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Phil Hopkins
Group Travel Editor & Theatre Correspondent
@philhopkinsuk
10:00 PM 25th October 2015
travel

Montreal - The 'Fusion' City

 
Chinatown Red Dragon
Chinatown Red Dragon
Phil Hopkins, known to many readers as one of the YT's principal theatre reviewers, has written extensively about his international travels during a writing career spanning more than 35 years.

Today, we hope you enjoy the fourth of his Canadian articles as he winds his way from Quebec City to Toronto, via Montreal, Ottawa and the famous Niagara Falls.


Getting into a lift in Montreal can be somewhat problematic. He looks at you, she returns your friendly gaze, everyone smiles politely and no-one speaks, not quite sure whether to say Bonjour or Good Morning!

Welcome to Canada's 'Fusion City', one of the country's truly bi-lingual places, bi-lingual in the sense that locals genuinely speak both languages fluently, unlike Quebec City where "zey will 'av a go at English!" Observing people effortlessly flip from one tongue to the other - bus drivers to digger operators - is a novel experience in itself!

Notre Dame Basilica - plain on the outside
Notre Dame Basilica - plain on the outside
But, depending on your perspective, this hybrid city, an interesting cultural cross between America and Europe, might also be known as the City of Festivals, the City of Culture, the Party City or even the City of 100 Steeples; take your pick!

Joining my host Hugo Leclerc from Montreal Tourism for lunch, in the so-called 'Show District' (sounds better than Red Light District!), I began to get a measure of this Canadian metropolis.

"The last major survey showed that approximately 70% of the local population speak French at home, and around 17% of Canadians are bi-lingual but, considering that that drops to 10% when you exclude Quebec, it is probably safe to assume that many of them are in Montreal."

And it's that cultural flavour that has resulted in the city's unique architectural identity. Step out of your hotel and you might be in Downtown New York without the traffic! However, in my case, the street was called Boulevard Rene-Levesque whilst half a mile down the road, in Place Jacques Cartier, I might as well have been in little Paris with looming period buildings that wouldn't have been out of place at Paris' Chateau de Fontainebleau!

Cultural Mix

Notre Dame Basilica - stunning on the inside
Notre Dame Basilica - stunning on the inside
Then there's Notre Dame Basilica, designed on the outside by a protestant, but decked out internally by a Catholic! Over time everything seems to have been done to satisfy the French Catholics or the protestant British and, on occasions, you have a flashback as you walk down a particular street and feel sure that you are in Victorian England, until you realise it is called Rue De Whatnot!

"You will not find such a mixture of cultures anywhere else," says my host. "At its core, Montreal is a bi-lingual city in a French Canadian province existing in an English country! It was built by the French, English, Scottish and Irish; just look at our flag. It features a thistle for the Scots, the red rose of Lancashire for the English, a Shamrock for the Irish and the blue Fleur-de-Lys for the French!"

Even Hugo, a perfect English speaker, concedes that his parents barely utter a word of his second language. "I learnt my English from the Italian kids in our neighbourhood," he smiles. "Oh yes," he adds ruefully, "you are also safe. There are no ghettos and I can't think of a single place in Montreal that I would advise you against visiting. Welcome to Canada."

As many would attest, unlike America the Canadians have got it right; here there are strict gun laws!

Underground

This beautiful city has much to offer. However, if at first viewing, there is a split second perception that you might be overwhelmed by towering New York style skyscrapers, think again, as Montreal's sense of all things European quickly irons out any unfair prejudice.

This island gem in the mighty St Lawrence River has a signature blend of European charm and exciting urban vibe. It is compact, safe, pedestrian friendly and you will find a wealth of historic sites, major attractions, activities and countless restaurants and shops along the way.

"We are said to have the most restaurants per head of population, of anywhere in North America," says my host Monsieur Leclerc, "more than 5500." And that's why many cruise lines now choose Montreal as a starting or end point for their itineraries along the St Lawrence River.

But for the shopper a truly unique experience awaits. Montreal is famous for its 'underground city' of walkways and shops which, literally, stretch miles; one wrong turn and you can find yourself lost or emerging from this retail sub terrain in the wrong hotel lobby!

A fraction of Montreal's Vast Underground Retail City
A fraction of Montreal's Vast Underground Retail City


Street Art & Sandwiches

But if urban vibe is more your thing then a stroll to Schwartz's famous Hebrew delicatessen on Boulevard St Laurent has got to be worth an outing, but make sure you allow plenty of time because you can expect a major queue at this tiny establishment, which has been serving up smoked meat sandwiches to the stars, tourists and locals since 1928. Also, keep an eye out for the amazing street art in this neighbourhood.

Schwartz's famous sandwich shop
Schwartz's famous sandwich shop


Montreal is more sophisticated and classier than New York, it has style, is not half as brash, and it has a real sense of history. Dozens of cultures live peacefully side by side, there's an amazing Chinatown and the impressive remnants of the 1967 Expo are still evident on the outskirts of the city.

Gardens of Light

You can even marvel at the amazing Olympic Stadium located at Olympic Park in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of the city, where the Montreal Tower, a remnant of the 1976 Games, still watches over the city as the world's tallest inclined tower at 175 metres. Nearby the Botanical Gardens are also beautiful, but even more so if you are around for the annual Gardens of Light Festival, a by-product of the city's twinning relationship with Shanghai.

The amazing Gardens of Light Festival
The amazing Gardens of Light Festival


Even the so-called 'show district' is cool. "Historically, it has been the red light area and, nowadays, many restaurants feature a red, illuminated dot above their premises in homage to this fact," smirked Monsieur Leclerc. He rose, bade me farewell and said he had to get home to his family. Only in France, sorry Canada!

QUEBEC / MONTREAL FACT BOX

Visit: www.tourisme-montreal.org OR www.QuebecOriginal.com

Email: info@tourisme-montreal.org OR info@quebecoriginal.com
Facebook - www.facebook.com/tourisme.quebec

Look out for Phil's next article on Canada's capital city, Ottawa!