A Toronto View Of What Are The Great Spots In Montreal

Distinctive Montreal flavours include spruce beer, a non-alcoholic (acquired) taste, and banana and chocolate beignets at The Sparrow. HANNAH SUNG PHOTO

Reconnecting With An Old Acquaintance -- Toronto Star

There's still plenty to discover, (even if you think you've seen it all).

MONTREAL–Fellow Torontonian, you think you know Montreal, our prettier Quebecois cousin.

In Grade 7, high on sugar and souvenirs, you wreaked havoc on Old Montreal with your French Immersion class.

In university, you sped along the 401, sleeping bags crammed in the back, for weekends in the Plateau with friends.

Now you pass through on business trips, staying at tall chain hotels along Sherbrooke or Ste. Catherine.

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Trouble On The Main

The former home of American Apparel on St. Laurent Blvd. now carries a For Rent sign. “I won’t deny that the construction on the street did affect traffic,” says Dan Abenhaim, the chain’s Canadian regional director. Other shop owners say the recession and high rents have hurt business on along the strip. Photograph by: John Mahoney, The Gazette

From The Montreal Gazette:

It’s known to generations as The Main and it’s as Montreal as smoked meat and the Habs.

St. Laurent Blvd. is us, and in tribute to its Portuguese component, city officials on Friday inaugurated a dozen marble-topped benches between Bagg and Marie Anne Sts.

But things are not going that well for some merchants, especially on the trendiest part of the street between Sherbrooke St. and Pine Ave.

It’s still home to such fancy eateries as Buona Notte and Primadonna, but in the past months several major tenants have closed.

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Imagine Reliving John And Yoko’s Montreal Bed-In

Photo: Ivor Sharp/New Jersey City University Gallery

From The New York Times:

May 26 will mark the 40th anniversary of John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace in Montreal. The newlyweds, inspired by their first Bed-In in Amsterdam, had wanted to do a second one in the Bahamas (deemed too hot) or New York (a no-go because of a previous marijuana charge), but ended up at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal. Lennon ended up recording “Give Peace a Chance” in his suite.

To celebrate the anniversary, the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth is offering, through June 21, a CD that includes “Give Peace a Chance,” a copy of the lyrics in calligraphy and breakfast for two, either in bed (of course) or at the restaurant buffet. Prices start at 199 Canadian dollars a night, about $155 at 1.3 Canadian dollars to the U.S. dollar; but for Suite 1742 (John and Yoko’s room), the package starts at 599 dollars (www.fairmont.com).

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A Travel Guide To Montréal, Quebec

From Peter Greenberg Worldwide:

Each year, visitors flock to Paris to experience the French way of life, to sit in cafes on tree-lined streets and soak in that certain je ne sais quoi.

But on the other side of the ocean, Montréal has been steadily building up its reputation as the Paris of North America.

Montréal is the largest city in its province, Quebec, and the second largest in Canada.

It boasts several well-known attractions such as the Biodome, the Olympic Stadium and the Notre Dame Basilica (where Celine Dion, perhaps the most famous Quebecoise export, was wed in 1994).

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Montreal Offers Taste Of Europe

Montreal Chinese Botanical Gardens

From Leader-Post/Canada.com:

As dusk falls over the Montreal Botanical Garden, a serpentine string of lanterns leads to an enchanting realm of beautiful maidens, warriors, gods and dragons. Temples with flaring rooflines outlined in small white lights are reflected in a pond that merges reality and dream. From inside one of the temples, the sweet, mournful sound of an ancient stringed instrument evokes longing for beautiful, lost things.

For the past 16 years, during September and October, the Botanical Garden's Chinese Garden has been transformed by hundreds of traditional lanterns and dozens of huge, illuminated figures. The stories depicted by the lanterns originated in Chinese performance arts such as juggling, acrobatics, opera and music.

This year's Magic of Lanterns show, on the theme A Thousand and One Stars, runs through Oct. 31. Not just a travelling show, this is Montreal's own and has been around long enough to take root and flourish.

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What To See, Where To Stay, Shop And Eat In Montreal

From The Vancouver Sun:

GARDENS

Montreal Botanical Garden: 4101 Sherbrooke St. East, Montreal, Quebec H1X 2B2; Phone: (514) 872-1400; www.museumsnature.ca More than 73 hectares with 22,000 species of plants arrayed in 10 exhibition greenhouses and 30 outdoor gardens. Chinese, Japanese and First Nations Gardens are highlights.

Montreal Museum Pass, admission to 32 museums during any three days in a three-week period, $45; admission for threeconsecutive days, including public transportation, $50. Available at any participating museum, including the Montreal Botanical Garden.

Stop at one of the city's markets -- Jean-Talon and Atwater are the largest -- to feast your eyes on an abundance of wonderful things to eat, beautifully displayed, and to pick up cheese, bread, fruit, pastries, wine and more for an inexpensive meal.

Sweet Deal Montreal: Under the aegis of Montreal Tourism, some three- and four-star hotels are offering a winter/spring special where the first night's accommodations start from $127 to $215 and the second night is half price. The package comes with discount coupons. For more information, phone (877) 234-5269.

