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Has Montreal ever been called the shopping capital of Canada? If not, it should be. When snow abounds and it’s freezing outside, you only have to shiver until you get inside the ‘Underground City.’ Below the heart of the city tunnels connect 1700 malls, shops and businesses within 3 and 4 floors deep. It’s not any different than mall shopping, no windows there either. If you start to get claustrophobic, just glance up at the glass dome to the outside world and you should be okay.  photo credit: René Ehrhardt

Downtown you’ll find the shopping strip on Rue St. Catherines (street). Choose from unique shops to large department stores. The serious shopper should have strong leg muscles, so find parking and walk.

Old town Montreal is the place to shop if you are looking for true Canadian crafted leather goods and other handmade items. As you walk along the cobblestone street, church bells ring on the hour and the romantic sounds of the French language are heard all about.

Underground City Shopping

Complexe Desjardins is a huge shopping center with 100 plus shops which include a large food court. Besides underground shopping, it’s comprised of four towers with governmental offices and other companies in the upper floors.

The Bay (The Hudson Bay Company) is an institution of Canada. World wide it is known for it’s unique blankets. If visiting Montreal, you can’t go home without at least one Bay blanket or a steiff bear in a Hudson Bay coat.

Stitches is a shop that sells a uniquely Canadian brand of clothing. The Underground City has stores such as the Gap, Levis, even a Dollar-Rama where you can buy anything in the store for just one Canadian dollar. It spans 38 blocks and can be entered at various storefronts on the street. You’ll find an enormous food court where you can buy Poutine. This is a Canadian dish consisting of gravy and cheese on top of French fries.

Downtown Shopping

Blatter and Blatter moved to Montreal from South Africa in 1907. If you have cigar or pipe smoker on your list of people to buy for, this store offers the unique gift. Cuban cigars and hand made briar pipes are found here To complete the gift, pick up a cigar cutter or lighter.

Dream6 offers original Montreal t-shirts. Artistic designs you’ll find no other place in Montreal or all of Canada. Why do they make and sell t-shirts? In their own words, “ We can’t live without them. T-shirts tell your story. They enter a room before you. They make friends and enemies. When we wear something on our bodies it becomes a personal statement, an invitation for others to think and react.”

Phyllis Friedman is one of the finest antique shops in all of Montreal. If you can’t make it to their shop, they are now also online. Their collection includes furniture, ceramics, mirrors, silver, glass, lighting and so much more. If you are an antique buff, you won’t want to pass an opportunity to stop in this shop.

Eaton’s Center offers over 175 shops, restaurants and a theater in it’s 290,000 square feet. It has all the name brands, a multi screen theater and 2 food courts. This shopping center boasts they are the only location open every weekday until 9 pm, year round.

Old Town Shopping

Marche Bonsecours (Bonsecours Market) looks like a beautiful old government building because it was just that. It housed the Canadian Parliament and Montreal City Hall at one time. Now, it is Montreal’s main marketplace. It houses upper-end shops, restaurants, collectables and tourist souvenirs. For a tip, it’s been said they slash their prices for off-season shoppers.

Boutique des métiers d’art du Québec is an offering of jewelry, pottery, paintings, sculptures and crafts from over 100 of Quebec professional artisans. All items are one-of-a-kind pieces.

Studio/Boutique gogo.glass features hand-blown glass artists Annie Michaud and Karine Bouchard. Their work includes candle holders, paperweights, mortar and pestles, and more. Gift items, light fixtures and sculptures offered by other artists. They also take custom orders large and small.

Shopping in Montreal

Planning three shopping trips to Montreal would be a good plan of action. One trip for each area, the “Underground City“, “Downtown” and “Old Town.” And just so you’ll feel less like a tourist here is some money lingo. A “loonie” is a one-dollar coin. This refers to the loon image on one side of it. A two-dollar coin is called the “toonie.” One side has a depiction of a polar bear.

Tags: Canada | montreal | shopping