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Ps: This site is monitored but not actively posting on a regular basis. Mostly these are stories & some photos saved from a defunct site known as Verdun Connections which was on MSN Groups initially then on a social network called Multiply.
When the pandemic hit, this southern Montreal
arrondissement was four days away from rolling out the tenth edition of
one of its biggest parties: the urban lumberjack and sugar-shack
festival Cabane Panache et Bois Rond. Instead, large banners announcing
the event were left to dangle above the cold, empty streets. But when
the time came for locals here to dust themselves off and go out again? Les Verdunoises did it with a massive display of local pride, making the most of the place they call home.
Crowds flocked as the main thoroughfare of Wellington Street was
pedestrianised, allowing comfy perusals of restaurants’ long,
street-side patios and independent retailers’ giant, summer-long outdoor
sales. The opening of Verdun’s new urban beach made it a destination
for people from across the city to escape blistering heatwaves. If a new
business arrived, it was embraced with open arms – and, amazingly, more
opened than closed. The street’s non-profit economic development
organisation invited local musicians to play hot jazz and performers to
put on dazzling marionette dances by day and by night. Even the street’s
public parking garage found space on its top floor for a responsible
open-air party spot.
If it wasn’t for masks, hand-sanitiser stations at every doorway and
folks staying two metres apart from one another, a visitor would never
have guessed that a pandemic was happening in the first place. Despite
renewed lockdown restrictions hitting the city in October, Verdun’s
continued rallying cry of local flavours, sights and sounds in the face
of uncertainty demonstrates how Montreal – and cities everywhere – can
and will get through this.—Jean-Pierre Karwacki, Time Out Montreal
This borough's got such a fresh feel to it that it's easy to forget
it's one of Canada's oldest cities, sitting pretty at over 350 years
old. Like any up-and-coming borough in Montreal, Verdun didn't always
have the best reputation, but this place has seen leaps and bounds over
the last decade. Looking at it now, it's no wonder it's one of the best neighbourhoods in Montreal:
With strong #VerdunLuv community vibes, its main thoroughfare of
Wellington Street decked in shops both practical and novel, a
continually blossoming selection of restaurants and bars, and some of
the best Montreal parks
that run the lengths of the Saint-Lawrence River (plus its own beach to
boot)? Verdun's got a strong character and location, and whether you
live there or just popping in for a visit, it truly feels like
a city-within-a-city—probably because it only officially merged with
Montreal in 2002.
If you only do one thing
Spend a full day walking the length of its wide main street
Wellington (or 'The Well' if you want to get cute about it). In the
summer it becomes pedestrianized, allowing traffic by foot and bike to
explore its all-in-one combo of thrift shops, bookstores, artisnal foods, zero-waste groceries, breweries and more before enjoying any of its restaurants' and bars' terrasses
as they spill out over the road. If you visit in late summer, catch the
Festival Marionnettes Plein la rue, where huge manned puppets wander
the streets for everyone's entertainment.
Speaking of that parking garage, if you're looking for something to do during the day? Check in with the borough's ongoing Camp Éthel project which repurposes that top level with DJ events, live bands, and general good times.
Photograph: Courtesy Promenade Wellington
Stay up late
With all of the bars to grab rounds at, it's hard to believe that
Verdun was a historically working-class area that was officially dry
between the years of 1965 and 2010. Now, there's curated wines at Verdun Beach; craft beers by the pint or growler on the huge back terrasse of Benelux; cocktails and oysters during bumping DJ sets at Bar Palco; or dancing the night away at Bar Social Verdunwith weekend 80s and 90s mixtapes while downing pitchers of bourbon lemonade. If you drink one too many, hit up Chevalier Blanc (4201 Rue de Verdun) for late night poutine, burgers and hot dogs.
Verdun's one of the few boroughs in town that sports three metro
stations: LaSalle, De L'Église and Verdun, all of which are on the Green
Line. If it's summer or early fall and you want some fresh air, grab a
BIXI and enjoy easy access to the city.
What else is nearby?
Head north and you'll soon be at the meeting grounds of Saint-Henri and Little Burgundy, the site of Atwater Market—one of the best farmers markets in Montreal— plus some of Montreal's most famous (read: pricey) restaurants and the Lachine Canal.
The best of things to do, eating, drinking, and having fun in Verdun
Ever since the borough started to allow bars to
open without requiring patrons to eat food in order to drink, itsSeems
like every passing year yields another good place to grab a cocktail,
pint, or glass of privately imported wine in Verdun. Find beer gardens,
Irish pubs, beachy rooftops, classic dives, backdoor slot machine hubs
and more right here.
Every borough worth its salt in Montreal needs to
check off certain boxes. Can they talk up how they've got a street sale
going on? How about free activities for the kids? Do festivals happen
there? What cultural events for music, open-air cinemas, gardening
workshops and places go canoeing on the river? Read it and weep: It's
all here.
