Welcome to Montréal
This year’s Annual Meeting will take place in Montréal, Canada at our excellent facilities across three campuses (Concordia University, Dawson College and McGill University) with ample space for academic and social gatherings. Montréal itself is a wonderful city for a summer event, as a city of festivals including the international Jazz festival, Just-for-Laughs, Formula One Grand Prix, and more. The city has many attractions such as Old Montréal, the Riverfront, the Plateau, St. Catherine Street, and many lovely neighbourhoods with cafes, restaurants, micro-breweries, live music venues and shopping. There is excellent public transportation, airport and train access, and plenty of hotel space.
Transportation
Transportation within Montréal
STM Transportation | Bus & Métro tickets
Montréal is a very accessible city to get around via walking or public transit. Fares can be purchased from the automated dispensers at any Metro stations and there is often an STM information kiosk for any questions.
- View all fares: https://www.stm.info/en/info/fares/transit-fares
- 3-day pass: https://www.stm.info/en/info/fares/transit-fares/3-day-all-modes
BIXI Montréal | Montreal bike rental
BIXI is a public self-service bicycle sharing system that’s both economical and ecological, allowing you to visit the city’s many attractions without hassle. The system allows you to borrow a bicycle from a station and return it to any other station in the network.
- Rent a bicycle: https://bixi.com
Travelling in & out of Montréal
Easy access to Montréal via Montréal Pierre-Elliott Trudeau Airport with all National carriers. From the airport is easy using STM public transit ($10) with the 747 or taxi ($41) centre-ville airport downtown. Ground transportation also available with VIA RAIL trains stopping at la Gare Bonaventure station. https://www.viarail.ca/en
Montréal Food & Restaurants
Things to know about finding food in Montréal.
Restaurants
Montreal is renowned for its restaurants and features a wide variety at a wide price range. For a full list and recommendations, we refer conference goers to the Open Table website.
- Here is a list of iconic Montréal restaurants.
- Montréal is famous for some iconic fast foods, here is a list of the top 10.
- Montréal’s food delivery and take-out options include UberEats and DoorDash.
Nearby grocery stores & dépanneurs
- Adonis Grocery – [ website ]
2173 Saint-Catherine St W, Montréal, Québec H3H 1M9 - Supermarché PA du Fort – [ website ]
1420 Fort St, Montréal, Québec H3H 2C4 - IGA Atwater – [ website ]
1500 Atwater Ave, Westmount, Québec H3Z 1X5 - Marche Beau-Soir – [ website ]
2030 St Mathieu St, Montréal, Québec H3H 2J4
Important things to know related to food:
- Dépanneur: a corner store or convenience store where you can find food items almost any time of day. It is similar to the 7/11 stores in the US. For some fun facts check out dailyhive.com/montreal/quebec-why-called-dépanneurs
- Poutine: French fries topped with squeaky cheese curds and brown gravy. Montréal is the home of poutine and there are dozens of places to find it. Check out this website for suggestions: timeout.com/montreal/restaurants/best-poutine-in-montreal
Alcohol, beer & wine
You must be 18+ years of age to purchase alcohol.
- Société des alcools du Québec (SAQ ): In Québec, alcohol is sold through stores run by the SAQ. Beer and wine are also sold at dépanneurs.
- Micro breweries: Montréal has a rich tradition of micro breweries. Check out some local options here montreal.eater.com/maps/best-montreal-brewpubs-beer-bars
Montréal Accommodations
The main venue for the ISLS Annual meeting is Concordia University’s downtown campus [ view map ].
Here are some of accommodations that are within a few minutes walk to the campus:
*Note: the Grey Nuns student residences are ideal for economical stays but do not have air conditioning. Rates starting at 65$ per bed and shared facilities. 10% discount on lowest rate is offered using the promo code ICLS23.
Montréal is host to many attractions and activities throughout the year.
- Check out what is happening locally: https://www.mtl.org
- By neighbourhood: https://www.mtl.org/en/explore/neighbourhoods
Passeport MTL
Passeport MTL provides savings on many of Montréal’s top attractions – from museum visits to exciting adventures.
- 3 attractions ($50): https://www.mtl.org/en/deals/passport/passeport-mtl-summer-fall-2023-three-attractions
- 5 attractions ($80): https://www.mtl.org/en/deals/passport/passeport-mtl-summer-fall-2023