City information

Montreal, one of North America’s most beautiful cities, is a glorious collision of cultures. Few cities in the world can lay claim to being as authentically multi-cultural as Montreal, the second largest French speaking city on the planet.

Restaraunts / Bars

Montreal is the second biggest French city in the world, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it based on its restaurants. Its incredible assortment of ethnic cuisines gives an accurate reflection of the myriad of cultures that contribute to the city’s vibrancy, although unlike some other large North American centers, eateries here tend not to cluster according to cuisine type.

Naturally, the city does boast some outstanding French restaurants. Traditional, buttery fare and old-guard opulence can be found at the venerable Les Halles or the Ritz Carlton’s Cafe de Paris. L’Express lays claim to the best steak-and-frites, among many other bistro favorites. Meanwhile, on the nouvelle cuisine frontier, chef Normand Laprise’s fusion masterpiece Toque! garners international attention while draining the coffers of the gastronomic elite.

Generally speaking, Montreal’s culinary institutions are slightly more plebeian in nature. Many trace their origins to the Anglophone middle and upper classes, whose grip on the local economy was once far stronger than it is today. The city’s large Jewish community has also contributed heavily to the local cuisine. The Montreal bagel, a skinnier and less polished version of the New York variety, is an economical staple that purists buy from the Fairmount or St-Viateur bakeries in Mile-End. And while comparing Montreal Smoked Meat to pastrami is sure to raise the hackles of any traditionalist, no visitor should neglect to visit the cramped, dingy quarters of Schwartz’s Delicatessen.

Brunches or late breakfasts are extremely popular ways to start the day, though whether this is a wholesome tradition or the result of a weekend’s heroic consumption of cocktails is up for debate. Mont-Royal Avenue is home to Beauty’s, the oldest and best-known brunch spot, while Eggspectation is more modern operation that boasts massive portions and glitzier decor. Unfortunately, both establishments sport ponderous lines on Sunday starting at around 10a. On the bright side, these good-natured queues serve as great places to soak up local atmosphere and gossip.

The Plateau Mont-Royal is an area of older residential buildings and is home to thousands of students, artists and young professionals. St-Laurent Boulevard’s trendy clubs and pubs mingle with dozens of restaurants that run the gamut from upscale, decor-first hotspots (Buona Notte) to innovative sandwich shops (Grano), and from the cheap Italian fare at Euro-Deli to the steaks and buckets of coleslaw at Moishe’s. If you are unsure where to go, following the crowds on St-Laurent is a safe bet.

A 10-minute walk east from St-Laurent will bring you to charming and bustling St-Denis Street, which is not to be missed especially during the summer. This is perhaps Montreal’s most Parisian thoroughfare, offering restaurants, bars and cafes, most with cozy patios shoe-horned in wherever they can possibly fit. You could easily spend hours watching the world go by over a cafe-au-lait, a beer or a meal. The aforementioned l’Express and Toque! can be found in the restaurant-rich strip between Sherbrooke Street and Mont-Royal Avenue, along with scores of smaller establishments of every conceivable ethnicity.

The narrow, residential streets of the Plateau conceal some gems, most notably a tight-knit community of French bistros where patrons are invited to bring their own wine. Exemplified by Le P’tit Plateau, Bistro l’Entrepont and Au Petit Resto, these intimate, romantic spots serve some of the best food in the city at table d’hote prices rarely exceeding CAD20. They are great places at which to appreciate local life and practice your French. Prince Arthur Street, located between St-Laurent Boulevard and Laval Avenue, also offers many BYOW (bring your own wine) options. However, with a few exceptions (notably the stick-to-your-ribs Polish fare at Mazurka), the food at these heavily tourist-oriented establishments is fairly middle-of-the-road.

Downtown, many bars and restaurants are found on Crescent and Bishop Streets. In the past, this was where the Anglophones came to eat, drink and be merry. This area overflows with tourists in summer, so it is best to know where you are going before you go; mediocre food is an unfortunate but avoidable fact of life here, as are high prices. Other downtown hotspots include the Old Dublin, which whips up great pub grub and fiddles each night away with live music.

