Ahuntsic and des Hirondelles parks offer great slopes for tobboganers. Des Hirondelles park will offer man-made snow this year, with a possibility of installing a chair-lift next year. (Photo: Jacques Pharand)
Looking to fend off hibernation?
Borough's winter activities offer something for all
After a quick start, prompted by early and voluminous snowfalls in Ahuntsic-Cartierville, the winter sports season is underway in the borough. Skating rinks, walking trails, cross-country ski trails and sliding hills are open and ready to help residents fight off the urge to hibernate for the winter.
Even though most of the borough's skating rinks were closed over the holidays, they are now watered, cleared and ready to accommodate skaters. However, as of Jan. 3, only nine of the borough's 22 rinks officially had good conditions for skating because of the Jan. 1 snowstorm.
In Bordeaux-Cartierville, Camille, de Bordeaux, Louisbourg and Raimbault parks all provide access to skating and hockey rinks. For those who feel the fresh air is just too fresh, Marcelin-Wilson Arena offers free public skating Monday to Friday from 4 to 5 p.m. (with a paid session on Saturday).
Sliding and skiing
Skaters' bad fortune is good for others; abundant snow has made cross-country ski conditions and sliding conditions very appealing indeed. Trails at Merci Park, along the Rivière-des-Prairies shoreline run for 4.7 km, and according to borough officials, are in very good shape.
As they do every year, Ahuntsic and des Hirondelles parks offer sliding hills for tobogganers. At des Hirondelles, snow cannons will be installed by mid-January to test the possibility of creating man-made snow, which will have an incidence on the possibility of installing of a new chair-lift to help sledders get back up the hill, which has massive support from locals, neighbourhood schools and community organizations. Until then, however, natural snow, of which there is definitely no shortage, will have to suffice for hill-goers, and you're going to have to get back up the hill the old-fashioned way: on your own two feet.
Nature Parks beckon
Bois-de-Liesse and l’Île-de-la-Visitation nature parks also offer a variety of outdoor winter sporting activities. Bois-de-Liesse offers 4.5 km of clear cross-country walking paths, and part of the trail is bordered by bird feeders, thereby creating an ornithological path as well. The park also boasts 17 km of cross-country ski trails and 4 km of snowshoeing trails, and even a small hill for sliding.
Bois-de-Liesse is open from dawn until dusk and offers paid activities from Jan. 5 to March 8 at night and upon reservation. The rest of the time, access is free, but you must pay for parking ($7 a day or $40 for a sticker that grants access to every Montreal nature park). Ski, sled and snowshoe rentals are also offered on-site.
At l’Île-de-la-Visitation, cross-country ski trails run over 8 km of terrain and the park boasts 9 km of cleared trails and a small hill for sledding. A bird feeding area is also located there. Winter birdwatching sessions will be held there from noon to 4 p.m. on Jan. 19.
To get up-to-date conditions of trails in the nature parks, call (514) 280-6733 (Île-de-la-Visitation) or (514) 280-6729 (Bois-de-Liesse). For the borough's outdoor facilities visit
www.ville.montreal.qc.ca or
www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca The information is updated frequently.
(Translated by Marc Lalonde)
Météo: Montréal, 17 mai 2008 / 10°C
/ Quelques nuages
/ Vents: 6 Km/h / Humidité relative: 66 % 
Steven Guilbeault - 