ACCOMMODATIONS

Opus, 10 Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, H2X 4C9;

Phone: (514) 843 6000 or (866) 744 6346; E-mail: info@opusmontreal.com; www.opushotel.com/montreal/english. The first Opus hotel was in Vancouver. The Montreal outpost, just a little more than a year old, brings a whiff of the West Coast to the buttoned-up East. Bright colours and lean, uncluttered rooms welcome business travellers as well as the courting couples who frolic in Opus' ads. Rain showers and deep soaking tubs should appeal to both. Dogs and cats can stay, too, for a nominal fee. 136 guestrooms. Doubles from $196.

Hôtel Le Crystal, 1100 rue de la Montagne, Montreal, Quebec; Phone: (514) 861-5550; www.hotellecrystal.com. All-suite hotel in downtown Montreal. Doubles from $210.

Hotel Nelligan, 106, rue St-Paul Ouest, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2Y 1Z3; Phone: (514) 788-2040; (877) 7688-2040; www.hotelnelligan.com. A charming hotel in Old Montreal that opened in 2004 and has expanded in the last year. Doubles from $235.

DINING

Schwartz's Hebrew Delicatessen, 3895 St. Laurent Blvd.; Phone; (514) 842-4813; www.schwartzsdeli.com. Famous for smoked meat. Huge sandwiches, around $5.

Fairmount Bagels, 74 Fairmount West; Phone: (514) 272-0067; www.fairmountbagel.com/. Bagels baked in a wood-fired oven, since 1919. Open daily, 24 hours a day.

Koko, Opus Hotel (see above). A fusion of Asian and Western cooking techniques and dishes in a mod setting. Starters, for instance, include beef tataki, with wakame salad and garlic chips and chicken karaage. Mains include perfectly rare lamb chops with tikka masala and imam byaldi. Three-course dinner, around $60.

La Coupole, 1175, rue de la Montagne; Phone: (514) 373-2300; www.restaurantlacoupole.ca. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

There are several restaurants in Chinatown that serve good, inexpensive food. Among them is Restaurant Cristal No. 1, which is Vietnamese. Address: 1068 Blvd. St-Laurent; Phone: (514) 875-4275. Open daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Known for Fried Sliced Pork and Imperial Roll with Vermicelli and Fried Sliced Chicken, both $7.75.

SHOPPING

Marche Bonsecours, 350 rue St-Paul est, Montreal; Phone: (514) 872-7730; www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/marchebonsecours/english/inda_fla.htm. Open daily. Among the boutiques in Bonsecours is the Boutique des métiers d'art du Quebec representing around 3,000 artisans from throughout the province. www.metiers-d-art.qc.ca/ Other shops of interest include GoGo-Glass, where visitors can watch glassblowers at work and buy a range of useful and decorative objects and Diffusion Griffe 3000, featuring men's and women's clothing created by Quebec designers (www.diffusiongriff3000.com).

L'Empreinte, 272, rue St-Paul est, Montreal; Phone: (514) 861-4427; www.lempreintecoop.com. A craft cooperative selling clothing, jewelry and gifts handmade by Quebec artisans.

Royer Objets et Trouvailles, 207 Ave Laurier O., Montreal; Phone: (514) 273-8111; www.royerboutique.com. Colorful, lovingly selected home furnishings, art work, pottery, crafts and jewelry, mostly made by Quebec artisans.

TEA SHOPS

My Cup of Tea, www.my-cup-of-tea.com. Three shops in Montreal: 73 de la Gauchetière Ouest, Montreal, QC H2Z 1C2; 057A Saint-Laurent, Montreal,Quebec H2Z 1J6; 44A Victoria Ave, Westmount, Quebec, Canada H3Z 2M8. Consult the Web site for phone numbers and hours.

Camellia Sinensis, 351, Emery; Phone: (514) 286-4002; https://camellia-sinensis.com/tea/. Also has shops in the Jean-Talon Market and in St-Roch. Open daily.

Ming Tao Xuan, 451, St-Suplice, Old Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2V8; Phone: (514) 845-9448; www.mingtaoxuan.com. Teashop in Old Montreal near Notre Dame selling loose-leaf tea and a large collection of teapots and statuary. Tea is served along with cookies and vegetarian snacks. Open daily, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Montreal: Phone: (877) 266-5687; www.tourisme-montreal.org/
Quebec Province: www.bonjourquebec.com

A New Chapter Begins For Montréal's Biodome And Nature Museums

From Zoo And Aquarium Visitor:

As announced in June of this year, Charles-Mathieu Brunelle has now taken over as Director of Montréal’s Nature Museums. Mr. Brunelle, an experienced manager and visionary, has been charged with pursuing the development of the four cultural and scientific institutions: the Montréal Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden and Planetarium.

“In joining the Museums, I want to get closer to life’s origins and everything that is at stake in this regard. I also want to kindle the debate and discussion on environmental issues, and get people thinking and talking about our role with regard to biodiversity,” says the new Director. There will be new projects to address these major challenges, along with other initiatives that are already underway, including the creation of the Montréal Biodiversity Centre and the new Planetarium.

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