guide of the city

Guide for the newcomers - PolyExplore
DISCOVER
MONTRÉAL
Welcome to Montreal!
Guide for the newcomers
Written by Maxime Callais (former member of Polyexplore) and translated by Kenzo Detmers.
Latest update, August 2016
PolyExplore welcomes you to
Montreal, the biggest city in
Quebec and the 2nd biggest in
Canada!
We’re going to organize
activities throughout the year, so
you can discover Montreal and
Quebec. However, it might also be
good for you to discover this
country on your own!
This document gives you
advice about what to see, to visit,
which food you should try, the
festivals you should go to so that
you can make the most out of your
exchange
All these addresses are
classified in different sections:
What to see, what to do, what to
eat and to drink and where to go to.
Finally, we’ll give you the
addresses for your every day life
such as supermarkets, drugstores,
as well as a little bit of history about
the Province of Quebec, some
vocabulary and a cultural page.
For more information, please
don’t hesitate to contact someone
from Polyexplore or to ask for help on
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
the Facebook group. You can also
join
us
by
email:
[email protected].
Once again, welcome to
Montreal, and remember that you
came to enjoy!
Never say no and try everything
out while you’re in Montreal.
If you follow this basic rule, you’ll
make the most out of your exchange!
1
DISCOVER MONTREAL What to see
What to see
Montreal Highlights
What to visit in Montreal, where to go to outside of Montreal? Here’s a guide of cities you can visit for 1-2 day(s).
In the entire document, what we like the most are marked with an *
Montreal
University of Montreal and Polytechnique Montreal
Campus
St-Joseph’s Oratory (go up the steps on your knees!)
* Walk around the Mount-Royal, point of view from
the chalet and walk to the metallic Cross.
The underground city
Ste-Catherine Street
Notre-Dame Basilica (where C. Dion got married <3)
* St-Paul Street
* Old Port
Jacques-Cartier Pier
Jacques-Cartier Square
Bonsecours Market
Chinatown
McGill Campus
* “Place des Arts”
The Latin Quarter
Gay Village
Montreal
You might have the
entire semester to
discover Montreal
but this list can
easily be done in 23 days.
Metro
The “Société des
Transports de
Montréal (STM)”
manages the bus
and the metro
network in the city
of Montreal.
Downtown
To discover
Downtown
Montreal, go here.
* The “Plateau Mont-Royal “
Lafontaine Park
Olympic Stadium
Botanical Garden
Biodome
St-Helen’s Island
Parc Jean-Drapeau
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
2
DISCOVER MONTREAL What to see
What to see
Canada Highlights
* The “Promenade des Gouverneurs” (Governor’s
Walkway) and the Dufferin Terrace
Ottawa
Parliament’s Hill
The Citadel
Plains of Abraham
The Parliament’s Hill
The “Hôtel de Glace” (Ice Hotel)
Rideau Canal
24 Sussex Drive
Rideau Hall Park
Quebec City
* Old town of Quebec City
“Place Royale” (the Royal Square)
*” Petit Champlain” (the Little Champlain)
Montmorency Falls
Ottawa
The Capital of
Canada can
easily be
visited in one
day. Join us
when we go in
January!
Quebec City
The capital of
the Province
can also be
visited in 1
day, but if you
want to see
the
Montmorency
Falls or the
Orleans’
Island, add an
extra day to
your trip. We’ll
go there in the
winter.
* “L'Escalier Casse-Cou” (the Treacherous Stares)
and the cable car
* Orleans’ Island
The Huron-Wendat village
Château Frontenac
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
3
DISCOVER MONTREAL What to do
What to do
Things to do while you’re in Montreal
Here’s your to-do list! Try to do as many activities as you can!
The classics
Sleigh ride
Auberge Le P'tit Bonheur, Île d'Orléans
* Sugar Shack
"Sucrerie de la montagne" Sugar Shack
try to find other ones
Apple-picking
* Ski-doo
Ice-fishing
* Whale-watching cruises in Tadoussac
AML Cruises, Fjord Cruises, etc.
At the Polytechnique
Our Pub (every Friday)
* "Les Houblonneries" (our own beer festival)
* Polytechnique’s Beach Party
PolyParty’s parties
Make sure to read the noticeboards at the university
for more information about other events!