Though hardly comparable to the Spanish or Italian, Montrealers do eat late, especially on weekends. Most restaurants will be open to diners by 6:30p, but it’s best to make reservations for 8p or later if you want company. Downtown hotels tend to direct their guests toward downtown restaurants and nightlife, not out of any animosity or collusion but simply because many tourists are reluctant to venture farther afield. The key to enjoying the hundreds of restaurants and bars that the city has to offer is to be adventurous; you are unlikely to be disappointed.

Recommended tours

Old Montreal To get an idea of life in New France during the 18th and 19th centuries, a walking tour of Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal) is a must.

A good place to start would be the Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Chapel, which is located at the corner of St-Paul and Bonsecours streets in the eastern end of Old Montreal. The nearby Bonsecours Market (Marche Bonsecours), built in 1847, is a testament to Montreal’s influence in British North America. The building, comprising of a Greek Revival portico, a tin-plated dome and cast-iron columns imported from England, is a good example of that era’s neoclassical style. Today it houses boutiques and exhibits.

A few blocks to the west lies Place Jacques Cartier, named after the French explorer who discovered the island of Montreal in 1535. The square is the central part of Old Montreal; City Hall (Hotel de Ville) and the Chateau Ramezay Museum on Notre-Dame Street are situated just to the north, while de la Commune Street and the Old Port of Montreal are a block south. The square is especially enjoyable in summer, with street musicians, jugglers, artists and cafes lining both sides. Caleche drivers beckon strollers to hop on their carriages for a romantic guided tour of the old city.

Moving west along tiny St-Amable Street, which is filled with shops and artists, you will find the Pointe-a-Calliere museum of archaeology and history. It protects and displays the remains of the city as far back as when the first buildings were erected by French settlers in 1642. The old Customs House, now part of the museum, was designed by British architect John Ostell, who was also responsible for the Old Courthouse.

At the north-western edge of Old Montreal you will find the World Trade Centre (Centre de Commerce Mondial), which integrates a number of old buildings through the use of a spectacular atrium that stands several stories high over the former Rue des Fortifications; it’s well worth a stroll. St-Jacques Street, one street south, features several buildings with stately architecture and lavish interiors: the Bank of Montreal, opened at the corner of St-Jacques Street and Jeanne-Mance Avenue in 1847, is a notable example.

Directly across from the bank is Notre-Dame Basilica, a Gothic Revival church built in 1829 and modelled after Notre-Dame in Paris. It’s one of the most popular attractions in Montreal, welcoming over one million visitors a year.

Downtown The museum district is perhaps the most attractive area of downtown Montreal. The Musee des Beaux-Arts, the city’s most prestigious, is situated at the corner of Sherbrooke Street and du Musee Avenue.

While in the area, visitors can enjoy eyeing or buying from chic boutiques along Victorian Crescent Street, especially between Sherbrooke Street and de Maisonneuve Boulevard. This area is also loaded with excellent dining choices, with many restaurants situated between de Maisonneuve and Rene-Levesque boulevards.

Continuing east on Sherbrooke Street, natural history aficionados can observe modern and prehistoric animals, rocks, crystals and precious stones at the Redpath Museum on the McGill University campus. The McCord Museum, just east of the University’s Roddick Gates, boasts a permanent exhibition entitled “Simply Montreal.” This eclectic exhibit offers a glimpse of yesteryear, with a selection of First Nations’ (American Indian) objects, a collection of photographs, sports equipment, toys and magnificent gowns worn by the who’s who of Montreal.

Oscar Wilde once remarked that there are so many churches in Montreal that if you threw a rock in any direction you would probably break a church window. Three of the better known churches are Saint Patrick’s Basilica, Christ Church Cathedral and Mary Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathedrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde), all located within a stone’s throw of each other and more or less downtown. Christ Church Cathedral stands over Les Promenades de la Cathedrale, an attractive underground shopping complex linked to the Underground City. If the weather proves too inclement for an outdoor stroll, enjoy 30 kilometres (16 miles) of underground shopping and dining facilities. Every day, an estimated 500,000 people pass through this network, which links some 60 buildings and provides access to nearly 2,000 retail outlets.

