The Red Bull Crashed Ice is once again back for the start of 2009 to the great pleasure of thrill-seekers. See the feats of gutsy skaters in a sport combining hockey and alpine skiing. The event takes place in Old Quebec on January 23 and 24 and is free for all.

For more information: http://www.redbullcrashedice.ca

Tags: Activities Quebec, Crashed Ice 2009, Red Bull, Red Bull Crashed Ice, Red Bull Crashed Ice 2009, Winter activities Quebec
Posted in Québec Region | No Comments »

A true fascinating world lies beneath Montreal. With more than 30 kilometres of tunnels going through the centre of the city, Montreal’s Underground City is indeed the largest underground complex of this kind in the world. It is called a city since 500 000 people (according to Tourism Montreal) are making their way in this underground world each day. In 2004, the official name of RÉSO was given to this great centre of activity.

The tunnels and galleries link numerous residential complexes, shopping centres, universities, hotels and office buildings. The tunnels themselves also include a wide range of restaurants and shops going from the most stylish clothes to low prices items. The Underground City is said to hold close to 35% of all downtown’s businesses. RÉSO allows thus Montrealers to wander in the city away from the cold Canadian winter and also to shop in the comfort of this “indoor city”.

The building of this underground network began in the 1950s during the construction of the metro now serving the entire island of Montreal. You will however be surprised to learn that this network was shaped without any general concert or plan. It was rather built according to the residents’ and workers’ needs of the area throughout the years. Very few people could thus have predicted that this Underground City would become one of the most intriguing attractions of Montreal.

Tags: Montreal, Montreal Attractions, Montreal Metro, Montreal Shopping, Montreal's Underground City, RESO, Underground City
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You wish to visit the city of Montreal without spending all your money? Here are some free activities you can do while visiting this beautiful city of French Canada.

Art is free!

You do not always have to pay in order to visit the greatest museums of Montreal. Many museum are opened to visitors at no cost.  Among them, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts offers you to visit its vast art collection from antiquity to today. Mcgill University’s Redpath Museum invites you also to see its artefacts going from the Egyptian mummy to dinosaurs fossils. 

Some of the most popular museums in Montreal offer you to visit their exhibitions for free at certain periods of the week. So you will not have to pay out a penny to visit Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal on Wednesday nights from 6:00 pm. And on the following Thursday night, the visit the Canadian Centre for Architecture which will be free from 5:30 pm.

Montreal: Festivals City

Montreal is without a doubt the world’s capital of festivals. You will find all year long a plethora of festivals giving you the opportunity to enjoy many free activities. Attend the numerous outdoor free shows offered at Festival international de Jazz de Montréal and the Francofolies. In winter, take part in the many free activities offered by Fête des Neiges de Montréal and the Montreal High Lights Festival.

Photo: Jean Francois Le Blanc/Canadian Press

A Haven of Peace
Hidden on a true paradise of peacefulness that is Île Notre-Dame, the Floralies Gardens include more than 100 000 annuals and 5000 bushes. Come picnic in the shade of a magnificent weeping willow watching birds on the canal. It will only cost you a metro ticket to enjoy this relaxing haven in the heart of the city.

Photo : Benoît Remillard 

Going down under
One of the best kept secrets of Montreal is its underground city, which is the largest in the world. Explore the inside of the tunnels and galleries which are scattered in more than 33 kilometres of underground passageways. Live the unique atmosphere contained within these underground walls and make the most out of the numerous boutiques, restaurants and shopping malls. Considering the harsh winter in Quebec, it is not surprising to see that this underground city has become one of the favourite spot for Montrealers.

A Walk in the Park
Mount-Royal Park is a green haven offering many free activities right in the centre of Montreal. An early arrival at the park will allow you to observe wood peckers, blue jays and many other bird species that uses this area as a refuge from the city. Then, a visit in the Mount Royal cemeteries, far from being macabre, will make you discover an arboretum containing rare tree species, Japanese lilacs and the resting place of many great figures of Montreal’s history. From the top of Mount Royal, Saint-Joseph’s Oratory is each week the home of free choirs, peal bells and organ concerts. The concerts are taken place in a magnificent basilica which can welcome up to 10 000 people. 

Photo: grandquebec.com

Tags: Canadian Centre for Architecture, Floralies Gardens, Francofolies, Free activities, Free things, International Jazz Festival, Mcgill University’s Redpath Museum, Montreal, Montreal Contemporary Art Museum, Montreal Free, Montreal High Lights Festival, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Montreal underground city, Mount Royal cemeteries, Mount Royal Park, Notre-Dame Island, Quebec, Things to do Montreal, Things to see Montreal
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Because there are some attractions that you just cannot miss, here are 5 of the greatest attractions of the city of Montreal.

