Articles
Magical Montréal
originally appeared in PASSPORT magazine
by David Ortmann
The city of Montréal is a European jewel set conveniently in North America. Home to some 3.4 million people who represent more that 75 ethnic groups, it is a city of great diversity. Montréal is known as the "City of Festivals" and lives up to this reputation as a year-round capitol of multi-culturalism and celebration. With a culture based upon the appreciation of food, drink, and friends, this French Canadian city is a land of cafes, bistros, parks, pubs, and parties. A city at once nurturing, inviting, and festive, Montréal is not without her edge; namely the winter temperatures that descend below zero.
Visiting this city in the warmer months is highly recommended because Montréal is a city designed for walking. Travelers are encouraged to traverse Montréal's ancient and winding streets and enjoy the way in which the neighborhoods almost seamlessly blend into one another. The neighborhoods, through which a stroll can connect the American traveler to Montréal's unique pulse and vitality, include: The Golden Square Mile, the Quartier Latin, Little Italy, Little Burgundy and Saint-Henri, Île Sainte Hélène and Île Notre-Dame, and. of course. le Village, the heart of lesbian and gay Montréal.
The language of Montréal is French, but unlike many European cities citizens of Montreal are not only eager to speak English, they are accepting of and encouraging to Americans attempting to speak French. With a remarkable 75 percent of Montréal's inhabitants competently bilingual in French and English, the American traveler is treated to a unique linguistic experience-the ability to try your hand at French while knowing if you stumble, almost anyone can continue a conversation in English.
Montréal, in classic European tradition, is very much a café culture. There are over one thousand cafés in Montréal alone, and I am not talking about Starbucks. I am talking about old, rambling, art-filled, smoky cafes where patrons sit for hours with friends and associates over espresso and biscotti. A favorite of students and professionals alike, Montréal's cafes are places to linger.
As a relatively light cigarette smoker, I was surprised that people smoke often and everywhere in Montréal. In fact, Montréal has the highest percentage of cigarette smokers in North America. In the gay population alone, over 30% of people are avid smokers. Coming from California, where smoking in public is a crime ranked right alongside car theft, it was interesting to come home after a night out on the town and have to air out the clothing I'd worn, something I haven't had to do since college.
GETTING THERE
If at all possible, don't fly. Drive. I am serious. My experience with Air Canada, one of Canada's few International airlines, was not positive. From the loss of my vegetarian meal (twice), to a cumulative 19 hours of flight delays, impersonal staff, surprise airport taxes, and a general lack of concern for even mediocre-level customer service would cause me to really question flying with them again. The mantra of Air Canada when presented with any sort of problem was, "It's just not our fault." Me thinks they doth protest too much.
Air Canada was not without its good points, however. The plane did not crash. For that, I am grateful. If you do fly Air Canada, plan ahead! I recommend you arrive at least two hours before your flight is scheduled to depart. The lines at baggage check-in were tremendously long. A quick poll of regular travelers waiting on line established for me that this is the norm. Curbside baggage check does not exist for international flights, which Air Canada is considered.
Once you arrive in Montréal, L'Aréobus Shuttle service will drive you to any of forty-one city hotels for the price of eleven Canadian dollars. Taxi and limousine service are also readily accessible. Currency exchange is available everywhere. L'Aréobus provides the same service from Montreal's many hotels back to the airport as well. Although tickets may be purchased at convenient points throughout the Montréal Airport, you can call 514-931-9002 for more information prior to your trip or from your hotel.
ACCOMMODATIONS
Whether you want to survey Montréal from the 32nd floor of an upscale downtown hotel suite, or wander down a cobblestone stairway from a secluded bed and breakfast, your stay in this city is sure to be comfortable and exciting.
The Queen Elizabeth Hotel (900 Boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest), made famous by John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their famous honeymoon bed-ins, is situated in the center of downtown. A luxurious hotel with beautifully appointed rooms and suites; its underground corridors provide easy access to the city's subway system (METRO) and its lobby boasts several fine shops.
For picturesque uninterrupted vistas of Montréal, there is no better hotel than the Marriott Château Champlain (1 Place du Canada). Known affectionately throughout the city as "The Cheese-Grater," this hotel has small but elegant rooms and excellent service. With signature crescent windows that scale every one of her 36 floors, the Château Champlain resembles, well. a cheese grater; but a really, really fine cheese grater.
For something a little closer to the ground, I recommend sampling one of Montréal's many bed and breakfast inns which capture the earthy and festive spirit of le Village.