Plateau A tour of downtown Montreal would not be complete without a visit to trendy, multi-ethnic St-Laurent Boulevard, with its hopping bars and restaurants, and eclectic shopping. St-Denis Street, one major thoroughfare to the east, is the home of the city’s Francophone upper crust and is equally essential on any itinerary. Originally a residential street, it is now home to fashionable and sometimes monumentally expensive boutiques, bistros and shops.

The Plateau Mont-Royal is Montreal’s most quintessential neighbourhood, comprising of St-Laurent and St-Denis, quiet residential streets, beautiful green-spaces (notably Parc Lafontaine, Mont-Royal Park and St-Louis Square), charming BYOB bistros and an overwhelming sense of civility and grace. Tourists are thin on the ground here, but one can hardly claim to have experienced Montreal without spending a day wandering through the real heart of this unique city.

Where to stay

Montreal, “The Paris of North America,” essentially consists of a downtown, or modern city, and Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal), the original city nestled around the Old Port (Vieux-Port). While most of the better hotels are located downtown, Old Montreal boasts some of the city’s finest restaurants and historical sites and has a real sense of old world decor and charm. Many European style hotels are available in this area, where many tourists visit but few stay overnight.

A modest hill separates the two areas, and both are accessible via the subway, or Metro, as it’s called locally. In the winter, one need never even venture outside: Old Montreal is linked to downtown via the World Trade Centre and the Underground City. In fact, Montreal is one of the easiest cities to navigate in North America: no matter where one stays, one will never be too far from the action.

Downtown Downtown is the modern heart of the city and is where most businesses and upscale retail outlets are located. Virtually all of downtown is concentrated within a 10-block area, connected through the aforementioned 30-kilometre Underground City of shops, restaurants, theatres, banks and hotels for those who don’t want to brave winter temperatures.

Ste-Catherine Street is the main shopping area for modest to middle-income budgets, while Sherbrooke Street houses most of the city’s best art galleries, high-end clothing stores and top-quality hotels. The Ritz-Carlton is the grande dame of local hotels, featuring splendid 19th-century architecture. The bar here is a favourite watering hole for locals and visitors alike. Nearby, the Hotel Omni serves as a preferred locale for visiting film and rock stars. The Hotel Le Germain, meanwhile, is Montreal’s leading boutique hotel, offering cutting edge style and high-end amenities at astronomical prices. Mid-range Sherbrooke Street area hotels include the Best Western Ville-Marie Hotel and Suites and the Marriott Residence Inn.

Downtown West The eastern and western fringes of the downtown core reveal their own range of accommodations, from budget to high-end. The luxurious Le Meridien Versailles at Sherbrooke Street is a good example of a popular smaller hotel for out-of-towners. It is situated a stone’s throw away from the west-end Guy Metro station, as is the more mid-range Hotel du Fort.

Downtown East Another significant cluster of mid-range hotels centres around Sherbrooke Street just east of McGill University. The Quality Hotel, for example, just off Sherbrooke Street on Avenue du Parc, offers good value and is a five-minute walk from Place des Arts and the Metro station. Other popular mid-to-high range hotels on the eastern fringe of downtown include the Delta Montreal and the Sheraton Four Points Montreal.

Old Montreal Old Montreal’s 18th- and 19th-century architecture make it a favourite location for film shoots, where it often doubles for 1920s Chicago or New York. So unique is its character that it was declared a historic site in 1964 by the Quebec government and afforded special protection. This area was originally a fortified town and the centre of commerce before many businesses gradually moved uptown at the beginning of the 20th century.

The area has enjoyed an enormous revival and has seen a number of hotels spring up, notably the Hotel Inter-Continental across from the Palais des Congres Convention Centre. This is the only truly modern hotel in Old Montreal, although architecturally it blends wonderfully with the surrounding older buildings. The Holiday Inn Select, in nearby Chinatown, is the nearest mid-range option.

