Katie's Roadtrip Across Canada: Montréal

Latitude & Longitude: 47°14'N 84°39'W

Population: 3, 635, 571 (2)

Population Density: 853.6 km² (2)
Landforms: Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Lowlands (3)
Climate: Southeastern (3)
Ecozone: Mixedwood Plains (3)
National Parks: La Mauricie National Park (4)
Industries: aerospace, electronic goods, pharmaceuticals, printed goods, software engineering, telecommunications, textile and apparel manufacturing, tobacco, transportation, engineering, finance, higher education, and research and development.(5)

Day 1

My family and I arrived in Montréal fairly exhausted due to the 14 hour drive in the car all day! We immediately fell asleep, even though I really wanted to explore the city! Our hotel is called Le Saint James. (6) It reminds me of the common room in the Harry Potter books, cozy and authentic. Our first day in Montréal consisted of going to the Montréal Museum of Archaeology and History, Saint Joseph ’s Oratory, La Basilica Notre Dame, and St. Viateur Bagels. My brother was really excited about going to the Museum of Archaeology and History, so that ended up being our first destination for the day. My favourite part of the museum was the archaeological dig that you can tour underneath the building! The tour had the original brickwork from the house that use to stand in the same spot, graves of residents, and the sewer line of the city!(7) It was so neat. I would go back there in a heartbeat! The only disappointment I had about the museum was that you couldn’t take any photographs inside. Saint Joseph ’s Oratory was absolutely beautiful! The exterior had been gorgeously landscaped; the interior however wasn’t as nice as the outside but pretty nonetheless. It is located on top of a hill and gives you a stunning view of the rest of the city. It may have been more meaningful if I

was religious but still truly exceptional!(8) Le Basilica Notre Dame; another church, was completely opposite to the Saint Joseph ’s Oratory. As Le Basilica Notre Dame is located in a busier area, there isn’t any landscaping that could be described as phenomenal. However, the interior is exquisite; tall domed arch, lights, and an old captivating feel.

Boy, were we tired from all of the walking around we did today, but we managed to make a trip to St. Viateur Bagels.(9) Our friends back home had told us that getting bagels in Montréal was a must. After the long day, we made it back to the hotel for a long rest.

Day 2

Today was the last day in Montréal. Everything that we’d done so far has been really great, so we were looking forward to having another exceptional day. We went to Olympic Park, Biosphere, Bonsecours Market, and Underground City! Olympic Park wasn’t as great as I expected it to be. Although the stadium is something you really need to see when you’re there, it really isn’t exciting at all. We went to see the tower at Olympic Park as well, but since the stadium wasn’t that great I wasn’t looking forward to it. I was surprised! It was really great. We were extremely lucky that the weather was clear so we could see the entire city! There was a platform at the top of the tower where you could poke your head out and look at the roof of the stadium. My mom refused to look out because she’s wary of heights, but everyone else enjoyed it. Our next destination was the Bonsecours Market. The building is absolutely stunning; 4 floors make up this building with tons of store to shop in! We found it extremely pricy, but made the most of it. I purchased an Aboriginal blue and black necklace, as well as specialty coffees and treats for the rest of my family! The best part of the Bonsecours Market was sitting at the authentic tables and taking in the Montréal atmosphere. Our next adventure was the Biosphere. It’s definitely a sight; the great geodesic dome surrounding the building within. I learned that it had been burned down in 1976, and then made into what it serves as today in 1995. The actual exhibits were ok. It seemed more directed to younger children which I was a little bit disappointed about but I still found the St. Lawrence River movie entertaining. Our final activity to do in Montréal was the Underground City. It is the largest underground complex in the world! I was most surprised at how well lit it was. I didn’t even feel like I was underground! They had tons of shops where we all picked up a few shirts and things. We spent the rest of the night exploring through the shops and looking for something to eat! Overall I was impressed with the stunning views that Montréal had to offer!