OLD LACHINE
Strategically located upriver of the Lachine Rapids, and home to the area’s first trading post, the Lachine Canal used to be the main route by which goods travelled through the province until the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959. Originally thou
1. Batobus
With two boarding areas, the Batobus ferry, which has benches and bike racks, provides an open-air boat ride between Saint-Louis Park and René-Lévesque Park, weather-permitting.
2. Old Dawes Brewery/l’Entrepôt
After Molson and Dow (which was unceremoniously shut down for containing an enzyme that many believe led to the deaths of nearly 50 people in the 1960’s), Dawes was the third brewery to settle in the city at the beginning of the 1800s. Its most popular beer was a pale ale called Black Horse, which, after several iterations, ended up being brewed as a premium lager out of Newfoundland. The old Dawes Brewery is now home to l’Entrepôt, a 320-seat performance hall.
3. Bicyclettes Rossi
With all the bike paths in the area it’s no wonder Bicyclettes Rossi, which has been in operation for over 35 years, is such a neighbourhood classic. Bikes are available for rent by the hour, day and week, up to four weeks at a time, which is ideal for use along the waterfront bike path on Saint-Joseph Boulevard that stretches from Chemin du Musée all the way to Summerlea Park.
4. Marina d’escale Park
Situated along the waterfront between 21st and 24th Avenue, Marina d’escale Park was recently renovated to include a small amphitheatre for live shows, benches, water jets and a few new bike paths. The park also has an ice skating rink in the winter.
5. Lachine Market
Originally built on the site where city hall now stands, the first Lachine Market burned down at the end of the 1800s. After much public outcry, the market was rebuilt and has since become a year-round affair offering local products like bread, cheese and cold cuts, as well as fresh flowers.
6. Notre-Dame Street
Created in 1672, Notre-Dame (which used to have horse-drawn tramways on its busy thoroughfare) is one of the oldest streets in the city. To celebrate its storied past, Lachine erected a series of murals, vintage street lights, and commemorative plaques on the street in 2012.
7. Le Ber-Le Moyne House/ Lachine Museum
A National Historic Site built of stone and wood between 1669 and 1671, the structure used to serve as the area’s first trading post — known as the Le Ber-Le Moyne House — and was later used as a family residence and summer home for the wealthy. Nearly 30,000 artifacts, many of First Nations origin, were found around the house when it was excavated in the early 2000s, making it a must-see for history aficionados.