See the country | The secret canals of Parc Jean-Drapeau

Sometimes you think you know Montreal well. However, there are nooks and crannies that are still unknown. For example, these discreet shaded canals where goldfinches flutter and where frogs croak. At least a frog.

Mary Tison
The Press

These canals are hidden on Île Notre-Dame, in the heart of Parc Jean-Drapeau. They can be explored by renting a boat at the park’s water sports pavilion, near Jean-Doré beach. Or, you can take a guided kayak (or canoe) tour with Éco Tours Montréal.

The guide, Noémie Boutet, reassures the participants from the start: there are no particular difficulties, there is no current or wind on the canals. So it’s a very family outing.

A little history

Noémie gathers her small group in the middle of Lac des Régates to tell the story of the genesis of the park: Île Notre-Dame and part of Île Sainte-Hélène were created to host Expo 67. To do this, we used materials from the excavation of the Montreal metro. And it is in order to reduce the volume of backfill required that a system of canals was created on Île Notre-Dame.

To engage in this system, kayakers thread their way between the former Quebec pavilion and the former France pavilion, which now house the Casino de Montreal. Along the way, they admire a work by the artist Pierre Heyvaert, Steela metal sculpture that seems to emerge from the water (and which is very representative of the art of the late 1960s).

After this cultural component, it is the natural side that takes over. The birds, in particular, which deem it important to be heard: a red-winged blackbird gives a sudden trill, a northern cardinal gives a eight-eight-eight sound.

Other birds are more discreet: a merganser dives while the kayakers are still at a safe distance, a heron perches on the branch of a tree, two ducks move away grumbling.

Multitude of birds

It was a good idea to bring binoculars. It would have been an even better idea to bring a bird guide, in order to identify the lesser known specimens. This brown bird, which vaguely resembles a titmouse, what is it? At least goldfinches are easy to recognize, with their beautiful bright yellow feathers. Their color contrasts with the very green vegetation that borders the canals.

This vegetation is so dense that a forest plan published in 2018 recommended the elimination of the most invasive species because they concealed the view that one could have of the canals from the banks.

However, in a kayak, it is rather pleasant to circulate peacefully in a green canyon and not to see what is beyond this vegetation. We would not even guess the presence of the Gilles-Villeneuve circuit, yet very close.

Dragonflies don’t care a bit about all these considerations and go about their life as dragonflies above water. A few wildflowers add a splash of color.

Suddenly, tooong, a green frog expresses itself vigorously. The kayakers surreptitiously approach the grove of aquatic weeds where she seems to be hiding. Tooong. She is there, but where? Binoculars allow a glimpse between the grass of what appears to be a rough grey-green body. Tooong. Maybe it’s the beast. But approaching, the disappointment is great: the body in question is simply a rock emerging from the water. Tooong. The frog, always well concealed, seems to mock intruders. The kayakers abandon the hunt and return quietly to the Lac des Régates. Casually, 90 minutes flew by.

A little tip: by purchasing the Passeport MTL tourist pass, you can register for the guided tour at a very low price.

Another little trick: you can get near the Nautical Pavilion by car or public transport, but by bike, it’s even more pleasant and adds to the adventure. You can take the Concorde bridge or the Jacques-Cartier bridge from Montreal, or the Saint-Lambert locks from the South Shore.