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Montreal Gazette
7 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Iconic bike rides: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve route is a favourite for Gazette photographer
By Montreal is a world-class cycling city, but you wouldn't know it by riding on the bike paths on its main streets. In recent years, the city has multiplied the number of reserved lanes and protected paths for people who use bicycles as a form of transportation. However, those paths have become a catch-all for a hodgepodge of travellers on hoverboards, electric scooters, remote-controlled skateboards and fatbikes. That's why Dave Sidaway makes a distinction between bikers and cyclists. A former competitive racing cyclist at the club level, Sidaway, 70, hasn't hung up his biking shorts during his more than 30-year career as a photojournalist at The Gazette. His unique viewpoint of the city makes him the ideal guide to Montreal's best paths, and sometimes to spots located just off those paths. The Gazette has launched a weekly series showing off the best cycling spots in the city. We start the ride at the Atwater Market. It's a spot where Sidaway has taken numerous beauty shots that graced the pages of The Gazette over the years. His standout shots depict the iconic Clock Tower with the backdrop of Mount Royal, pedal boats tied up on a dock in the Lachine Canal and joggers set against an early morning fog. The market is an ideal starting point for group rides. It is central to several neighbourhoods and highways and allows for easy rides to iconic spots like the Champlain Bridge, the Lachine Rapids and the Old Port. Today, however, we are heading to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located on Île-Notre-Dame in Parc Jean-Drapeau. We follow the dedicated multi-use path along the Lachine Canal and then cross over at the St. Gabriel Locks around des Seigneurs St. History buffs will note that this neighbourhood gave birth to Canada's industrialization. 'As you're riding along here (along the Lachine Canal), you can basically record Montreal in one form or another,' Sidaway said. Rewind the tape 200 years, and about one in five Montrealers worked in this area. Factories lined the canal and workers were holed up in tenements close by. The need for housing created the neighbourhoods in St-Henri, Pointe-St-Charles, Ville-Émard and Griffintown, among others. Left to languish for decades when the St. Lawrence Seaway rendered the canal obsolete, most factories have since been demolished, turned into condos or abandoned and awaiting redevelopment. These days, the area is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with joggers and cyclists dominating. On the water below, kayakers, pedal-boat riders and standup paddleboarders are a common site. Pleasure-craft riders use the canal as a link between the port and Lachine's entry point for Lac St-Louis. One particular vestige from Montreal's industrial era is the signature Farine Five Roses sign, which serves as the backdrop of the Peel Basin. Once in danger of being demolished, the sign was designated a historical landmark in 2020 by the city. The basin marks the Lachine Canal's easternmost point, where it links to the Old Port. Often the site of festivals, this spot has been pegged for redevelopment for decades. Among the failed projects floated for this area are a casino/hotel by Loto-Québec, a baseball stadium and an underground/underwater station for the REM light-rail network. The city's latest plans for the area are now being drawn up as part of the Bridge-Bonaventure development project. On summer days, this area is often a spot for people who fish along the canal, and many pictures of these fishers have appeared in The Gazette over the decades. 'I see people fishing here all along the canal and have taken a lot of pictures here,' Sidaway said, standing on the St. Gabriel Lock. 'I took a really nice shot here with the late afternoon light sun. And when it's really hot, people will sit underneath the bridge where the REM tracks are and fish from there.' Sidaway gets back on his bike and rides as the bike path meanders underneath the Bonaventure Expressway and heads east toward the Port of Montreal head office. This is another favourite spot for beauty shots. He uses the effect of the sun bending along the concrete structure to compose photos with complex lighting and subjects set in front of the old flour mill. However, it is that complex lighting that has also resulted in crashes that Sidaway has witnessed. 'You can't see around this corner, especially in the afternoon when the sun is setting, the light will just blind you,' he said. 'One day, I came around here and a guy was holding his bike in his hands. Someone on an electric bike had come around the corner, and they crashed. The guy's carbon bike was garbage. The frame probably cost $3,000.' The path ascends along Pierre-Depuy Ave. as cyclists are confronted with two picturesque views. On their left, there's the entirety of the downtown core and the Old Port with Mount Royal in the background. On the right is Habitat 67, a unique collection of concrete blocks designed by world-famous architect Moishe Safdie as a student project. Sidaway ducks behind Habitat to show his favourite spot on the island to get a beauty shot in the summer. The standing wave at Habitat is a magnet for surfers, kayakers and the occasional swimmer. Minutes later comes the speed portion of the ride as Sidaway heads over the De la Concorde Bridge to Île-Notre-Dame. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is where all the top cyclists in the city come to train on their speed runs. First used in a professional F1 race in 1978, the racetrack was quickly appropriated by elite cyclists. These days, you can see people sporting the latest trends in bikes and cycling gear doing laps on the racetrack. Sidaway says beginners should use caution here, especially as they merge into the lanes of fast-moving cyclists. 'There's a spot where people were crossing, and they didn't realize how fast the riders were going,' he said. 'There was a crash, and one of the riders fell and ended up in hospital and later died of his injuries. I came by one day and there was a group putting up flowers. The girlfriend of the rider was drawing something on the wall in his memory.' Sidaway's shot captures Sarah drawing a heart on the track's wall. On that day, Aug. 8, 2021, friends and family got together at the track to ride 30 laps in honour of Philippe St-Hilaire's 30th birthday the previous March. While Sidaway has taken a lot of photographs both of cyclists and elite racers here over the years, this is his favourite place to ride, and he's at this spot several days a week during the warm months. It was on one of those rides in May 2020 that Sidaway spotted a whale while returning on the De la Concorde Bridge. He had seen a crowd of people looking in the water and asked what had them so mesmerized. Sidaway wasn't working that day but called the tip into the news desk, and a photographer was dispatched. Sidaway said it was both awe-inspiring and sad to see the whale. 'To some extent, I'm somewhat jaded when I see things people think are really spectacular because of my job — that's all I ever do,' Sidaway said. 'But in this case, it was a little alarming because you knew that short of sheer luck, it wasn't going to end well for that whale.' After several laps of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Sidaway retraces his route back to the Atwater Market where the ride began. Having started at 7 a.m., the ride ends in the mid-morning, just as the crowds begin to pack the Lachine Canal route. We love where we live, and throughout the summer, we are running a series of stories that highlight what makes our community unique and special within Canada. You can find Part 1 of the series here.
