Things to do and see in Montreal list (July 12)
Copyright (C) - 1995 Charles Quenneville.
Here is a list of things to do in Montreal. The activities, museums, things to see, etc... are divided by neighbourhoods and areas of interest. If you have comments or suggestions, just e-mail them back.
If you want more information via the Internet, try the Montreal Urban Community's Web site at http://www.cum.qc.ca. Or you can try the provincial government web site, there's some information on tourism and culture (http://www.gouv.qc.ca). You can also find some more information on the travel ftp site at ftp.solutions.net and look in the directory :
/rec-travel/north_america/canada/quebec
Let's start with a little history. Montreal was "discovered" by Jacques Cartier in 1535, he was the first european to see the island of Montreal from the top of Mont-Royal (he was guided there by the native indians that lived in the nearby village of Hochelaga). The Ville-Marie colony (now known as Montreal) was founded officially on the 18th of May 1642 by Jeanne Mance and Paul de Chomedey Sieur de Maisonneuve. The british officially took over in 1763. The americans occupied Montreal on one occasion (during the revolution for eight months and came close during the war of 1812). Montreal was the commercial capital of Canada because of it's port, location and historical importance. The economical importance of Montreal started to decline after the great depression and was more noticable around the 1960's. Three more recent and important events are the World exposition in 1967 (on Ile Notre-Dame), the 1976 Olympics and the 350th anniversary of Montreal in 1992.
Some recent and important political events : the "revolution tranquille" in the 60's (where the francophone population drifted from the church and took more control), the 1976 election of the Parti Quebecois (political party dedicated to the separation of Quebec from Canada) and the 1980 referendum (a majority of the population voted against separation).
If you visit Montreal, you must visit these places :
- Old Montreal and the old port (it's may be touristy in the summer but it's
so nice to walk around and look at the sights).
- Ste-Catherine street between the Square Victoria (Union street) and Guy
street (especially at night or in the afternoon) and the underground
shopping malls (if you like shopping...)
- The Mont-Royal look-out, the best view of Montreal
- St-Laurent north of Sherbrooke street and south of Prince-Arthur street
for its restaurants and bars/clubs. It is the street that is now more
"popular". There is also other restaurants and bars between St-Joseph street
and St-Viateur.
- St-Denis north of St-Catherine (lot's of restaurants, boutiques, book stores
and coffee shops).
- The restaurants, there are lot's of them so don't just go to the
usual places.
But first, an overview of Montreal. What we usually call Montreal is the island of Montreal. But actually there's is a lot of different municipalities on the island, all with their own mayor, city hall etc.
Those municipalities (Montreal-Nord, Westmount, Outremont, Ville Lasalle,
Verdun, Ville Mont-Royal, Ville St-Laurent, etc and the municipality of Montreal) form what is called the MUC (Montreal Urban Community) which has a police force, transport commission and other economical and cultural development agencies in common.
To get around Montreal, you can use a car (the road signs are adequate if you know where to look for them, but beware of potholes in the spring), public transportation (either by bus or metro the metro stations are marked by a sign with an arrow pointing downward in a circle; you can get a free map of the bus and metro lines at any metro station ticket booth, more detailed informations can be found at the end of this list), or by bicycle (there are some bicycle paths in and around Montreal) or, of course, by foot (most interesting places are easily accessible by foot and the streets are safe anytime).
The public transportation is clean, safe and efficient, it's also easier than trying to find a parking place (it's very difficult to find a cheap parking place in downtown and almost impossible in old Montreal); all the important sites to visit are near a metro station anyway (like the slogan says : "It's smarter to take the bus/metro").
The street that separates east from west is St-Laurent boulevard, also known as the main. The street numbers are all in reference to St-Laurent blvd. So when someone gives you an address on a street that crosses St-Laurent blvd, make sure you know if it east of St-Laurent or west of St-Laurent.
You should write or call for information before you come to Montreal (it's the best way to get information about hotels). The address you can write are near the end of this list. You can also call a free number : 1-800-363-7777, they'll mail you information about Montreal (or other Quebec region) and coupons or rebates. One of your first stops when you arrive in Montreal should be at the Info-Tourist office where you can find free tourist guides, pamphlets and people to help you plan your visit; you can also find information about current events and activities. The address is at the end of this list. There are also addresses of beds and breakfast and cheaper rooms also at the end of the list.
*Don't forget to look for the "special events" section near the end of the list.
--
For each district, there will be :
. a general introduction
. a must-see section
. a museum section (and seasonal exposition sites)
. a restaurant section for that district (there are over 4000
restaurants in Montreal, that section will only present some of the most
interesting from good to excellent, but it all depends on your taste; there
is a restaurant section in the yellow pages that is also divided in
specialties, it's a good way to experiment)
. a bar/club section (this part is not complete, i'm still looking for
suggestions for bars...)
. a surrounding street section (the streets that delimit those districts,
it's just to give a general idea of the location of the district, it doesn't
mean that there's nothing to see outside those limits or that it's the
official boundery...)
. and the list of metro stations that can be use to access the districts.
***** Some other general information can be found at the end of the list *****
***** (list of cheap rooms, beds&breakfasts, transportation, special events ***
***** wheather, etc) *****
======================================================================== Old Montreal
Old Montreal is, as you probably guessed, the old part of Montreal, and is situated near the St-Laurent river (southern part of Montreal). The age of the buildings range from the 17th century to early 20th century (there are some modern buildings). The closer you are to the river, the older the buildings usually are.
The main place to visit is Place Jacques Cartier, in front of the Montreal city hall (Champ de Mars metro station). The Place Jacques Cartier leads down to the old port where many activities take place.
Note that outside the tourism period in old Montreal (between october and april), there isn't much going on... but the museums are still open as are the restaurants and bars (there's also skating in the old port in the winter). But don't be surprised, in that period, if you don't see many people walking in the streets. It's a completely different story during the summer since this part of town is overflowing with tourists from all over the world.
Must see :
- the Notre-Dame basilica (Place d'armes metro station).
- St-Sulpice seminary, oldest building in Montreal (1685) still standing, to
the right of the Notre-Dame basilica.
- Place d'Armes, in front of the Notre-Dame basilica. To the north
of the place there's the Bank of Montreal (the building with the dome)
which has a small museum about ... money (free admission, from 10am to 4pm).
- Rue St-Jacques, the old business street (between Square-Victoria metro
station and Place-d'armes metro station).
- Centre de Commerce Mondial, block of renovated old buildings (Square-Victoria
metro station), there's a great atrium with a fountain where the ruelle
des Fortifications (alley) use to be. There's also a piece of the Berlin
wall that was given to Montreal for its 350th birthday, it's near the
east entrance (on the opposite side of the subway entrance).
- Place Jacques-Cartier (Champs de Mars metro station), starts from Notre-Dame
street near City Hall and continues down to de la Commune street. It's
surrounded by restaurants and cafes (mostly for tourists).
- de la Commune street parallel to the St-Laurent river and the old port (the
old port is full of activities during the summer : exhibitions, you can
rent bicycles, caleche rides, musicians...).
- the Clock Tower, Bonsecour Street (just east of the Bonsecour Market), south
of de la Commune. It's a good walk to the tower and a lots of steps to
go up, but it's a very good view of Montreal and Ste-Helene island.
- The old fortifications, old Montreal use to be surrounded by fortifications,
but they have been destroyed. There are still some parts left, behind
city hall on the Champs-de-Mars (Champs de Marc metro station) and in the
Pointe-a-Calliere museum.
- Cours le Royer, old warehouses converted into condominiums. The story of the
buildings and the land is written on a plaque with holograms to illustrate.
It's just east of Notre-Dame basilica (walk down on St-Sulpice from Notre-
Dame street).
- Caleche (horse-drawn carriages) rides through old Montreal, you can take them
on de la Commune street (in front of the old port) or in front of the Notre-
Dame basilica. It's expensive (around $50 for a 2 hour ride) and the
caleche drivers are not all experienced (badly dressed and not well
informed). According to a newspaper article, some of the comments given
by the drivers during the visits are either superficial or untrue... so
beware.
- Boat rides (bateau-mouche) on the St-Laurent (summer), some tours also have
dining on board; Jacques Cartier pier at the old port.
- Saute-Mouton (boat ride through the Lachine rapids), Clock Tower pier at the
old port (summer).
- S.O.S. Labyrinthe, giant maze (2 kilometers long), King Edward pier from
May to September.
- The most interesting thing is to walk around on the cobble stone streets and
look around (the most interesting streets are St-Paul, de la Commune and
St-Jacques).
- In winter, you can skate in the old port (near Jacques-Cartier pier), there's
music and special lighting.
N.B. When you walk down Place Jacques-Cartier to de la Commune street and
the old port, Kind Edward pier is on your right and Jacques-Cartier
pier and the Clock Tower pier are on your left.
Museums/Exhibitions :
-Musee de la Pointe-a-Calliere (near the old port), 350 place Royale west. It's
an history/archeology museum built on top of the remains of historical old
buildings and other historical sites that use to be at that location; it's
also the spot where founders of Montreal landed. The museum continues under
de la Commune street and Place Royale and ends up in the old Customs building
you can see part of the fortification wall, the old Place Royale and the small
river that runs between the Place and the Pointe. It gives a good idea of how
Montreal began. P.S. If you can, wait for a guided tour (more interesting).
