I stand by my claim that “Winter on the Mountain” is the best way to experience Montreal in the nippier months. However, I am not an arctic drill sergeant – I realize that not everybody is up for a trio of back-to-back winter sports. Hence, let’s have a look at Fitz & Follwell’s other winter [...]
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It came as a shock that my coldest moment in Montreal actually took place indoors. A full-body shock. A visit to Scandinave Les Bains in Old Montreal seemed like the perfect way to warm up after my night at the Snow Village. Also, face it – the name “Scandinave” more or less screams “winter.” I [...]
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Some of you have already seen my new video from the Montreal Snow Village, SLEEPING IN SNOW. If not, here it is: Instead of showing me in the morning, looking like something you find in the back of your freezer, I thought it would be fun to have you guys watch the video and then [...]
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Smoked meat? Pshaw. I think this is the definitive Montreal experience – the perfect trifecta of freezing Canadian pastimes on the mountain that gave the city its name. Fitz and Follwell is a tour company situated right at the foot of Mount Royal. Owner Shea Mayer, in an “aww” inspiring move, named the company after his [...]
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Montrealers don’t merely slap on their long johns and tolerate winter. They squeeze every last drop of fun out of it. Last night I witnessed this phenomenon in all its glory at an event called Igloofest. It’s an electronic music party that’s held outdoors over three weekends in January right beside Old Montreal - even if [...]
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I suppose this is fine dining’s answer to the hot dog stand. In Montreal’s Quartier des Spectacles, there are two unusual restaurants lining the sidewalk. It kinda looks like two semis were driving by and lost their cargo containers (and these trucks were transporting ravenous business people). Both are abbreviated versions of two more popular [...]
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Admittedly, I’ve been known to give winter the cold shoulder. I’ve called it nasty names. I’ve thrown salt at it with no remorse. And I’ve refused to play with it. Chalk it up to global warming or something, but this month I’m softening toward my least favourite season. I’ve decided to dive right in and [...]
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I’ve got my winter coat. I’ve got my Big Turk. (Note: no negative comments about Big Turks will be tolerated on this blog. This is a Big Turk-positive website, thankyouverymuch) I’ve also got my seat on a VIA train, from which I’m typing at this very moment. It’s grey and nasty out there, all that [...]
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There was a time, growing up, when all I thought about was getting the heck out of Dodge and setting up shop in New York. In the days of the Mike Myers/Dana Carvey shrine (no incense, but a lot of magazine clippings), I believed that by 21 I’d be livin’ large, serenaded by saxes every [...]
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It was a gloomy, sodden day – one of the year’s last gasps – as I drove deep into the outskirts of Nanaimo, B.C. And drove. And drove. Where the heck was this place? Was I actually driving to England? My destination: The Crow and Gate Pub. And it’s in Cedar, actually. People have been [...]
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