Quai des Éclusiers

At the far end of the interior courtyard, there is a dock. The kayaks wait on their rack, and the Lachine Canal begins a few steps from the door. On rue Saint-Ambroise, Quai des Éclusiers turned a former industrial site into a waterfront address, in four buildings.

In the early 2000s, the land still held abandoned factories along the canal. Groupe Alta-Socam bought them in 2001, decontaminated the site and launched a four-phase project designed by architects Michelange Panzini and Garo Jamgotchian. The 4300 led the way in 2004, followed by the 4250 in 2005, the 4200 in 2006 and the 4150 in 2007. Four six-storey concrete buildings, 393 units in all. The deeds even keep a trace of the old rue Saint-Ferdinand, which once ran down to the canal.

Picture late-day light on a concrete ceiling. Here it rises 9 to 10 feet, up to 11 feet in some units, and in several lofts the columns and beams were left exposed. Windows reach up to 8 feet; some units open floor to ceiling, and a few corner units through a glass solarium. Many units have a terrace or balcony, and on the top floors some terraces look out over downtown and Mount Royal. According to our information, units range from 399 sq ft to 2,180 sq ft, from studio to three-bedroom penthouse.

The buildings come in pairs. At 4300 and 4250, the first two phases bring together 209 units, with a heated indoor pool, a sauna, a gym and bike racks. At 4200 and 4150, phases III and IV hold 184 units; the two buildings connect underground and share their own indoor pool, sauna, gym and a large underground garage. Throughout, there is an interior courtyard with a fountain, a garage, storage lockers and an on-site superintendent. Across from the complex, a private dock and kayaks wait for residents heading out on the canal.

Outside is Saint-Henri. The Lachine Canal bike path runs along the complex and leads to Atwater Market. Near 4150 and 4200, about 150 metres away, are two tennis courts, a park with a splash pad and a dog park. The cafés and restaurants of rue Notre-Dame Ouest are a few streets away, Place-Saint-Henri station is an 8- to 10-minute walk depending on the building, and Lionel-Groulx, where the Green and Orange lines meet, is 16 or 17 minutes away.

Quai des Éclusiers speaks to people who want the exposed concrete and generous volumes of a contemporary loft, with the pool, the garage and the water within paddling distance.

Every property has a story. Quai des Éclusiers' begins on a former industrial site by the canal. Our job is to help you find the one that becomes yours. Olivier Mailloux and Amélie Flanagan, real estate brokers, follow the Saint-Henri loft market closely and work with buyers and sellers across Montreal.