Montreal
Winter Activities
If you visit Montreal from November to March, you can pretty much count on snow. One parent writes about Mount Royal Park in winter, "We loved the park on a sleigh ride! We were bundled up in coats and mittens, and snuggled in blankets as we drove through the woods with the horses jingling all the way." For kids who come from warm climates, snow and ice are a treat.
Ice skating - December to March, here's where you can ice skate outdoors. All have a pavilion to rent skates:
Quays ice rink, Basin Bonsecours at the Vieux PortBeaver Lake, Mount Royal ParkPark La FontaineSledding and inner tubing - Rent sleds, kid's helmets and inner tubes at the Beaver Lake pavilion in Mount Royal Park.
Sleigh rides - Go for a sleigh ride in Mount Royal Park or Cap-Saint- Jacques Nature Park.
Sugar shacks - A local tradition is "sugaring-off" in early spring (late February to the end of April) when sap from the sugar maple trees is collected and boiled down to make maple syrup. Hot thick maple syrup (maple taffy), is poured onto the snow, and when it hardens, it's a delicious sweet treat. There's a variety of "sugaring-off" activities, from just maple taffy on snow, to a whole day activity with sleigh rides and a meal of traditional Quebec food.
Botanical Garden - At the Tree House in the Botanical Garden, on weekends in March and April, there's maple taffy on snow.Cap-Saint-Jacques Nature Park - Weekends February to April, sugar shack (where you can watch maple syrup being made), sleigh rides and maple taffy on snow at the organic farm center.Outside the city - You'll need a car to get to these sugar shacks, with sleigh rides, farm animals, singing and dancing, and taffy on snow. A typical buffet lunch includes pea soup, country sausages in syrup, omelettes, crepes, maple syrup pie:
