Place Kate-McGarrigle was inaugurated on August 7, 2013, in memory of local musician Kate…read moreMcGarrigle (known to many as one half of the folksinging duo Kate and Anna McGarrigle, as well as the mother of Rufus and Martha Wainwright). The small, neat park and public square is located among high-end shops on Laurier Avenue West, near to Kate McGarrigle's old home. It has benches, granite seats, and a chair sculpture by the American artist Robert Wilson (donated by the family). It's a nice spot to take a break from a walk or shopping on Laurier, and maybe reflect on Kate McGarrigle and her musical legacy.

We are very big fans of Kate McGarrigle from upstate NY and were so grateful to have this beautiful…read moreplace to visit and remember her during our visit to Montreal. The "Kate and Nora" sculpture is a perfect tribute. There was an upright piano next to the sculpture that was covered and locked- we looked under the cover and saw that it was beautifully painted! It is wonderful to imagine music being played in that sacred space to celebrate Kate's memory. The neighborhood is lovely, it was easy to find a place to have lunch nearby after our visit. Our thanks to the city of Montreal for providing a space to honor the great Kate McGarrigle.

Planning on sending postcards to family or friends while on "holiday?"…read more Sending a postcard to the United States costs Canadian $1.20...there are many colorfully planted mailboxes on almost the corner of each block or two...very easy to DIY!

Friendly, family Post Office and variety store, tiny and tucked up on Castelneau right where one…read moremight need it. The next closest is the one in the big Pharmaprix on St Denis, but I go here when I can instead because I like this little old shops, don't you?

I was 84,000 steps into a 100k step day in Montreal, fading fast. The humidity was beating me from…read morepillar to post. Roshe runs were a horrendous choice of footwear. Both achilles tendons were begging me to stop. Clips of Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Tyrese Haliburton brutally ripping their achilles off the bone flashed through my mind. "It's not worth it... don't finish... 84k steps is plenty... what are you even doing this for?" It was just then, as I was toying with breaking the contract I inked with myself in blood, that I turned left onto Queen Mary Ave and saw Saint Josephs Church sitting on top of a hill. It was breathtaking. It felt like something out of the Legend of Zelda. My own Temple of Time. I love when the works of my own species inspire me. I began my ascent to the top. The sun was checking out for the day, and I realized this may be an all-time sunset view from the summit. I got half way up, turned around, and boom. A jolt of energy injected straight into my soul. Half the sun had disappeared behind the horizon, with warm vibrant colors blasting into the cotton candy sky. It was a top 10 sunset of my life, and I've been SPOILED with some great sunsets over the years. When I reached the staircase that led to the summit, it felt like the whole city of Montreal was out there. The city was ALIVE. I couldn't help but forget about the pain in my legs, my existential dread, and the most humid day of 2026 in Montreal. God's creation was on full display, and it felt like his way of telling me to keep pushing. If you're in Montreal, this is the best place to watch the sunset. THANK YOU ST JOES I NEEDED THAT! IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

Seven days a week mass is celebrated in French, English and Spanish. Only the French mass on…read moreSundays is in the basilica and the rest are held in the crypt church which while simple is still beautiful with its beautiful gold and stone statue behind the altar. The English mass is 12:15 pm and 7:00 pm, Mon - Saturday and 11:15 am on Sunday. Plan to arrive early, since the masses can get filled up. It is free to enter or look around, and you just pay for parking, tours, or for the museum. Although there are stairs, we took the several flights of escalators up to the Votive chapel floor where the Crypt church was. The Votive chapel is a hallway lined in flickering votive candles. I really enjoyed the English mass; the cantor, who sings the prayers you repeat, had the most beautiful voice I ever heard in church. Afterwards, we walked around the large gift shops, Brother Andre's tomb, enjoyed the beautiful view of the city, poked my head into the Basilica but did not go in since the French mass was going to be be held, saw the original small chapel (no pictures allowed), and walked around the Garden of the Way of the Cross which has larger than life statues depicting the stations of the cross. I found them particularly moving, since the sorrow, struggle, and pain was depicted in the faces so large and more realistically than looking at small paintings. At the end, there were a number of stairs to walk down or I think you would need to backtrack to take the paths back to the start. Really a special place and you can feel the peace and prayers here in spite of the hundreds of people.

Holy moly. Short staff issue has become a serious problem here. The line was so long that it was…read morefrom inside and than all the way out. Not sure how many people are working at Service Canada at the moment but there is no way that if someone is getting their password would have it done today. I am guessing many came at least a day before. Again this issue is across Canada and not just at this Montreal downtown location. One word to explain this situation: "crazy".

After spending 20$ on taxi to get there, and despite being there 2 hours before their stated…read moreclosing time on the website (4pm closing time listed), they refused me entry, saying they had enough people ''for today''. How the fuck is that MY problem? Don't write 4pm if you're not going to allow people to come in until 4pm! All Canada government services are ridiculously slow and they don't care to make it more efficient. Just look at the pictures of the line-up someone put on this page! Some people brought chairs! You shouldn't have to camp out all day just to receive a service that should take 30 minutes max to process!

The paifang on Saint Laurent Boulevard is located in the area of De la Gauchetière Street in…read moreMontreal. The neighbourhood contains many Asian restaurants, food markets, and convenience stores as well being home to many of Montreal's East Asian community centres, such as the Montreal Chinese Hospital and the Montreal Chinese Community and Cultural Center. I'm so happy to walk through the gate of China town. After the gate, building has lot of Chinese roof and style.

Truly unique architectural design! Built for the 1967 Expo and designed by Moshe Safdie, this condo…read morecomplex is truly unique and worth seeing. We didn't have time to book a tour, but tours are offered. We slowly drove by Habitat 67, then illegally parked the car and took some photos. Traffic was minimal the day we visited. The Wall Street Journal ran a story on Habitat 67 on September 7, 2022. That article reported that monthly dues are now $760 / cube / month and that the complex needs some structural repairs.

I was on the waterfront by the Ferris Wheel and was wondering what the building across the water!?…read moreIt was so cool looking. So then I researched it and discovered it was Habitat 67! What a cool housing and architectural landmark. I highly recommend to drive over and see this amazing piece of architecture. I did not realize there is a guided tour. If I had more time, I would have done a tour. I could not stop looking at this beautiful building.

This new bridge is a link between Montréal and the southerly suburb Brossard. The new Réseau…read moreExpress Metropolitain commuter link also traverses here. There is the usual bit of heavy traffic, but things were running smoothly on my visits. No tolls! Thanks, Mr. Trudeau.

I drove through here when I was returning back into the Unites States from Montreal. The drive…read morethrough here was relatively short, but the sights were amazing. The bridge was high enough for me to see the beautiful nature that exists in this part of Canada. The blue river is flanked by greenery, and the whole sight is just relaxing. This is great, as I had hours of driving ahead of me. Traffic was not bad that day, so that was another positive to this place.