The Notre-Dame Basilica is to Montreal as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. It is the landmark that defines Montreal.
Buildings in Montreal, especially Old Montreal, are all beautiful, but all pale in comparison to the Notre-Dame. I wasn't originally going to visit, as I had been here before on a prior trip to Montreal - but a large banner which read "Let there be light" caught my attention.
After further inquiry, I learned that they now have a light show of the basilica in the evenings. Admission is $10.
We purchased tickets for the 8:30PM show as we intended to go after dinner on Friday night.
It was more than just a visual display. It told the history of the colonization of Montreal. The show is narrated by the "ghost" of James O'Donnell, who was the original architect of the Notre-Dame Basilica. The show was logistically perfect, and highlighted details of the Notre-Dame that you would otherwise miss during the day where the natural light may not hit certain features of the church.
They also provide you with 15 minutes at the end of the show to tour the basilica and take photos (which you would have to pay admission for during the day anyways).
The front of the basilica is definitely the focal point of the church. I just stood there and marveled at it. It is historic landmarks such as the Notre-Dame in Montreal, that makes me appreciate history. I walked out of there asking myself "Could something of this grandeur be replicated again? If so, would the motivation (e.g. commercial/business purposes) make it less admirable?"