Events and festivals
Montreal’s Auto Show (January)
"Fête des Neiges" (January - February)
Carnival of Quebec City (January – February)
* Igloofest (4 week-ends, January - February)
"Montréal en lumière" (February - March)
"Nuit blanche" (February, during "Montréal en
lumière")
St Patrick's Day (March, 17th; better in Boston)
"Bal en Blanc" (April - May)
Color Me Rad Run (May)
Mutek (May - June)
* Piknic Electronik (every Sunday, from May to
September)
Les FrancoFolies (June)
* "Fete nationale" (Jean Baptiste Day, June, 24th)
Canaday Day (July, 1st; better in Ottawa)
L'international des Feux Loto-Québec (during the
whole summer)
Montreal’s Jazz Fest (June – July)
* Just for laughs Festival (July)
Heavy Mtl (August)
Montreal Pride (August)
* Osheaga (August)
International Balloon Festival of Saint-Jean-surRichelieu (August)
Gatineau’s Hot Air Balloon Festival (August)
"Festival Western de St-Tite" (September)
Shows
* Concert at the Metropolis / Corona Theater / New
City Gas /...
* Game from the "LNI (Ligue Nationale
d'Improvisation)" (National League for theatrical
Improvisation)
* Le Cirque du Soleil (a world famous circus)
TOHU!
Orchestre symphonique de Montréal (Symphonic
Orchestra of Montreal)
Les Grands Ballets
Museums
Montreal Science Centre
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Contemporary Art Museum
Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
Redpath Museum (on the McGill Campus)
* National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa)
Sleigh ride
A Winter classic among
tourists!
A game from the LNI
(in French only)
Theatrical improvisation
is a real hobby here! If
you want an opportunity
to learn some Quebecer
slang, this might be your
best option.
Polytechnique’s Beach
party
Once every other year,
the cafeteria is filled with
sand, a pool and a slide
for an epic party!
Winter festivals
The Igloofest, the "Nuit
Blanche”: Montreal’s
nightlife stays amazing
during the Winter.
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
4
DISCOVER MONTREAL What to do
What to do
Things to do while you’re in Montreal
Canadian Aviation and Space Museum (Ottawa)
Canadian Museum of History (Ottawa)
Upper Canada Village (Ontario)
Granby’s Zoo (Granby)
Sport
* Hockey, duh.
Skiing
* Slides
* Ice-skating
At the Lac aux Castors
At the Old Port
On the Rideau Canal Skateway (Ottawa)
At the Atrium (downtown Montreal)
* Curling
Snowshoeing or cross-country skiing
Mount-Royal Park
Cape St-Jacques Parc
Bois-de-Liesse Parc
Bois-de-l'Île-Bizard Parc
Riding on Lachine Canal
Golfing
* A hockey game from the Canadiens at the Bell
Centre
A football game from the Alouettes at McGill’s
stadium
A soccer game from the Impact at the Saputo
stadium
If you wish to see cheaper games, you can go watch
the games from the Carabins, the teams
representing the University of Montreal.
Rogers Cup (tennis)
* Canada Grand Prix (Formule 1)
Saute-Moutons (jet boats and speedboats on the
Lachine Canal)
* Paintball (Mirabel)
Action 500 : karting, paintball, laser quest
Laser Quest
iSaute
SkyVenture
Cosmodôme
Amusement parks
* La Ronde
Canada's Wonderland (Toronto, Ontario)
Water parks
Super Aqua Club
Calypso Waterpark (Ottawa, Ontario)
Skiing
Mont Saint-Sauveur
Morin Heights
Mont Gabriel
Mont Tremblant ($$)
Whistler (Vancouver)
Jay Peak (Vermount, US)
Spa
Strøm Spa nordique
Bota Bota, Spa-sur-l'eau
Shopping
* The Underground City
Eaton Centre
Place Montreal Trust
"Les Cours Mont-Royal"
Ogilvy ($$)
Carrefour Laval (Laval)
Roots
* Hudson’s Bay
Simons
Lac aux Castors
For those who love
nature; this lake is
wonderful no matter if
it’s Summer or Winter!
Old Port
From the docks to the
Bonsecours Market, the
Old Port has lot to offer.
La Ronde
An amusement park
located on St-Helen’s
Island, open from May
until October.
Canada Grand Prix
In June, you can smell
gasoline from the racing
cars and you can feel
the heat of the engines
in the whole city.
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
5
DISCOVER MONTREAL What to eat and to drink
What to eat and to drink
Montreal Highlights
With ts multicultural background, Montreal is a foodie’s paradise!
In Canada (and in the US) prices don’t include the
taxes; you have to add 9,975% for federal taxes and
5% for provincial taxes, so 14,975% altogether.
So basically, an item that is sold for 10$ will cost you
11,50$.