-Centre d'histoire de Montreal (historical museum/center about Montreal), 335
Place d'Youville, (514) 872-3207. It's a small interactive (and interesting)
exhibition of Montreal's history in a restored Queen Ann style firehouse. It
presents each important era of Montreal's history from the beggining of the
colony to the industrialization. One of he most interesting part is the
1920-1990 period on the second floor (you have to walk up the reproduction
of the duplex's stairs). Ask for the guide book in english if you don't read
french (the signs in the exhibition are in french, but the english translation
is in the guide book).
-Chateau Ramezay (in front of city hall, 280 Notre-Dame street east), museum,
was built in 1705.
-Maison George-Etienne Cartier on Berri street, museum with free admission
(if you're interested in George Etienne Cartier or his period (late 19th
century)).
-Marche Bonsecour, 330 St-Paul east. There is currently (summer of '95) an
very interesting exhibit on human flight (planes, rockets, etc) called Plein
Vol. You go around from room to room with a infrared hearphones that allows
you to hear the comments (french or english) on the different displays. The
exhibit was designed by the same man that did the Cite-Cine exhibits.
-Expotec (scientific exhibition, Kind-Edward pier in the old port, from May 18
to September 18). This year, it's on chemistry. There are interactive exhibits
and a lot of live demonstrations.
-Imax theater (old port) giant screen with IMAX technology. There's an Expotec-
Imax combo when you buy a ticket to Expotec.
-Images du futur (computer graphics and tech-art, from May 13 to September 18,
at 85 St-Paul (corner of St-Sulpice) in the Cours LeRoyer. There's also
an Internet cafe opened all year long.
Restaurants :
. Chez Stash (polish) great atmosphere and good food. It's less expensive
for dinner, 220 St-Paul west.
. Steak-Frite Saint-Paul (steaks & fries) 12 St-Paul west, west of Place
Jacques Cartier.
. Le Bonaparte (french), expensive but well reknown 443 St-Francois-Xavier.
. Claude Postel (french), expensive and formal but one of the best,
443 St-Vincent.
. La Menara (north african) belly dancing and the likes, 256 St-Paul east.
. Le Petit Moulinsart (belgian) on St-Paul west.
. Casa de Mateo (mexican), St-Francois-Xavier, they have mariachis on
friday, saturday and sunday nights.
. Giorgio (family) on St-Laurent near de la Commune, it's ok food but
it's inexpensive and they have kids menus.
Bars/Clubs :
. Deux Pierrots (chansonniers/folk/other), 104 St-Paul east.
. L'Air du Temps (jazz club), 191 St-Paul west.
. the Keg on St-Paul west.
Surrounding streets : McGill street (beaver hall) to the west
Ville-Marie autoroute to the north
St-Laurent river to the south
Berri street to the east.
Metro stations : Champs de Mars (Champ de Mars, City Hall, Place Cartier,
Old Port)
Place d'Armes (Place d'Armes, Basilique Notre-Dame)
Square Victoria (St-Jacques street, World Trade Center)
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Golden Square Mile (Downtown)
The commercial downtown area, sometimes known as the golden square mile, is full of modern buildings, underground shopping malls, victorian houses and of course St-Catherine street...
Must see :
- Mount-Royal observatory, on top of Mount-Royal, best view of downtown.
Accessible from Pine ave. and walk up the long stairs or from Mont-Royal
street (Mont-Royal metro station and the 11 bus line) or by car (Mont-Royal
street then Camillien Houde road). If you go by Mount-Royal street, you'll
have to walk a little to the lookout but not as much as if you walk from
Pine ave.
- St-Catherine street between University and Guy street, just walk along,
specially friday and saturday nights. There are some nights in the summer
where the sidewalk are full and St-Catherine is jammed by cars. The same thing
happens on Crescent. That part of St-Catherine is also quite busy during
shopping or lunch hour.
- Crescent street on fridays and saturday nights (bars and clubs) between
St-Catherine and deMaisonneuve blvd.
- Faubourg St-Catherine, a place where you can find all kinds of different
foods, there are small restaurants on the third floor, and specialty shops
on the ground floor (corner of St-Catherine and Guy).
- For hockey fans, the Montreal Forum in the west (Atwater metro station).
- St-Patrick's cathedral on Rene-Levesque blvd just east of Beaver Hall.
- Windsor train station with it's hall of a hundred steps (Bonaventure metro
station). The new forum is being built just next to it.
- Square Phillip, during the day in the summer there are street musicians that
perform and people that sell handmade jewelry, on Ste-Catherine across from
The Bay store.
- Underground shopping malls (see Underground "city" district).
- McGill campus and the McGill "ghetto", the neighbourhood surrounding McGill
university (north of Sherbrooke street between Park ave. in the east and Peel
in the west). It is called the ghetto because the stereotypical McGill
students only live, shops, eats, etc... only in that district. There's
a lot of beautiful mansions since it's part of the Golden Square mile
( a part of the city where, at the turn of the century, 70% of Canada's
wealth was concentrated in the hand of a few hindred families living in
that section).
Museums/Exhibitions :
-Museum of Fine Arts (1379-1380 Sherbrooke Street west), there are two
pavillions, the newest one is on the south side of Sherbrooke and it's
connected by a passageway under the street to the older building. You can buy
your tickets at either pavillions.
The temporary exhibitions are mostly at the Jean-Noel Desmarais building (the
newest building) and parts of the permanent exhibition is on the 4th floor,
the rest of the permanent exhibition and other temporary exhibitions can be
found at the Benaiah Gibb building. (Guy-Concordia metro station, then walk
north-east to Sherbrooke, it's on the corner of Crescent and Sherbrooke). It's
half-priced on Wednesday evenings. They have a web site adress at :
http://www.interax.net/tcenter/tour/mba.html
and a free phone number : 1-800-899-MUSE.
-Redpath museum (859 Sherbrooke west, on the McGill campus), natural history
(fossils, dinosaures and the likes). Free admission, not opened on weekends.
-McCord museum (690 Sherbrooke street west), it's a canadian (and native)
history museum, it's free on thursdays between 18:00 and 21:00. There's
a special exhibit on the history of x-rays this summer.
-Canadian Center of Architecture (on Rene Levesque blvd west, entrance on
1920 Baile street parallel to Ste-Catherine between St-Marc and du Fort
streets). There are temporary exhibits on all aspects of architecture. The
bookshop is also very interesting (architecture and design). But don't
forget to visit the Shaughnessy house (attached to the center) and it's
winter garden. Not opened on Mondays and Tuesdays, and opens at 11:00am
otherwise.
-Montreal Planetarium (1000 St-Jacques west, Bonaventure metro station, exit
from the Windor train station) call for opening hours (872-4530).
-Hotel-Dieu hospital museum, on Pine ave. just east of Park ave.
Restaurants :
. Le Grand Comptoir (french) affordable and good at 1225 Square-Phillip south
of Ste-Catherine. The best inexpensive french bistro-style restaurant that
I know of.
. Au Vieil Istanbul (turkish), on Bleury just south of Ste-Catherine,
inexpensive turkish home cooking, but the decor near sprucing up...
. Ben's (deli) 990 de Maisonneuve west, corner of Metcalfe. It's a step
back in time and one of the top spots for smoked meat.
. Basha (libanese) fast and inexpensive, 930 St-Catherine west (2nd floor,
over Swensens). The best shish taouk, shawarma and falafel in town.
. Swensens (ice cream), on 930 St-Catherine west.
. L'Etoile des Indes (indian) very good, affordable, 1806 St-Catherine west.
. Bombay Palace (indian) very good, affordable, 2051 St-Catherine west, voted
best in Montreal (according to the May 12th issue of the Mirror).
. L'actuel (belgian) expensive but worth it for the mussels (1194 Peel, near
Ste-Catherine).
. Ritz Carlton (french) very expensive on Sherbrooke west, voted the best
restaurant in Montreal if someone else is paying...
. Mexicali Rosa (tex-mex/bar), one of the good spots for tex-mex, 1425 Bishop,
north of St-Catherine.
. Carlo's & Pepe's (tex-mex/bar) 1420 Peel, north of St-Catherine if you
want to see bosses taking out their secretaries for lunch... The tables
are quite close together though.
. Le Paris (french) expensive, 1812 St-Catherine west.
. Peel pub (bar/tavern) cheap food, cheap beer, university students...
on St-Catherine near Peel. Also on De Maisonneuve near Peel.
They even have their own web site : http://www.magnet.ca/peel-pub
. William Tell (swiss) expensive (2055 Stanley street).
. Asha (indian) 3490 Park ave. north of Sherbrooke. There's a $4.50 lunch
special.
. Le Commensal (vegetarian) can be expensive since you pay by the gram, on the
corner of McGill ave. and St-Catherine (2nd floor).
