Summary
We traveled 55.4 miles on this segment on June 26 and enjoyed Montréal June 26-29.
Figure 1: Up the Saint Lawrence River to Montréal
This stop was plagued with rain and camera charging mishaps, so photos are a little sparse. We left Montréal the day the annual jazz festival started, with the hope of making it to Ottawa on Canada Day. In retrospect we should have stayed and enjoyed a few days of street concerts. While we could not traverse the Lachine Canal, we learned Penguin would fit through the first lock and we could have stayed on the upper lock wall with our Parks Canada mooring permit.
Up the Saint Lawrence River
Our trip to Montreal started at the west end of Lac Saint-Pierre and continued up the Saint Lawrence river – against current the whole way.
Figure 2: Morning fog on the Saint Lawrence River
Figure 3: Saint Lawrence River lighthouse
Figure 4: Misty island on the Saint Lawrence River
Montréal
Approach
Shipping/industry moved to the suburbs down the Saint Lawrence River as Lachine, the former industrial zone became urbanized. The current really increased in this area.
Figure 5: Montréal Commercial Port
Old Port
Montreal’s Old Port has morphed into a Tourist/Recreation hub. We stayed at Vieux-Port de Montréal marina at the center of the old port. The Saint Lawrence river is greatly narrowed by the island of Montréal and the current greatly increases. Working up-river into the old port was our most challenging current to date.
Figure 6: Entry to Montréal old port
Figure 7: 5 knot counter-current approaching Montréal
Figure 8: Montréal and the shipping basin
Figure 9: Vieux-Port de Montréal
Figure 10: Where’s Penguin?
We spent our time walking around Montreal and exploring the neighborhoods.
Lachine
The Lachine Canal, opened in 1825, was the first successful canal to bypass an 8 mile portage around the Saint Lawrence River’s Lachine Rapids above Montreal. The canal significantly contributed Montréal’s industrial appeal; first by eliminating the labor intensive portage, later by hydro-electric power from canal dams. The canal’s success was, ultimately, its undoing – surrounding industrial development did not leave room for expanding canal locks to accommodate ever increasing freighter size. Completion of the Saint-Anne de Bellevue Canal, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, in the 1950s began the Lachine’s decline – by the 1970’s the canal was shut down. Parks Canada reopened the Lachine in 2002 as a Canadian Heritage Canal. Unfortunately, a number of fixed bridges built over the closed canal require users to have an air draft of less than 8 feet. Without removing equipment, Penguin has an air draft of 13’, so we were unable to travel the Lachine.
Figure 11: Lachine Canal
Figure 12: Lachine Canal
Figure 13: Lachine Canal
Figure 14: Lachine Canal
Old Town
Figure 15: Old Town Montreal
Figure 16: Bonsecours Market
Little Burgundy
The Grinder Bucher had a dry-aging refrigerator making for interesting window shopping. We returned to the associated Grinder Restaurant for dinner on the next evening.
Figure 17: Boucherie Grinder, Little Burgundy
Figure 18: Boucherie Grinder, Little Burgundy
Figure 19: Boucherie Grinder, Little Burgundy
Mount Royal
Montréal is the namesake for Mount Royal – Mont Réal, in French. The Grand Staircase ascends the steep east face of Mount Royal in 400 steps. Kondiaoronk Belvedere offers panoramic views of the city below. We managed to arrive in between rain!
Figure 20: Grand Staircase, Mount Royal
Figure 21: Grand Staircase, Mount Royal
Figure 22: Grand Staircase, Mount Royal
Figure 23: Kondiaronk Belvedere, Mount Royal
I’m the kind of guy who waits around until the photo I want is people-less. And, its almost like those occupying my otherwise perfect photo KNOW. Why else would they decide to whip out their map and study it WHILE RUINING MY PHOTO? Well, Google Photos offers a solution – magic eraser. Magic eraser automatically identifies people (or just one person…) and removes them. Or, one can circle areas for magic eraser to remove. Here is an example, before and after magic eraser:
Figure 24: Mount Royal Chalet (before)
Figure 25: Mount Royal Chalet (after)
Latin Quarter
Figure 26: Latin Quarter, Montreal
Saint Pierre Sighting
Figure 27: Pub Saint Pierre
Figure 28: Pub Saint Pierre
Figure 29: A random Saint Pierre
Figure 30: Another random Saint Pierre