B & B Turquoise (1576 Rue Alexandre-de-Sève) is, as its name proudly advertises, a roomy, newly renovated turquoise Victorian home in the heart of le Village. The rooms are clean, comfortable, and contain much of the impeccably restored original woodwork. The piece de resistance of this treasure is the outdoor terrace, complete with sprawling garden, comfortable patio furniture, and its own goldfish pond. Oh, and did I mention the host is a sweetheart, as well as cute?
Douillette et Chocolat (1631 Rue Plessis), a tastefully renovated Victorian inn run by a young Frenchman and his cats, is most notable for its wonderful location and the simple beauty and charm of its rooms. Generous breakfasts are served each morning in a lovely dining room by the host himself.
GAY MONTRÉAL
"Gay and lesbian life in Montréal has always been rich." Claims Pierre Séguin, Montréal's famed tour guide and human library of historical facts. "Our community owes a tremendous gratitude to Pierre Trudeau, Canada's Prime Minister for 15 years." Trudeau led the country through four terms as Prime Minister, guiding Canada from 1968 through 1984, except for a brief period from 1979 to 1980.
"You see," Séguin explains. "Trudeau initially sponsored the Omnibus Bill in 1969 that established for the first time the decriminalization of homosexual sex in private. Now, this Bill was a part of a larger piece of legislation called the Charter of Rights Against Discrimination, which was a very new and controversial concept at the time. In 1977 the province of Quebec was the first state in North America to have a Charter of Rights, which included discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Trudeau was the politician who brought this issue to the table and initially advocated for the rights of the gay and lesbian community."
"Of course, the gay center of Montreal has changed dramatically from that time." In the 1960s and early 1970s, Montréal's gay neighborhood was located on the West Side at Stanley and rue St. Catherine. As the rent prices escalated on the West Side, owners of gay and lesbian establishments moved their businesses to the East Side of rue Ste Catherine, traditionally an economically poorer, working class district where rents were relatively inexpensive. The gay and lesbian community, although thriving throughout all of Montreal, has been firmly ensconced on the East Side ever since.
Known as Le Village, the center of gay and lesbian Montreal owes its name to Norman Rouseau, owner of the store Priape (1311 Ste-Catherine Est.) who coined the term when he opened his shop there in 1974. The first gay establishment of the East Side, Priape is now the largest sex, novelty, and clothing store in Montreal. Check out the jeans, in fabrics ranging from washed-out denim to glitter encrusted lycra.
LE VILLAGE TODAY
By far one of Montréal's most festive and well-attended events is the Festival of Diversite, the city's weeklong gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning PRIDE celebration. Diversite, one of Montreal's forty internationally recognized festivals, is always the first weekend in August. "Diversite is perhaps one of the busiest time of the years for me." Séguin smiled. "Every evening there is a concert with different themes: drag artists, lesbian events, parties, art shows, films, and concerts. It is truly an amazing experience."
"Would you like the traditional tour of le Village?" Séguin asked with a gleam in his eye, "or would you like to see parts of the neighborhood that few tourists see?"
'How about both?" I ask.
Our fist stop was the Parc de L'Espoir (the Park of Hope), Montréal's AIDS Memorial Park, which is divided into three artistically and symbolically different sections. The first, symbolizing the huge amount death and loss in the 1980s is crowded with rectangular gray benches. It is reminiscent of the United States Vietnam War Memorial. In the middle section iron poles rise into the sky, tied with rope, ribbons, cords, and fabrics. This section brings to mind the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt and represents the creative and heartfelt ways the gay community dealt with its grief. The third, and most recently added, section is empty except for a huge philodendron tree. This rare species, imported from Mongolia, symbolizes the life and hope of the new millenium where education and new drug therapies are impacting the AIDS crisis for the better.
The next stop on our tour of le Village was The Bourbon Complex. Known as the largest gay and lesbian business in Montreal, The Bourbon Complex is owned by Norman Chamberlain, a former Montréal police officer who parlayed his video poker game business into his own food and drink empire. Beginning with a small pub, Chamberlain became known for his eccentric architecture and progressive human resource policies. Throughout the years his small bar did well, allowing him to buy the houses on either side of it and open yet another pub and restaurant. In 2001, the Bourbon Complex covers an entire city block and reaches three stories into the sky. At the peak of the season, 300 people are employed in the complex's hotel, various stores, pubs, and restaurants. There is even a wedding chapel with a Casa Rosada balcony that would make Eva Peron sing. Each summer, Montréal's endeared minister, Pastor Murray, performs gay and lesbian marriages on it.
Pierre and I stopped next for coffee at the Presse Café, which is open 24 hours. Located at 1263 rue Ste Cathernine Est, this is truly a neighborhood coffee shop and one that proudly promotes local artists. An espresso in the morning, with a few of Canada's excellent cigarettes, is a remarkable way to start the day, particularly when the coffee is served by Presse's engaging and smiling Patrick, easily one of the most charming and beautiful men in le Village.