Relax at the Botanical Garden
Whatever the season, Montreal’s Botanical Garden is the favourite spot for locals who wish to relax and loosen up. Located in the heart of the city, the Botanical Garden makes you discover a collection of 22 000 species of plants, ten greenhouses open to visitors, around thirty thematic gardens, a great team of botanist researchers and many seasonal activities. You will be charmed by the scents, the colours and the forms of the flora in one of the most important botanical gardens in the world.

Taste Chinese Delicacies in Chinatown
Montreal’s Chinatown offers you to visit a bit of Asia inside its numerous restaurants, boutiques and traditional medicine shops. With a bit of luck you could also enjoy the incredible atmosphere of one of the annual Chinese celebrations taking place in this area to the great pleasure of Montrealers.

Watch the View from Mount Royal
Playing the role of a true forest haven in the centre of the city, Mount Royal Park offers you some of the greatest viewpoints on the city and its skyscrapers. Enjoy a nice family picnic, stretch your legs for an early jogging or simply play a team sport with friends. You will thus make the most out of this fresh and pure air available right in the middle of the city.

Shop on “Main” Street
You love fashion, top-of-the-range products, trendy cafés or delicatessens? Take some time to do a bit of window-shopping on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, definitely one of the most dynamic streets in Montreal. Called the “Main” by locals, strolling down this street will make you see the latest fashion and the best of the kitsch.

Enjoy Great Food at Jean-Talon Market
The best fruits, vegetables and local products of Montreal are unquestionably at Jean-Talon Market. Probably nowhere else in Quebec will you find a greater variety of food products of all sorts. You will find seasonal vegetables, exotic fruits and local products as well as butcher shops, fish shops, cake shops and many other things. Jean-talon Market is therefore the best place to fill your bags of fresh products just before dinner.

Tags: Activities Montreal, Jean-Talon Market, Mont-Royal Park, Montreal, Montreal "Main", Montreal Attractions, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal Chinatown, Mount Royal Park, Saint Laurent Boulevard, Things To Do in Montreal, Things to see in Montreal
Posted in Montreal Region | 1 Comment »

The province of Quebec has loads of exciting activities to offer during fall season. Here are some of our suggestions…

Harvest Time
Make the most out of sunny afternoons by visiting beautiful orchards to pick with your own hand one of the best products of Quebec: the apple! Make a stop in the Monteregie, Laurentides or Eastern Townships regions to enjoy this great annual activity.

Suggestion: Rougemont in the Montérégie region is definitely THE place to pick up your own apples in the province. You will not only be able to visit great orchards, but also to make a stop in cideries and vineyards, for great local products.

A Hike in the Forest
The best way to enjoy nature during this season is to go out and smell the fresh air which characterises so well Quebec’s fall. Whether you are in the mountains of Charlevoix or the Laurentides, you need to go to the discovery of the most beautiful landscapes of the province.

Suggestion: Sentier des Caps de Charlevoix offers you a unique panorama combining the beauty of the St. Lawrence with the mountains in a magnificent panorama of multicoloured trees. You will find many kilometres of trails on different routes and the presence of shelters.

An All-Terrain Ride

Defy nature by travelling with your ATV in the most far away dirt tracks of Quebec. Come live the outdoors in hundreds of kilometres of trails specifically designed for quads. So enjoy the pure adrenaline that will give you the beautiful trails of Abitibi and James Bay. You will discover Quebec’s wilderness like never before!

Hunting Season
Fall represents the definite beginning of the hunting season in Quebec. The wild areas of the “Belle Province” become a true paradise for hunters. Go hunt deers, stags, moose, or game in one of the numerous outfitters scattered on Quebec’s territory or even better, go for the great northern adventure to hunt caribou.

Suggestion: Located right in the centre of the St. Lawrence Gulf, the Anticosti Island is an exceptional territory for white-tailed deers hunting. The island, containing more than 120 000 deers, will definitely give you a hunt crowned with success. As if it was not enough, you will be able to witness some a most gripping landscapes of the whole province.

Animal Watching
Hunters are not the only ones to be able to enjoy the great fauna of Quebec. Wildlife lovers will give you the occasion to watch the animals of Quebec. The trees having lost their leaves become an ornithologist for a day to observe the numerous bird species preparing for winter or for migration.

Suggestion: At the start of fall season, hundreds of thousands of snow geese gathers at Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area close to Quebec City. On the strand of the St. Lawrence River, geese make a well-deserved rest on their way to the American coastline. They offer a very impressive spectacle not to be missed.

