4 Montreal Activities We're Looking Forward to Enjoying When Pandemic Restrictions Are Lifted

Summer 2020 in Montreal is shaping up to look quite different from summers past. To start, most of the city’s famous festivals have been cancelled or postponed, and it may still be some time before we see the start of terrasse season.

With any luck, though, we’ll still get to enjoy a few of our favourite Montreal activities before the season is through. Festival season may be off the table, but Montreal’s gorgeous scenery, architecture and cultural sites are still worth getting excited about.

The following four Montreal activities are some of E-QIP's absolute favourites—and best of all, they’re all completely free, so you can put your money aside and save up for next year’s festival season!

Here's what we're looking forward to this summer:

Taking advantage of the city’s (many) bike paths  

Montreal is an incredibly bikeable city. It’s not just that it’s easy to cycle in the city; it’s often very scenic, too. Go for a leisurely ride along the Lachine Canal, cross the bridge to Parc Jean Drapeau on St. Helen’s and Notre Dame Islands or check out one of the countless other routes worth exploring. If you don’t have a bicycle of your own, fear not. From NDG to Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, you’re never very far from a Bixi stand, where you can rent bicycles by the half hour or the day. Weekly, monthly and annual subscriptions are also available.

Doing our grocery shopping at Montreal’s public markets 

Grocery shopping has been an especially stressful activity lately, which is why we’re especially stoked to explore the city’s public markets, which are typically open all year round, but which are especially enjoyable when the doors open up and the produce stands multiply in the warmer months. With Atwater Market in the west, Jean-Talon Market in the north and Maisonneuve Market in the west, you’re never more than a short metro ride away from fresh produce, local delicacies and some of the best meats and cheeses you’ll find in town.

Walking to the top of Mont Royal

Sure, a bus can get you there, but why pass up the views and the fresh air? Somewhere between a walk and a proper hike, the trek to the top of Mont Royal is full of lush flora and photogenic views. Start your walk at the base of the mountain near the George-Étienne Cartier Monument across from Jeanne-Mance Park and make sure to stop by Beaver Lake before making your way to the observatory at the top.

Taking ourselves on a self-guided
tour of the murals of the Plateau

We’re super disappointed that we won’t be roaming Saint-Laurent Boulevard in search of new artwork (while eating copious amounts of street food) at this year’s (now-cancelled) MURAL Festival, an annual E-QIP tradition. Luckily, there’s nothing stopping us all from taking to the streets of the Plateau as soon as restrictions end and checking out the murals that make the neighbourhood beautiful 365 days a year. There are guides available online if you want to know a bit about the street art on display, but an aimless stroll is, in our opinion, just as enjoyable (and sure to yield just as many murals!).