. Sawatdee (thai) 3453 Notre-Dame west, the ad says it was chosen as one of
the 100 best restaurants in Canada... and it's very good but the bathrooms
need a little cleaning. Lione-Groulx metro station (out of the way...).
. Le Singapour (singapor) 1452 St-Mathieu.
. Avenue de l'Asie (singapor-malaysia-thai-indonesia), it's a fast food
kind-a-place with large servings for around $5 a plate... not bad
considering the very low prices. 730 Ste-Catherine west, just east of
McGill ave. N.B. It won a prize for interior design.
. La Maison Hantee (diner theater...) on Bleury just south of Rene
Levesque blvd. It has a haunted mansion theme with actor/servers
that you can talk to (they always stay in character). There's also
a live show after dinner. Reservations required.
. The best restaurants are on the side streets (Bishop, MacKay, etc...)
not on the main streets (there's a few exception). Ste-Catherine is
mostly fast food and greasy spoons.
Bars/Clubs : Upstairs (jazz/other bar), 1254 MacKay street.
Peel Pub (university students hangout), 1106 de Maisonneuve w.
Comedy Nest, 1740 Rene-Levesque west (in the Nouvel Hotel).
Comedyworks, 1238 Bishop.
Surrounding streets : Atwater street to the west
Park Avenue to the east
Mount-Royal to the north
Rene-Levesque blvd to the south.
Metro stations : McGill, Peel, Guy and Atwater
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Underground "city"
The underground city is a collection of tunnels, metro stations and underground malls that are connected together. They are three major "neighbourhoods" in that underground city. One start at McGill metro station (or the Bay store) on an east-west axis and run though Place de la Cathedrale, Eaton Center, Royal Trust Place, Simpson's (only open during shopping hours) and finally the Cours Mont-Royal (renovated old hotel).
The second set of tunnels is between Windsor train station (the building that looks like a castle), Central station, Place Bonaventure (shopping and exhibition halls, Bonenvature metro station), 1001 de la Gauchetiere (there's a year-round indoor ice rink) and Place Ville-Marie (cross shaped building with a sweeping light on top that you can see for miles at night). The Place Ville-Marie has recently been connected by a tunnel with the Eaton Center (if you go from the Eaton center, the entrance is at the restaurant level (basement)).
The third set of tunnels is between Place des Arts (Place des arts metro station) and Complexe Desjardins, Complexe Guy-Favreau (chinatown), Palais des Congres (Place d'Armes metro station) and old Montreal (it's on a north-south axis). There are small exhibit (and sometimes interesting) at the Complexe Desjardins and Complexe Guy-Favreau.
Most tunnels have small shops and restaurants and are usually well marked so you can find your way easily (but not always). The tunnels are also marked on the transit map available at metro stations.
There are six hotels connected to these tunnels as are many shopping malls, office towers, movie theaters, restaurants, etc.. But all in all there's not much to see there (unless you like shopping). There's the novelty of walking all this way underground and sometimes it's a quick way to walk through some parts downtown. It's also cool in the summer and warm in winter, and it never rains... But it can be interesting if you like exploring, shopping or if you are the only person on earth that never saw a shopping mall....
Note that the access is sometimes limited to store opening hours (Eaton's,
Simpson's) or limited to subway opening hours. (see end of the list for those hours).
Restaurants :
Most restaurants in the shopping malls are very small cafeteria style (i.e. there's no service to the tables, but the food is very good unlike most cafeterias...) type of restaurants. But there's an enormous variety : indian, vietnamese, greek, japanese, chinese, libanese, etc. The best places can be found at the Eaton Center (basement level).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinatown
Montreal's chinatown is relatively small but is still interesting. You can start to the west in front of the Palais des Congres (congress hall, Place d'Armes metro station), there's a little pedestrian street with shops and restaurants (de la Gauchetiere street), you can recognize it by it's chinese style arches. The other main street is St-Laurent boulevard (called the main).
Restaurants :
. Tong Por (chinese, dim sum) 43 de la Gauchetiere east
. Hunan (chinese) on St-Laurent near Rene-Levesque blvd.
. Cristal de Saigon (vietnamese), excellent, 1068 St-Laurent.
. Tai Ping (chinese, dim sum) 1115 Clark.
Metro stations : St-Laurent (then walk southward on St-Laurent passed
Rene-Levesque blvd.)
Place d'Armes
Surrounding streets : St-Dominique street to the east
Jeanne-Mance to the west
Rene Levesque blvd. to the north
Ville-Marie autoroute to the south
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Quartier latin (latin quarter)
The latin quarter is a neighbourhood with a lots of cafes, bars, restaurants and theaters. The main streets are St-Denis, St-Laurent (between Sherbrooke and Rachel) and Ste-Catherine between St-Laurent and Berri. Prince-Arthur street, Duluth and Rachel are also interesting.
Must see :
-Place des Arts (Place des Arts metro station) and the Musee d'Art Contemporain
there's a large terrace where you can listen to street musicians, catch some
sun..it's also the site for some special events (Jazz Festival, Francopholies).
-St-Denis' cafes (between St-Catherine and Mont-Royal, the most recent and
interesting restaurants and cafes are north of Sherbrooke).
-UQAM (Universite of Quebec in Montreal) campus, recycled from an old church
(Berri-UQAM station).
-St-Louis square (north of Sherbrooke, west of St-Denis) and
-Prince-Arthur street, pedestrian street with cafes and restaurants just west
of the St-Louis square, between Laval street and St-Laurent.
-Laval street just west of St-Louis square and parallel to St-Denis, there's a
lot of beautiful gray stone houses.
-Duluth street around St-Denis, there's a lot of restaurants (bring your own
wine, although some restaurants charge you a $2.00 service fee to open and to
serve the wine)
-the Foufounes Electriques, punk club almost as interesting from the outside
than from the inside (St-Catherine just east of St-Laurent). It has changed
names since (it's now called FouF) and there's an Internet cafe on the
ground floor.
-St-Laurent blvd. between Rachel and Sherbrooke. Imported food, trendy bars and
clubs, Schwartz's, restaurants and food from all over the world... It's worth
it just to walk around.
Museums/Exhibitions :
-Cinematheque quebecoise and National Film Board on the corner of de
Maisonneuve and St-Denis (if you like movies). The National Film Board has
a cine-robotheque: you sit in a big chair with headphones and you can select
films (via a touch screen) and view them. There's a robot-arm that fetches
the films (on laser disk) and puts them in a laser disk player for you. The
Cinematheque has a small movie museum.
-Bibliotheque nationale (national library on St-Denis) between Ontario street
and de Maisonneuve. There's no exhibit usually, but it's great to walk around
in it.
-Musee d'Art Contemporain (contemporary art museum), part of the permanent
exhibition is outdoors in a sculpture garden. It's part of the Place-des-Arts
(Place des Arts metro station).
-Place des arts, concert halls and theaters. (Place des Arts metro station),
there's an underground part to the Place that is accessible from Ste-Catherine
or Complexe Desjardins (across the street from the Place). There are also
two very nice gifts shop (near the entrance to the contemporary are museum).
-Just For Laugh (humor) museum, 2111 St-Laurent near Sherbrooke. (Closed until
they reopen with a new exhibition on July 19th, sometimes opened for special
shows).
Restaurants : (all good...)
. St-Laurent blvd. between Sherbrooke blvd and Prince-Arthur street is the
place where you will find a lot of very trendy restaurants (Buena Notte,
the Globe, Luna, etc).
. Schwartz's (deli) 3895 St-Laurent, considered by many as the best
smoke meat (no it's not corned beef) in the world.
. Nega Fulo (south american-mexican-cajun) 1257 Amherst, similar to the
Cafe Biju on Duluth, the service may be slow but the food is great and
it's affordable.
. Pizzedelic (pizza...) 3509 St-Laurent, voted best of Montreal.
. Restaurant Ong Ca Can (vietnamese), inexpensive and "authentic", don't
mind the grungy looking neighbourhood, 79 Ste-Catherine east.
. Terenga (african) 4434 St-Laurent, west african specialties (Senegal),
the service is a little too relaxed.. but the chicken creole is
delicious.
. Toque (french) expensive, 3842 St-Denis, voted one of the best restaurants
in Montreal if someone else is paying... The food in the plates are presented
like sculptures or paintings...
. La Queue de la tortue (cajun), 3784 Mentana near Roy street.
. Le Nil Bleu (ethiopian) on St-Denis just north Cherrier, inexpensive and
very good, try the traditional coffee at the end.
. Le Pelerin (french) on Ontario west of St-Denis.
. L'Express (french), good but a little expensive, 3927 St-Denis.
. La Lune Indienne (indian) affordable and excellent, 2077 St-Denis near
Sherbrooke. If you're lucky, you'll get the table at the window...
. Chez Gatse (tibetan), 317 Ontario east near St-Denis.
. Witloof (belgian) expensive, 3619 St-Denis.
. Mazurka (polish) affordable, 64 Prince-Arthur east, near St-Laurent.
. Fondue Prince-Arthur (fondue), 70 Prince-Arthur east.
. Bayou Brazil (south american-mexican-cajun) 4552 St-Denis, features
live music and an indor terrasse.