At a restaurant, it’s common to leave a 15% tip or
20% if the service was very good.
Classical dishes
** The poutine
* The "tourtière du Lac-St-Jean" (kind of a meet pie)
The "pâté chinois" (kind of a Sheppard’s pie)
Hot chicken sandwich
Corn on the cob
The "cretons" (a pork spread)
The "fèves au lard" (beans cooked in maple syrup)
The "oreilles de crisse" (deep-fried smoked pok
jowls)
Cheddar cheese
* Cheese curd (the one you have on a poutine and
it’s also called "skouik-skouik" cheese)
Oka cheese
Apple Croustade
* Maple taffy
Tablet
Blueberries with chocolate
Microbreweries’ beers
* Ice cider
The caribou drink
Root beer
Quebecer restaurants
Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert
Au Pied de Cochon
Schwartz's
St-Viateur Bagel
Auberge du Dragon Rouge
* Aux Anciens Canadiens (Quebec City, $$)
Poutine
La Banquise
Ma-am-m Bolduc
Poutineville
Planète Poutine
Pancakes with maple syrup
* Donuts
* Beaver tails
The "pouding chômeur"
* The "sugar pie"
The Quebecer cuisine
The poutine, donuts,
maple taffy and the
"oreilles de crisse" are
typical Quebecer
dishes.
Aux Anciens
Canadiens
This restaurant in
Quebec City cooks
regional dishes such as
the "tourtière du Lac StJean", a "filet mignon"
of moose.
Schwartz's
Schwartz's specialty?
Montreal’s smoked
meat!
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
6
DISCOVER MONTREAL What to eat and to drink
What to eat and to drink
Montreal and Canada Highlights
Microbreweries
Dieu du Ciel!
Le Brouhaha and its "poutiflette" (poutine + tartiflette)
Le Cheval Blanc
Les 3 Brasseurs
2 Pierrots
Fast food places
Lafleur
La Belle Province
Ashton (Quebec City)
Valentine
A&W
Five Guys
Harvey's
Extreme Pita
Le Garde-Manger ($$)
Chez l'Épicier ($$)
Le Cochon dingue (Quebec City)
* Zak's Diner (Ottawa)
Where to go out?
Crescent Street
St-Lawrence Boulevard
St-Denis
Bars / lounges
Sweet
* Juliette & Chocolat (crepes and chocolates)
* Boutique Point G (macaroons)
Tim Hortons (coffe and donuts)
La Maisonnée (près du campus)
Le Tabasco Bar (près du campus)
La Distillerie
Henrietta
* 3643 St-Laurent Apt. 200
Candi Bar (21+)
* Foufounes électriques (Les Fouf')
Terrasse Nelligan ($$)
La Champagnerie ($$)
Clubs
La Mouche
Ivy
Unity (gay)
Brunch
Chez Cora
Eggspectation
Beauty's Luncheonette
L'Avenue
Others
Casino de Montréal
Chez Parée
281
Cabaret Mado
Others
Atwater Market or Jean-Talon Market
Ma Grosse Truie Chérie
Joe Beef
Frite Alors!
* O.Noir (dans le noir, service par des aveugles)
Juliette & Chocolat
If you’re in love with
chocolate, this is the
place to go to!
3643 St-Lau Apt. 200
Just like an house
party!
Boutique Point G
Don’t bother about the
name of the store, their
macaroons are
amazing!
Candi Bar
Flashy colors and sour
candies is what you’ll
find here
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
7
DISCOVER MONTREAL Where to go to
Where to go to
Canada Highlights
You’ve had enough of Montreal? Then go and visit another city!
Quebec
The United States
Other
Quebec City
* New York City (New Year’s Eve)
* Spring Break in the South
(Miami, Cuba, Mexico, ...)
* Gaspésie
* Boston (St-Patrick)
* Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Washington
Up North
Chicago
Canada
Ottawa
Florida (Orlando: Disney,
Universal Studios, Cape
Canaveral)
Toronto
* Niagara Falls
* California (San Francisco, Los
Angeles, Napa Valley, San Jose,
San Diego)
Vancouver
Las Vegas, Grand Canyon
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
8
DISCOVER MONTREAL Basics
Basics
Addresses for your survival
Where to live?
In Montreal, apartments are
classified depending on their
number of rooms. For example, a 3
½ has 3 rooms (kitchen, bedroom,
living-room) and 1 bathroom (the
½). A 4 ½ has 2 rooms, a 5 ½ 3
rooms, etc.