For those travelers who prefer a non-smoking environment, just down the street from Presse is The Second Cup, (1351 Ste. Catherine Est.) a café chain sweeping the Montreal scene.
Our tour of Le Village continued with the lesser-known, non-commercial places in an area that, Séguin says, " few tourists ever see."
"Come this way." He said, leading me down a cobblestone alley close to the Bourbon Complex and onto the residential and garden district of Le Village.
The houses here are situated close together and sport tall curving stairways outside the buildings themselves. "These stairways are a Montréal trademark, and very reminiscent of New York." Séguin explained. "It gives the tenants much more room on the inside of their flats."
It seems that every home has a garden in the back. Despite the chill, flowers and trees blossom in almost ever color imaginable. Were it not for the cold, I would be tempted to think Séguin had transported me to New Orleans' own garden district. The architecture is very Old World, with several original carriage houses surviving from the early 19th century. Nestled among the flora and fauna are little brooks and pools, home to croaking frogs and huge goldfish. "The French Canadians," Séguin explained, "are very proud of their gardens."
Before returning to the hotel to rest before exploring gay and lesbian nightlife, Séguin leads me to a house resembling a ginger bread cottage where the flowers seems to bloom larger and more colorful than anywhere else on the street. In the window of the house sits an elderly woman who waves at Pierre and I.
"That," Pierre says with a reverence in his voice I had not yet heard, "Is the Grandmére de le Village."
The Grandmother of the Village is Madame Fleurette Crevier. In her ninetieth year, she shares her beautiful home with her gay grandson and his lover. Certainly not a woman to let aging get in the way of living life to the fullest, she is a regular figure on le Village's spectacular night life scene. "On some night's you can catch her down at gay bingo night or dancing at the clubs and, of course, she opens the Diversite festival every year." Séguin smiles.
EVENTS
In addition to Diversite, Montréal's Black and Blue Festival is a weeklong celebration of gay and lesbian culture. Generally the first weekend in October of each year, Black and Blue's dance parties, art shows, AIDS benefits, concerts, dinner-cruises, pre-parties, tea dances, and after-hours parties culminate in Sunday night's main event: the internationally celebrated Black and Blue Ball at Montréal's famous Olympic Stadium.
The Olympic Stadium is large enough to accommodate seven Boeing 747 aircrafts in the rink area alone. This monolithic space is perfect to accommodate the over twenty-thousand people who put on their dancing shoes for Black and Blue 2000, sponsored primarily by Montréal's non-profit organization Bad Boy Club Montréal. Black and Blue 2001 promises to be more of the same, and then some.
For those travelers not planning to visit Montréal in October, there are many other festivals that celebrate the city and its lesbian and gay population throughout the year.
The second weekend in February heralds the Red Weekend, a Bad Boy Club circuit party in honor of, what else: Valentine's Day and Cupids little wayward arrows. Although the weather is colder during this month, the parties and romance heat things up a bit. Information can be had at www.bbcm.org
Montréal's ARTFEST at the end of June is held annually in heart of le Village. Close to one hundred artists from Canada and the United States descend upon the city and display their work up and down rue Ste. Catherine's outdoor cafes making Montréal, even more than usual, a city with true European flair. For more information visit www.acpv.qc.ca
Mid-July's Queer Comics brings together comic artists from all over the world to participate in Montréal's Just for Laughs Comics Festival. The warmth of July is the perfect environment for this outdoor humor-fest. For more information, visit info@hahaha.com
For queer swimmers and those who love them, you can't beat Coup de Montréal des Maîtres Nageurs Gais et Lesbiennes which attracts the Speedo clad from all over Canada, the United States and Europe.
RESTAURANTS
Dining in Montréal, whether sitting back for a multi-hour, multi-course meal or a down-it-and-run nosh, is always a pleasurable adventure. The following selections represent a mere flavoring of what this magical city, and its pulsing Village, has to offer the cuisine savvy traveler.
With its handsome and engaging male and female staff, art work and photographs covering the walls, The Saloon is the perfect environment for a relaxed and affordable lunch. The fare is continental and consists primarily of crepes, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. There are plenty of options for vegetarians and it is a perfect noshing-spot for breakfast, lunch, brunch and dinner. Be sure to give a friendly hello to your host, Ronaldo Soriano Trono, himself one of Montréal's most up-and-coming young artists. Not to mention, he's got a smile that could melt a Canadian winter.
Stop into Piccolo Diavolo (1336 rue Ste. Catherine Est.) for Italian continental fare, with a spicy flair. "That's the best restaurant in Le Village." Shouted one eager pedestrian as I stood in front of the restaurant looking at the menu selections. With it's rich, dark décor, and attractive, attentive staff, Piccolo Diavolo is a winner, whether you choose their pizza, salads, meats, or pastas.
