There was a time when Montreal was the third deadliest city in the world after Alexandria (Egypt) and Calcutta (India). With the industrial expansion and the manufacturing boom of the 1800s, Montreal’s population quintupled in buildings that lacked hygiene. Public baths were built out of medical urgency.
In 1909, the Bain Turcot, now known as Bain Saint-Michel, was built with eight communal baths, three private baths and six sinks, serviced with both hot and cold water.