Many working-class residential buildings , representing one tenth of the area of Saint-Roch , were demolished in 1972 to make way for an overpass of highway 440 ( '' Dufferin-Montmorency '' segment ) , as a way to accommodate the post-Second World War suburban expansion and automobile use . The empty lot on which the concrete pillars were built was eventually appropriated by citizens , especially for exposition of public art , and later for illegal graffiti and authorized large-scale '' trompe-l'œil murals '' . This unofficial area was called '' Îlot Fleurie '' ( '' fr '' ) , because of nearby Fleurie street . It was also a socializing place for protesters during the 2001 Summit of the Americas , as well as where the Cirque du Soleil free show '' Les Chemins invisibles '' was held many times during the summers of 2010 to 2012
2001 Summit of the Americas
3rd Summit of the Americas
Saint-Roch, Quebec City