This article explores the seldom-discussed reception of Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (1913) in Montreal, Quebec. This discussion focusses on two Montreal performances: the Canadian premiere, on March 5, 1957, conducted by Igor Markevitch (1912–1983), and the Radio-Canada broadcast recording of November 7, 1963, conducted by Pierre Boulez (1925–2016). The examination begins with an overview of the local francophone press discourse from 1913 to 1957 to delve into perceptions of both Stravinsky as a composer and his controversial ballet. This is followed by an in-depth analysis of the various emerging lenses for reception that include music critics as well as composers of Quebec’s avant-garde. Finally, this paper not only contributes to and augments reception studies on Stravinsky and The Rite of Spring, it also opens future research avenues as our findings indicate that Stravinsky and the musical events described here had an important impact on the establishment of specific musical institutions in Quebec.