Montreal Gazette
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Montreal Gazette
‘I came because the métro is open': Crescent St. booms with fans for Grand Prix Festival
News Rob Jenkinson arrived in Montreal before 9 a.m. Friday, but the early wake up didn't stop him from attending the Grand Prix Festival on Crescent Street. It's the Buffalo, N.Y., native's third time at the event. He plans to take it all in, from practice to the big race on Sunday. But it isn't just the sport that he loves, it's also the city. In the past, he and his family visited Atwater Market and walked along the Lachine Canal, and took in the sights in Old Montreal. 'Montreal is such a city cool city to begin with and then how much more international it is, it's really fun,' he said Friday. 'And our kids enjoy it, too.' Jenkinson said for how close Montreal is to his own city, what he appreciates is that 'it's so different.' He did notice a few more questions when entering the Canadian border this time, he said. When asked about possible tensions from locals over the tariff war, he cheekily pointed out that he's not the president. 'I haven't found anything too different from in the past. I found they always welcomed Americans,' he said. Crescent was already bustling by noon Friday, where energy drinks, alcohol samples and free ice cream were being handed out. Fans decked out in jerseys and F1 merch took photos next to splashy cars on display, while others took part in games. 'We're very excited,' said Steve Gloyd, who came in with his friends from Maryland and is staying in Griffintown. 'We wanted to see all the activities, the cars and hear the live music, and experience all the shops' downtown, he said. Locals also checked out the scene. Shaun Hughson, who lives on the south shore, enjoyed seeing tourists and getting free ice cream. 'I came today because the métro is open,' Hughson said, referring to the STM strike that impacted service earlier in the week. The city's public transit system will be operating at full capacity throughout the weekend while maintenance workers are on a nine-day strike. Bus and metro service will be maintained throughout F1 as masses flock to Jean-Drapeau Park. 'A happy time' The Grand Prix is a boon for businesses, generating an estimated $100 million in revenues. Ziggy Eichenbaum, owner of Ziggy's Pub, said this weekend brings in about a month's worth of business. His staff is doubled for the period. Not only is it good for his pub, but he said it's great for Montreal. He also gets to meet people from all over the world, including Spain and Japan. 'It's a happy time,' Eichenbaum said. Outside, a few regulars who have been coming to the pub for Grand Prix for more 20 years were taking in the sunny day and each other's company. Paul Brisebois was among those having a beer, saying he liked the atmosphere and people the most. 'Today's a good day because I get to meet the boys and the friends,' he said. More security Montreal police and security guards will also be present throughout the weekend, including at the festival where the department had a tent set up. Police said Friday that officers will be at F1 race site 'to ensure everyone's safety' though it didn't specify the number of officers on the ground, citing security reasons. 'We adapt our operations according to each situation and people's behaviour. Our officers are always ready to intervene should there be any excesses or violations of laws and regulations,' a police statement said. Police also met with hotel mangers and employees from transportation companies in hopes of 'preventing and raising awareness about sexual exploitation.' Brochures were also distributed at different venues, according to the SPVM. 'Community outreach officers also manned information booths in certain central neighbourhoods before the festivities began.' This story was originally published June 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM.
CBC
29-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Montreal's open air market vendors call steep rent hike a slap in the face
Some merchants who lease space at the city's outdoor markets saw their rent nearly double this year. Montreal Public Markets, the non-profit that manages stalls at the Atwater and Jean Talon markets, says it's trying to standardize rent agreements with shops at all of its locations.
CTV News
11-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Montreal mothers stroll the Atwater Market on their special day
Montreal Watch Montreal's Atwater Market was extra busy on Mother's Day, particularly in the garden centre.
