The 20th century poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once wrote “April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.” So I guess it’s fair to say that the idiot has finally arrived.

After a brief setback in the form of a cold snap, spring has arrived, which means it’s time to put the winter clothes back in the closet and get active outside. From a helicopter paintball match to a restful walk in a park, Montreal offers a variety of fun activities to get involved with this spring.

But where to begin? Never fear, The Link is here to give you some hints on how to make the best of your time with some really nice and affordable activities for all tastes. Doesn’t the sunshine, blue sky and green grass make you want to get out and feel energized?

Parks

For Montrealers, spring is the time of year to benefit from all the free activities offered in the many parks around the neighbourhood.

The parks in Montreal are perfect green spaces for those who love nature, art, music and sports. Some of the sporty activities that can be done in the parks include cycling, hiking, picnicking, paddle-boating, cross-country running, in-line skating, golf, soccer, frisbee and plain old lazing around. The possibilities for fun are endless!

For more info, visit www.montreal.com/parks

Cycling

Montrealers wait anxiously for the Bike Fest that takes place from May 28 to June 4 and attracts more than 40,000 cyclists and lots of spectators. The Tour de l’Île, on June 4, counts 30,000 cycles on its 48 km route. At only $19 the registration fee is affordable, and you can always just try joining the pack for free.

The Night Tour attracts 11,000 cyclists on June 2. It begins on Molson Street at the corner of Masson and extends along a 25-km route.

Also on the island are lots of routes where you can enjoy a free and safe time pedalling at your own pace. The trails are semi-urban and semi-country and vary in length.

The 18.5-kilometre Île-Bizard trail takes about an hour to complete. Along the path, cyclists will pass by the landscapes on Chemin du Bord du Lac along Lac des Deux-Montagnes, and the beach in the Bois-de-l’île-Bizard nature park where you can take a refreshing swim on a warm day.

The popular Lachine Canal and Old Port trail is about 43 kilometers long—including the Île-Notre-Dame loop. If you maintain a steady speed, it takes almost three hours to complete, making it the most formidable task for Montreal cyclists. The sights along the way are the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, Île-Notre-Dame beach and René-Lévesque Park at the Lachine Canal.

If it’s a shorter bike ride you crave, there’s always a hike of the Mount-Royal. At about eight kilometers in lengh, in approximately 30 minutes you can get to the Camillien-Houde and Mount Royal chalet lookouts—some of the best views of Montreal—as well as the descent down Remembrance Road.

Registration for several bike events, including the Tour de L’Île and the Night Tour can be done at www.velo.qc.ca/feria

Swimming pools

Want to chill a little bit after a long warm day? Check out the free pools that are all around Montreal. Many are open to all residents and non-residents and are free during the week. On weekends, some charge a fee as low as $3.

Hot yoga

On a rainy day, you can come have some fun indoors doing yoga at Moksha Yoga Montreal, which gives you a chance to lose weight and get some exercise by doing hot yoga.

The classes take place in a room heated from 100 to 105 degrees Farenheit, and it’s an ideal way to reduce stress, and increase strength and flexibility. Depending on the intensity of the workout, participants burn anywhere from 400 to 750 calories during each ninety minute class.

The Moksha Yoga studio is located on 3863 St-Laurent Boulevard. First-timers can profit from a $20 introductory fee that allows for seven days of unlimited yoga. A one-month unlimited membership costs $140 and there’s a 10 per cent discount for students.

For more info, check out: www.mokshayogamontreal.com

Beach volleyball

Within earshot of the enthusiastic sound of Montreal’s Tam-Tams, on Mont-Royal, you can experience a nice match of beach volleyball. Every day from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. you can take part in this entertaining and body-shaping sport.

Twenty-eight-yer-old Antonio Tappada is a longtime player.

“I can’t wait until May, when the season begins. I am going to play every second,” he said.