. L'Academie (italian) affordable,4051 St-Denis on the corner of Duluth.
. L'Anectote (hamburgers) not your usual hamburgers... 801 Rachel East
or La Paryse at 302 Ontario east.
. Au Petit Extra (french), voted one of the best in Montreal, 1690
Ontario east.
. Le Latini (italian), great italian cuisine, but expensive; on
1130 Jeanne-Mance near Sherbrooke.
. Le Commensal (vegetarian) can be expensive since you pay by the gram,
2115 St-Denis on the corner of Sherbrooke.
. Le Paradis du Vege (vegetarian), 3620 St-Dominique near Prince-Arthur,
you don't pay by the gram.
. Cafe Santropol (sandwiches/vegetarian), ask for a table in the garden, 3990
St-Urbain (voted one of the best terrace in Montreal).
. Laloux (french) expensive but good, 250 des Pins east near St-Denis.
. Montreal Pool Room, steamed hot-dogs on St-Laurent south of Ste-Catherine.
. Shed Cafe (cafe) not known for it's food but mostly as a place to be seen,
3515 St-Laurent.
. Lafleur (fast food) known for it's poutine and opened 24 hrs/day, on
the corner of St-Denis and St-Louis square.
. La Chartreuse (tea room), great selection of desserts and coffee on
St-Denis just north or Sherbrooke.
Bars/Clubs :
. Shed Cafe (bar/cafe) trendy... 3515 St-Laurent.
. Les Foufounes Electriques (alternative/punk) on Ste-Catherine east
(they lost their liquor liscence so no alcool is served there for the
moment - but it will reopen as the Fouf on June 15).
. Le Lezard (alternative) on St-Denis on the corner of Marie-Anne, there's
a very popular fetish night (leather, bondage, etc) and Le Dogue...
. Metropolis (mega-dance-club) on Ste-Catherine near Laurent
(and near the Foufounes), saturday night is Squeeze night, there are
different places for different music in the club (rave, acid jazz, etc).
. Angel's (dance-club) near the corner of St-Laurent and Prince-Arthur.
. Publix (resto-bar), near the corner of St-Laurent and Prince-Arthur.
. Le Swimming (2nd floor terrasse), on St-Laurent north of Prince-Arthur
street.
. Cafe Campus on Prince-Arthur just east of St-Laurent, sometimes they
have free shows on Wednesdays.
Surrounding streets : (The boudaries of the quartier latin are not well
definied, but this will give you a fair idea of the
location)
Jeanne-Mance street to the west
Berri street to the east
Rachel street to the north
Rene-Levesque blvd to the south.
Metro stations: Place des Arts, St-Laurent, Berri-UQAM and Sherbrooke.
Note that some prostitutes hang out at night around the corner of St-Laurent and St-Catherine or near the corner of St-Denis and Rene-Levesque blvd. There's also some sex-shops and porno theaters around there. It's totally safe at any hour but i wouldn't walk around there with the kids, unless you want to be asked embarassing questions. That's in the south part of the quartier latin (between St-Laurent and St-Denis and between St-Catherine and Rene-Levesque blvd.), the northern part is not "red-light district" like (north of Sherbrooke)...
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Plateau Mont-Royal
The plateau is a residential neighbourhood that as a lot of interesting restaurants. Most appartement houses are triplex or duplex and have outside stairs to the second floor (architectural trait of Montreal houses).
Must-see :
-Tam-tam on Mont-Royal (summer), a very popular weekly (on sundays) and
spontaneous drum and percussion fest. It's around the Cartier monument and part
of the Mont-Royal park (on park ave.). Take the 80 bus from Place-des-Arts
metro station north and get off when you see a large group of people (it's easy
to spot). Don't go there by car, there's not much place to park.
-Mile-end neighbourhood (mainly St-Viateur street and Fairmount street near
Park avenue), best known for the famous Montreal bagels (Fairmount Bagels
opened 24 hours a day), and it's souvlaki (at Arachova on St-Viateur).
-Lafontaine park (east of Berri street, on Sherbrooke street), closed after
midnight, not to be visited alone at night anyway. You can walk around during
the day in the summer or skate on the lake in the winter.
-the LUX (restaurant most popular after the bars close), the Kilo (for
desserts), the Whisky Bar (for it's bathrooms, on the corner of Bernard and
St-Laurent), all on St-Laurent between St-Viateur and Rachel (there are a lot
more trendy shops and restaurants, just look around).
-Mount-Royal street east (between St-Denis and St-Laurent), for it's "recycled"
clothes shops; or east of St-Denis for it's used records, books and CD stores.
Restaurants :
. Beauty's (brunch) voted best brunch in Montreal, 93 Mont-Royal west.
. Ouzeri (greek) considered one of the best greek restaurants, 4690 St-Denis
. La Selva (peruvian) considered as one of the best south-american restaurant,
862 Marie-Anne east.
. Le Basilic (french) very good and affordable, 5237 St-Denis near Rosemont.
. L'Ajoupa (creole/haitian), quite good and inexpensive. The owner is a
very nice guy... 201 Rachel street, on the corner of Hotel-de-Ville street.
. Chez Doval (portugese), neighborhood restaurant specialized in grilled
meat (chicken, fish, quayles, etc). 150 Marie-Anne east.
. Chez Zazium (tex-mex) for the decor, 4525 Park ave. just north of
Mont-Royal.
. Tagore (indian) 4653 St-Laurent.
. Chateau Hong-Kong (chinese) lot's of choice and inexpensive, 203 Mont-Royal
near Park ave.
. Restaurant Thailande (thai), 88 Bernard west near St-Laurent.
. LUX (open 24 hours/day) it also has a large magazine stand; 5220 St-Laurent
near Fairmount street (voted best place after midnight).
. Cafe Cine-Lumiere (french) decor inspired by the movies, they also show
black and white movies, 5163 St-Laurent.
. La Raclette (swiss), 1059 Gilford east on the corner of Christophe-Colomb.
. Arahova (greek/souvlaki) on St-Viateur near Park ave. Considered the best
souvlaki in town but some say Zorba (also on St-Viateur) is better.
. Frites alors! (fries&beer), 5235-A Park ave. near Fairmount, decorated
with Tintin cartoons.
. Manoushka (russian) very good but a expensive, on Laurier street
just west of St-Laurent.
. La maison du Bagel (bagels cooked in wood ovens) on St-Viateur near Parc.
. La Binnerie Mont-Royal (local food) it's cheap but it's far from refined
(baked beans, sheperd's pie, tourtiere (meat pie) and of course the
poutine), 367 Mont-Royal just west of St-Denis.
. Anubis (fusion), the menu is quite varied and very interesting as is the
food. On Mont-Royal just east of St-Laurent.
. Cactus (mexican), the service is painfully slow but the food is good
altough a little veggies with the main dishes would be appreciated
(maybe it's not traditional). 4461 St-Denis.
. Souvenirs d'Indochine (vietnamese), excellent and more refined than the
usual vietnamese restaurant but not that much more expensive. You should
make reservations if you want to eat on the terrasse overlooking
Jeanne-Mance park. 243 Mont-Royal west corner of Jeanne-Mance.
Tel.: 848-0336.
Bars/Clubs
. Le Pub (beer) on St-Denis near Mont-Royal
. Quai des Brumes on St-Denis
. L'Ecume des jours on St-Denis
Surrounding streets : Rachel to the south
Van Horne and Rosemont blvd. to the north
Iberville to the east
Park Ave. to the west
Metro stations : Mont-Royal (best access to St-Denis), Laurier
80 bus on Park Avenue from Place-des-arts metro station
is a great way to visit.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Outremont
Outremont is a middle-upper class municipality on the island of Montreal and just west of the Mile-End neighbourhood. The main street to visit is Bernard street. It's main attractions are the smalls parks and green spaces and beautiful houses. It's location is to the north-east of the Mount Royal.
Must see :
-Laurier street between Cote St-Catherine and St-Laurent (although east of
Hutchison is not technically in Outremont) for it's high-end restaurants and
shops. Accessible by the 80 bus from Place-des-arts metro or the 51 bus from
Laurier metro station.
-Bernard street, west of Park avenue. There's a lot of restaurants (mostly
french) and specialty shops.
Restaurants (all somewhat expensive)
. Chao Phraya (thai) voted one of the best in Montreal, expensive, 50 Laurier
west.
. La Moulerie (french/sea food), 1249 Bernard west.
. Chez Leveque (french), very good but a little expensive (but not one of the
most expensive), 1030 Laurier west.
. Le Bilboquet (ice cream/frozen yogourt) on Bernard west, near La Moulerie.
. Lester's (deli) on Bernard west of the Bernardin, one of the top spots
for smoked meat.
. Le Bernardin (french), 387 Bernard west, not too bad and not too expensive,
the service is very friendly.
. Le Vaudeville (french) on Bernard.
. La papaye verte (vietnamese), very good but a little expensive, between
le Vaudeville and le Bernardin on Bernard street west of Park ave.
. Le Petit Gauthier (french), good and affordable, 1265 Bernard west.
. L'Invite (french), not bad and affordable, 1270 Bernard west.
