The history of the LaSalle-Coke crane

The LaSalle-Coke crane, which has stood on the banks of the Lachine Canal for over a century, bears witness to Montreal's industrial and energy boom in the mid-20th century.

From industrial gateway to a unique witness in America: the LaSalle-Coke crane

The only one of its kind in North America, this crane is a rare vestige of Montréal’s energy history and a reminder of the canal’s vital role in transporting and transforming resources.

Built between 1914 and 1916, the crane was used to unload coal for LaSalle’s energy facilities — first for the manufactured gas plant of LaSalle Gas, and later for the Montreal Coke and Manufacturing Company.

Gas to power Montreal: a thriving industry

To understand its significance, it must be placed within the broader context of Montreal’s industrial and energy development in the early 20th century.

At that time, the city was rapidly growing, and demand for gas (for lighting, cooking, and heating) was soaring. It was in this context that the Montreal Light, Heat and Power Co. (MLHP) planned the establishment of a new gas plant in LaSalle, a strategic site along the Lachine Canal.

Transporting coal, the essential raw material, by water was more economical than rail for large quantities. The site was also served by Keystone Transport, a MLHP subsidiary specializing in coal transport, and benefited from good water access, a key element for industrial processes.

In 1910, MLHP acquired a large tract of land still largely rural along the canal’s banks. The site’s relative isolation at the time favored industrial expansion. Within a few years, facilities multiplied. By 1924, gas production reached 62 million cubic feet per day, and a new milestone was reached in 1927 with the creation of the Montreal Coke and Manufacturing Company (MCM), in partnership with the American company Koppers Co. This new entity built a 59-oven coke plant capable of converting coal into coke, a fuel used notably for heating and in the metallurgical industry.

Despite changes in production, the coal logistics remained the same. Upon arrival, ships were unloaded using the crane, which lifted the coal and transported it via an aerial rail system to a large storage area. From there, the coal was sent to the plant for processing. The crane played a central role in this supply chain, with impressive performance: it could lift 300 tons of coal per hour, operating up to 15 hours per day.

Technically, the LaSalle-Coke crane is a complex structure, standing about 48 meters tall.

It comprises several sections: 

• a lower tower,
• an upper tower,
• a boom, and a runway,
• all powered by an electric system that operated a clamshell bucket. 

This bucket grabbed coal from ship holds, lifted it over 30 meters, and dumped it into railcars running on a suspended track. The entire operation formed a well-coordinated mechanical ballet, made all the more impressive by the fact that each railcar held six tons and the bucket emptied every 27 seconds.

Colossal production

Between 1943 and 1957, more than 500,000 tons of coal were unloaded annually, requiring over 115 days of operation. Although the canal’s navigation season lasted about 250 days, this activity sometimes caused river traffic congestion. In 1935, the Canadian Navigators’ Federation complained to authorities, who eventually restricted the number of ships allowed to dock simultaneously.

Between nuisance and modernization: the end of a cycle

LGas production peaked in 1943. After the nationalization of MLHP in 1944, MCM remained privately held before being acquired by the Société de gaz naturel du Québec in 1957 (today Énergir). At that time, the company employed 370 people and produced 8.5 billion cubic feet of gas annually, as well as 375,000 tons of coke. But this era was drawing to a close.

The arrival of natural gas transported via pipeline ended manufactured gas production in Montreal, and the coke plant refocused on metallurgical coke production. However, environmental impacts became increasingly problematic, and complaints from nearby residents multiplied. In 1972, the plant was modernized in an attempt to reduce emissions. But in 1977, a concerning safety report led to the site’s permanent closure. Demolition continued until 1983, with only the crane spared. 

Today, the LaSalle-Coke Crane is much more than a relic. It is a unique witness to North America’s coal transshipment history. At the time of its construction, hundreds of similar facilities existed around the Great Lakes, but most were temporary or mobile. Today, only a few cranes of a different type remain on the Calumet River in the United States. The LaSalle-Coke crane is thus an exceptionally rare example of a fixed industrial infrastructure still standing.

A heritage landmark on the banks of the Lachine Canal

The crane also constitutes a strong visual landmark in the Lachine Canal landscape, once one of the country’s main industrial corridors. Although the facilities that once connected the crane to the plant have disappeared, making its original function less obvious, its presence continues to evoke an era when Montreal was built on coal, steel… and a giant crane that now stands silently, but proudly, still upright.

This text is an adapted version of the article published in the Summer 2025 edition of the digital magazine Québec Yachting, entitled From the Gateway of a Vast Industrial Machine to the Last Continental Witness of a Bygone Activity: The LaSalle-Coke Crane.

The information presented was generously shared by historians Alain Gelly and Jean Bélisle, as well as by Matthieu Paradis, Cultural Resource Management Advisor at Parks Canada.