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.
Fireworks competition
The International des feux Loto-Québec is a major international fireworks competition that takes place on various evenings from June 13 to August 15 at La Ronde, on an island in the midst of the St. Lawrence River. This year is the 25th anniversary of the event. 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 or 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. Some folks even take a river cruise to get a better view.Rain or shine, the shows begin at 10 p.m. This year all the shows are on Saturday nights:
June 13: Opening show
June 20: Spain
June 27: England
July 4: Australia
July 11: China
July 18: Argentina
July 25: Quebec
August 1: U.S.A.
August 8: South Africa
August 15: Closing show
To get to the bridge, take the metro to Papineau station. 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, which looms directly over that part of town. 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, although sometimes you can buy a popsicle or a bottle of water from itinerant sellers. 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 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.
- Public art including the magnificent Calder stabile Man and one of the few Wallace fountains outside France.
- The Piknic Electronik weekly outdoor DJ event around the base of the Man statue
- The Dragon Boat race on July 25 and 26 at the Olympic basin on Île Notre-Dame
- Also gardens, a beach, biking and walking paths, swimming pools and the fireworks competition described above.
- The Stewart Museum, a military museum in the old fort on the island, is closed for major renovations this year and is expected to reopen in 2010.
Art and museums this summer
The summer art season always begins with Museums Day at the end of May, this year on May 31, during which most of the city's museums are free and there are bus circuits making it easy to get from one to another.
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts will be doing a show called Expanding Horizons on North American landscape painting and photography, June 18 to September 27, and The Peace Ballad of John and Yoko is also on until June 21. Access to its permanent collection is always free.
The Musée d'art contemporain is putting up three big installation pieces by Christine Davis, Adad Hannah and Franz West.
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 parades, concerts and other 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 (July 1-12), the Just For Laughs comedy festival (July 3-26, with the street fair and English-language programming section to begin on July 16), and Les FrancoFolies, a festival of French-language music and concerts (July 30-August 9). All of these offer big name concerts, a barrage of free street entertainment, people watching, and all kinds of additional entertainments. It's the 30th edition of the Jazz Festival so there will be some special events to mark the anniversary as well.More to come.