. Paris Beurre (french) on Van Horne west.
. L'Hacienda (mexican) on Van Horne west.
. Tonerre de Brest (breton) on Van Horne west, quite good according to the
critics.
Metro station : Outremont (not much to see around there though)
To go to Bernard street or Laurier, take the 80 bus from
Place des arts.
Surounding streets : Park ave. to the east
Darlington street to the west
Mount Royal to the south
Van Horne to the north.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Westmount
Westmount is a upper class anglophone municipality on the island of Montreal and just south-west of the Mount Royal. It's main attractions are green spaces and beautiful&rich houses and mansions. The most beautiful houses are on the side of the Mont Royal.
Must see :
-Greene avenue between Sherbrooke and Dorchester blvd. (Rene-Levesque blvd).
-Take a walk/ride to upper Westmount (Landsdowne, Grovesnor streets).
-Westmount square (Atwater metro station), expensive shops and boutiques.
-de Maissoneuve street west along the bike path, nice houses and a good
view of the mansions on the side of the mountain.
Restaurants :
. Calories (desserts) on St-Catherine west
. Le Bistro on Greene ave.
Metro station : Atwater, Vendome (not much to see around there though unless
you like to see nice victorian houses)
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Olympic stadium et surroundings (Pole Maisonneuve).
The Olympic stadium was built for the 1976 Olympics. You can find many activities near the Olympic stadium, there is the botanical garden and the insectarium, the biodome and the stadium itself. The main entrances to these activities are located around the corner of Sherbrooke street (east) and Pie-IX boulevard.
Must see :
-Olympic stadium and it's tower with observatory, there's a scenic elevator
that goes to the top (it's the tallest leaning structure in the world). But
it's not the best view of Montreal. There's a guided tour of the stadium and
it's surroundings, every day (june-aug.) between 9:00am and 17:00, otherwise
(winter) between 11:00am and 14:00. Pie-IX metro station.
-Biodome (ecological live museum showing different working eco systems, is
located near the base of the olympic stadium's tower, on the old olympic
cycling racing track). Viau metro station.
-Botanical gardens (just north of the olympic stadium), indoor (hothouses)
and outdoors. It's the largest botanical garden after London and it has the
largest Chinese garden outside of asia. Open from 8:00am to dawn. Pie-IX metro
station. The entrance is on the corner Sherbrooke and Pie-IX.
-Insectarium (insects live and formerly alive, located in the botanical
gardens). It's the only insectarium in north america, and has a live butterfly
garden, opened between 9:00am and 18:00. Pie-IX metro station.
*NOTE* : The Biodome has re-opened as of June 24th.
Museums/exhibitions :
- Decorative art museum (Chateau Dufresne, 2929 Jeanne-d'Arc near Sherbrooke
(Pie-IX metro station), just west of the olympic stadium.
Metro stations : Pie-IX (Olympic stadium, Botanical garden),
Viau (Biodome).
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Ile St-Helene et La Ronde
Ile St-Helene is an island in the St-Laurence river. There is also a human-made island that was build for the 1967's World Exposition (Ile Notre-Dame). Both islands have some activities in the summer and winter time. There's also a big amusement park called La Ronde and the very popular Casino.
Must see :
-Ile St-Helene and the old fort, le parc des iles and it's bike path,
the David M. Stewart museum (Ile Ste-Helene metro station).
-The Montreal Casino (no jeans allowed, dress nice), you better go by bus or
park near the island, parking can be very difficult on the island itself (on
Ile Notre-Dame). There are many slot machines, roulettes tables, black jack
tables, etc. Be warned, the place is very busy.
N.B The Casino is closed until further notice because of a strike by
employees, check with info-tourism before going.
-The Biosphere, it's the old Expo'67 american pavillion that is now used as
an interpretive center for the St-Laurent river and the great lakes. It's
also an echowatch center with an exhibit on the importance of water and
its ecosystem. Unfortunatly, there is no live demonstrations, just four rooms
with interactive displays.. still it's interesting. Tickets : $6.50 for adults.
P.S. The sphere structure surrounding the center is the largest of its kind in
the world.
-La Ronde, amusement park (closes on labor day weekend for the winter, opens
on weekend the May 13th and full time May 30th 1995) on Ile Ste-Helene.
-Parc plage (a filtered artificial lake surrounded by a beach), opened during
the summer, on Ile Notre-Dame.
-La Fete des Neiges (february), winter activities on the islands, there's
skating on the olympic bassin (very long pool where they do rowing in the
summer), a giant slide, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing.
Note that if you go by car to the islands, you'll have to take a different route depending on which island you want to visit. If you want to go to Ile Ste-Helene, you must take the Jacques-Cartier bridge; but if you want to go to the Ile Notre-Dame, you must take the La Concorde bridge (from Cite du Havre, west of the old port). You can't go directly from one island to another by car (only by bus).
Museums/exhibitions :
. David M. Stewart museum (Canadian history), on Ile Ste-Helene.
Restaurant :
. Helene de Champlain (continental cuisine), somewhat expensive.
. Le Festin du Gouverneur at the old fort, they re-create the
times and cooking of the 18th century.
Metro station : Ile Ste-Helene
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Other streets and areas to visit :
- St-Joseph Oratory. Built on the north-west side of Mont Royal, it's a large
church that's worth visiting (Cote-des-neiges metro station, then walk south on
Cote-des-Neiges, it's easy to spot).
- Notre-Dame street west, if you like antiques shops, there about 30 of them on
that street between Guy and Atwater. (Lionel-Groulx metro station).
- The outdoor vegetable/fruits markets. In the summer, there are outdoor
markets that sell fresh vegetable, fruits and other produce. The main one,
and most interesting, is Jean-Talon market in little Italy, near Jean-Talon
subway station. They are still in operation in winter, but only the indoor
shops are opened.
Another interesting market is Atwater market, near Notre-Dame street (Lionel-
Groulx metro station).
- St-Hubert street between Sherbrooke and Mont-Royal street, great examples of
typical old style Montreal houses, residential streets.
- Lachine canal, there's an 11 kilometre long bikepath that runs along the
canal (it's a cross-country ski trail in the winter). There's also a outdoor
sculpture garden along the path. To get there, look for Mill street under the
Bonaventure highway (Charlevoix metro station).
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Montreal's Special Events List
(last update : July 12)
Copyright (C) Charles Quenneville 1995
Here's a list of special and seasonal events that will take place in Montreal. For more information check the local free newspapers (Mirror, Hour or Voir) or the daily newspapers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Current special exhibitions & big shows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- At the old port (King Edward pier), there's the Expotec/IMAX exhibit
from May 17th to September 17th 1995. This year the expotec scientific
and interactive exhibit is on chemistry. There are plenty of live
demontrations about everything that has to do with chemistry and
also many interactive displays. The IMAX movie is Undersea Paradise (3D).
Tel.: 1-800-359-IMAX or (514)496-IMAX. Until September 17th.
- At the old port, Skulptura '95. It's an outdoor sculpture exhibit, you
an touch or sit on those sculptures. The exhibit features works
from local and international artists. Until September 17th.
- At the Cours LeRoyer (85 St-Paul west), there's the Images du Futur
exhibit. The yearly exhibit focuses on computer generated art and
technology-inspired art as well as interactive sculptures. There's
also an Electronic Cafe opened all year 'round where you can connect
to the Internet and use CD-Roms.
- At the Marche Bonsecour (St-Paul east, old Montreal), there's an exhibit
on human flight called Plein Vol. It's an exhibit on the history and
evolution of human flight from DaVinci's to the Space Shuttle. You can
hear the comments for each display though infra-red hearphones. It's
very well done. Tickets are $9.95 for adults, $8.00 for students and
seniors and $6.00 for children (free for children under 6). Opens daily
at 10:00 am.
- At the David M. Stewart museum in the old fort (Ile Ste-Helene metro
station), an exhibit on the history of hot air baloons. Until October 9th.
- At the Musee des Beaux Arts (1379-1380 Sherbrooke Street west), there'll
be two temporary exhibitions :
. Beaute Mobile (moving beauty), car exhibit concentrating on design and
forms... from the first car built to race cars and experimental cars.
. Paradis Perdus : L'Europe symboliste, exhibit of 500 paintings, drawings,
sculptures, etc of pre-world war1 (circa 1850-1910) symbolist european art.
It's a beautiful and impressive exhibit (includes works by Rodin, Klimt,
Munch, Redon, etc).
. If you want more information, there's a web site you can visit at
http://www.interax.net/tcenter/tour/mba.html
- At the Musee d'Art Contemporain (Place des Arts metro station), there is
one temporary exhibition :
. Retrospective of Guido Molinari's works. Until September 17th.
Tel.: (514)847-6212
- At the McCord museum : an exhibit on the 100 years of X-Rays. It's a very
complete look at the history of X-Rays. It presented in a very
enjoyable way (it's even funny at times... you should see the uses of
X-Rays they have). The exhibit also includes Red-II, a mummy that was
x-rayed from head to toe (there's a touch screen with which you can select
each x-rayed "slice" of the mummy). The entrance to the museum is free
on Thursday nights between 18:00 and 21:00 (it seems not many people
know about this...). Until November 12th. The museum is located at
690 Sherbrooke street west (McGill metro station).
- At the Botanical Gardens : an exhibit on silk, from the silk worm to
the weaving of silk clothes. They have re-created part of a chinese
village where they made silk. In front of the Olympic stadium (Viau metro
station).
