Montrealers know the best views of the urban skyline are from the south of the city. Trouble is, to the south there’s a rather large river. You know the one; The Saint Lawrence.
And wouldn’t it be great if you could not only take in the views of the mighty Saint Lawrence river and Montreal’s skyline without having to go for a swim?
Well, it turns out you can. Running in between the main river and the adjacent South Shore Canal is the “Petite voie du Fleuve” or Little River Way. Over 30km in length, this trail has few ways on or off, but can be walked in sections. This time we’re going to walk the shorter and most accessible section from Jean-Drapeau Park to Nuns’ Island (Île des Sœurs) via the Champlain ice bridge.
What’s an ice bridge you ask? Read on to find out.
The Route
This part of the trail is conveniently connected by two transit stations: Jean-Drapeau on the Metro’s Yellow Line and Île-des-Sœurs on the REM.
The trail will take you alongside the F1 Circuit and out towards the western tip of Notre Dame Island which then leads you onto the embankment which runs alongside the Saint Lawrence seaway.
The Ice Bridge is a unique bit of infrastructure on the Saint Lawrence designed to break up the winter ice flow as it travels down-river towards the point where shipping rejoins the seaway after having bypassed the Lachine Rapids by means of a dedicated canal on the other side of this very trail.
Getting There
Both ends of the walk are accessible by rapid transit, with Jean-Drapeau on the Metro and Île-des-Sœurs on the REM, both a stop away from downtown Montreal. Just be sure to bring water and snacks along with you and pick a day of mild weather, as the walk can take over 2 hours depending on walking speed and there are few exit points or water fountains along the way.
Enjoy this rambling adventure? If so, you may also enjoy these other Montreal explorations:
