Montreal is a city at the mercy of an extreme climate. Whipped in winter by blizzards, it suddenly emerges after a short and unpredictable spring to a glorious and green-golden summer. Short but intense, Montreal's summer is loaded with exciting, interesting activities for locals and visitors alike.
Grand Prix weekend, June 6-7-8
Grand Prix weekend is the first big blowout of the summer, not only a car race but 72 hours of club parties, street fairs, fashion parades, displays of vintage cars and, traditionally, the arrival in town of glamorous jet-setters who follow the Formula One schedule and its attendant scene.
Also see Grand Prix Montreal for a listing of related events.Fireworks competition
The International des feux Loto-Québec is a major international fireworks competition that takes place on various evenings from June 21 to August 6 at La Ronde, on an island in the midst of the St. Lawrence River. Although tickets can be bought on the website allowing entry to stands with a close view of the action and its accompanying music, it's a long-standing tradition in Montreal to walk up onto Jacques-Cartier bridge, make one's way over to Île Sainte-Hélène, or simply stroll down to the eastern part of the waterfront to get a look at the display.Rain or shine, the shows begin at 10 p.m.:
Saturday, June 21: France
Saturday, June 28: Italy
Saturday, July 5: South Korea
Saturday, July 12: Portugal
Saturday, July 19: Australia
Wednesday, July 23: Canada
Saturday, July 26: Austria
Wednesday, July 30: U.S.A.
Saturday, August 2: China
Wednesday, August 6: Closing show
To get to the bridge, take the metro to Papineau station, on exiting which you will not be able to ignore the presence of the bridge, which towers over it. Chances are that on a fireworks night you'll only have to follow the crowd up Papineau for a couple of short blocks and then onto the bridge access. The bridge is closed to traffic for at least an hour before and after the display. Note that there are no services, such as bathrooms, once you're on the bridge. Instructions for getting onto the islands follow.
Parc Jean-Drapeau (the Expo islands)
To get onto the islands, just take the metro to Jean-Drapeau. The island park is well worth a look around: site of Expo 67, Montreal's unforgotten world's fair, they still contain buildings, sculptures, natural landscaping, the casino, vintage military installations, and also offer beautiful views of the cityscape. There is also plenty of paid parking: you can access the islands from Jacques-Cartier bridge, following the signs.
The islands offer:- The La Ronde amusement park
- The Montreal Casino built inside the pavilions of Quebec and France from Expo 67
- The Hélène de Champlain restaurant
- The Stewart Museum, built in the old fort on the island, which focuses on local history, particularly military history
- The Festin du gouverneur, also set in part of the old fort, which presents dinner theatre evoking life under the French regime
- The Biosphere, built inside the U.S. pavilion from Expo 67, a massive geodesic dome, and focusing on environmental issues particularly concerning water. This summer, an exhibit of 40 large photos of the Arctic will be on display along the path from the metro to the Biosphere.
- Public art including the magnificent Calder stabile Man and one of the few Wallace fountains outside France.
- The Dragon Boat race on July 26 and 27 at the Olympic basin on Île Notre-Dame
- Also gardens, a beach, biking and walking paths, swimming pools, the Grand Prix race and the fireworks competition, both described above.
Art and museums this summer
The city's museums have some interesting offerings this summer. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts' show of the works of Yves Saint-Laurent has acquired a certain poignancy from the recent death of the master of clothing design. It's on till September 28.
The Musée d'art contemporain is staging its first Triennale, a large survey of the state of fine art in Quebec at the moment. It's had good and interesting reviews.
The Canadian Centre for Architecture has a show called Some Ideas on Living in London and Tokyo. The museum bookshop, specializing in architecture and graphic design, is always a treat for those with any interest in those subjects.
The Biodome has a special event this summer with lemurs from Madagascar joining its other live specimens in the indoor zoo.
A litle far afield, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec, in Quebec City, is displaying 270 archaic objects from the Louvre in connection with the city's 400th anniversary.
Two national days, a week apart
Montrealers begin the high days of summer with the one-two punch of Quebec's Fête nationale (June 24, also commonly still called Fête de la Saint-Jean) and Canada Day (July 1, also the day on which many Montrealers end their apartment leases and move house). Both days are accompanied by festivities, although the June 24 holiday (and, more particularly, its eve) is the bigger popular event with many local outdoor parties in neighbourhood parks.
Jazz, comedy and Francophone song
The three big street festivals that rock Montreal into the summer are the jazz festival (June 26-July 6), the Just For Laughs comedy festival (July 10-20), and Les FrancoFolies, a festival of French-language music and concerts (July 23-August 3). All of these offer big name concerts, a barrage of free street entertainment, people watching, and all kinds of additional entertainments.Quebec City's 400th anniversary
It's not in Montreal, but it's worth noting that July 3 this year is the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City and there will be lots of events taking place in the Vielle Capitale, only 3 hours from Montreal.