- At the Canadian center for architecture, exhibit on american inspired
european arthictecture. It also present these architect's vision of
the future.
- At the Just for laugs museum (2111 St-Laurent, St-Laurent metro station).
There's a very lively exhibit on cinema and more particularly on
comedy in cinema. Opens July 19th.
- At Pointe-a-Calliere museum (on de la Commune street), the Window stories
exhibit, a portrait of Montreal through its store windows. Until January
7th 1996.
- At the Centre d'Histoire de Montreal (place d'Youville near McGill street)
The Departement stores : Cathedrals of Modernity exhibit.
N.B. For the summer, the city of Montreal organizes each year free shows in the parks around the city. There will be children theater (Le Capitaine Fracasse and Adzo le Fute), musical shows, dance recitals, etc. The main stage is at Le Theatre de la Verdure in Lafontaine park (evening shows starting around 19:30-20:30). There's also Shakespeare in the Park at Mont-Royal park (at the Lac des Castors - Beaver lake). In July (29-30) and August (19 and 20) starting at 20:30. There are also many other shows. The neighborhood's Maisons de la Culture will also have a summer schedule. For more information and for a schedule, call (514)872-6211
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Special and seasonal events (confirmed):
---------------------------------------------------------------------- All year 'round
- Metro-Boulot-Show, plays, concerts and dance recitals in various
subway (yes subway) stations around town. The classical concerts
are usually held at McGill station, you can find a schedule of those
shows on ad columns in the subway.
Summer and Autumn ('95) :
- 100 ans du cinema (100 anniversary of cinema), there will be a lot
of special events involving movies all year round (including special
screenings, outdoor screenings, etc). You can find a complete
schedule at http://grafics.histart.umontreal.ca/Centenaire/
The 100 best films of movie making's history will be shown at the
Imperial theater (one of the most beautiful movie theater in Montreal)
on Bleury street just north of Ste-Catherine, until July 31st.
- Tam-Tam Jam, it's a free (in every sense of the word) percussion party around
the Cartier monument (in Mont-Royal park), every Sunday afternoon. There's no
parking near, so the best way to go there is either by bicycle or bus (80
bus north on Parc ave. from the Place-des-Arts metro station) or by foot.
N.B. You can't bring beer if you don't have food with it.
- Bensons&Hedges competition (international fireworks competition), June 17,
25 and July 2,5,9,12,16,19 and 23rd 1995. There are special "front-row"
seats at la Ronde but you can see the fireworks from anywhere in south-east
Montreal and the view is especially good from Jacques-Cartier bridge
(the bridge is closed to cars from 20:00 to midnight during the fireworks).
You shouldn't go there by car (if you don't want to get stuck in traffic
coming in or getting out), go instead by bus or the metro (Papineau metro station, then
walk south to Rene-Levesque blvd. or Beaudry metro station then walk south-
east to Rene-Levesque blvd.), or walk from downtown on Rene-Levesque blvd.
The music that is played during the fireworks is simultaneously broadcasted
on radio (check local listings for specific radio station).
- Les Bouquinistes (outdoor book sale) at the old port, the set-up is pretty
much like the book sales around the Seine in Paris. From July 6th to the
23rd 1995 on the Promenade of the old port.
- Festival Nuits d'Afrique (african music) from July 10th to the 23rd 1995
at club Balattou on St-Laurent (4372 St-Laurent), there will be free
outdoor shows at the Berri square (Berri metro station) on July 22nd and
23rd. To get to the club Balattou from St-Laurent metro station, take the
55 bus north until you get to the club Balattou (just south of Mont-Royal
street). For information call (514)790-ARTS.
- Just for Laughs Festival, 19-30 July 1995, the outdoor activities are in
the old port (Jacques-Cartier pier), the galas (big shows) are at the
Theatre St-Denis on St-Denis street (just north of de Maisonneuve), and
the smaller shows are at Club Soda on Parc ave. and at different clubs
around town. The old port site features live entertainment, children
activities, "street" entertainers, etc. The entrance fee to the site is
$5.00 for adults.
The five galas (in english) will be held from July 26th to
the 29th. Other special shows include the best of uptown comics, the
bar mitzvah show, the dysfunctional show, queer comics, the montreal
show, late night danger zone, the nasty show and the relationship show.
N.B. The content of the shows sometime strays from the typical standup
routine and goes into vaudeville and sometimes "experimental" comedy...
expect the unexpected. For information or to buy tickets, call :
(514)790-HAHA (if you want to receive a FAX or the schedule, call
that number and choose FULL). There are also packages deals available
(hotels and tickets), ask your travel agent.
- DuMaurier Men Tennis Tournament, 22-30 Juillet 1995 at Jarry park.
- the 7th annual Francofolies de Montreal (francophone music from around
the world), there will be free outdoor shows around Place des Arts and
many indoor shows. From August 4th to the 12th 1995. For information call
(514)876-8989. For tickets call (514)790-1245.
- Les Fetes Gourmandes (international food tasting), this event allows the
public to sample dishes from Montreal restaurants, the emphasis is placed
on international cuisine (more than 30 different countries will be
represented). It takes place on Ile Notre-Dame from August 10 to the 20st
1995 (Ile Ste-Helene metro station).
- International film festival, 10 days between the 24th of August and September
4th 1995. It's geared toward the public, not the industry. Around 200+ movies
are shown. There are free outdoor projections on a screen on Ste-Catherine
outside Place-des-Arts. The press conferences will be opened to the public
(in the Complexe Desjardins, in front of Place-des-Arts) and are also
broadcasted on cable tv (channel 49 on Videotron, 46 on CF Cable).
- Montreal marathon, September 17th 1995.
- 6h International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA 95) in Montreal from
September 17th to the 24th 1995. The web site is
http://isea95.comm.uqam.ca/isea95.html
- Festival International de la Nouvelle Danse, from October 3rd to the 15th
There's an advance ticket sale until June 23rd with 10% to 50% discount
on tickets. To buy tickets by phone, call (514)790-1245 or 1-800-361-4595.
For information by phone, call (514) 521-1212 or in person at the
Agora de la Danse at 840 Cherrier street (east).
- Festival du film scientifique (Scientific film festival), in November.
Winter ('96) (The dates are for the 1995 season unless specified otherwise,
the events usually take place at the same dates).
- What summer is to festivals, winter is to fairs and trade shows. Before
christmas, there's the book fair, arts and crafts fair, sports fair and
after christmas : car show, boat show (both at the Olympic stadium),
house fairs (decoration, condos, home furnishing), wedding show,
erotic fair, etc. Look for more infomation in the local newspapers.
(they take place usually either at the Palais des Congres, the Olympic
Stadium or Place Bonaventure).
- Salon du livre de Montreal (book fair). Largest book fair in Canada
from November 16th to the 21st 1996 at Place Bonaventure (Bonaventure
metro station).
- Salon international de l'auto de Montreal (car show) from January 11th
to the 21st 1996 at Olympic stadium.
- Expo nautique (boat show) from February 9th to the 18th 1996 at
Olympic stadium (Viau metro station).
- Fetes des Neiges (snow fest), there are slides, ice skating, winter
activities on Notre-Dame and Ste-Helene islands (Ile Ste-Helene
metro station).
- Festival des films sur l'art (Festival of movies on art)
- There's a lot of ice skating around, here are the most interesting places :
. Old port, you can skate on a pond in the old port with music and special
lighting, there's a great view of old Montreal.
. Lafontaine park, there's a curvy pond in Lafontaine park near the corner
of Cherrier (near Sherbrooke) and Lafontaine streets, there's also music
and lighting and lot's of benches to sit on. There's a chalet with
a snack bar at the pond where you can warm up.
. Mont-Royal park (on the Lac des Castors), on top of Mont-Royal, again
there's music, special lighting and a chalet, the benches are almost
on the ice.
. Ile Notre-Dame, there's a large olympic bassin (for rowing) that is used
as a very long ice rink.
- There's also some cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing :
. Lachine park, a long trail that goes along the Lachine canal.
. Maisonneuve park (just besides the Botanical gardens and in front of
the olympic stadium)
. Mont-Royal park, the trails are well marked and diverse.
. Ile Ste-Helene, the trails are also well marked and interesting.
Spring ('96)
- Festival du court metrage (3rd annual short films festival) April 3rd-9th
at the Frontenac maison de la culture. You can find the schedule at the
Frontenac maison de la culture, the Cinematheque Quebecoise, at the
Cinema Parallele and at La Boite Noire.
- Blues festival, April 4-7th in various cafes and bars St-Denis street
(Berri blues, le Grand Cafe, St-Sulpice, etc)
no ticket needed, just go in (the schedule can be found at those
bars & cafes)
- Salon jeunesse (youth fair) from April 12th to the 21st 1996 at Olympic
stadium.
