Thanks to TUL for photo

The Canada Malt Plant is the only abandoned building in Montreal that can compete with the O’Keefe Brewery in terms of sheer size and decay. It is also one of the city’s most notorious abandoned spots, thus making it a very popular destination for beginning explorers, graffiti artists, and even for some families who like to have picnics on the grounds – not to mention the Malt Plant itself seems like a very attractive playground for kids! Moreover, we have been told by fellow urban explorers that it looks strikingly similar to the other Malt Plant located in Toronto. One day, we’ll just have to verify this!

UEM paid a visit to Montreal’s version in December of 2002. Winter had already wrapped itself around the city in a freezing embrace, and so it made sense to us to make two trips to the Malt Plant: a first one to scout and verify that there was indeed a way in, and a second one to visit as much of the place as possible and photograph it. Thus, Tux and Mokonax gladly braved the snow and wind to discover an entrance – you can check out their scouting trip on the main page. Then, a few days later, I joined them and all three of us ventured inside the looming, monolithic building, expecting the best… And getting it. This gallery consists of our first and most thorough expedition to the Malt Plant.

Yet, we keep going back. Our second Montreal Meet-Up took place there, and it was while delving deep in the Malt Plant’s entrails or treading on its crumbling upper floors that we got to know several other urban explorers from Montreal. We returned to the Malt Plant a third time after receiving reports of tunnels located somewhere… And although we discovered after only ten minutes that there were no tunnels, just a very dark corridor, we stayMontreal UE Meet 2ed for over an hour, clambering up precarious stairs and ladders to the top to get a good view of the neighborhood, feeling not unlike kings surveying our lands.

The Malt Plant is receiving more and more attention from the authorities these days. We have heard reports of cops discovering a dead body on its grounds, and though we doubt the veracity of this, there has been a increase in security. Our original entrance has been sealed since our first trip, so somebody is watching over the Malt Plant. We just hope they do so like us: with affection.

Visit the Malt Plant Gallery