A plan for Montréal

History

On an island in the St. Lawrence River at the historically highest navigable point, Montreal has been a strategic location since before the arrival of Europeans in Canada. A thriving Iroquoian town called Hochelaga was on the site of present-day Montreal when explorer Jacques Cartier first visited in 1535. In 1642, the tiny town of Ville-Marie was founded as a Catholic mission by Paul Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve. It soon became a centre of the fur trade. After its capture by the English in 1762, Montreal remained (until the 1970s) the most important city in Canada and was briefly capital of the province in the 1840s.

Prohibition on sales of alcohol in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s made Montreal a destination for cross-border fun seekers from nearby New England and New York. The city built up a seedy, yet playful, industry in alcohol, burlesque, and other vices. In the 1960s, an urban renewal drive centred on Expo 67. The World's Fair in Montreal brought the Metro system and attractive urban parks and is considered to be one of the most successful World Fairs. Over 50 million visitors gathered in Montreal during this memorable summer. The 1976 Olympics left a strikingly idiosyncratic stadium and many other urban improvements.The opening of the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1959, though much-lauded as an economic boom, spelled the beginning of the end for Montreal's economic dominance in Canada. Once the transition point between western railways and eastern sea carriers, Montreal watched helplessly as some of this business moved farther west, up the now navigable seaway, to ports in Ontario and on Lake Superior.

Architecture

Many notable historical buildings and churches are located in Montreal, the vast majority of which are in old Montréal. Most of these date from the 17th to the 19th century, showcasing the variety of architectural styles seen in these periods. At night, several of the buildings are beautifully illuminated, seemingly glowing from within. A Tourist Welcome Office brochure from Bonjour Québec lays out a walking map. It is worthwhile to follow the map twice, once during the day, and again at night.

Of the four Roman Catholic Basilicas in Montreal, the Notre-Dame Basilica (Basilique de Notre-Dame) at Place d'Armes is undoubtedly the most famous church in Montreal. This architectural marvel is known throughout the world for its lavishly decorated and colourful interior. This basilica, splendidly exemplifying the Gothic Revival style, is an extremely popular tourist attraction.

Although rather small and not a basilica, another notable church located in Old Montreal is the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel (Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours) near the Bonsecours Market, the first church to be founded in Montreal. It is known for its maritime theme and beautiful frescoes on the inside walls and ceilings.

Downtown Montreal houses Saint Joseph's Oratory (Oratoire Saint-Joseph), the largest church in Canada. Stylistically based on elements of the Italian Renaissance, it features the third highest dome in the world, and acts as the highest point in all of Montreal.

Downtown Montreal is also home to the opulent Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde), a National Historic Site of Canada modeled on St Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and Saint Patrick's Basilica (Basilique Saint-Patrick), which was built to serve Montreal's Anglophone Catholic community.

In Montreal/Parc Jean-Drapeau, you will find the Casino de Montréal and the La Ronde, a Six Flags family amusement park.

Cross-country skiing

During the winter, many parks offer the possibility to do cross-country skiing with groomed paths, including Parc regional de l'Ile-de-la-Visitation (ski rental available), Parc du Mont-Royal (ski rental available and usually the best ski conditions, and Parc Maisonneuve and Jardin Botanique (no ski rental).Ice skating

There is year-round ice-skating at 1000, rue De La Gauchetière (Metro Bonaventure). There is free skating at Lac aux Castors Beaver Lake in the Parc Mont-Royal, in the connected ponds of Lafontaine Park in Plateau Mont-Royal, and in the Vieux-Port in front of the Bonsecours Market and many parks.

Water sports

River surfing — Although the Saint Lawrence River is frozen nearly solid for four to five months out of the year, the waterway has become a magnet for aficionados of this new sport. Unlike their oceanic brethren, river surfers ride the standing waves in fresh waterways. The Saint Lawrence has two main hot spots for the sport: Habitat 67 is close to the bridge between Montreal and Île des Soeurs, the site of the 1967 Expo and the Montreal Casino. (This wave is also known as Expo 67.) The Surf 66 Boardshop at the 1952 rue Cabot offers lessons.