For those eager or willing to leave the name brand hotels behind, Old Montreal offers a host of charming, reasonably priced options. These include L’Auberge du Vieux-Port and, for the truly budget-conscious, the attractive Backpackers of Old Montreal hostel.

The ultimate Old Montreal accommodations can be found at Hotel Pierre du Calvet, a converted home?built in 1725 and restored in 1966?where Benjamin Franklin once stayed. The magnificent 10-room hotel, located in the eastern part of Old Montreal near the IMAX Theatre, is accessible from the Champ-de-Mars Metro. This is a rare opportunity to spend a night in European-style opulence.

During the summer, Old Montreal is a favourite spot for visitors, thanks to its outdoor cafes, cobblestone streets, musicians, artists, caleche rides and boat cruises. In winter, the area comes alive with ice sculptures, light shows and a huge outdoor skating rink. For travellers really looking to immerse themselves in Montreal’s charms, it is a great option.

Getting there

Getting there:

By Air:

Situated 16 miles west of Montreal, Dorval Airport (+1 514 394 7377/http://www.admtl.com) is the major domestic and international air hub for the region (the newer Mirabel is limited to charter and cargo flights). Shopping outlets range form the is-this-in every-airport Tie Rack and Sunglasses Hut, to souvenirs shops, newsstands and more upscale duty free offerings. Restaurants, bars and cafes are also dispersed around the terminal and the departures area. ATMs and currency exchange centers are also scattered about. Major airlines flying to and from the airport include:

Air Canada (+1 888 247 2267/http://www.aircanada.ca) Air France (+1800 237 2747/http://www.airfrance.ca) Air Transat (+1 866 847 1112/http://www.airtransat.com) American Airlines (+1 800 433 7300/http://www.aa.com) British Airways (+1 800 217 9297/http://www.britishairways.com) Continental Airlines (+1 800 523 3273/http://www.continental.com) Delta Airlines (+1 800 221 1212/http://www.delta.com) KLM (+1 800 225 2525/http://www.klm.com) Lufthansa (+1 800 803 5838/http://cms.lufthansa.com) Mexicana (+1 800 531 7923/http://www.mexicana.com) Northwest (+1 800 225-2525/http://www.nwa.com) Swiss Air (+1 877 359 7947/http://www.swiss.com) United Airlines (+1 800 864 8331/http://www.united.ca)

Ground transportation:

Onsite rental car companies: Alamo (+1 800 327 9633/http://www.goalamo.com) Avis (+1 800 321 3652/http://www.avis.com) Budget (+1 800 268 8900/https://rent.drivebudget.com) Hertz (+1 800 263 0678 /http://www.hertz.com) National (+1 800 387 4747/http://www.nationalcar.com) Thrifty (+1 800 367 2277/http://www.thrifty.com)

From the airport, pick up Highway 20 and merge with Highway 520 to get into downtown. Taxis and limos are readily available outside the ground level of the terminal. Both services have a flat rate to downtown: taxi CAD28, limo CAD47.70.

L’Airbus (+1 800 465 1213) is a good alternative to a cab, especially for those not chugging along too much luggage. For CAD12 one way/CAD21.75 round trip the bus links Dorval and Central d’Autobus Montreal via the Aerobus Station at 777 de la Gauchetie?Y West, which has access to hotel shuttles. Buses run daily every half hour from 7a-1a.

By Bus:

Montreal’s diverse coach empire begins and ends at Central d’Autobus Montreal (a.k.a. the bus station) (+1 514 843 4231).

Bus companies include: Acadian Lines: (+1 800 567 5151/http://www.smtbus.com), with service to and from cities in the Maritimes. Greyhound (+1 800 661 8747/http://www.greyhound.ca), serving all points across Canada and the United States. Voyageur (+1 800 668 4438/http://www.voyageur.com), which links Montreal and Ottawa. InterCar (+1 418 627 9108/http://www.intercar.qc.ca), which links Montreal with Quebec City. Orleans Express (+1 418 525 3000/http://www.orleansexpress.com), serving destinations throughout the Quebec province.

