Dreamscapes Travel & Lifestyle

an enormous video comes to life on a nearby façade, tree or street; the accompa- nying audio track plays through your headphones. In one of the most striking installations, Rocket Richard skates around the corner between two buildings as the slash of metal against ice echoes in your ears. From November through March, the videos are available every night from dusk until 11 p.m. Montréal's museums and galleries also have much in store for visitors this winter. For instance, at the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, a show called Once Upon a Time . . . The Western (until February 4), focusing on the way Western movies and art created the myth of the cowboy, will be followed by Napoleon: The Imperial Household (February 3 to May 6), which showcases some 250 art- works related to Napoleon Bonaparte's life as France's emperor. HOW COOL IS THIS? If you'd like to cheer on participants in a unique winter sport, visit the city on February 11 for the ice-canoeing challenge. Teams of hardy athletes half paddle, half chop their way through the ice-choked St. Lawrence River near the Old Port. If you're travelling with family, the Biodôme—an indoor space where you can see and learn about animals from all over the world, including penguins, parrots, lynx and monkeys—offers behind-the-scenes tours on weekends and holidays throughout the winter. Nearby, the Insectarium is usu- ally a hit with bug-loving kids, while their parents may be drawn to the tropical green- houses of the Botanical Garden. STAY A WHILE Looking for a place to stay? At least half a dozen new hotels have opened their doors in Montréal in the last year, including the Renaissance Montréal ( home to DJs in the lobby and walls art- fully spattered with graffiti) and the Mount Stephen Hotel, located in a former private club. In addition, the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth hotel recently reopened after a year-long, $140-million renovation that added new restaurants and lobby spaces. For a classic Montréal winter experience, stay at the Hotel Bonaventure, so you can take a dip in the year-round, heated rooftop pool. Of course, if you come to the city for Nuit Blanche, you may not need a place to sleep at all—at least until morning. DREAMSCAPES WINTER 2017/2018 58 TRAVEL PLANNER Plan your Montréal trip with a visit to mtl.org. DS TOP LEFT: Rooftop pool at Hotel Bonaventure. Place Bonaventure TOP RIGHT: Penguins at the Biodôme de Montréal. © Montréal Biodôme, Sean O'Neill BELOW: A winter night in Montréal. © Tourisme Montréal BOTTOM: Cité Mémoire sheds a fascinating light on the city's history. © Jean-François Lemire, shootstudio.ca

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