Sporting Atmosphere
The “par excellence” sport of fall season, football gives you the occasion to warm the heart of every sport fans in good or bad weather. Whether it is at the professional or school level, you will be amazed by what those massive athletes can do.

Suggestion: Come celebrate in the purest tradition of American campuses the frenzied atmosphere of a Rouge et Or game, the team ranked number one in the country, at Laval university in Quebec City.

And you? What is your favorite fall activity?

Tags: Abitibi, Anticosti island, ATV, Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area, Charlevoix, Deers, Eastern Townships, Fall activity, Fall season, Fall season activities Quebec, Hunting, James Bay, Laval university, Monteregie, Moose, Quebec, Quebec City, Quebec fauna, Rougemont, Sentier des Caps, Snow geese, Snow goose, St. Lawrence River, Stags
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The true soul of Montreal lies inside the impressive diversity of its many neighbourhoods. Here is a quick look at some of the most dynamic, notable and eclectic districts of this cosmopolitan city.

Chinatown
Coming through the large multicoloured arches of Chinatown, you will enter a smaller but very pleasant version of Asia. Despite its size, Chinatown will give you a nice change of scenery with a vast number of Asian restaurants, excellent exotic groceries and shops full of good bargains. With a bit of luck, you could witness some of the great celebrations of the Chinese community. Huí jiàn!
Where? From Viger Street to René-Lévesque Blvd. between Jeanne-Mance and Sanguinet Street.

Latin Quarter
The Latin Quarter is definitely the student and intellectual district of Montreal. As soon as you step in the area, you will be able to see the great cultural dynamism of this sector. The UQAM university is the highlight of the Latin Quarter but it also includes important centres of knowledge like the Grande Bibliothèque, the Cinémathèque québécoise and the National film board of Canada (NFB). The sector also hosts many bars, cafés, bistros, libraries and boutiques of all sorts.
Where? Saint-Denis St. between René-Lévesque Blvd. and Saint-Joseph Blvd.

Photo: Tourisme Montréal, Stéphan Poulin

Plateau Mont-Royal
Without a doubt one of the trendiest district of Montreal, Plateau Mont-Royal awaits you with its unique stores and Art Deco boutiques. Mix with hip students and young professionals in new restaurants and cool cafés which are in great numbers in the sector. You will definitely be charmed by the Bohemian atmosphere of the sector mainly due to the large number of artists living there.
Where? From Sherbrooke St. to Laurier St. between Saint-Laurent Blvd. and Fullum St.

Little Italy
Eventhough it is the meeting place for people of Italian origin in Montreal, Little Italy will welcome you with arms wide open. In the pure tradition of Italian markets, the splendid Jean-Talon Market will give you the chance to enjoy numerous fresh local and international products. Close to the market are also a large variety of good restaurants, cafés and trattorias for the great pleasure of gourmets.
Where? From Beaubien St. to Jean-Talon St. and between Henri-Julien St. and Saint-Laurent Blvd.

Old Montreal and Old Port
Make a trip into the past while wandering in the streets and public places of Old Montreal and Old Port. You will believe to be in the 18th or 19th century with historic buildings, cobblestone streets and horse-drawn carriages. Make the most out of your visit to see the many historic and present museums of the area.
Where? From the banks of the St. Lawrence River up to Saint-Antoine St. between McGill and Berri St.

The “Village”
The Montreal Gay Village is renowned for being one of the most dynamic of its kind in North America. And even though this sector is closely linked to the homosexual world, the “Village” is a sector open to everyone. You will find numerous trendy restaurants, unconventional boutiques, lively nightclubs and many other activities. You will be delighted to notice the great level of open-mindedness in this sector unlike anyone else.
Where? From René-Lévesque Blvd. Ontario Street between Saint-André Street and Lorimier Av.

Photo: www.orenoque.com

What about you? Which is your favorite neighborhood in montreal?

Tags: Montreal "Village", Montreal Chinatown, Montreal Latin Quarter, Montreal Little Italy, Montreal Neighborhoods, Montreal's Neighborhoods, Old Montreal, Old Port, Plateau Mont-Royal
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Montreal will possibly have to do without Formula 1 in 2009 since the FIA has announced that the Canadian race had been removed from the calendar.

It is not the first time that the Canadian Grand Prix is put in the hot seat. Old facilities, disastrous track conditions and anti-tobacco laws have more than once threaten the life of this event in the past few years. However, as it was the case in 2004 where the race was saved at the last minute and was reinstated to the calendar.