By Car:

An excellent network of motorways converges on Montreal, and although traffic is heavy during the peak rush hours. Hwy 20 runs northeast toward Quebec City and southwest toward Toronto. Hwy 40 heads northeast along the St. Lawrence to Quebec City and west to Ottawa. Hwy 15 enters the city from the south and veers northwest ascending the hills to the ski resorts. Hwy 10 jaunts due east for Sherbrooke.

By Train:

From the US, the most direct route by rail to Montreal is on Amtrak’s (+1 800 872 7245/http://www.amtrak.com) Adirondak train. The 11 hour scenic journey begins in New York City and ends at Gare Centrale (+1 514 871 1331) in the middle of downtown. The highlight reel of the trip as the train wanders though upstate New York is the chug along the shores of Lake Champlain. A couple of other routes, one from New York City and another from Chicago, will put you as close as Toronto, where you need to transfer to a Via (Canada’s national rail company) train (+1 888 842 7245/http://www.viarail.ca). Via trains, which also arrive and depart from Gare Centrale, link Montreal with every major city in Canada.

By Water:

From June to October, numerous cruise lines sail up the St. Lawrence and dock at the Iberville Passenger Terminal (+1 514 283 7011/http://www.port-montreal.com) in the Old Port. From there, the streets of Old Town are just steps away.

Getting Around:

Although you do not need a car to get around town, having one is by no means a drawback considering the road system is straightforward, parking is simple to come by (both curbside and lots), and traffic is limited to rush hours, and then the only headaches are on the major expressways.

Societe de transport de Montreal (STM) (+1 514 280 5100/http://www.stm.info) controls the metro and bus lines in the city. The metro consists of four lines (Green/Orange/Yellow/Blue) and 65 stations. Trains dart into stations every 4 to 10 minutes daily from around 5:30a until just after midnight. More than 150 bus routes complement the subway system including an array of night buses. A single fare runs CAD2.50 and monthly and weekly passes are obtainable. A Tourist Card costs CAD7 for one day and CAD14 for three days. Both buses and the metro merge at points with the five commuter train lines (+1 888 702 8726/http://www.amt.qc.ca) which extend all directions off the island, way into the various bedroom communities.

From late spring to mid-October, ferries (+1 514 281 8000) cruise the St Lawrence between the Old Port, St. Helen’s Island and Longueuil. Fares begin at CAD3.75 one way. For those not into searching out the city without a bit of help, Gray Lines (+1 800 461 1223/http://www.coachcanada.com) has guided tours.

Montreal is continually ranked as the one of the best cities to ride a bike in, and once you get a look at the expansive urban and recreational trail system. Sure, you will still face the thrills (and possibly spills if riding in winter) and intensity of maneuvering through the urban landscape, but the city set up of bike lanes (many of which even have a separate left turn lane) make pedaling just as effective as any other form of transport. If leisure is more your style opt for a ride around Mount Royal, along the trails of Lachine Canal or the trails and roads on St. Helen’s Island.

District guide

Bienvenue a Montreal! Now that’s hospitality with a distinctly French flavor?and what could be more appropriate for the second largest French-speaking metropolis in the world? But French is only one of 35 or so languages you’ll hear on the streets of this international island city of close to two million inhabitants (more than 3.3 million if you include the suburban neighborhoods).

Demographics show that Montreal residents come from 80 countries, forming an urban mosaic of vibrant ethnic communities and neighborhoods safe to walk in day or night. Visitors will detect a distinct British influence in parts of the city, inherent in the culture since the days when English merchants controlled the city’s trade. All in all, it’s easy to see why “cosmopolitan” is the adjective most used in describing Montreal.