The price of the rent usually
depends on the location and the
number of rooms. Usually a 3 ½
costs 700-800$/month. If you want
to have roommates, then the price
of the rent can go down to 400500$/month.
The best for you is to find an
apartment located in a walking
distance
from
Polytechnique
(Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood)
or near a metro station (in the
Winter, buses can be quite
unreliable)
To find an apartment: kijiji.ca
Transit system
Pharmacies (and
post-offices)
Canadian Tire
Jean-Coutu
Rona
Pharmaprix
Réno-Dépôt
Proxim
The Home Depot
(Aha!) Familiprix
Hospital, clinics
Banks
Jewish General Hospital
CHU Sainte-Justine (-18)
Montreal General Hospital
CLSC de Côte-des-Neiges
Sports
Sports Experts (general)
A lot of foreign driver’s licenses are
accepted in Quebec, but you
Pro Hockey Life / Sports
should verify it with the SAAQ.
Rousseau (hockey)
The public transit system is
managed by the STM within the
city of Montreal. The train going to
the suburbs are managed by the
La poubelle du ski (2nd hand)
AMT.
Sports aux puces (2nd hand)
Atmosphère (plein air)
Grocery shops
IGA
La Cordée (outdoor)
On the net
Loblaws
metro mon épicier
Maxi
Super C
Mountain Equipment Co-operative
(outdoor)
Ameublement et
bricolage
Polyexplore’s website
www.restomontreal.ca
www.tourisme-montreal.org
www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/mo
ntreal/things-to-do
www.mtlblog.com
www.nightlife.ca
IKEA, duh.
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
9
DISCOVER MONTREAL History
A page of History
From New France until today
From a former French colony to the second biggest province in Canada
History
Initially inhabited by aboriginal
people, the Americas were
colonized by Europeans after
Christopher
Columbus’
first
discovery in 1492.
Under King Francois I of
France, Jacques Cartier arrived at
the Gaspé Peninsula in 1534. A
year later he sailed to the village of
Stadacona, then went upriver to
Hochelaga (near Montreal) then
returned to Stadacona to spend
Winter there.
Fifty years later, the fur trade
is at its peak in Europe! Since a lot
of beavers can be found in the new
colony, it becomes a major trading
post.
Under Henri IV, Samuel de
Champlain established in 1608 the
French settlement which is now
Quebec City (from the Algonquin
word kebec, meaning "where the
river shrinks"). Fur traders and
Catholic missionaries then started
to arrive.
In 1642 Paul de Chomedey de
Maisonneuve, founds Ville-Marie
which will later become Montreal.
By the end of the 17th century,
the colony floursihes under the socalled triangular trade and spreads
as far as New-Orleans. However,
in the 18th Century, war starts with
the Southern neighbors, that is to
say the Englishmen. After the
Battle of the Plains of Abraham in
1759 which lasted about 15
minutes, British troops defeated
the French troops which led to
France ceding its colony to Britain.
After that a military regime
was established and Englishmen
tried to assimilate the French
colonists. For about two centuries.
Quebecers
fought
to
stay
independent which explains the
strong independent feeling they
have nowadays.
The 19th Century was the
Century that brought the Great
Darkness as well as the schism
between the Church and the State.
Portrait of
Jacques Cartier
Explorer and
"founder" of
Canada.
Samuel de
Champlain
arrives in Quebec
City
George Agnew
Reid, 1909
Samuel de
Champlain, on the
ship called "Don
de Dieu" (literally
the Gift of God),
welcome by
Iroquois
Map of the New
France
Map of the New
France (sic) by
Samuel de
Champlain.
Fleur-de-lis
On the flag of
Quebec since
1948, it’s
displayed on all
the Government
buildings.
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
10
DISCOVER MONTREAL Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Here are some French-Canadian
expressions
Vocabulary
Expressions
Quebecer word = English word
* = vulgar
courriel = an email
clavardage = a chat (on your computer)
char/auto = a car
barrer = to lock
épicerie = a supermarket
dépanneur = a corner store
centre d'achat = a mall
magasinage = shopping
1 piastre (prononcé piasse) = 1 dollar
bienvenue = you’re welcome
cartable = a binder
déjeuner = a breakfast
dîner = a lunch
souper = a dinner
ustensiles = cutlery
cabaret = cafeteria plate
abreuvoir = a fountain (to drink)
breuvage = a beverage
boisson = an alcoholic bevergage
liqueur = soda
beigne = a donut
gomme (à mâcher) = chewing-gum
vidanges = garbage
laveuse/sécheuse = a washing machine/laundry
dryer
chandail = t-shirt
bobettes = boxer shorts
brassière = a bra
tuque = a cap (hat)
foulard = a scarf
gougounes = flip-flops
bibitte = an insect (or a sexual disease!)