- Rendez-vous international de cinema jeune publique (children films
festival), April 15-17th at the Complexe Desjardins cinema.
- Baby fair, Summer camp and activities fair and the youth fair (job
opportunities, computers, games, music, etc) at the Olympic stadium;
all in April
- Juggling Festival, April 28-30 at the Centre Immaculee-Conception,
4265 Papineau, Tel.: 461-1918
- Vues d'Afrique (african film festival) April 27th to May 7th at different
locations (UQAM, NFB, Cinematheque Quebecoise). There are some films in
english this year. Tel.: 284-3322.
- Station Danse, free danse shows (experimental to more classical) in the
McGill metro station, May 3-5.
- Funkfest, May 5-6 at the Just For Laughs Museum
- Jewish Film Festival, May 11-18. The opening film is the Fine Arts Museum,
the other films are at the NFB theater on St-Denis street (corner
DeMaisonneuve).
- Opening of la Ronde (amusement park) on Ile Ste-Helene (Ile Ste-Helene
metro station). They have introduced a new ride : the Cobra, a stand-up
rollercoaster. La Ronde will only be opened during weekends until
May 30th.
- Festival de la sante (health festival... ), if you need an excuse to
exercise, here it is. You can walk, run, rollerblade or ride your bike
through the streets of Montreal. On May 21th, register in advance. Some
streets will be closed.
Summer 1996
- Journee des Musees (free museum access), May 28th. Every year, all the
museums in Montreal are opened to the public for free all day. There's
even a shuttle service between the museums that is also free (the shuttle
start from Dorchester square). But the line-ups are usually long...
- Tour de l'Ile des enfants (bicycle tour for children) on May 28th; some
streets will be closed.
- Festival de Theatre des Ameriques (theater festival), May 24th to
June 6th 1995 at various theaters around town. From classic plays
to experimental theater. Mostly in french but some plays are in
english (or other). For more information : (514) 842-1222.
- Fahrat fashion AIDS fondation, it's a discount sale of designer clothes,
all proceed go to the fondation. At the Place Bonaventure (Place
Bonaventure metro station) on June 3-4 1995.
- Tour de l'Ile (bicycle tour), 45000 bicyclists will ride through the
streets of Montreal. It's not a competition, it's just for fun but you have
to register in advance (the number is limited so you have to act fast).
The start is at Jarry park and goes west (on June 4th 1995). Some
streets will be closed. P.S. According to the Guiness record book, it's
the largest bicycling activity in the world.
- Rendez-vous Mondial du Cerf-Volant (kites). From June 1st
to the 4th 1995. Kite flying from all over the world at Therrien park
in Verdun (south-west on the island of Montreal).
- Montreal Grand Prix (Formula 1 race) at the circuit Gilles-Villeneuve on
Ile Notre-Dame (Ile Ste-Helene metro station), June 9-11th 1995. You better
take the metro because there will be a lot of people and parking is very
difficult.
- Antique Show, June 8-11 at Place Bonaventure (Bonaventure metro station).
Different antique shop display their antiques, some real antiques, some
more like used stuff. It's interesting to go to one, but it seems that
it's always the same shops that are there.
- The Nouveau festival international du cinema, de la video et des nouvelles
technologies de Montreal, from June 6th to the 16th 1996. This year (1995)
the festival featured over 200 indoor screenings of films and videos, and
over 30 outdoor screenings and many other activities.
These activities included:
. Dive in, an underwater screening of a movie (bring your scuba gear) at
the Schubert baths, 3950 St-Laurent boulevard
. Peep show, videos will be shown in peep show booths at the Sexo-theque
peep show at 1209A St-Laurent blvd. Some channels will show videos from
the festival, the other channel will have the regular programming...
. TV Nation, the entire series of Micheal Moore's tv show will be shown
(without commercials...)
. Cinema salon, videos and films will be shown at different private
appartements and lofts, the addresses will be given out at the last
minute.
. Nuit blanche, all night.. outdoor.. June 16 from midnight to sunrise,
a movie will be shown on a screen outdoor (the sound will be provided via
radio on CIBL 101,5 FM).
For more informations, try the web site at :
http://station1.spherenet.com/nouveaufestival/
or by e-mail :
[email removed]
The schedule and programme will be available at Cafe Melies,
3682 St-Laurent blvd. I'm sure the 1996 festival will be as interesting.
N.B. The festival will also be held in New York city (with the same
programme as in Montreal) from June 18th to the 24th 1996.
- The Fringe Festival (alternative english theather festival), 14-18 June
1995 at theaters around town. There's also outdoor shows on St-Laurent
(the beer tent is above the Second Cup). The program is on sale at various
locations around town. There's also a web site :
http://www.arena.com/festivals/fringe
Or if you want information by phone : (514) 849-FEST
- Mondial de la biere (beer tasting festival), June 14th to June 18th 1995
at the Jacques-Cartier pier (old port). Yearly event where you can taste
beers from local micro-breweries and from all over the world.
Tel.: 722-9640
- Vente de trottoir-St-Laurent. the St-Laurent blvd. is closed to cars to
allow merchants to open shop on the sidewalk. From June 15th to the 18th
(there'll be another one at the end of summer).
- St-Jean-Baptiste (Fete Nationale), June 24. There's a parade on Sherbrooke
street going east and ends around the Olympic stadium. Then there's food
served and a show at Maisonneuve park. There are also around 60 local
celebrations around town. Check local newspapers.
- INET'96 : The internet society annual convention will be held in Montreal
from June 25th to June 30thi 1996.
- The Montreal Jazz Festival, 10 days of shows from June 27 to July 7th 1996,
there are free outdoor shows (300 free outdoor shows!) and activities (they
take place around Place des Arts). There are also lot's of indoor shows at
the Place des Arts, the Spectrum and the Gesu theater. The complete schedule
of outdoor and indoor shows are available on site (around the Place des Arts
Place des Arts metro station). The tickets for the indoor shows are already
on sale through the Admission outlets. There's a web site with a schedule
of activities and information : http://jazz-mtl.lanternette.com/festival.
To buy tickets by phone : 1-800-361-4595 or (514) 790-1245. For more
information on the festival by phone : (514)871-1881.
N.B. If you have children, there's a children's musical park on site (on
the Place des arts terrasse.
No bicycles are allowed on the site (there's a bicycle parking lot
on deMaisonneuve near Parc ave.
The free outdoor shows are financed by the sale of t-shirts, souvenirs
and food on the site of the festival, so if you want to help with the
financing, just buy something.
- Canada day (July 1st). The parades will start on the corner of St-Denis
and Sherbrooke at 11:00(am) and will travel west on Sherbrooke until
Peel, then it will go south to the Dorchester square where a giant cake
is served.
- Carifiesta (July 1st), a parade of dance from the west indies (jamaica,
...) starting at 13:00 from the corner of Mont-Royal and Parc ave..
For more information, call (514)737-8321.
- Moving day (July 1st), most leases in Montreal expire on Julu 1st so
a lot of montrealers move out of their appartments on this day (around
500 000 people move). So don't be surprise is you see a lot of moving
vans, cars with furniture on top or traffic slow down on certain
streets.
P.S. There are hundreds of other shows, other special events and exhibitions, but these are the most talked about. For more information, check the free newspapers (Hour, Mirror in english or Voir in french) or the daily newspapers (The Gazette in english, or La Presse, Le Devoir or Journal de Montreal in french).
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Events (dates unconfirmed):
----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------- Special Events (unconfirmed):
----------------------------------------------------------------------
- Festival du Cinema Fantastique (sci-fi/horror movie festival), beginning of
october.
- Gay and Lesbian Film Festival.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------------
For more net information, just FTP at ftp.solutions.net and look in the directory /rec-travel/north_america/canada/quebec
- Tourist information :
. Info-Touriste
1001 Square Dorchester,
(514)873-2015
You can go there in person, there are consultants there to help
you and they have a large selection of tourist information pamphlets
It's in the Dominion Square Building, Peel metro station (exit
on Peel and walk down to St-Catherine). It's in front of the Dorchester
Square, but you can enter on the Ste-Catherine entrance and go to the
back of the building.
. You can write for information at :
Tourisme Quebec
C.P. 20000
Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
G1K 7X2
. You can also write at :
Office des Congres et du Tourisme du Grand Montreal
1555, Peel street, office #600
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 1X6
(514)844-5400
. By phone : (514) 873-2015 (local)
1-800-363-7777 (free, from US or Canada)
- Free information about things to do : Mirror and Hour newspapers (in
english) and the Voir newspaper (in french) are three free newspapers you
can find at most metro stations, bars, restaurants and newspaper stands.
They have listings of activities (movies, theater, music, special events)
for the week. You should pick one up when you arrive in Montreal.
. Tourist-info columns, there are big columns on the side-walk
with maps and info on things to see all over Montreal, they are easy to
spot.
. A good thing to do is to ask for a transit map at any subway station.
It is a complete map of Montreal (but without a street index), with all the
bus lines and subway lines, it also shows the entrances to the subway
stations and the underground passageways.