Characteristically, there’s the famous “joie de vivre”?the ineffable combination of spirit and ambience Montrealers exude without even trying. You’ll see it in the summertime cappuccino-sippers cramming sidewalk cafes; in the long queues outside Schwartz’s, home to the city’s best smoked meat; and in the lovers holding hands on Mount Royal, the city’s parkland mountain rising 264 meters. The same spirit can even be felt on an outdoor skating rink in the dead of winter, in the tuxedoed crowd listening raptly to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Orchestre symphonique de Montreal), or when hockey fanatics at the Bell Centre scream and pump their fists in unison with every Montreal Canadiens goal.

What makes Montreal one of the world’s truly great cities? It starts with its location. The island sits at the confluence of three rivers: the mighty St. Lawrence, the Riviere des Prairies and the Ottawa. Montrealers talk of their streets as going north-south and east-west, but the island itself is askew, tilted to the northeast.

The Main Splitting the city in half, both physically and psychologically, is St-Laurent Boulevard?The Main, as it is affectionately known. It is here that waves of immigrants first settled upon their arrival in the New World. Reminders of the past still abound in family-run Polish delis tucked in beside upscale restaurants and in dollar stores located next door to swank billiards emporiums. This is ground zero for the city’s addresses (streets number east and west from St-Laurent) and, historically, this was the demarcation line between English and French Montreal, with the French predominating to the east and the English to the west.

These days, the dividing line is no longer completely rigid, but there are still distinct English and French areas. You’ll find the English restaurant and bar scene concentrated on Bishop and Crescent Streets; the French on St-Denis Street and areas east in the Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) and Gay Village. The traditional French residential areas are tightly packed districts that stretch all the way to the Olympic Park (Parc Olympique) and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve; English becomes more noticeable as you move west, culminating in the affluent suburb of Westmount.

Old Montreal At the southern end of St-Laurent Boulevard, past Chinatown, lies the historic district of Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal), a major tourist attraction with its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn caleche rides and Old Port (Vieux-Port) activities. This is where, in 1642, the city’s first European settlers staked their claim to a land they thought was theirs by divine right. You can still see the remnants of their original fortifications, and you can check out artifacts from the period at the Montreal History Centre (Centre d’histoire de Montreal) as well as the Pointe-a-Calliere Museum of archaeology and history. Also found here are the oldest buildings in Montreal, with some, such as the Sainte-Sulpice Seminary (Vieux Seminaire Saint-Sulpice), dating back to the late 17th century.

Montreal Islands Across the St-Lawrence River, the Expo 67 islands of Ste-Helene and Notre-Dame still glitter from when Montreal hosted the World’s Fair in 1967. Today the site is home to La Ronde amusement park, the Gilles Villeneuve Racetrack (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve) and Montreal’s world-class Casino.

Plateau Mont-Royal On the other end of The Main is the Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, unusual in that it encompasses both ethnic shops and restaurants on Parc Avenue as well as the hip Francophone crowd along St-Denis Street. This is Canada’s most densely populated area, and its smaller streets, with their winding staircases and small BYOW restaurants, remain a picture of true Montreal life.

Little Italy Just a little further north and it’s “Viva l’Italia!”, the original home of the first Italian immigrants and now one of the liveliest areas in the city with its espresso bars, boutiques and authentic Italian cuisine.

Underground City No visit to Montreal is complete without a visit to the Underground City?Montreal-above-ground has been described as the tip of the urban iceberg. Beneath it lies the world’s most extensive system of interconnected pedestrian and Metro (subway) networks, linking buildings, boutiques, restaurants and even residential apartments. You could spend an entire winter in this subterranean city without ever once having to face the cold or snow.

The Metro system itself has lines running east-west and north-south (albeit, askew) to just about every part of the city. While you’re down there, check out the 62 architecturally unique stations, each created by a different designer.

Historical background

Although Montreal’s history goes back long before Jacques Cartier “discovered” the island in 1535, the intrepid explorer can certainly lay claim to being the first European to see it from the top of Mount Royal, the city’s centrally located mountain park.

