Having had the opportunity in June to visit the Imaginarium Museum, as they were preparing to open in Griffintown on July 19, I realized that it was housed in the same historic building as Le Petit Dep, a cool vintage café on rue de la Montagne.
That was all it took to inspire me to create a stroll of urban treasures (some well-hidden) including these two points of interest. As it should, it begins with a coffee and ends with a cocktail.
The result is this 7-km walk (about 10,000 steps) which takes less than two hours to complete, obviously not counting all your stops, with a metro station at each end. This walk would definitely end up in my guidebook if I ever felt like writing one about Montreal!
On the way
Porter Airline bridges the gap between Montreal and the Toronto Islands... but summer lends itself so well to road trips! For those tempted to hit the road, here are two tips: gas is considerably cheaper in native territories, and the journey is as important as the destination.
I usually stop at Five Nations Tobacco & Fuels (142, ON-49, Deseronto). Gas there is often 26¢ less than in the ON-roads. Continuing on Highway 2 towards old Napanee, 15 minutes east, I discovered the magnificent Waterfront River Pub & Terrace, on the edge of the canal. (Call to reserve a seat outside, it's very popular!)
They go hand in hand
Old Montreal has long been a magnet for tourists and locals alike, but the Griffintown craze is more recent. Developers began to take the former working-class neighbourhood more seriously in the 2010s, and the gigantic Arsenal contemporary art centre set the tone in 2011. Since then, the “Griffintown Project” has been steadily developing the neighbourhood.
Griffintown is located between Old Montreal and Little Burgundy, on the banks of the Lachine Canal. Not very large, it can be crossed in 20 minutes on foot. So I suggest starting the stroll in Old Montreal, to make the most of your day and this trendy part of town.
First things first: coffee!
Housed in the monumental teller room of the former Royal Bank headquarters, Crew Collective & Café (360 Saint-Jacques St) is a 5-minute walk from Square-Victoria Station. It's a collective workspace open to the public and the perfect place to start a tour of Old Montreal. You get to enjoy an excellent cup of coffee while admiring the superb gilded coffered ceiling dating from 1928.
Crown jewels of Old Montreal (1.3 km, 17 min)
Exiting Crew, turn right onto Saint-Jacques and cross Place d'Armes on your right to Notre-Dame Basilica. Built in 1829, it boasts the ostentatious excess of the finest Catholic churches. (Self-guided day tours cost $16; the Basilica opens at 9 am, Monday to Saturday, and at 12.30 pm on Sundays).
The district isn't called Old Montreal for nothing! A clock dating from 1701 dominates the basilica's neighbour, the old Saint-Sulpice Seminary.
Turn onto Saint-Sulpice St. You'll see your first turquoise Petit Dep storefront (461 Saint-Sulpice St). This Montreal chain of vintage cafés is the brainchild of businesswoman Magda Slezak, the same woman who launched the Imaginarium Museum, which will complete my stroll.
Follow Saint-Paul St W to the left to soak up the atmosphere of the historic district. The narrow street is covered with pretty cobblestones east of Saint-Laurent Boulevard, where it becomes Saint-Paul St E.
You'll pass the silver dome of the neo-classical Marché Bonsecours (350 Saint-Paul St E). It houses the headquarters of the Conseil des métiers d'art du Québec and several artisan boutiques.
Further on, Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours (400 Saint-Paul St E) is Montreal's oldest stone chapel (rebuilt in 1773 after a fire). Close to the Old Port of Montreal, it was a popular place of prayer for sailors in the 19th century..
Hidden treasures (1.3 km, 19 min)
Continue on Saint-Paul St E to Berri, turn left, then left again on Saint-Louis St to admire two small, well-hidden historic houses: the Maison Joseph-Brossard dating from 1828 (456 rue Saint-Louis) and the Maison Brossard-Gauvin built in 1750 and modified in 1810 (433 rue Saint-Louis).
Exiting Saint-Louis St, I suggest continuing on Bonsecours St towards De la Commune St, to see where all the canal's tourist attractions are, such as the zip line, Ferris wheel, Voile en voile course, Science Centre, etc.
Turn onto Marché Bonsecours St. Turn right on Saint-Paul St E, then left on Saint-Claude St to admire Château Ramesay (280 Notre-Dame St E) and its gardens.
This 1706 beauty was nearly demolished in 1893. The Société d'archéologie et de numismatique convinced the City of Montreal to acquire it, and undertook to create a museum there, which has existed since 1895. Phew!
