Michael Powell's Blog, page 48

Under the Dome at SAT – Société des Arts Technologiques

At first glance, you might mistake the gleaming dome on Boulevard St. Laurent for that of a modern mosque. But in fact, it’s an immersive exhibition space utilized by SAT: the Society of Technological Arts. SAT is a collective of artists and engineers dedicated to a wide array of projects, from mind-bending multimedia shows in the dome, to practical networking and communication applications.

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Montreal is equally accomplished in both the worlds of culture and high-tech; not only is this city h...

A Tour through Old Montreal

As its name suggests, Vieux Montréal is the oldest section of the city, and is roughly the location of the original 17th-century settlement of Ville-Marie. With many of Montreal’s most historic buildings tightly packed in close proximity to one another, it’s the perfect place to take a self-guided walking tour.

We started our walk in the southwestern quadrant of Old Montreal, among the towering edifices which line St. Jacques, Montreal’s “Wall Street.” Most of the buildings on this street da...

La Sucrerie de la Montagne

You can’t take a trip to Quebec without at least once visiting a Sugar Shack. I’m pretty sure that’s a law. Jürgen and I spent a sunny afternoon at La Sucrerie de la Montagne, about an hour west of Montreal. We walked around the maple trees, peeked into the buckets, learned how the sap is boiled down, and enjoyed a hearty meal… all of it drenched in maple syrup, of course.

When we first met Pierre Faucher, the owner of the Sucrerie de la Montagne, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Hollywood itself...

The Notre Dame de Bon Secours

Known as the “Sailors’ Church,” the Notre Dame de Bon Secours was originally built in 1771, and is one of the oldest churches in the city. Its founder was Marguerite Bourgeoy, a woman of deep faith whose life story is celebrated by a museum attached to the church.

Because of its location on the port, the Notre Dame de Bon Secours has long been a place of pilgrimage for sailors passing through Montreal. After surviving particularly dangerous journeys, some of these sailors returned with votiv...

Godspeed You, Montreal Music Scene

As we were walking through the Underground City, near the Place des Arts, I spied a poster out of the corner of my eye. Godspeed You! Black Emperor would be playing in a couple days. They’ve long been one of my favorite bands, and I had completely forgotten they were from Montreal. Before Jürgen had a chance to react, I raced over to the counter and scored us a couple tickets.

For years, I’ve wanted to hear GY!BE’s soaring, orchestral music in a live setting and the show, held in the Théâtre...

Butterflies and More at the Greenhouse

Included in the ticket to the Insectarium is a free entrance to the neighboring Botanic Garden. With two dozen thematic zones like the Chinese Garden, Rose Garden and Courtyard of the Senses, the Botanic Garden is huge… but we wouldn’t be seeing much of it. It was freezing in Montreal, and snow was still covering the ground. So we decided to delay a thorough exploration of the garden, and instead scurried straight into the greenhouse.

Every year, from February to April, the Main Greenhouse o...

The Insectarium

Imagine an enclosed area just swarming with tiny, freakish beasts. Millions of them crawling around, randomly piercing the air with hideous ear-piercing screeches. This is Montreal’s Insectarium on a Saturday afternoon… and the beasts of which I’m speaking are, of course, children. The insects? They’re cool.

It was our fault for visiting the Insectarium on a freezing cold weekend afternoon, when literally every family in a fifty-mile radius had the same idea. We should have timed our visit f...

A Concise History of Montreal

Five hundred years ago, Western civilization didn’t even know about the existence of Montreal Island. The Renaissance was just winding down in Europe, as the first wooden houses were being erected in a settlement called Ville-Marie. So, in order to evolve into a modern-day metropolis, Montreal has had to cram a lot into its short history. Here’s a brief rundown of the highlights.

2000 BC The first traces of human activity on the island of Montreal, including stone tools and evidence of cam...

The Marché Atwater

Set inside an imposing art deco building on the waterfront near the Lachine Canal, the Atwater Market is home to a wide variety of butchers, bakers and produce stands. It’s probably a good thing that the market is just a little too far from our apartment… if we could shop there every day, we might be healthier and happier, but we’d also be broke.

I’ve never seen a farmer’s market held in a more impressive building. The Marché was constructed in 1933 and named after local politician Edwin Atw...

The Montreal Science Centre

A huge complex located within the Old Port, the Montreal Science Centre introduces children to the worlds of science and technology with hands-on workshops, experiments and games. The focus of this center is almost entirely on kids, but we were drawn by a temporary exhibit called “Animal Inside Out.”

Adults aren’t going to get much out of the Montreal Science Centre’s permanent exhibits, but kids will have a blast. The museum’s main attraction is called “Human,” and explores the human body w...