Canada Day Parade in Montreal?

[Sharon 1]

As I have mentioned here before, hubby and I will be in Montreal on July 1st and I'd like to share Canada's special day with him.

Anyone here IN Montreal and know what time the parade begins and what route it takes? Also if they still give out a piece of Canada's birthday cake to everyone and just where that might be? LOL I have searched the Net and am coming up empty and i'll be damned if I can remember any of it even tho I lived there all of my life!

Do they still have a free concert at the Old Port and does anyone know who might be doing the show this year?

All input is much appreciated...thank you.

[clloyd 0]

I thought the Canada Day parade there was everyone switching apartments?

[cdngirl06 0]

The website for the party in the Old Port is: http://www.celafete.ca/EN/index.php

They don't have anything posted yet for this year's event, but it should be up soon! I'm sure they'll have concerts and fireworks and stuff for the kids as usual...

The parade is usually just before lunch, around 11am or so, iirc, and ends up at Place du Canada/Dorchester Square/Dominion Square where they do all the speeches and, yes, serve the cake!

[Sharon 1]

The website for the party in the Old Port is: http://www.celafete.ca/EN/index.php

They don't have anything posted yet for this year's event, but it should be up soon! I'm sure they'll have concerts and fireworks and stuff for the kids as usual...

The parade is usually just before lunch, around 11am or so, iirc, and ends up at Place du Canada/Dorchester Square/Dominion Square where they do all the speeches and, yes, serve the cake!

Yay! Thank you, cdngirl! NOW I remember that it was Dominion Square, of course! hehe Hell that's handy - our hotel is just 3 blocks away too.

Thanks for that link too, I had it too but hell you'd think they'd have it updated by now with Canada Day being just 3 and a half weeks away!

I am SO excited hehe my hubby said I'm getting on his nerves with how hyper I am hahaha

Thanks again!

P.S. Do you live in montreal? If so whereabouts? I used to live in Verdun, 5 minutes from downtown Montreal - ring any bells?

I thought the Canada Day parade there was everyone switching apartments?

Actually with the rental housing shortage the past few years, that's kinda changed nowadays!

Edited June 7, 2006 by Sharon

[Jersey Girl 2]

Quebecers aren't big on Canada Day. Their big celebration is June 24, Saint Jean Baptiste Day. If you want parades and fireworks on July 1, go to Ottawa.

[JEDI 0]

2006 marks Canada's 139th birthday!

I've been in the parade many times, but not in recent years.

I seem to remember it usually running east on St. Catherine street, but can also remember it running west one year, and sometimes starting on different streets. But yeah, it always seems to end up at Dominion Square.

I work at Place Ville-Marie, so I went to the Info-Touristique (through the park across the street from Dominion Square) on my lunch hour and asked them if they have any info about Canada Day festivites this year in Montreal, and they said that they still have no info, but were told they would have it soon, and that it would be put up on the website. When I asked if he meant the "c'est la fete" site (http://www.celafete.ca/), he said yes. So keep checking it every couple of days, I guess.

The other big party spot is the Old Port.

Map: http://www.quaysoftheoldport.com/en/popup_carte.cfm

Jacques-Cartier Quay, place des Vestiges and the Bonsecours sector.

10 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. - Free admission

They usually have live performances by dancing groups and also celebrity musicians. (Lots of Quebecois ones, though.)

Since you're an ex-Montreal native, you must already know your way around. Even so, you might find out about some activities by checking out http://www.peoplemover.ca/.

Even with all the people moving out to the West Island and other outlying areas with this house-building boom that is going on, it is STILL hard to find apartments. Last year, the city government set up temporary housing for people who ended up having to move out without having yet found a place to move IN to. It was a while before everyone found new apartments. And the majority of leases still run from July 1st to June 30, since the governemnt changed Moving Day from May 1st to July 1st, back in the early 70s.

I myself had planned on having my Visa by July and moving to Florida, so I'm moving out of my NDG apartment next weekend (to avoid the last-minute rush), and have to move in with family (who have a spare bedroom, luckily). Unfortunately, with my visa seemingly misplaced somewhere between CSC and NVC, I could end up having to endure that arrangements for months. Who knows, maybe it will be one last Merry Christmas in snowy Canada for me, eh?

Oh, and to a certain degree, Jersey Girl is right.

We are all "partied out" by the REAL party on the long-weekend before.

So Ottawa parties a little harder on July 1st, because they aren't still hung over.

But hey, any excuse is a good one to drink again, you know?

[Cygnet 0]

Wow, a lot of good info here. I was just looking at the Montreal Gazette and it's true... they're focusing on celebrations for June 24.

While waiting for the visa processing, I moved back in with my brother here in Chateauguay. I will definitely try to do some partying on Canada Day in Montreal. I will be in Ontario on July 24th, so won't have the problem of being "partied out".

[reddiablo 0]

Wow, a lot of good info here. I was just looking at the Montreal Gazette and it's true... they're focusing on celebrations for June 24.

While waiting for the visa processing, I moved back in with my brother here in Chateauguay. I will definitely try to do some partying on Canada Day in Montreal. I will be in Ontario on July 24th, so won't have the problem of being "partied out".

ER canada day in the belle provence entante cordiale!!! mon dieu !!

not likely

but on west island/dorval/pointe claire the maple leaf is toasted royally and loyally

red

[Sharon 1]

Quebecers aren't big on Canada Day. Their big celebration is June 24, Saint Jean Baptiste Day. If you want parades and fireworks on July 1, go to Ottawa.

Sorry I disagree. I lived in Montreal all of my life.

Yes St. Jean Baptiste Day is definitely popular but so is Canada Day, don't fool yourself.

In recent years there have been upwards of hundreds of thousands of people at the parade and the Old Port on July 1st!

OMG!!!....There are those of you from NDG and the West Island?????!!!

And hell you work at PVM, Jedi!? Holy ####### hahaha I feel like I've come home! hehe

Thanks for all that info!

I'm from Verdun, lived there all my life before coming to Virginia 3 years ago.

And siiiiigh yeah I guess the festivities aren't quite as "festive" as Ottawa's maybe but hell It's whatcha make it, right? And I have all intentions of making it gooooooood!

I Montreal!

[cdngirl06 0]

Yep, I live in Montreal... grew up in Dorval. And I'll be at both the SJB and Canada Day festivities this summer (as I am every summer) - great parties both!

[hockeygal 0]

OMG!!!....There are those of you from NDG and the West Island?????!!!

I grew up in Cote St Luc.