- Shopping hours : most shops and boutiques are usually opened from
9:00am to 6:00pm from saturday to wednesday and from 9:00am to 9:00pm
on thursday and fridays. Most shops are opened Sundays. Check before
you go.
- Bar/Club hours : last call is at the latest 3:00am.
- Legal drinking age : 18.
- hotel/motel/residences : For cheap places, there's always the YMCA/YWCA,
some bed&breakfast (also called les gites du passant), and youth hostels.
Check with the Info-Tourist office. The cheapest rooms are at the College
Francais on Fairmount (12$ a night).
Here's a brief list of bed&breakfasts :
. A bed&breakfast in Montreal ($30-$50)
C.P. 575, succ. Snowdon
H3X 3T8
(514) 738-9410
. A Montreal Oasis ($40-$85)
3000 chemin de Breslay
H3Y 2G7
(514) 935-2312 e-mail : [email removed]
. Au Chateau Cherrier Castle ($50-$80)
550 rue Cherrier
H2L 1H3
(514) 844-0055
. Bed&breakfast de chez nous ($40-$65)
3717 Sainte-Famille
H2X 2L7
(514) 845-7711
. Bed&breakfast Mont-Royal ($25-$55)
C.P. Jeanne-Mance 42002
H2W 2T3
(514) 289-9749
. Reseau Relais Montreal Hospitalite ($25-$55)
3977 ave. Laval
H2W 2H9
(514) 287-9635
. Chambre et petit dejeuner ($40- +)
3950 ave. Laval
H2X 3C8
(514) 844-5897
. Gite Montreal Centre-Ville ($25-$55)
3458 ave. Laval
H2X 3C8
(514) 289-9749
Here's a brief list of youth hostels, dormatories, residences :
(the cost depends on if you're a member of the international
youth hostel association, you can pick up a card at a student
organization or a student travel office, or if you are a student)
. Auberge de jeunesse internationale de Montreal ($13-$16)
3541 rue Aylmer
H2X 2B9
(514) 843-3317
. College Francais ($8.50-$29)
5155 de Gaspe
H2T 3B7
(514) 495-2581
. YMCA ($33-$48)
1450 Stanley
H3A 2W6
(514) 849-8393
. YWCA ($33-$45)
1355 blvd. Rene-Levesque West
H3G 1T3
(514) 866-9941
. University of Montreal ($20-$30)
2350 rue Edouard Montpetit
H3C 1J4
(514) 343-6531
. Concordia University ($17-$23)
7141 rue Sherbrooke West
H4B 1R6
(514) 848-4756
. McGill University ($23-$32)
3935 rue University
H3A 2B4
(514) 398-6367
- Weather : Cold in the winter (on average -10c, it can go as low as -30c)
and hot in the summer (on average 20c and can go as high a 30c, not
considering the humidity) and temperate in spring and autumn.
- Parking : The parking downtown is either difficult to find or the limit
is two hour max (on the streets) or it's expensive (in private parking).
But there's a parking near Namur metro station (if you're coming from the
west) on the corner of Decarie blvd. and Jean-Talon blvd. (near Blue Bonnet)
You can park there and then take the subway to where you want to go.
- Metro & bus : For information on buses, metro or how to get somewhere call
A-U-T-O-B-U-S (288-6287). The fare for bus or the metro is $1.75,
you can also buy tickets (6 for $7.00), a day or three day pass or a monthly
pass ($43). There are four metro lines, represented by four different colors
(and numbers). The green line (number 1) is on an east-west axis, the end
stations are Angrignon in the west and Honore-Beaugrand in the east; you
will most likely use the stations between Berri-UQAM and Lionel-Groulx. The
orange line (number 2) is shaped like a U starting at station Henri-
Bourassa in the north and ending at station Cote-Vertu, the bottom of the
U is located in the southern part of Montreal (the stations to go to Old
Montreal are on the bottom part of the orange line's U).
The green line crosses the orange line at Berri-UQAM and Lionel-Groulx
stations. The yellow line (number 4) goes from Berri-UQAM thru Ile Ste-
Helene station (La Ronde, le parc des Iles and the Casino) and stop at
Longueil station (south shore). Finally the blue line (number 5) is also
on an east-west axis but north of the green line, it starts at station Saint
Michel in the east and ends up at station Snowdon in the west. The blue line
crosses the orange line at stations Jean-Talon and Snowdon.
You can change between the orange line and the green line (or the yellow
line) at Berri-UQAM. You can also change between the orange line and
the green line at station Lionel-Groulx. You can change between the
blue line and the orange line at stations Jean-Talon or Snowdon.
Service hours for the metro are :
Sunday to Friday : 5:30am - 0:30am
Saturday : 5:30am - 1:00am,
There are buses 24hrs/days but after the metro closing hours, it's
on the night schedule (the bus stops are marked with a crescent moon).
- Airports : Montreal is serviced by two airports
. Dorval, which is on the island of Montreal (west). It's usually
used for flights from the US or the rest of Canada. There is a
bus shuttle (Aerocar/Murray Hill) from the airport to downtown or you
can use the commuter train. The taxi ride from Dorval to downtown
is fixed at $24. You can always share a ride.
. Mirabel, which is about half an hour drive from Montreal. It's usually
used for international flights. There is also a bus shuttle but no
commuter trains. The taxi ride from Mirabel to downtown is fixed at $55.
You can always share a ride. The bus is much cheaper at around $12.
. There's also a new service : the downtown airport bus terminal,
it's a bus terminal for the buses that drive to and from the two
airports, you can also check the departure and arrival time for
both airports and get your boarding passes (Air Canada only for the
moment), check your luggage and exchange your money. There's also
a duty free shop. It's located on the corner of De LaGauchetiere and
University street (south of Rene-Levesque blvd.) and it is connected
to the Bonaventure metro station and Central train station.
- Train stations : If you take the train from the US or from outside of
Montreal, you'll arrive at Central Station which is in downtown. From
there you can take the metro at Bonaventure station or walk since Central
station is connected to the underground tunnels (see the Underground city
district).
- Bus terminal : The bus terminal is situated on Berri near de Maisonneuve.
The bus terminal is connected to the Berri-UQAM metro station. From there
you can take the orange, green or yellow lines (see Metro & bus).
- Tour buses : There is a tour bus line [Murray Hill and Gray Line]
(the buses look like street cars on wheel) that have different bus tours.
You buy a ticket (which is valid all days) and you can get off anywhere
you want and then take the next tour bus that passes by. They usually start
at the Square Dorchester (Info-Touriste office). The tour buses
where the driver makes the comments are not always the best way to visit
(altough there are exceptions). Some of those bus drivers don't always
give interesting or informative comments on the city. Try to take a bus
where a tour guide comments (not the driver...).
- Guided tours : There are some specialized guided tours that are available,
for instance if you're interested in architecture or ethnic communities.
You have also boat tours (old montreal) or by plane (expensive). For
more complete information, ask Info-Touriste.
- banks/atm/change : there's a lot of exchange bureau downtown on St-Catherine
and every bank has an automatic teller machine connected to the System Plus
and Cirrus Network or Interact.
- television : if it's a rainy day and you've already visited the underground
shopping malls, the Biodome and Olympic stadium, the Place des Arts and the
contemporary art museum, etc.. or you're just tired of visiting, here's your
choice of television stations you can watch :
French (without cable): Radio-Canada, channel 2, cable 4 (french side of
the CBC with it's own shows and news).
Quatre-Saisons, channel 35, cable 5
Tele-Metropole, channel 10, cable 7
Radio-Quebec, channel 17, cable 8 (uncut,
uncensored movies, documentaries and services shows,
etc).
French (with cable, Videotron) : TV5, cable 15, shows and news from
francophone countries
Tele-Metropole, cable 26
Musique Plus, cable 20 (music videos)
English (without cable) : CBC, channel 6, cable 13
CTV, channel 12, cable 11
English (with cable, Videotron) : CBS, cable 3
PBS, cable 14
NBC, cable 16
ABC, cable 22
PBS, cable 27
CBC Newsworld, cable 29
CTV/Global, cable 31
There are other specialty channels on cable (weather, classified
ads, houses for sale, etc). There's also the CF Cable comp. that has
basically the same service, the channel number may change.
- If you don't speak French, don't worry most people in tourist areas
speak english. If you're practicing your french, don't be surprise if a
francophone will switch to english, just insist on speaking french and
explain you're practicing. Just don't expect everyone to speak english
(that goes for most countries anyway).
- Neighbourhood you shouldn't go during the day (unsafe) : none.
- Neighbourhood you shouldn't go at night (unsafe) : most big parks
(Lafontaine, Mont-Royal) alone at night (they are closed anyway after
midnight).
Special thanks to those who helped :
Jean-Sebastien Neveu ([email removed])
Brian Lucas
Ken Iisaka ([email removed])
Cyndal ( [email removed])
[email removed] (Chris doucas)
[email removed] (Lena Forss)
Ann Guy ([email removed])
Denis Couillard de Lespinay
Jean-Francois Marchand
---*---
There you are... if you need more information just ask.
E-mail : [email removed]
Copyright (C) - 1995 Charles Quenneville.Montreal, Canada