Head west down Notre-Dame St to explore the beautiful Place Jacque-Cartier on your left. In 1803, a deed transferring this space to the City specified that the square should always be used as a public market. Today, a small flower stand keeps the municipality within the law!
Passages in time (1.2 km, 16 min)
From Place Jacques-Cartier, turn onto Saint-Amable St, long known as the artists' lane.
Then turn on Saint-Vincent St, then on Sainte-Thérèse St, until you reach St-Gabriel St. You are now facing the beautiful Auberge Saint-Gabriel dating from 1754. Turn on St-Gabriel to return to De la Commune St, where you continue on your right to the narrow passage of Saint-Dizier St (next to the Lattuca Barbecue restaurant at 15 De la Commune St W).
Continue up Saint-Dizier past Saint-Paul (where it becomes Marie Morin St), and enter the Cours Le Royer alley-garden on your left. Surprising, isn't it? In the 1860s and 1870s, these properties served as warehouses for the Hôtel-Dieu hospital.
At the end of the garden path, turn left onto Saint-Sulpice St, then onto Saint-Paul St W, to admire an elegant stretch of Old Montreal. You'll recognize the turquoise facade of a second Petit Dep (179 Saint-Paul St W) where you might want to try their Twist du jour, a smooth soft-serve ice cream they serve from May to September.
A little detour for archaeology buffs: on either side of Saint-François Xavier St (north of Saint-Paul), traces of vanished houses can be seen on the brick walls. The tiny Saint-Éloi St (a street west of Saint-François Xavier) has earned its own web page (in French) for its archaeological interest dating back 4,000 years!
Head south down Saint-François Xavier to pretty Place d'Youville and enjoy this oasis of greenery amidst the old stones. Further west, just off Saint-Pierre St, you'll find the former Caserne centrale de pompiers (central fire station), built in 1904 (335 Place d'Youville).
Art in Griffintown (2.2km, 32 min)
West of McGill St, Place d'Youville becomes William St. You're officially in Griffintown.
Continue west on William to Lucas Beaufort's huge mural, the French artist's largest to date, on which he painted 588 small characters.
Then take a right turn onto Richard lane to admire Jean Brillant's substantial sculptures (where I saw the delicate balance between nature and industry). Then look for Jean-Robert Drouillard's fox.
Return to William, where you'll turn right onto Queen St (on your left) to the Darling Foundry, at the corner of Queen and Ottawa. The Darling brothers established their foundry in 1880, when the metal industry was booming in Griffintown. It's now a visual arts hub, founded and run by Quartier Éphémère, which promotes art of the… ephemeral kind.
In the new adjacent Place du Sable-Gris, the foundry offers performance evenings on Thursdays until August 18, from 5 to 10 pm.
Continuing west on Ottawa St, the true nature of Griffintown awaits: Bonaventure Park. This excellent example of successful urban development was completed in 2018, where the elevated highway once stood. With a length of .5 km, you can make the round trip from north to south in 15 minutes.
To your left, Barcelona artist Jaume Plensa's ten-metre-high Source impresses. Look closer to see the tangle of letters and symbols from eight alphabets, which Plensa sees as representing the complexity of humanity.
At the other end of the linear park, Michel de Broin's Dendrites allows visitors to climb up for a better view of the park. Between the two works are a winding boardwalk, exercise stations, play areas and more sculptures.
Continue on Ottawa St and look to your right, at Young St. On the building at the far end is Montreal's largest mural, Lignes du temps, by the Artducommun collective on Pavillon A of the École de technologie supérieure. The Dow brewery was located in this district, hence the hops on the mural.
Well-kept secret garden (350m, 5 min)
Further down Ottawa, on my way to the tiny site of Montreal's oldest urban stable, I noticed a secret garden sign... and discovered that it was in fact the very pretty backyard of Hôtel particulier Griffintown, which offers an original experience to the public on weekdays. For a $10 admission fee, you get to enjoy this oasis, bringing your own food and booze. They provide wifi and an orange juice or coffee.
How fortunate! It just so happens that you can order a slice of pizza or a sandwich at the little Pronto Prêt à manger counter across the street (1169 Ottawa St), and stop off at the SAQ Griffintown (231 Peel St) 3 minutes away.
Adjacent to the hotel, the Parc de l'Écurie Horse Palace (1206 Ottawa St) marks the site of a stable established in 1862, which Montreal's horse-drawn carriage drivers used until the City decided to abolish horse-drawn carriages in January 2020! Don't hesitate to open the paddock to see the carriage at the far end, under century-old poplars.