So is there any hope? Is the FIA just bluffing? Tough to say at the moment. On one side the Canadian Grand Prix has a contract with the big boss of Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone, going to the 2011 season. On the other side, history has shown that a contract in the world of Formula One is always breakable. The most worrying fact for Canadian racing fans is that another Grand Prix has been awarded the date, June 7, in which the Grand Prix was supposed to be held in 2009.

The Canadian Grand Prix bring in revenues of about 75 millions dollars each year to the city of Montreal. It is therefore the most important yearly tourist event in Canada.

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Because there are some attractions that you just cannot miss, here are 5 of the greatest attractions of the city of Gatineau.

Develop your culture
The Canadian Museum of Civilization has to be one of your first stop during your stay in Gatineau. It is one of the most popular museum in Canada and the largest cultural establishment in the country. Each year, the museum welcomes more than one million visitors to see the many magnificent exhibitions presented inside a building with a unique architecture.

A Gigantic Park!
A few kilometres from the city, Parc de la Gatineau offers you a great escape in the heart of nature inside a park of more than 356 square kilometres of forest and hills. Outdoor lovers will be able to enjoy hiking trails, cycle paths, cross-country and alpine skiing, a treego adventure course and even many beaches which are open for swimming. Promenades and scenic routes have been laid out for those who wish to make a short visit. Make a stop at one of the many panoramic viewpoints, including the Champlain belvedere which will make you see the park in all its magnificence.

Photo: http://katiaaupaysdesmerveilles.blogspot.com/

Get On Your Bike
The Capital Pathway is one of the most vast cycle paths in North America. Indeed, more than 170 kilometres of paths allow you to travel through great attractions parks, gardens and museums by bike, roller skates or walk. The Pathway also offers an incredible view on Parliament Hill.

Photo: Commission de la Capitale Nationale

Place Your Bets!
Located only a few minutes from Gatineau downtown, Casino of Lac-Leamy is undeniably the place to have a glamorous night out in the region. You will definitely be impressed by the excited atmosphere taking place inside the Casino. The Théâtre du Casino presents also popular shows and musicals all year long.

Photo: Tourisme Outaouais

A night on Quebec’s Side
Nights are definitely busy in Gatineau and your visit to the casino could only be a foretaste of your night to come. While Ottawa is considered has a calm city at night, it is a whole other thing in Gatineau. It is well known in the region that nightlife lovers make their way to downtown Gatineau to have fun in bars and clubs of Promenade du Portage and Vieux-Hull.

You have had the chance to visit Gatineau lately? Tell us about you experience.

Tags: Activités à Gatineau, Canadian Museum of Civilization, Casino of Lac-Leamy, Gatineau, Outaouais, Parc de la Gatineau, Promenade du Portage, The Capital Pathway, Top 5, Vieux-Hull
Posted in Outaouais Region | No Comments »

The city of Sherbrooke holds a wide range of activities and attractions for visitors. We have picked out 5 of them that you can’t ignore.

Contemplate Heritage Homes
The magnificent homes of American and English influence in the Vieux-Nord sector in Sherbrooke are only the cherry on the cake of this gorgeous neighbourhood including gardens and hundred-year-old trees. A walking tour with a map and an mp3 player available at Centre d’interprétation de l’histoire will make you enjoy this visit even more.

Photo: City of Sherbrooke

A Walk Around the Lake
A stroll around Des Nations Lake allows you to fully take in the magnificent sceneries offered by the lake and the natural habitat surrounding it. Works of art are also scattered over the 3.5 km of trails. And in winter, a large part of the trail is frozen in order to create a beautiful ice skating path.

The Eastern Townships on a Bike
The Grandes-Fourches network, going through the city of Sherbrooke, Hatley and North Hatley, is a great cycle path covering 128 km. The network allows you to go through the stunning landscapes of the Eastern Townships including three rivers of importance, two lakes, countless streams and six power dams.

Photo: Sébastien Lemire

Attend a University Sporting Event
The city of Sherbrooke is renowned for its busy university life. If you are a fan of sport, do not miss the chance to attend the impressive performances of the university teams of the area. And to witness a highly emotional battle, try to be present at the fratricide games between Sherbrooke and Bishop University, the two home universities.

Photo: Canadian Interuniversy Sport

Breathe Nature
Nature is never very far in Sherbrooke. So take some time to enjoy a family picnic, do outdoor activities, go bird-watching or simply relax while smelling the seasonal air.

Photo: City of Sherbrooke

Tags: Bishop University, Des Nations Lake, Eastern Townships, Grandes-Fourches Network, Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke University
Posted in Eastern Townships Region | No Comments »