in 1992 – dubbed the 1992 Concordia University Massacre – wherein the  shooter was a professor, not a student.