What to do around the Guy-Concordia metro station…

ISTR 2020 will take place at Concordia University, which is easily accessible by the nearest metro station: Guy-Concordia – right next to the university.  It is located in one of the busiest areas of Montreal’s downtown and there is plenty to see and do right in this area of the city. Its multipurpose and multiethnic character is illustrated by a staggering number of restaurants, pubs, stores, apartment buildings, and small businesses.

History

Guy-Concordia metro station was inaugurated in 1966 as part of the first metro line that was built to make the provision of public transport in Montreal more diverse and practical leading up to the 1967 International Exhibition. The Expo would transform Montrealers’s view of the world at a time when the province was coming out of the “Grande Noirceur” (The Great Darkness of conservative politics in Quebec) and diving right into the “Revolution tranquille” period of intense socio-political change in the province.

Around the station

Coming out of the station, you will have no problem finding a place to eat no matter which direction you might take. The area remains alive at all times!

With some luck, you might be able to get a table at the École des métiers de la restauration et du tourisme de Montréal (EMRTM, 1822 boulevard de Maisonneuve Ouest, 514 350-8049). There you will get an excellent meal for a more than reasonable price. You will contribute at the same time to the professional training of students in cooking, tourism, and wine counseling. L’École des métiers de la restauration et du tourisme de Montréal is located in a magnificent Victorian building built in 1887 by the Montreal architect Alexander Francis Dunlop. The renovation work of the building was executed with the highest respect of the environment in mind, and the building has recently received a LEED-Silver certification.

You might find the Putting-Edge Glow in the Dark Mini-golf to be a fun experience. Yes, this is an inside minigolf experience in a dark but amusing environment! An unusual and relaxing group activity in a place where the outside weather does not matter (1259 Guy street, 514-507-8106). A particularly fun activity if your children are with you during the Conference.

For those who appreciate fine arts, the , just a few minutes from the metro, is a MUST!  Founded in 1860, the MBA is the museum par excellence. Since 2013, a patrimonial church adjacent to the museum is now part of the museum. The Salle Burgie, as it is now known, has been transformed into a 444 seat auditorium for concerts and conferences (1339 Sherbrooke street west).

Interested to see what is left of the New France period in the Montreal downtown area? You can visit the Domaine des Messieurs de Saint-Sulpice (2065 Sherbrooke west). The vast and green domain harbors the Tower, the College de Montreal, a private French secondary school for boys and  girls, its buildings and chapel, the Grand Seminaire de Montréal also with its buildings and chapel, and the last remnants of the old fort of the Mission de la Montagne (1675). It is located at the foot of the fort that gave its name to the street du Fort, where Marguerite Bourgeoys founded a school for young American girls. During the summer, the Grand Seminaire organizes visits which again provides an opportunity to learn about the rich history of Montreal.

The Montreal Masonic Memorial Temple is a historic masonic temple located on the corner of Sherbrooke Street and St. Marc Street (1850 Sherbrooke Street West, Montréal, 514 -933-6432). Opened in 1930, the work of the architect John Smith Archibal was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2001, as an example of one of Canada’s most elegant buildings in the Beaux-Arts style. The Masonic Memorial Temple, as its name suggests, was conceived as both a meeting place for the Masonic order as well as a memorial to the Freemasons who served and gave their lives during the Great War of 1914-18. An interesting fact about the Temple: the first true Masonic temple was established in 1825, in Old Montreal, where the Marché Bonsecours stands today.

Where to eat

• Qing Hua Dumplings (Chinese): 1676 Lincoln avenue
• Kazu restaurant (Japanese): 1862 Ste. Catherine west.
• Café Myriade owned by the barista Anthony Benda: 1432 Mackay street
• Crudessence (fresh, vegetarian, vegan, and uncooked cuisine): 2157 Mackay street
• Koa Lua (Poke): 1446 Ste. Catherine street west.

 

Thank you to Lorraine Bergeron, MA student, Concordia University for writing this post.

Visiting Montréal for ISTR 2020

Of the many opportunities ISTR Conferences offer, an important element is the opportunity to learn how the Third Sector manifests locally in the host country.  Our upcoming conference will feature panels on the Québecois and Canadian experience more broadly and a colloquium hosted by the ARIMA partnership embedded within the conference itself (starting the day before).  More information about these opportunities will follow in future blog posts.  For now, we wanted to help familiarize you with the city of Montréal and provide some context for the city where we will gather in July.

A striking union of European charm and North American attitude, Montréal presents visitors with a captivating combination of the historic and the new, from exquisite architecture in the Old Port to diverse art displays throughout the city to fine dining in the Plateau.

© Alexandre Choquette

Its strategic position in the St. Lawrence River made the island of Montréal a popular trading area for regional First Nations: the Atikamekw to the north, the Anishinaabe (Algonquin) to the west and the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk), part of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, to the south. Today, the First Nation communities most closely associated with Montréal are the Kanien’kehá:ka—who named the island Tiotia:ke—in the Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory on the South Shore and the Kanehsatà:ke Lands on the North Shore, near Oka.

© Damien Ligiardi

Once home to the First Nations people, this island gem on the magnificent St. Lawrence River has seen travelers from far and wide visit its shores creating a bustling port city. The French colonists were the first to arrive, followed by the English, the Scottish and the Irish. Later, myriad peoples from around the world settled the fertile ground stretching up to the now defunct volcano Mount Royal.

Today, 120 distinct ethnic communities are represented in its population of more than 3.6 million, making Montréal a veritable mosaic of cultures and traditions. The world’s second largest francophone city after Paris, it truly merits the moniker ‘international’ city, a cosmopolitan centre with proud roots in the past that enthusiastically embraces the future. A world leader in such industries as aeronautics, information technology and biotechnology, the city has also made significant innovations in medicine, multimedia, the arts and urban planning. Its avant-garde spirit has not gone unnoticed: in 2006, Montréal was named a UNESCO City of Design. The strength and number of its academic institutions have also won Montréal the QS ranking of the top university city in the world.

Montréal provides a diversity of choices of activities for visitors day and night. It is host to a dizzying array of events, exhibitions, and festivals year round. While Montréal’s masterful chefs continue to elevate its reputation as a gourmet destination, creative artists and artisans draw admirers in droves to the haute couture ateliers, arts galleries and charming boutiques that line the city streets.

Getting around the city on a day-to-day basis is hassle-free. Its quaint streets, plentiful parks, underground pedestrian network, and métro system are safe and easy to navigate. The best way to get to know the city is on foot, through any one of its colourful and vibrant neighbourhoods, from Little Burgundy and Griffintown to the Plateau and TMR, which overflow with markets, boutiques, restaurants and local cafés—diverse expressions of the inhabitants’ joie de vivre. Montrealers are welcoming hosts and multilingual, passionate about their city and excited to share its abundance. Photo caption: © Festival MURAL – The Seven Deadly Sins, Buff Monster. Photo by Alexandre Choquette

Tourisme Montréal provides a constantly updated events calendar, https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do, searchable by date, type of activity, and area of the city to help make the most of your visit.

July in Montréal brings Formula One races, the International Jazz Festival, Francofolies, Juste pour rire, Fireworks, and a Circus Festival for just a start.

Foodies can search for hidden restaurants at https://www.restomontreal.ca/, while city and area tours by bike, scooter, boat, and foot can be found at https://www.mtl.org/en/what-to-do/tours.