Montreal/Verdun
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Verdun is a borough in the south of Montreal, bordered by the South-West borough to the north, LaSalle to the south and the west and by the St-Lawrence river to the east. The borough of Verdun also includes Nun's Island, which is an affluent residential neighborhood, and is quite different from what is normally considered as Verdun. The main commercial streets in Verdun are Wellington and De L'Église.
Verdun is not a neighborhood that is often frequented by travelers. However, the adventurous tourist who seeks an off-the-beaten-track destination will find peaceful streets with typical red brick triplexes, a lively main street, beautiful views of the river and restaurants well worth the detour.
Get in
The green line of the Metro has a few stations in Verdun: Lasalle, De l'Église, Verdun and Jolicoeur. These stations are about 10-20 minutes from downtown.
Nun's Island (Ile-de-Soeurs) is accessible by bus, either via the 168 Cité-du-Havre from McGill station in downtown, or the 12 Ile-de-Soeurs from De l'Église station in Verdun.
Verdun also has a few Bixi (bike-share) stations and bicycle lanes.
Highway 15 borders the northern part of Verdun and nearby exits are 60 (rue Wellington), 61 (rue Atwater) and 62 (boul. de la Vérendrye).
See
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phone: +1 514 765-7284address: 7244 boulevard LaSalleA 300 year-old house, right next to the river, with a museum open from May to October. It is the most extensive prehistoric archeological site on the Island of Montreal.
Do
Cycle or walk along the riverA wonderful cycle path stretches along the Saint Lawrence river, offering good views and picnic spots.
Swim in the riverTwo small piers are accessible for people who want to take a dip in the Saint Lawrence river.
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address: 7000 boulevard LaSalleDuring the summer, drop in the municipal greenhouse any evening for salsa, tango, country or line dancing. Check website for hours and details.
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phone: +1 514 768-5812address: 5190 Boulevard LaSalle, Verdun, QC H4H 1N8Verdun circus school is a venue for circus shows. See website for a schedule to see a circus show.
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phone: +1 514 765-7230address: 6500 boulevard LaSalleSwim at the Natatorium which is a huge outdoor swimming pool.
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phone: +1 514 765-7150address: 800, rue WillibrordThis refrigerated rink is a donation from the Montreal Canadiens children's foundation, and is normally open longer than regular rinks in Montreal. Call before going to be sure it's open.
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address: 1001 Boulevard de la Forêt, H3E 1X9One of the best spas in the city, this place has a beautiful location next to the lac des battures on Nun's Island. There is no nearby public transportation, unfortunately.
Buy
The main commercial streets are Wellington and De L'Église and features a mix of independent stores and chains, restaurants and services. A comprehensive listing of shop on Wellington can be found on their website.
Specialty stores include:
Specialty stores include:
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address: 4537 rue WellingtonEco-clothing and jewelry from local designers.
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La Tienda, d'ici à Compostelle
address: 4329 rue WellingtonHiking gear with an emphasis on the Compostelle trail. -
address: 4425 rue WellingtonBoard games and Magic cards. Hosting Magic tournaments.
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address: 349 avenue de l'ÉgliseThis chain super-market actually boasts an impressive offering of tens of different micro-brewed beers sold by the bottle.
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Maltéhops
phone: +1 514 903-2337address: 4817 Wellington Street, Verdun, QC H4G 1X5Specialized beer store with a wide variety of Quebec microbrews.
Eat
Wellington street boasts a variety of restaurants and cafés, from fast food to very fancy fare. Here are some that might be worth a detour.
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address: 5335 rue WellingtonThis restaurant offers specialties from the îles-de-la-Madeleine, mostly seafood and cured seal ("loup marin" on the menu).
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address: 4436 rue WellingtonAn excellent BBQ joint serving meats slowly smoked for 16 hours. Specialties : ribs, brisket, chicken. A sampling platter (36$+tax) is big enough to feed 2 to 3 people. Their "burnt-end poutine" is a very nice twist on the classic poutine with their signature BBQ meat in it. They also serve local beers.
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address: 3872 rue WellingtonA well-kept secret, this wonderful tiny Japanese restaurant specializes in sushi. They are excellent, but are cheaper than the ones you can find downtown. Also try the agedashi tofu.
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Pierrette patate
address: 3900 rue de VerdunA classical greasy spoon, some say they make the best poutine in town. -
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address: 5145 rue WellingtonFine Turkish cuisine and good wine selection.
Drink
In Verdun, bars were forbidden for over 100 years under local regulation. Many establishments circumvented this rule by requiring patrons to buy food before ordering drinks. A special exception was made for the Benelux Microbrewery that opened in May 2013, and more recently Bar Palco that opened in December 2015.
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phone: +1 514 508-5592address: 4026 rue WellingtonBenelux serves beer brewed on the premises. Fantastic terrace at the back, with a big tree and a camp fire at night.
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phone: +1 514 303-1345address: 4019 Wellington St, Verdun, QC H4G 1V6
Sleep
Verdun does not have any hotels. One may find a few guest houses or apartments dotted around the city through booking websites. For a visitor, the closer to the river the better.
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phone: +1 514-762-1223address: 277, rue Beatty, Montréal Québec, H4H 1X7Bed & breakfast just a stone's throw from the St-Lawrence river.
Connect
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phone: +1 514 765-7170address: 5955 rue Bannantyne, H4H 1H6This library first opened its doors in 1944, and often features small exhibits from local artists in the front lobby.
Go next
- If the weather permits it, biking is the way to go. Lasalle, Lachine and Dorval are all accessible via the bike path along the river.
- The Parc des Rapides in Lasalle is one of Montreal's best kept secrets, with impressive views of the Lachine rapids and interesting wildlife viewing.
- Angrignon park in the nearby South-West borough is one of Montreal's largest parks with total area of 97 hectares. Cross-country skiing can be practiced in the winter.