Helicopter paintball

Who among us hasn’t fantasized about riding a helicopter and shooting at people below? Bigfoot Paintball is proud to make your dreams come true, with 25 paintball fields spicing up an otherwise dull countryside. Located about 45 minutes outside Montreal near the village of St-Alphonse Rodriguez, they offer helicopter assaults as an added—but rather costly—option on their paintball setup.

Ten times a year, the helicopter matches are organized, but most of the 20,000 people annually who pass through this paintball camp stick with the standard set-up, which includes vehicular support—an eight-wheeled modified vehicle with a cabin.

Billed as the biggest in Canada, Bigfoot offers normal paintball guns as well as grenades and bazookas. The standard cost for person is $39.95, including a semi-automatic weapon, 100 bullets and free food. The helicopter option is available for a total of $3,000, taxes included.

For more info, visit www.bigfoot-paintball.com

Pétanque

This sport, also known as boules, is a fast-growing pastime for Montrealers. Though the actual rules of the game remain somewhat of a mystery, it has something to do with tossing large metal balls at a small wooden ball. The greater Montreal area possesses 50 clubs and 15,000 players province-wide.

For more info, visit www.petanque.qc.ca.


So whatever your fancy, don’t be an idiot, get out there this spring and enjoy that sunshine, smell those flowers and chase those squirrels. Enjoy!

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A profile of five great Montreal parks

Mount Royal Park

Located on the mountain, this massive park covers over 100 hectares of land. Originally designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the man who landscaped Central Park in New York, Mount Royal is the perfect locale to get active during the first weeks of spring. For starters, try taking the hike up to the giant illuminated cross that sits at the highest point on the island of Montreal. From there, you can check out a magnificent view of the city as well as read a strange stone plaque that talks about coming to this spot to finish reading the last pages of a novel.

Mount Royal is also home to the Tam-Tams, which happens every Sunday morning until late afternoon at the George-Étienne Cartier Monument located next to Park Avenue. So get out there and enjoy the warm weather while listening to the rhythmic beats of hundreds of percussionists.

To get there: Mont-Royal metro, bus 11 East.

Lafontaine Park

The pride of the Plateau, Lafontaine Park is a very popular spot for students to galivant about on those sunny Sunday mornings. The park boasts two man-made ponds that are linked by a waterfall and is also home to the outdoor Théâtre de Verdure and the indoor Théâtre Calixa-Lavallée. Covering an expanse of more than 40 hectares, the park facilities include a wading pool and two pétanque fields, as well as 14 tennis courts, a mini soccer field, five baseball fields and two sand volleyball courts. There are also a wide variety of bike paths ready for any casual cyclist.

To get there: Sherbrooke metro, walk east to the corner of Sherbrooke and Avenue du Parc Lafontaine or take the 24 bus east.

Angrignon Park

Covering a total expanse of approximately 107 hectares, the park has a 1.1-kilometre lake, a must-see green space on the Island of Montreal. This is the perfect park to visit if you have an appointment later in the day because it is located mere steps from the Angrignon metro station that can whisk you back into town at a moment’s notice.

To get there: Angrignon metro, Trinitaire Blvd.

Maisonneuve Park

The Maisonneuve Park is located in Montreal’s East End, in the same area as the Olympic Park. It offers visitors a nine-hole municipal golf course that is open to the public. Though a separate entity, the Botanical Gardens are technically a part of Maisonneuve Park. The gardens give visitors a chance to stroll through greenhouses of tropical plants as well as walk through the outdoor expanses of local vegetation.

To get there: 4601, rue Sherbrooke East, near Viau metro.

Park Jean-Drapeau

This park, located on Île-Sainte-Hélène and the man-made Île-Notre-Dame, was the site of last summer’s FINA World Aquatics Championships, a highlight for Montreal’s sports scene. The park also caters to several annual events including the Grand Prix at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve from June 23-25, and the 24-hour in-line skating race from July 15-16. After a hard day either biking or walking around the park’s various trails, take the time to wind down with the Montreal International Fireworks Competition which takes place June 17-July 29.

To get there: Jean-Drapeau metro on the yellow line or bus 167.