Club Sandwich, a part of Montréal's famous Bourbon Center, is a favorite late night meeting spot for a bite to eat before hitting the clubs, or a relaxed environment enjoy classic American diner food before turning in for the night.
For a taste of French Canada in a refined and cultured atmosphere, may we recommend Resto Bisous (1327, rue Ste-Catherine Est.) where the patrons are eager to brag about the delicacies, particularly the mussels.
Although le Village does not have the variety of Asian restaurants offered in the greater city, the beautifully decorated and charmingly staffed Batä Thai (1310 Ste-Catherine Est.) is always a sure bet for deliciously prepared Pan-Asian cuisine. There are also inexpensively priced Chinese and Vietnamese restaurants within walking distance of le Village as well.
For festive décor, excellent portions, and reasonable prices you may try Mañana (1272 Ste Catherine Est.). Known for it's full meals and light snacks, this Mexican treasure is for lovers of spicy fare, as well as mild.
Recently Montréal has seen the surfacing of a class of restaurants both chic and reasonably priced. Foremost among these is Area (1429 Amherst Street). The eastern-Zen décor, coupled with brick walls and good music, provide the perfect atmosphere for Area's popular fusion cuisine.
BARS AND CLUBS
Like the talented disc jockeys who pump the music until the small hours of the morning, Montréal loves her nightlife. Whether you want to sip a splendidly mixed cosmopolitan or swill beer while dancing up a glitter storm, the city has it for you, and often only walking distance from le Village.
Le Village's Unity and Pub Unity (1171 Ste-Catherine Est.) is a multi-leveled club whose motto is, and has always been, everyone is welcome. Unity's first floor boasts a large pub for the relaxed, pre-dance, drinker and the top two floors are reserved for dancing. "The best dance floor in the Village." Yelled one patron as he danced through Unity's doorway after waiting in line for several minutes. Thursday nights and special Friday nights are predominately women and students. Unity is open until 3am and their cocktails are described as "extraordinary."
The Sky Pub (1474 Ste-Catherine Est.) features one of the most popular discos in le Village and is a favorite spot for drinking, dancing, and meeting friends. The crowd is mixed men and women of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Sky Pub offers two for one happy hour cocktails, and features French chanteuse Marleen Ménard's "Martini Tuesdays" which hosts live bands and singers. Sky is open until 3am.
Canada's own Mark Anthony can often be found spinning discs at Stereo, Montréal's favorite after-hours club (corner of Ste. Catherine Est. and rue Christophe). Boasting the best sound system in all of Montréal, Stereo holds over one thousand people in its two-story party tower.
Sister's (1333 Ste. Catherine Est.), is one of the few remaining lesbian bars in Montréal. Part dance club, part cabaret, part belly up to the bar for a drink pub; Sister's creates an atmosphere of intimacy and energy with its reclining sofas, cabaret tables, and window seating overlooking the bustle of rue St. Catherine. Sister's hours of operation vary from night to night and it's always best to telephone ahead for a schedule (514-522-4717).
For a diverse and wild crowd, there is no better beer hall and dance bar than The Stud (1812 Ste Catherine Est.). Home to several bars, dance floors, video games, and pool tables, The Stud seems to attract just about the most diverse cross-section of men and women in le Village. Call ahead and find out the schedule for their special women's nights (514-998-8243).
For a little more leather and a little less music, check out the cruising environment at Aigle Noir (1315 Ste. Catherine Est.). Known in English as the Black Eagle Bar, this leather pub caters to the dark looks in dark corners crowd and never fails to please with their basic assortment of cocktails and draft beer.
Of course, what night is complete without that extra dash of the fantastic and fabulous? Cabaret Cleopatra's (1230 St-Laurent Blvd) has been a Montréal staple for over twenty-five years. Completely renovated in 1999, with the exception of its classic outdoor sign, this drag cabaret bar is an institution in Montréal gay culture. Regulars such as Mlle. Coquelicot, Alexis K, and Madame X dazzle the audiences at Cleo's nightly with shows at 11pm and 1pm. Don't miss Frankie Night's Cher tribute or Farrah's impeccable Celine Dion.
Whether cruising for sex, dining on the town, dancing all night, or just watching the city unfold from the terrace of your bed and breakfast inn; Montréal is a place of magic, a city that readily welcomes the solitary traveler and the party posse in for the long weekend. Enjoy it all!
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For more information on Montréal's sex scene and nightlife, read David Ortmann's subsequent article Sex in the City: Nightlife in Montréal.