Montreal is a culinary mecca and has a huge variety of food options, from diners and fast food to low-cost ethnic restaurants to haute cuisine. The city was ranked 2nd best dining city in North America after San Francisco and ahead of New York. The large local Jewish population has contributed local specialties including huge smoked meat sandwiches (beef brisket) (Schwartz's is the most authentic smoked meat restaurant, though this title has been challenged by a gradual slip in quality in the early 2020s) and small, crusty bagels (the undisputed classic bagel places are St-Viateur's and Fairmount Bagels). Other specialties are "all-dressed" pizza (pepperoni, mushrooms and green peppers), pizza and spaghetti with smoked meat, and Québécois favourites like split pea soup and poutine.

Many Montreal restaurants are "apportez votre vin" (bring your own wine). This may sound like a hassle, but you end up paying much less for wine with dinner if you bring it yourself. There's usually a SAQ (government liquor store) or a dépanneur (convenience store, with a limited selection of typically inexpensive wine) nearby; ask your waiter where it is. Your waiter will open your wine for you; corkage fees are rare, but don't forget to factor this service into your tip so make sure to ask. If you are driving from the United States, you may find Canadian liquor prices quite frightening. Even the duty-free shops along the border are rarely cheaper than an American liquor store (although these are still cheaper than the SAQ). Visitors can bring in 40oz of hard alcohol, 1.5L of wine, or a 24-pack of beer.

Separate bills (la facture in French) are common and you may be asked ensemble ou séparément? (together or separately?) The standard tip for acceptable restaurant service is 15% and is not included.

Never call a waiter "garçon"! Use "monsieur" or "madame".

The legal age to purchase alcohol in Quebec is 18 and the Québécois are now much more rigid in enforcing this age limit. All retail alcohol sales stop at 23:00 and bars and clubs stop serving at 03:00.

Quality wine and liquor (but only a small selection of imported beers) can only be purchased at SAQ shops, most of which are open until 18:00 Sunday to Wednesdays and 20:00 or 21:00 on other days; the smaller SAQ Express outlets are open daily from 11:00 to 22:00. Beer and a small selection of lower-quality wine are also sold at convenience stores (dépanneurs) and grocery stores. Some supermarkets have partnered with the SAQ to offer a few selection bottles, so if you are caught outside business hours or are in a hurry, places like IGA Extra and Métro generally offer a better variety of wine than the local dépanneur.

The selection of beer to be found in grocery stores and even the humble corner store have exploded in the last decade in and around greater Montreal. Two micro-breweries in particular are world-class: McAuslan (brands include St-Ambroise and Griffon) and Unibroue (Belgian-style ales such as Blanche de Chambly, Maudite, La Fin du Monde, and simpler, more affordable U lagers). Boréale makes a good, if unspectacular range of brews, while Rickard's and Alexander Keith's domestics are gaining popularity among locals. Most stores also sell a few major imports such as Stella Artois, Sapporo, Guinness, Leffe and of course, Heineken.

Montreal has historically been divided into east and west by boulevard Saint-Laurent, with the west side traditionally being Anglophone and the east side traditionally being Francophone. Numbered addresses on streets that cross Saint-Laurent start there and increase in either direction; most addresses are given as "rue ____ Ouest" (west) or "rue ____ Est" (east). Many streets are named after Catholic saints and figures from local history, both well-known and obscure. In Montreal street names, "east" and "west" refer to the direction parallel to the St. Lawrence River, and "north" and "south" refer to the direction perpendicular to the St. Lawrence River. Because the St. Lawrence River runs almost north-south near downtown Montreal, "east", "west", "north", and "south" are actually northeast, southwest, northwest and southeast respectively. Most maps displayed in the city have "Montreal north" on top which can be confusing with a satellite navigation that uses pole north. Don't try to navigate by looking at the sun!

