Book excerpt: The construction of the Church of Notre-Dame was one of the boldest building projects of the nineteenth century. The first major example of Gothic Revival architecture in Canada, it was, at the time of its completion, the largest building in North America. Franklin Toker treats the church not only as a work of art but also as a historical document that reflected the social and nationalist aspirations of the community and marked a high point in the fascinating career of its architect, James O'Donnell.