Every neighborhood has a skating rink in a park and the ice is filled with people of all ages, from skaters whose fur hats hide gray hair to toddlers barely able to stand up in boots, let alone skates. Every available hill has sled and toboggan tracks crisscrossing it, and cross-country skiers glide through the woods of Mont Royal.
But Montreal’s expertise with winter is not all outdoors. Miles of enclosed passageways connect the entire downtown area, making it possible to browse in hundreds of shops, attend concerts and plays, dine and even catch the ViaRail trains without stepping outside. If you’re staying in the Fairmont Queen Elizabeth (www.Fairmont.com/QueenElizabeth) you can access this network right from your hotel.
As if all this were not enough, for three weekends beginning in late January, islands in the St. Lawrence River are transformed into a winter wonderland, the Fête des Neiges, or Festival of Snow (Jan. 26-27, Feb. 2-3, Feb. 9-10). Almost any activity that is associated with snow and ice happens here, from the traditional Scottish sport of curling to maple sugar on snow.
Skaters have a dedicated path along the banks of the river, with the city skyline as a backdrop. “Mont Yoplait” is a mountain of snow, covered in tubing slopes (pictured here). Free beginner ski lessons include free use of equipment, and a slope is reserved for tobogganing.
Although youngsters take part in all these activities, one entire section is designed especially for them. La Bourgade Nordique is a delightful snowy village peopled by penguin characters.
Entertainment stages are busy each weekend, and La Boulathetique is an outdoor disco where teens hang out. All the events are free, but if you take your car to the islands there is a parking charge.
Since it’s Montreal, you can be sure there is food involved. Maple rules at the Caban de Sucre, where boiling syrup is poured on snow to make a sweet sticky candy. Sample sugar pie or the famed Quebec meat pies here, too.
Along with superb French restaurants and smart cutting edge contemporary dining, are ethnic restaurants of every imaginable kind. Montrealers dine out a lot, and they support good restaurants.
For weekend breakfast, follow the locals to the Atwater Market, alongside the Lachine Canal and order croissants and a boule of coffee at the bakery that occupies one entire end.
— Contributed by Barbara Radcliffe Rogers