Discovering Montreal in Summer

As Canada celebrates its 150th anniversary of confederation, I arrive in Montreal to discover the city is celebrating 375 years of history. It’s 40°C/104°F warmer than when I was last here on a New Year’s road trip, and I’ve been drawn here by the International Jazz Festival — held annually, and the largest of its kind in the world. I’d heard this was a great time to visit, and as a French language student I decided it was all the incentive I needed to come and work on my new skills.

The city’s architecture flaunts its European heritage. This, for me, is one of the most interesting cities in Canada — a mix of old and new world charm alongside a relaxed Canadian sensibility. A cultural melting pot of Anglo-Franco tradition, speakers of French or English are made to feel equally at home conversing in their preferred language, and I’m amazed at how readily people switch between them, sounding completely natural in both.

If Toronto is Canada’s economic capital, Montreal is arguably its cultural one. Established just over 150 years before Toronto and within 20 years of New York City, it’s a charming mix of people and influences from Europe, Asia, Africa and North America — a foodie’s haven, with an eclectic mix of cuisines to suit any preference.

It seems fitting that the Centre for Canadian Architecture is located here. As I travel the city I find myself regularly turning my head to admire an old church, library or municipal building. The streets are full of European-style buildings with spiralling exterior staircases adorning their facades, and little patios for soaking up good weather in the warmer months. Montreal makes most rival Canadian cities look positively bland by comparison. If you’re an architecture buff, check out Habitat 67 by Moshe Safdie and Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic dome — the Biosphere.

My primary mode of transport here is a bike. I brought my own, but you could also use the city’s public bike service, Bixi, or the local transit, which includes a subway system (though admittedly I had trouble using an international credit card or Canadian debit card with the bike rental service). Uber is here, but locals tell me they prefer Téo Taxi — similar, but it pays drivers a better wage and uses only electric vehicles, reducing pollution in the city.

If you’re cycling around town, there are a good number of streets with separated bike lanes, and locals ride all year round. The canal along the south-eastern edge of Montreal Island has a great bike path that takes you past Atwater Market — a great place to shop for local produce, cheese, chocolate and food.

If you’re a history fan or like the feel of old Europe, you’ll likely enjoy exploring Old Montreal with its cobbled streets, horse-and-buggy carts and numerous pubs and food venues. The city is a food lover’s paradise. No matter how particular your tastes, you’re likely to find a great restaurant that caters to them, especially on the northern end of town around Le Plateau-Mont-Royal. Check out Larry’s for good coffee, breakfast or a drink through the day; Lawrence next door (a more formal sit-down place) is also good, I hear.

Dieu du Ciel (meaning “Good God”) is a cool little brew-pub in this neighbourhood, and while you’re at it you may as well grab some of the bagels Montreal is famous for at Fairmount Bagel, an iconic walk-in shop. Just be sure to keep them in the provided plastic bag if you’re not eating them the same day.

If you’re here in winter and like ice skating, there’s a great rink that opens on the old port — a beautiful place for a skate in Old Montreal.

In summer, though, much of the action revolves around the parks. Parc du Mont-Royal is the biggest in the city, with trails for running and biking and a fine lookout over the rooftops from the top. Towards its northern end, across Avenue du Parc, you’ll find Parc Jeanne-Mance, with beach volleyball courts and plenty of green space. On Sunday afternoons a crowd gathers to play drums and dance around the monument to Sir George-Étienne Cartier — a meet-up dubbed the Tam-Tams that’s been happening for decades.

The Jazz Festival (early July) is probably one of the busiest times to come, but if you don’t mind crowds there’s plenty of free music — or you can find a more intimate setting to watch jazz up close if you’re willing to pay a few dollars or do some research.

Whatever time of year you go, I highly recommend this gem of a city on the eastern side of Canada. It’s a relatively short drive from upstate New York, Vermont or Maine, and easy to reach by plane from most major cities in North America. À bientôt!