1420, rue Sainte-Catherine Ouest

Station H is a former post office located at 1420 Sainte-Catherine Street West in downtown Montréal, also known as the Léonce-Lessard Building—though little is documented about the origin of this name. Built between 1913 and 1914 in the Beaux-Arts style, it stands out for its Stanstead granite and beige sandstone façade, its tripartite rectangular structure, and its four monumental Ionic columns framing a central arched entrance.

The original inscription “Post Office Station H” remains engraved above the main entrance, a lasting reminder of the building’s initial function. The name “Postal Station H” comes from an alphabetical system used by the federal government in the early 20th century to identify branch post offices in Montréal. Each station was assigned a letter to help organize postal services in the rapidly growing city. The letter “H” was given to this particular branch, built in 1913–1914 on Sainte-Catherine Street, with no special meaning beyond its place in the alphabetical sequence. The name reflects a common administrative practice of the time for designating secondary post offices.

Atop the building sits a bronze sculpture of the Dominion Armorial Crest, featuring the coats of arms of the seven provinces and two territories that made up Canada at the time, flanked by a lion and a unicorn—symbols of Great Britain—underscoring federal authority and colonial ties.

Designed by the federal government to accommodate urban growth, the building reflects the era’s confidence in Montréal’s development. Its interior still preserves many original features, such as coffered ceilings, Ionic pillars, and marble counters.

Designated a federal heritage site since 1990, the building no longer operates as a post office but remains a significant architectural landmark in downtown Montréal and a tangible witness to the city’s postal history and early 20th-century urban expansion.

We like this building for the architecture and history.

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