party = (quite obvious)
toune = a song
caler = to drink your glass in one sip
chum/blonde = a boyfriend/girlfriend
cruiser = to flirt with someone
* gosses = testicles
foufounes = a butt
* plotte = female sex
* graine = male sex
* fourrer = to have sex with someone
* charrue = a prostitute
Il fait frette = it’s cold
C'est écœurant! = depending on the context,
negative or positive
C'est plate/poche = it’s boring/it sucks
J'suis tanné = I’m fed up
Bonne fête! = Happy birthday!
Je me park dans le stationnement = I’m parking in
the parking spot
Céduler/cancéler un rendez-vous = to take/cancel an
apointment
Tire-toi une bûche! = grab a chair
Don’t be surprised if most English words are said the
English way.
On the other side, since the French language is quite
protected by the “Office Québécois de la langue
française”, a lot of English words are translated to
French.
Insults and swearwords
Insults and swearwords usually have a religious
background, which is linked to Quebec’s long story
with the Church.
Tabarnak (comes from the French for tabernacle)
Câlisse (comes from the French for chalice)
Criss (comes from the French for Christ)
Ostie/estie (comes from the French for from wafer)
Marde (comes from the French for shit)
Viarge (comes from the French for Virgin)
Sacrament (comes from the French for sacrament)
Calvaire (comes from the French for ordeal)
Ciboire (comes from the French for ciborium)
Simonak (comes from the French for simoniac)
And finally, the famous "damned Frenchmen"
What’s amazing about the Quebecer swearwords is
that they can be used as a noun, an adjective, a verb
or even as an adverb!
"Ce criss de tabarnak m'en a câlissé une."
(we won’t translate that, up to you to find out)
For an intensive training session, you can watch the
movie “Bon Cop, Bad Cop”.
In this movie the Quebecer David Bouchard (Patrick
Huard) gives a French lesson to the Ontarian (Colm
Feore).
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
11
DISCOVER MONTREAL Culture
And a little bit of culture
“C'est ben l'fun la culture icitte!”
Being one of the only French-speaking cities in North America, Montreal has to distinguish itself on the art scene!
Music
Céline Dion, obviously
La Bolduc
Jean-Pierre Ferland
Félix Leclerc
Gilles Vigneault
Pauline Julien
Ginette Reno
#GoGinette
Beau Dommage
La Bottine souriante
Richard Desjardins
Roch Voisine
Jean Leloup
Les Colocs
* Les Cowboys Fringants
Mes Aïeux
* Les Trois Accords
DobaCarocol
Garou
Éric Lapointe
Natasha St-Pier
* Pierre Lapointe
Ariane Moffatt
Marie-Mai
Cœur de Pirate
* Loco Locass
Simple Plan
* Chromeo
A-Trak
Duck Sauce
* The Lost Fingers
* Grimes
Films
“Mon oncle Antoine”
“Le Déclin de l'empire américain”
“Les invasions barbares et L'Âge
des ténèbres”
“Incendies”
* “La Grande Séduction”
“Les Boys”
“Elvis Gratton”
* “Bon Cop, Bad Cop”
* “De père en flic”
“Starbuck”
“C.R.A.Z.Y.”
“Polytechnique”
All the movies made by Xavier
Dolan
Humour
Gad Elmaleh who live in Montreal!
Anthony Kavanagh
Jeremy Demay
Stéphane Rousseau
Rachid Badouri
François Morency
Jean-René Dufort (Infoman)
François Pérusse (2 min du
peuple)
* Marc Labrèche
Dominic et Martin
Les Denis Drolet
* Louis-José Houde
* Laurent Paquin
* Lise Dion
* André Sauvé
François Bellefeuille
Guy Nantel
Jean-Michel Anctil
Jean-Marc Parent
Réal Béland
Jean-François Mercier
Mike Ward
* Sugar Sammy
Other arts
* The Cirque du Soleil
The TV show “Le Cœur a ses
Raisons”
The Cirque du
Soleil
Founded in 1984
by Guy Laliberté
and Daniel
Gauthier, two
street performers,
The Cirque du
Soleil has shows
all around the
globe, from Las
Vegas to Tokyo.
Just for laughs
festival
Every summer, the
humorous festival
takes place in the
city! Watch out, for
the hidden
cameras, that
could trick you!
www.step.polymtl.ca/~polyexplore/en
12