Craig Drain & Sewer Montreal

About the Craig Drain

Based on research by my friend Deconstrukt, the Craig drain is an 8' diameter brick sewer in Montreal, QC, Canada. The drain was built in 1887 to solve a flooding problem, it was also linked to a pumping station that was used to pump the sewage into another sewer during springtime flooding.

The pumping station still contains the 4 centrifugal pumps and steam engines that were used to prevent flooding. The pumps were employed almost every winter between 1887 and 1950 to prevent springtime flooding.

The water level of the Saint-Lawrence stabilized after it was canalized in the 1950s, and the city closed the pumping station in the 1990s. By then the Craig sewer was finally connected to the interceptor network along with the other main collectors on the island.

For the past several years the heritage protected Craig Pumping Station has sat vacant, fenced off and marooned on a traffic island. There is a movement to save the building from demolition in hopes that it can be restored.