Little detour to the canal (700m, 10 min)
Commendable efforts have been made in recent years to facilitate access to Griffintown's waterfront. It would be a shame not to take a look at the Lachine Canal, just 5 minutes from the stable! Continue on Ottawa, then turn left on Du Séminaire St to reach the Place des Débardeurs pedestrian walkway.
A little extra: If you choose to follow the canal on your right, you'll come across other accesses with evocative names: Allée des Charbonniers, Allée des Vraquiers, Passage des Bassins, Allée des Barges (5 minutes further on).
For the most colourful finale to this stroll, return to Ottawa St and turn onto De la Montagne St to reach the historic flatiron building (pointed, reminiscent of an iron) housing the Imaginarium Museum and Le Petit Dep (290 rue de la Montagne).
Behind the scenes at Imaginarium Museum
Lachine Rapids is still engraved on the façade of the 1896 building. At the time, Lachine Hydraulic & Land Company was Canada's second-largest hydroelectric producer.
Le Petit Dep, which occupies two floors of the building, was already one of Montreal's most Instagrammable cafés following its opening in 2021. Magda Slezak wanted to push the envelope, offering selfie enthusiasts 16 installations designed by film artisans in her Imaginarium Museum.
“I have two passions: photography and coffee”, the businesswoman confided to L'Express. Magda is also the founder of Magenta Photo, a company with several photo studios in Quebec and Ontario.
She gave carte blanche to visual designer Léa Valérie Létourneau, a film set designer who has worked on major American productions such as Pet Sematary, X-Men and, more recently, Mayday.
Léa Valérie has put together a professional team of local artists working in the film set design and photography industries. It's fun to see the Imaginarium “making of” page on the designer's website.
Having worked with each of them over the past few years, Léa Valérie knew they would deliver high-quality sets with evocative titles: Hollywood Gambit (where you can play chess with yourself), To Infinity and Back, Divine Diva, Psychedelic Afternoon Delight (with a naughty boudoir feel), Montreal Sunset Skyline (how many pink squirrels in muralist Jason Wasserman's cartoon city?), Tiki Party, Montreal Poutine Pool (which is exactly that!).
Léa Valérie collaborated with consulting designer Elisabeth Williams, a visual designer who won several Emmys for her work on the Handmaid's Tale series. And she called on senior architect and decorator François Xavier Leblanc to make the most of the century-old space.
Fans of street art will recognize the touch of muralists Dan Buller and Edward Maloney (who designed the artwork on the building and the stairwell leading to the museum). Admission to the Imaginarium Museum is $35. The attraction is open Monday to Friday, 11 am to 8 pm, and on weekends, 10 am to 8 pm.
Cocktail anyone?
Once we've had our fun with the sets, we head upstairs to Le Petit Dep, which has the good idea of closing late! (10 pm on Thursdays, 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9 pm from Sunday to Wednesday). Cocktails, wine and beer are served, along with appetizing platters of charcuterie and other dishes to share.
Those who came by subway should walk for a few minutes to 500 De la Montagne St (past Notre-Dame) and take the pedestrian walkway on the left to Lucien-L’Allier St, then continue to Lucien-L'Allier Station, 5 minutes further on.
Those wishing to return on foot will need 20 minutes to get back to the starting point of this walk (the Crew café).
Got a second day?
If you're lucky enough to spend a second day in the neighbourhood, here's a great plan taking you further west into Griffintown and over into Little Burgundy.
Start with breakfast at Café September (2471 Notre-Dame St W). Then it's on to the Arsenal (2020 William St), an 8-minute walk away, for a cultural dip. Closed Mondays, it opens at noon on weekdays and at 10 am on weekends. Take note: Diane Dufresne's immersive exhibition will be featured here from September 13 to October 13, 2024!
This post is a MONTREAL special by Nathalie Prézeau, ex-Montrealer and now author of Toronto walking guides: Toronto BEST Urban Strolls. (currently SOLD OUT!) and Toronto Street Art Strolls (still available). You already own the BEST Urban Strolls guide? Check Nathalie's WEEKLY WALKS calendar available on her site www.torontourbangems.com/calendar. It's free, easily printable by season, and it includes page references which should help you enjoy urban walks year-round.
Visit www.torontourbangems.com to subscribe to Nathalie's coming newsletter and follow the author on social media to find out what latest urban gems she's found for you and to keep posted on her next guide.
Comments