Frites Lesage
Frites Lesage has a kinetic history. Long-regarded as a mainstay among Ahuntsic’s casse-croute eateries, this closed-channel neon sign with yellow plastic fascia displays the cursive styling that would grace each Frites Lesage establishment since the late 1940s. The sign hung facing ave. Millen, behind the restaurant in its parking lot. But unlike the history of Ahuntsic’s former favorite friterie, this sign does not go back to the establishment’s origin. Indeed, we suspect the sign’s final location at ave. Millen was perhaps only temporary as it may have been moved from another Frites Lesage location. The story begins truly in 1940 when the city of Montreal doubled down on its transportation infrastructure. To accommodate workers who had to commute to factory jobs, the city augmented its tram system by extending and building new lines. Benjamin Lesage owned property on 2910 rue Perras, just steps away from the intersection where the newly extended #24 Saint-Denis and #40 Montreal-Nord trams crossed. For Lesage, there was a big business opportunity here. By 1942, Frites Lesage began feeding the hungry, commuting working masses with poutine and hot dogs.
As business steadily grew, Lesage expanded strategically – opening a new location at the corner of Millen at 667 Henri-Bourassa initially right across from a busy bus terminal and what is now Henri-Bourassa metro. It is here where our sign was initially mounted. By 1959, Lesage sold the business to his son Philippe who established another location at the corner of Gouin/De Lorimier. Both locations were subsequently sold in the mid 90s before slowly losing clientele and ultimately closing for good by 2017. The Millen location was bought and renovated as part of the “Jardins Millen” beautification project.