Given our mission to protect and conserve Mount Royal, we believe in the importance of providing environmental education. Every season, our team of qualified educators hosts activities that highlight the exceptional biodiversity of the mountain and the challenges to its sustainability. These aim to get school groups, families and individuals engaged in caring for Mount Royal and its environment.
School Groups
As part of our educational mandate, Les amis de la montagne provides educational and recreational activities specially geared for school groups from kindergarten to high school:- In spring and fall, exploratory hikes in natural areas of the mountain touch on themes such as awareness of environmental issues, consumerism and civic duty.
- Come winter, thousands of school children flock to Mount Royal for skating, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snow tubing with outdoor sports equipment supplied by Les amis de la montagne.
Outdoor Programs for Youth
Our outdoor educational programs make sure kids get outside for fun, fresh air and an introduction to environmental issues affecting Mount Royal:- Les amis de la montagne’s summer day camp for children ages 5 to 12 is one of our most sought-after programs. Mount Royal provides a spectacular environment for young Montrealers to discover the full benefits of nature at the heart of the city and learn about its flora and fauna.
- Inspired by the internationally recognized Forest School movement, Forest School on the Mountain is an outdoor education project that aims to cultivate in young people an appreciation for nature and its protection, and a curiosity to discover Mount Royal.
- Every winter, our Cross-Country Ski Club Youth Program initiates hundreds of participants ages 4 to 15 to the unique pleasure of cross-country skiing in the city.
Cultural Activities
Throughout the seasons, Les amis de la montagne proposes a wealth of cultural activities on the mountain in a bid to deepen the general public’s appreciation of Mount Royal and its rich heritage. Our activities shed light on Mount Royal’s place in the history of the city and its role in the daily lives of Montrealers:
- Come May, Mount Royal Month is a vibrant celebration of the mountain. All month, Les amis de la montagne invites Montréal residents to rekindle ties with Mount Royal, participate in its conservation and renew their involvement in the preservation of this exceptional green space. Organized in partnership with the City of Montréal, Mount Royal Month offers a wide-ranging program including the Mount Royal Clean-up, discovery walks, tours, workshops, exhibitions and performances.
- The Music and Dance series at the Mount Royal Chalet features performances of various artists from the world of music and dance. These free events continue the tradition of public concerts on the summit that dates from the early 20th century.
- Our annual photo contest attracts amateur and professional photographers alike. Winning photographs are exhibited at Smith House and posted on the website. Over the years, this collection of wonderful pictures has helped us create an outstanding visual chronicle of Mount Royal, which serves to illustrate our print and web publications.
Outdoor Recreational Activities
Every season, Les amis de la montagne organizes outdoor activities for the pleasure of visitors to Mount Royal Park. To do so, we enjoy the use of paths, trails, picnic areas, vantage points and other natural areas of the park, which welcome young and old every day of the year thanks to upkeep by the City of Montréal.
Winter Calendar
Mount Royal has been at the heart of Montrealers’ experience of winter for generations. Throughout the cold months, the City endeavours to maintain ideal conditions for safe and enjoyable cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, tobogganing and ice skating.
Our public programming includes all types of suggestions for enjoying the outdoors in the winter:
- Nearly a thousand people annually enjoy evening snowshoeing treks organized by Les amis de la montagne, which provide a unique experience of the mountain’s tranquility and magical views of the city at night.
- Evening skating to music at Beaver Lake is another wonderful way to enjoy the city’s only free outdoor refrigerated ice skating rink.
- Taking advantage of a 20-km network of cross-country ski trails in Mount Royal Park, Les Amis's Cross-Country Ski Club provides private and group sessions to well over a hundred adult skiers.
Seasonal Activities
At other times of the year, our calendar of seasonal activities is chock full of ideas for individuals and families interested in enjoying the park:
- Every summer, Les amis invites park visitors to experience and enjoy Beaver Lake a little differently. Guests can paddle across the lake in a rowboat or rent a remote-controlled sailboat to navigate its waters from a new perspective.
- Les amis also offers various guided nature walks, a chance for people to explore and learn more about Mount Royal’s territory, history, biodiversity and unique characteristics.
