Two Cities In One

Fire hydrants need to be found under snow


Montreal takes it's name from a small tree-covered hillock on the centre of the main island, which was called Mount Royal by some explorer no doubt trying to win favour with some crusty monarch back in Europe. We had planned on climbing the "Mountain", which rises to the dizzying height of 764ft - 100ft lower than Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh - but on leaving the flat in the late morning we were met with dry blustery snow. By the time we came out of the Metro at Peel Station the snow was a few inches deep and the temperature had plummeted, not exactly mountain climbing weather. Well, it is I suppose, but only if you had bottled air and were planning on tackling the West face of K2, or something. A brisk 700ft stroll needs to be done in more pleasant conditions.

So we did what all true Monrealers do, and went underground. The Underground City, or 'La Ville Souterrraine' as they say round here is a monumentally large and confusing system of subterranean passages and shopping malls that spill for miles in every direction. There are over 20 miles of them, to be precise, spread over 5 square miles. When you think about it, that's one enormous area. There are over 120 access points to the network, and people wrestle with large heavy doors to escape the cold weather and nip underground. That's the reason for them, of course. When the temperature sits in double figures below zero for several months at a time, it's handy if people can do their daily business without having to go outside. In some countries, they do this by driving everywhere. In Montreal, they bung another city underneath the cold one.

True Montrealers (I think that's the term, although it could be Montrealites), go from their houses in the suburbs on the Metro, get off at their stop, walk through the underground city to work, go for lunch in one of the foodcourts, then back to work before leaving the same way and catching the Metro home. You can live an entirely normal productive life and never have to go outside (after you arrive at the train station, unless you have some kind of crazy hamster-style tube from your nest to the nearest public transport stop). 80% of all the city's offices have direct access to the underground city, as do 35% of all the shops and businesses. This number seems much higher when you're walking through the passages, as predictably every possible alcove and corner is taken up with some tempting way to part you from your hard-earned Loonies and Toonies.*

There are problems with the system though. Firstly, and most obvious, it can be an expensive way to get around, unless you have iron willpower - or a rapidly depleting holiday budget. Also it's incredibly easy to get lost - there are signposts, but if you don't know where the indicated places are, it's not much point identifying them. All the Malls look alike, and you end up navigating by recognisable shops - like Bikini Village in our case (I can't think why that stood out). Food courts are approximately every 500yds, so it can be punishing on the waistline too - although all that walking can help in that regard. Getting lost with all that food everywhere is even more dangerous, although it is good - food courts in the UK just aren't as good as the ones over here. Connecting tunnels and passageways are usually only on one floor (out of four or five), so sometimes you can be in the right place, knowing where you're going, only to have the smug grin wiped off and you turn a corner and walk straight into a Tie Rack.

But as much as I have no real opinion either way about shopping - unless tshirts or shiny gadgets are involved, it's an interesting way to spend a few hours if the weather is being un co-operative. We had several minor shopping things to get done, and we managed to accomplish all of them in the space of a few hours, including a trip into the behemoth that is the Hudson Bay Company. It has to be one of the biggest department stores in the world, it just stretches off in every direction. It has several exits to the Underground City, of course - clearly labelled and signposted. After all, a captive dollar is an easier one to catch. Hopefully we'll get up Mount Royal tomorrow, as the weather forecast is for a balmy 4C, which around here at this time, is practically shirt-sleeve weather...





* One and Two Dollar coins