Saint Jacques Street

Saint Jacques Street (French: rue Saint-Jacques, pronounced [ʁy sɛ̃ʒak]), or St. James Street, is a major street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, running from Old Montreal westward to Lachine.

In 1818 the Bank of Montreal built its headquarters on St James, which began the development of the street as a major financial centre. Other financial companies that established head offices on St James included the Royal Bank of Canada, Banque canadienne nationale, Banque provinciale du Canada, Molsons Bank, Merchants Bank, Crédit foncier franco-canadien, Banque du peuple, City Bank of Montreal, Montreal City and District Savings Bank, Royal Trust Company, Crown Trust Company, and Nesbitt Thomson. Numerous British insurance companies had their Canadian head offices on St James. These included the Life Association of Scotland, Liverpool & London & Globe Insurance, Yorkshire Insurance, Standard Life, Colonial Life, Guardian Fire and Life, and London and Lancashire Insurance. Additionally, most financial companies based elsewhere established their Montreal offices on St James.

The street is commonly known by two names, St. James Street in English (after St. James's, London) and rue Saint-Jacques in French. Both names are used in English and French, although Saint-Jacques is the most common for geographical reference. St. James Street is usually used in reference to the street's historic importance as a financial district.