By public transit

Fares

The Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (Metropolitan Regional Transportation Authority or ARTM) sets the fares for all public transit in the greater Montreal area. This includes the fares for all Metro, REM, Exo and bus journeys. The ARTM divides the greater Montreal area into zones, designated A, B, C and D. Zone A covers Montreal. Zones B-D cover areas outside of Montreal.

There are two types of fare card: the "L'Occasionnelle" card and the "OPUS" card. Either card can be purchased at Metro, REM or Exo stations, as well as other retail points of sale. Either card can be purchased using cash, credit card or debit card.

The L'Occasionnelle card is a non-rechargeable smart card. The card supports 1 trip, 2 trip, 1 day (24 hour), 3 day (72 hour), unlimited evening (18:00-05:00) or unlimited weekend (16:00 Friday-05:00 Monday) fares for zone A, zones AB, zones ABC or zones ABCD.

For emergencies call 9-1-1.

Although Montreal is Canada's second largest city, it shares Canada's low violent crime rates making it relatively safe. However, property crimes, including car theft, are remarkably high: make sure to lock your doors and keep your valuables with you. Take extra care if you want to visit Montréal-Nord or Saint-Michel. These neighbourhoods are the worst of the city and shootings are not unheard of in these areas. There is, however, little for tourists to do and they are unlikely to enter by accident.

The men and women of the SPVM (Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal) are hard-working, professional and approachable if you need assistance or have any safety concerns. Do know, though, that they deal with many annoyances and big-city problems and take a no-nonsense approach that many from other countries (or even other cities in Canada) may not be used to. Young men in groups (especially visible minorities) can and frequently are stopped by patrol officers late at night in seedier areas, including parts of downtown. They may check ID and ask cursory questions but usually nothing more.

Part of Montreal's Sainte-Catherine downtown corridor is arguably where crime is common in the city, especially east of Place des Arts. There are homeless people panhandling during the summer and fall. Although most of them are polite, there are some that are more aggressive. Avoid individuals wandering on the streets that appear intoxicated. The street is at its most dangerous around 03:00 when closing clubs and bars empty their drunken crowds into the street. You may also come across occasional pockets of street prostitution, especially around strip clubs.

In Montreal, pickpockets are not very common, but keep an eye on things when watching street performances in the Old City or in other crowds.

If you are concerned about safety on the Metro, use the first Metro car where the driver is. Emergency intercoms are on every Metro car. Emergency phone booths are on every platform throughout the Metro system, which is generally safe. While written instructions are in both English and French, most announcements (usually about delays) are in French only so if you think you heard something in the announcement that may affect you, just try asking a fellow passenger for a translation.

As in the rest of Quebec, language politics and Quebec sovereignty are contentious issues in Montreal. Don't make the assumption that all French Canadians are in favour of Quebec's separation from Canada as many (especially in bilingual Montreal) are against it. Also, while most Francophones in other parts of Quebec identify solely as Québécois and not Canadian, many Francophones in Montreal identify as both Québécois and Canadian. If you really want to discuss those topics with locals, be sure you are well-informed. It is still safer to avoid the subject, as it is still a very emotional issue. Use common sense and be respectful.

The main language in Montreal, as in the rest of Quebec, is French. Making an attempt to use the language is a great way to show respect for locals, whether or not they can speak English, even if you can manage only a few words with a very strong accent. However, Montreal is considered to be one of the world's most bilingual cities with many residents whose primary language is English, and you will often hear locals code switching between French and English when having a conversation. In case of doubt, you may want to open with a warm "Bonjour!" (Good day) and see what language is used in response. Most likely you will be answered in English, if your French accent does not sound local. Don't be offended if you are trying to speak French and locals respond to you in English. Since most Montrealers speak both French and English, they are simply trying to make things easier for you.