St. Lambert

 

Monday July 29, 2013

Today was the day we had planned to pick up a rental car, check out of the hotel, then go to Ottawa.  We were enjoying Montreal so much, we had to stay another day.  Still had to pick up the previously booked rental so off I went to the airport on my motorcycle.  A word about Montreal drivers.  The people we met and talked to were all so friendly and accommodating, but, put them behind the wheel of a car and look out!!  I was only doing 90 in a 70 kph zone and apparently not going fast enough.  Some asshole cut me off, missed me by inches then sped off only to be seen again in a minute stuck in traffic.  I voiced my displeasure. 
I got hopelessly lost looking for the Avis head office in Dorval, where my sister-in-law Sandra so graciously set up the rental, that I had to call the manager where he arranged one of his employees to come and get me.  With rental car and trusty GPS in hand we set off to St. Lambert, where I grew up.  Although I'd checked out my old house on Google Street-view, I hadn't been back in 44 years.  St. Lambert is situated right across the St. Lawrence River from Montreal, about 15 minutes away.  Crossing a bridge to get there, you go over the old site of Expo 67 where many of the pavilions still stand. 

 

For some reason I was very nervous about going back.  I have these memories of my old neighborhood that I wanted to keep intact.  I was under the impression, back then, that St. Lambert was a neighborhood for lower income families.  If it was then, it's certainly not now.  This was an amazing, beautiful area of mature trees, wonderfully restored brick homes and quiet streets; an oasis of calm surrounded by a bustling metropolis.  Tina was blown away.  We walked into the town center greeted by quiet streets with quaint cafe's and independent shops. I'm so glad I went back.

 

 

My old house, 289 Stanley. 



Large balconies and lots of trees

After wandering around showing Tina what little I could remember, we set off to our next destination; Olympic Parc.  The Olympics were a huge financial disaster for Montreal and nothing exemplifies that more than the Olympic Stadium, coined "The Big Owe"  Since the Expo's left town and the Alouettes play at McGill Stadium, this big white elephant sits empty most of the time and is in badly need of repair.  

Even the Olympic swimming pool isn't used.

 

We left the park moments before a huge rainstorm hit, sat in a traffic jam for an hour, parked the car back at the hotel and wandered back to St. Catherines. 

 

Thoughts about Montreal:  Amazing vibrant city full of history and culture.  Except for the traffic, I loved it.  Bicycles were everywhere.  There were racks all over the place where you could deposit some money a take a bike and leave it where there's another rack. Old Montreal was wonderful.  Very little traffic was allowed with many streets closed off to any traffic.  The shops were all boutiques with no chain stores allowed.  Art galleries and restaurants were everywhere.  I'd go back.