Amerindians referred to these grounds as “Hochelaga,” and used the island as a meeting place where tribes could discuss trade and other important matters. The official founding date for Ville-Marie (later to become Montreal in honor of the King of France) is May 18, 1642, at which time Jeanne Mance and Paul de Chomedey Sieur de Maisonneuve came ashore with about 40 colonists and proceeded to drive out the Iroquois.

The buzzing colony, known as Nouvelle France, became a major jumping-off point for fur traders, explorers and settlers who wanted to venture further inland towards the Great Lakes and down into the Mississippi Valley. In 1760, Montreal had a mostly French population of about 4,000. The architecture of this period can be seen in buildings such as the Sulpician Seminary (Vieux Seminaire Saint-Sulpice) and Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours Chapel.

The second event that would eventually shape modern Montreal happened in 1763 when, following the British victory in the Seven Years War, France was forced to relinquish its North American territories.

Under British rule, Montreal became an important port (the largest inland port in the world, in fact) as well as Canada’s largest city and commercial hub. It was home to Canada’s first banks, mercantile houses and fur-trading companies, all of which centered around St-Jacques Street (Saint James Street to the British) in what is now Old Montreal (Vieux-Montreal). You can get a good look at buildings still standing from this era, including the Bank of Montreal.

Between 1800 and 1850, the city experienced a population explosion, increasing from around 9,000 up to 57,000. For five years, between 1844 and 1849, the city even served as Canada’s capital, until a rampaging crowd burned down the buildings that housed the legislature. The mid-19th century saw the city expand into manufacturing and heavy industry, and Montreal became Canada’s railway hub. A flood of job opportunities drew both immigrants from overseas and rural Quebecers, and the population continued to soar, reaching half a million by 1911.

By that time, the city’s Golden Square Mile area?Atwater to the west, Parc to the east, Mount Royal to the north and Rene Levesque to the south?contained some 70 percent of all Canada’s wealth. Huge properties such as the 60-room Ravenscrag Mansion on Avenue des Pins West were commonplace.

It was also around this time that non-British immigration brought in the third wave of Montreal’s development. European Jews, Italians and Greeks joined Irish and Scottish immigrants to make the city a much more cosmopolitan place.

Shortly after World War II, Montreal began a slow, steady decline in influence and power as the Canadian economy looked southward to the U.S. and away from a weakening Great Britain. Corporate headquarters migrated to Toronto, which began to receive the bulk of new investment.

The shift was accelerated by two factors: the building of the St-Lawrence Seaway, which allowed ships direct access to the Great Lakes, and the revival of Quebec nationalism, which started with the so-called Quiet Revolution in the 1960s and culminated in the election of a separatist government in the late 1970s. This led to a further exodus “down the 401,” referring to the highway between Montreal and Toronto.

Despite these woes, however, Montreal managed to hold its head high through the 1960s and 1970s thanks to its tenacious mayor, Jean Drapeau. A man with grandiose visions, Drapeau orchestrated the building of the city’s subway system (the Metro) in 1966, snagged the prestigious Expo 67 international exhibition, and then sold the city as the site for the even more illustrious 1976 Summer Olympics.

While Montreal may have relinquished the honor of being Canada’s largest and most economically influential metropolis, it still relishes its role as the nation’s most spirited and international city, in addition to being the French gastronomic center of North America and a place where historical strands join to create a potent mix of pride, art and culture.

Entertainment

Entertainment means just as many things in Montreal as it does elsewhere, but the city is perhaps most famous for its justifiably legendary nightlife. Bars stay open until 3a here, which is later than anywhere else in Canada, and even then, few customers leave willingly. As with dining and accommodations, however, the visitor will benefit greatly from exploring the less heavily touristed areas of the city.

Nightlife On Friday and Saturday nights, locals either make a beeline towards Crescent and Bishop streets or they avoid them like the plague. Traditionally known as the centre of Montreal’s Anglophone nightlife, they are now known mostly for their numerous dance clubs/meat markets (Winnie’s being one of the most famous). Those in search of a more sedate pint in the area can find one at the Irish pub Hurley’s, the charming Brutopia brew-up, and at numerous other places that are popular among an older, English-speaking crowd.

