The opening of the Lachine Canal in 1825 signaled Montreal's ascendance as a major center of industry and commerce. The canal was made obsolete by the Saint Lawrence Seaway in 1970, but today has found new life as a park, with an excellent urban trail running along side its length.
A unique gallery, studio and school dedicated to glass-blowing, Espace Verre was created in 1983 by two artists who wanted to give people in Montreal the chance to learn the artform. The small, private institution is based in a former fire hall in the industrial zone of Pointe-Saint-Charles, and is regularly open to visitors.
The Formula One Canadian Grand Prix has been held in Montreal since 1978, on the artificial island of Île Notre-Dame. Held every year at the beginning of June, the race is eagerly anticipated by the city's residents, to whom it represents the unofficial start of summer.
Street art is a phenomenon which hip cities long ago stopped trying to fight, and started to embrace. When it's well-done, street art can beautify otherwise drab buildings, provoke thought, and even drive tourism. If you've ever wondered how the artists manage to make use of their building-sized canvases, you should check out Montreal's Mural Festival, where you can see them at work.
Located in the old RCA factory in Saint-Henri, the Emile Berline Musée des Ondes is a small museum dedicated to the world of sound, and Montreal's place in the history of the audio and aerospace sectors. Only open a few days each week, this museum doesn't take long to visit, and allows you an inside look at the swiftly-disappearing industrial past of Montreal.
Established in 1921 on the grounds of McGill University, the McCord Museum of Canadian History boasts a collection of over a million historical documents, photographs and archaeological finds. The permanent exhibition is dedicated to Montreal's history, but what makes the McCord Museum worthwhile is its examination of the clothing and customs of Canada's native people.
We showed up in Saint-Henri with the intention of visiting the Emile Berliner Musée des Ondes, a museum dedicated to the world of audio. But since the museum was closed, we instead spent the day wandering around the neighborhood. Working-class Saint-Henri hasn't traditionally been the kind of place which draws tourists, but it's recently come into fashion, and gentrification is well underway.
After visiting the Kondiaronk Belvedere and taking in the view of downtown Montreal, you can continue your exploration of the mountain by heading west toward the Lac aux Castors. On the way, you'll pass a sculpture park and the Maison Smith, which was built in 1858 and today is home to a small exhibition about the park.
Comprising an area of almost 200 acres next to the Olympic Park, Montreal's Botanical Garden opened in 1931, and is considered to be among the most important in the world. The garden is separated into over twenty thematic zones along with ten greenhouses, dozens of kilometers of trails, and over 22,000 plant species. In other words, you better get started.
Since arriving in Montreal, we had been planning to check out the Museum of Fine Arts, but kept finding reasons to postpone our visit. "It's too sunny out for a museum," or "it's Sunday, and will be too crowded," or "it's already too late, and we won't be able to see everything." But if we're being honest, the museum simply intimidated us. With over 40,000 pieces in its permanent collection, this the largest and most important museum in Montreal, and one that requires a lot of time to see properly.
