The STM is the seventh generation of public transit in Montreal
since its birth in 1861. Several companies were involved at the turn of the last century,
including the Montreal Street Railway, the Montreal Terminal Railway, and the Montreal
Park & Island Railway. They were merged into a single organization, the Montreal
Tramways Company, in 1911.
During more than a century of evolution, over a thousand kinds of tickets were issued
at different times and situation, over the whole territory of Montreal and its suburbs. We
have put together this sampling to give a brief overview of the many faces of transit
during this period. Several of the pieces presented here are from the personal collection
of Mr. Jacques Pharand, historian and author of several articles and monographs on the
history of transit in Montreal.
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1886
First ticket issued by the Montreal Street Railway and the only one designed and printed
by the Bank of Canada, which explains its resemblance to a postage stamp. |
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1897
Ticket with an advertisement on the back, reflecting the usual practice of the time. |
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1907
Ticket for a round trip to Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Cemetery, valid Saturdays and Sundays
during the months dedicated to the deceased. Issued by the Montreal Park and Island
Railway. |
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1908
First tickets sold in strips of 5 at a discount. Issued by the Montreal Park and Island
Railway. |
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1918
First ticket incorporating a distinctive coloured watermark. The diagonal design on the
ticket would remain a Montreal trademark for more than fifty years. |
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1923
Suburban ticket with denomination printed by masking; last use of this method, used only
between 1919 and 1923. |
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1925
Contractual tickets issued to police forces for the use of plainclothes officers. Used
from 1919 to 1977. |
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1931
Stub ticket issued by virtue of a contract to serve a suburban municipality. The stub gave
access to a single vehicle in the Montreal network. |
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1932
Regular ticket whose plate remained unchanged (except for the year) for a record 17 years,
due to the economic crisis of 1929. |
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1936
Smallest denomination ever issued by the network: ½¢, for the use of schoolchildren
using the shortest suburban line (0,7 km). |
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1937
Example of a special ticket (complimentary, retired) of a particularly graceful design
used by several transit companies between 1900 and 1960. |
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1940
Ticket used to pay the difference between a regular and a deluxe bus. Used together with a
valid transfer. |
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1940
Ticket introducing the "horseshoe" logo which will be used on most tickets until
1966 |
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1945
Ticket for passage between Montreal and St. Helen’s Island, the only one issued in
roll form, like those used in the movie theatres of the day. |
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1948
Strip of tickets of different denominations, allowing passage through three different fare
zones on one trip. |
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1961
Commemorative ticket for the centennial of public transit in Montreal. The back was a
reproduction of the tickets used in 1892, the dawn of electric tramways in the city. |
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1966
First metro ticket, introducing the standard size still used today. The reverse includes a
magnetic strip read by the metro’s automatic turnstiles. |
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1972
Ticket for subsidized contractual school transit carried out by the CTCUM’s vehicles,
after the integration of Montreal suburbs far from educational institutions. |
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1984
Receipt issued for the payment of a fare, preventing the accumulation of cash in the
metro’s fareboxes. |
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1992
Complimentary metro tickets issued during promotions for unique events. |
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1993
Paper tickets: two of these coupons were published in publicity flyers announcing new
routes inaugurated by the Société and allowing users to try them for free. |