St-Laurent Boulevard is the city’s most famous street, as it is the traditional dividing line between the city’s English and French-speaking areas. Nowadays, booze serves as a very effective lingua franca, especially on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, when things don’t cool down until dawn. The strip between Prince Arthur Street and Mont-Royal Avenue features dozens of pubs, clubs, bars and assorted other dives that defy generalization.

In the latter category are the Bifteck, Copacabana and Roy Bar, three friendly, endearing, impossibly smoky taverns attracting a mixture of students and 20-somethings. Shoot some pool or catch a swing show at Le Swimming, cut a rug at Angel’s or the Belmont sur le Boulevard, lounge among the hipsters at Tokyo, or just enjoy the quiet serenity of Else’s, an arty but unpretentious pub full of Plateau-dwellers. It’s all within a 20-minute walk around St-Laurent Boulevard.

You can complete a similar if somewhat less bohemian pub crawl on St-Denis Street, St-Laurent’s more French, polished cousin, located one major street to the east. The action on St-Denis is clustered around Ontario Street in the Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin), where mind-boggling bars such as the St-Sulpice compete with the quieter allure of pubs such as l’Ile Noire, Cheval Blanc, Pub Quartier Latin and the Ste-Elisabeth. The funky, eclectic bars and cafes situated farther north between Rachel Street and Mont-Royal Avenue attract a suitably diverse crowd: check out Barouf, Quai des Brumes and Bily Kun. This street is home to dozens of patios (or terraces, in local parlance) that are perfect for watching the world go by.

For those unwilling or unable to go softly into the night, after-hours clubs such as Stereo Nightclub will let you stay until at least 10a on Saturday or Sunday morning, but not before extracting at least CAD20 from your wallet.

Culture Of course, Montreal is more than a university town on a bender. Museums, galleries, theatre, cinema and unclassifiable fringe elements enjoy great public interest from a citizenry for whom the arts represent an integral component of having a good time. An impressive if not overwhelming collection of the European masters awaits visitors at the Musem of Fine Arts (Musee des Beaux-Arts), whose magnificent premises also host first-class touring exhibitions. Place des Arts, meanwhile, is home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra (Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal), Les Grands Ballets Canadiens and l’Opera de Montreal.

The Canadian Centre for Architecture (Centre Canadien d’Architecture) presents exhibitions and multimedia displays that range from the straightforward to the thoroughly bizarre, and as a result has gained a worldwide reputation. The Museum of Modern Art (Musee d’Art Contemporain), itself an amazing building, offers a fascinating glimpse into Quebec’s thriving community of modern artists. There are also dozens of smaller galleries, museums and exhibition spaces that dot the cityscape and remain relatively undiscovered by tourists.

Montreal is at the centre of the province’s vibrant cinema community, as evidenced by its fine repertory houses and state-of-the-art first-run theatres. The Paramount Multiplex offers stadium seating, state-of-the-art sound and IMAX screens. The Ex-Centris Theatre showcases digital technology along with an impressive program of Canadian and international films. It also hosts the Festival International Nouveau Cinema every autumn.

That’s just one of the festivals Montreal has to offer. Other film fests include the World Film Festival, International Festival of Films on Art and FANT-ASIA. The Just For Laughs Festival is a joyous yearly tradition, while locals flock downtown to Place des Arts for the outdoor shows associated with the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Francofolies.

Theater buffs will find both English and French productions. Well-known companies include the Centaur, whose program features in-house Canadian and international dramas; the predominantly French Infinitheatre; and the National Theatre School (Ecole nationale de Theatre du Canada), which hosts occasional presentations. Many smaller companies exist in the city, and though some are ethnically oriented, most enjoy a pleasantly diverse audience.

Information on nearly every cultural event in the city, as well as local news and reviews, can be found in the two free arts weeklies, Hour and Mirror, which are available in coffee shops, convenience stores and various other locations.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 14th, 2007 at 2:34 pm and is filed under Places of Interest in Canada. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.