Sometime between the second and third seasons, Janette decided that it was time to move on. When she finally returned to Toronto in The Human Factor, she revealed to Nick that she had spent the intervening months in Montreal.
The History of Montreal[]
Montréal is built on the Île de Montréal, an island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River that takes its name from Mont Royal, a low mountain in the centre of the island. Today, the city has extended into suburbs on the mainland.
The earliest settlement in the area was Hochelaga, a fortified village of the St. Lawrence Iroquois that was visited by Jacques Cartier in 1534. The incoming French built the Ville Marie mission in the same area in 1642; and, despite attacks by the Iroquois, this eventually became a centre for the fur trade. During the early eighteenth century, the name of the island came to be used as the name of the town.
Rue Saint-Paul in the old part of Montreal.
In 1760, Montreal was surrendered to the British army following the defeat of the defending French army at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. A few years later, the colony of New France was ceded to Britain. Under the new rulers, the city continued to expand with British immigration, and became even more prosperous with the growing fur trading empire of the North West Company. This fixed Montreal's mixed French and English character in the centre of a region that to this day remains essentially francophone.
Montreal was incorporated as a city in 1832. It was the capital of the United Province of Canada from 1844 to 1849; and, by 1860, was the largest city in British North America. For most of its history, it has been the most cosmopolitan and cultured of Canadian cities.
Only in recent decades has Montreal been superseded in size by Toronto. Its relative decline came with the rise of French Canadian nationalism, which spurred many anglophone residents and their businesses to shift out of the province. Today, Montreal remains by far the largest francophone metropolis in the New World. Including its suburban areas (not all of which are currently incorporated with the city itself), it has around two million inhabitants.
(Adapted from the Wikipedia article History of Montreal.)
Janette in Montreal[]
With this history, it is easy to see why, of all cities in Canada, it should be Montreal that should appeal to Janette when she decided to leave Toronto. As she says to Nick, Montreal is the closest she can come in North America to a city like her beloved Paris. Yet it is close to her family—Nick and LaCroix—which would not be the case were she to cross the Atlantic.
Arsonists burned down the building Janette initially lived in when she moved to Montreal.
In Montreal, Janette moved into an empty building, not knowing that it was about to be targeted by an arson ring. She was only saved from the flames by a fire fighter, Robert McDonagh.
Her acquaintance with her saviour deepened into love, which was extended to Robert's young son, Patrick. Although Janette was initially unwilling to take the risk of injuring her friend, the two did eventually become lovers. Their relationship was known to his colleague, Mario LaRouche.
Robert was, however, becoming suspicious of the spate of fires. His investigation led close to LaRouche, who murdered him. With Robert's death, Janette became mortal. She also became the guardian of his son. Nevertheless, despite this responsibility, she left Montreal for Toronto, in pursuit of LaRouche and revenge.
Fan Fiction[]
The following are works of Forever Knight fan fiction that are set wholly or in part in Montreal.
- FK4: In the episode "A Richer Earth", the murder mystery requires Nick to go to Montreal to liase with the police force there.