Summer in Montreal

Who says summer in Montreal, says return of heat, after 6 long months of winter.

But with its heat comes humidity and heat waves sometimes reaching over 42 degrees.

Outdoor swimming pools, numerous and free in many areas of the city, make everyone happy during this season.

Indeed, open from the end of June to the end of August, these swimming pools are free and limited in capacity since Covid.

They are very popular on very hot days. Some people therefore prefer to take the car and head to Oka beach, an hour's drive away, to cool off.

The other possibility of course remains the escapades outside the city to the lakes where you can swim and why not enhance it all with a weekend in a chalet, a basic activity for Quebecers here in summer and winter.

In fact, a good part of the population has a chalet outside the city where they will recharge their batteries for a weekend, the end of year celebrations, or even a vacation.

Montreal in summer is also synonymous with festivals and cultural activities of all kinds, to name a few, here is a non-exhaustive list of these expected summer events:

• PikNic Electronics
• Osheaga
• Francofolies
• Jazz Festival
• Just for Laughs Festival
• MTL Pride
• Mural Festival etc.

It's quite simple, every evening during the summer you have the choice between so many different activities that you don't know where to start.

Not to mention the city's many green spaces, with its large parks which welcome, as soon as temperatures allow, until the end of autumn, groups of friends happy to meet up for a picnic, aperitif, games of all kinds (molky, pétanque, spike ball etc.)

Barbecues are allowed in parks so be prepared to smell the smells in the streets wherever you go for 3 months.

I'm not talking about the markets where it is good to stroll between the stalls and stock up on seasonal fruits and vegetables of all kinds. The best known: the Jean Talon market and the Atwater market (personally, I really prefer the first one)

A few pop-up stations open only in summer as well, for example, The Village at the Foot of the Stream near the Jacques Cartier Bridge. An ideal spot to come and see the fireworks Loto Québec launches every Wednesday and Saturday during the summer. Each fireworks display has a country theme. So you will never have the same show.

There are several of these pop-up spots all over Montreal, with food trucks, music and deckchairs.

Finally, how can we not talk about THE spot in Montreal, winter and summer: the Mont-Royal lookout.

Whether it's to see the sunrise or sunset with this magnificent view of the city, to go running on the many trails leading to the viewpoint or to walk with your friends, it's the place to see all year round but especially in the summer in Montreal.

Beaver Lake right next door is worth a look while you're there.

Definitely the place to be in Montreal.