Oct 21

Oct 21 Impressions from Montreal

Review, News + Logistics, Travel Logistics, Travel Review

Given that Canada, at just under 10 million square km, is the world’s second-largest country, I thought it would be a good idea to explore this vast land before wintertime. Having only been as far East as Toronto, I wanted to take a peek at Canada’s 2nd most populous province, and take in the unique European influenced food, culture and sights.

Highlights – Montreal

McGill and Mount Royal

Despite the overcast skies, Sunday in Montreal meant that many people were outside enjoying the weekend, with shopping proving particularly popular. I first ventured up to McGill and Mount Royal, eager to see one of Canada’s o̶l̶d̶e̶s̶t̶ best university (Nick’s note - McGill is Canada’s best university) and largest volcanic complex (no relation). Despite being located in Downtown Montreal, the McGill’s campus was quite dispersed and was a mix between older stone buildings and newer glass and steel constructions (Nick’s note - there are many brutalist libraries where dreams go to die…). There were plenty of signs advising against entering if one displayed symptoms, with most of the buildings being off-limits to non-university visitors.

As a relatively new entrant to the workforce, I felt a pang of envy watching students milling about, worrying only about their latest homework assignments. That being said, I do not envy the class of 2020, which entered into one of the worst job markets in recent memory, or the class of 2021, which now has to endure Zoom classes (although they’re much more fun than endless Zoom meetings!)

After walking up to Mount Royal, I got a stunning panoramic view of Montreal’s downtown, complete with a view of my employer’s logo (top left)! However, as I began to explore the rest of the city, it was clear that the high-density buildup was centralized in downtown, with triplexes on narrow streets being the dominant form of construction in the rest of Montreal.

Mount Royal had a bit more activity, with family and friends picnicking, playing sports, reading, although everyone was quite good about social distancing. The actual mountain was not that steep and contained a multitude of trails and car accessible roads that snaked about.

Afterwards, I indulged in some absolutely amazing poutine, strolled down St. Catherine Street, and retired to the Fairmont Montreal.

Olympic Stadium and Park

In 1976, Montreal acted as the host for…the 1976 Olympics, and subsequently spent over $1.6bn (around $5bn in today’s money) on building infrastructure, housing and other new facilities. There have been critics that despair over the significant sums that were poured into buildings and attractions for the Olympics, only to not be used in the years that follow. Speaking as an uninformed layperson, I did feel that Montreal at least made an effort to monetize the games, both by capitalizing on the facilities as a tourist attraction and by hosting subsequent large events (though who knows how that will turn out in the future…).

Upon exiting the Olympic Park station, I was greeted by the below:

Having been to other past Olympic relics, including the Bird’s Nest in Beijing, I was still struck by how empty the entrance to the stadium was, especially given the signs showing the thousands that crowded the stadium during the games and cheered for their respective countries.

However, as I began to walk through the park, I did see many others around, notably to enter into the Biodome’s event. I then went do a display commemorating the winners of the games and found it interesting seeing athletics hailing from the now-defunct states of West Germany and the Soviet Union. Such is history, that even within the short span of a lifetime that countries and powers come and go, although Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States still manage to produce some of the world’s best gymnasts.

Beyond the main stadium, there are several other stadiums that were used for wrestling/boxing, a large swimming pool, a theatre and a conveniently located subway station.

Downtown Montreal and the Ritz Carlton

Downtown Montreal was, like most other central business districts these days, filled with tall buildings without residents, although activity had begun to pick up. The city has smartly chosen this time to undertake some vital construction, through this was a bit annoying as a tourist. Most shopping was open, although at reduced hours. Personally, I was not that impressed with the level of retail activity and diversity, although this might have to do something with the fact I am a bit too poor to do breakfast at Tiffanys.

Which is why I decided to go to the Ritz Carlton for High Tea!

Ricky, the Prince of Travel himself, has thoroughly and expertly covered actually staying at the Ritz Carlton Montreal, so I will focus more on the High Tea aspect.

*What? No doorman to keep people like me out?*

The entrance and lobby were splendid, oozing old money without being too over the top, although there were casually watches for sale that cost about the same as an average Canadian’s yearly salary.

High Tea relocated to the Palm Court, a splendid ballroom with designed evoking an older, more refined era. That, combined with the Dom Perignon bar and the massive chandelier, made me, as someone on his early 20s, feel rightfully out of place.

The mask clad server kindly walked me through the menu: not much has changed, besides the fact that tables were socially distant from each other and the menu came by scanning a QR code. Clients were given a choice of around 10 teas, along with an additional, significant upcharge for glasses of champagne.

The items came on a beautifully decorated tray, and were as follows:

1. Plain and cranberry scones, serviced with two jams and Devonshire style cream

2. Finger Cut Sandwiches: Cucumber and mint cream, smoked salmon and dill, roast beef and tomatoes and olives

3. Pastry Chef creations, which I found quite sweet

I have very little experiences with High Tea, but everything tasted absolutely wonderful, probably as I had consumed an entire meal’s worth of calories in a single sitting.

Old Montreal and Harbourfront

As many of us learned in history class, Jacques Cartier was the first European to reach the area in the early 16th century, although the Indigenous people have lived there over 4,000 years. Given its age, it was only fitting that Montreal retained some of its charming heritage. I began my journey at a rooftop bar at Place d'Armes, which would have showcased an amazing view of the city had it not started raining in the middle of my stay.

Going back later, I wandered the cobblestone streets and admired the patchwork of French and British architecture, along with a notable number of Churches and Fountains.

Did they have parking meters back then…?

Nearby was the harbourfront, which was nearly empty given it was an overcast weekday. While the Montreal Ferris Wheel was still in operation, most of the board’s stores were boarded up, the Science Center only had a few exhibits open, and the zipline was temporarily closed (although it has since opened up).

The Point

By September, Montreal had opened up and would prove to be an excellent getaway. That being said, COVID-19 has returned so it’s not the time to travel. While I was disappointed to have not, rightfully, been able to experience the festival and bar scene, it still was a great place to be for a quick long weekend getaway. Be prepared to be impressed with the city’s food scene, architectural splendour and fantastic people.