Destination Montreal

By Hélèna Katz

It’s a hot July day, and people are soaking up the sun and the atmosphere at the best party in town. Several downtown streets near the Place des Arts are closed off for the Montreal International Jazz Festival. Music from several stages floats through the air, which smells like beer. If there’s one thing Montrealers know how to do, it’s have a good time.

Festival season here starts in June with the Formula One Grand Prix race and continues throughout the summer with a host of other festivals, including the renowned Just for Laughs comedy festival that attracts talent and scouts from across North America and Les Francopholies (which showcases francophone culture), ending with the International Film Festival in September. Take a break from all the partying with visits to local attractions.

Discover History in Old Montreal
Montreal, Quebec, was founded in 1642 and initially developed down by the water, where the Old Port now stands. As you wander through Old Montreal, the city’s early history is still evident in the buildings’ architecture and the cobblestone streets that weave their way through this part of town. While the old architecture is beautiful, wheelchair access is definitely less than stellar. The best way to appreciate the area is to wander around outside.

Start your visit at Montreal’s City Hall, from which the mega-city of Montreal is now run. Built between 1872 and 1878, it was from the balcony of this building that then-French President Charles de Gaulle shouted the controversial phrase, "Vive le Québec libre!" during his 1967 visit. Place Jacques Cartier, nearby, is the heart of Old Montreal. This café-lined square was once used as a public market. Both are wheelchair accessible.

The foundations of the first stone church in Montreal were uncovered under the Marguerite-Bourgeoys Museum and Notre Dame de Bonsecours Chapel. The nearby Bonsecours Market is not wheelchair accessible, but the exterior is beautiful and its roof is visible from several blocks away. Opened in 1847, this former farmers’ market now houses boutiques, cafés and exhibitions.

Another beautiful building, which isn’t accessible but has an imposing exterior, is the Château Ramezay Museum. Built in the 18th century, this beautiful stone building was the residence for the Governor of New France. Today it houses a museum sharing the history of Montreal and Quebec to 1900.

Some of the beautiful stone buildings along historic St. Paul and de la Commune Streets date from the 19th century. Notre Dame Basilica is a fraction of the size of its Parisian namesake. Built between 1824 and 1829, this Gothic basilica hosted the state funeral of former Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau.

The Vieux Séminaire Saint-Sulpice next door was built between 1684 and 1687 and is the oldest building in the city. It was run by the Sulpician Order, which was responsible for the Notre Dame parish for nearly 200 years. Its clock, built in 1701, is said to be the oldest of its kind in North America.

End your visit with a tour around the Old Port. If you want a little break from being a tourist, take in a film at the IMAX theatre. There’s something fun and a little weird about sitting in a theatre and ducking to avoid those 3-D birds coming towards you.

See What’s on Display at the Museums
If you’re hankering for a museum experience (or just plain wanting to get away from the heat), drop in for a visit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts or the McCord Museum. The Fine Arts museum is accessible through doors on either side of the main entrance, while the McCord has an entrance at 2175 Victoria, around the corner from the front door at 690 Sherbrooke Street West.

One of the oldest museums in Canada, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts was founded in 1860 by a group of Anglo-Saxon art lovers. The permanent collection includes Canadian art, contemporary art, Inuit and Aboriginal art as well as the work of such European masters as Rembrandt, Cezanne, Monet, Picasso, Matisse and Dali. The McCord Museum is best known for its collections of historical Canadiana, including costumes, displays about life during the 18th and 19th centuries, native artifacts and archival photographs of renowned Canadian photographer William Notman.

Explore Ecology at the Biodome
In the shadow of the Olympic Stadium, the Biodome recreates four ecosystems of the Americas, including a lush and humid tropical forest, the Laurentian forest, the St. Lawrence marine ecosystem and the polar worlds of the Arctic and Antarctic.

Inside the tropical forest, a couple of capybaras, the largest rodents in the world, attract lots of attention as they paddle around a river below the visitors’ walkway. Meanwhile, golden lion tamarin monkeys flit from branch to branch in the trees above them. A scarlet macaw, with its rainbow plumage, competes for attention across the way.

At the opposite end of the Biodome - and the weather chart - penguins keep visitors entertained in the polar section. A biologist points out the different types of penguins as a few of them have fun flopping into the water, splashing around and then hopping back onto terra firma.

Get Back to Nature at the Botanical Garden and Insectarium
While Montreal has a short growing season, the Botanical Garden has a large variety of plants throughout the year. Aside from its greenhouses, visitors can also tour a number of theme and outdoor gardens. The most interesting are the First Nations Garden and the Chinese and Japanese Gardens. Escorts of visitors with disabilities receive free admission to the site.

The Insectarium, whose architecture resembles an insect, is located on the same grounds. Its gardens are designed to attract local insects during the summer. If you happen to visit at the right time of year, you can sample insects cooked up by students of Montreal’s best-known cooking school.

Seek Serenity at St. Joseph’s Oratory
A more serene experience awaits visitors at St. Joseph’s Oratory. Founded on the side of Mount Royal in 1904 by Brother André, a porter at Collège Notre-Dame across the street, the Oratory is a major pilgrimage site. Brother André is credited with helping to heal the sick, and he was beatified by Pope Jean Paul II on May 23, 1982.

The small chapel Brother André built nearly 100 years ago soon became too small, and a church (the "Crypt") with seating for 1,000 was constructed. The basilica was completed in 1967. At 97 metres from ground to tip, the dome’s height is topped only by St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Visitors can see the original chapel, the crypt (which is used for daily services), the votive chapel (which was added to the crypt, and which is where pilgrims who had been cured left their crutches and prostheses), Brother André’s Tomb and the museum. Summer visitors can wander around the grounds to see the Way of the Cross and the Gardens of the Oratory. A theatre troupe re-enacts the story of Jesus most evenings.

From mid-November to mid-February, nativities from around the world are on display at the Oratory. Regardless of your religious leanings, this is a peaceful place.

(Hélèna Katz is a freelance writer living in Montreal, Quebec.)

Find out more about an accessible visit to Montreal! Visit Access Guide Canada, www.enablelink.org/agc, and click on Quebec, then Montreal.


RESOURCES:

Tourisme Montréal
Toll-free: 1-877-BONJOUR
www.tourisme-montreal.org

Kéroul
A Quebec organization for travellers with disabilities.
Phone: (514) 252-3104
www.keroul.qc.ca