Ile de la Visitation park
Île-de-la-Visitation Park is the smallest of the nature parks in the Montreal area at 34 hectares, and also the most accessible by public transit. Even so, it's a fair step from downtown, perched on the edge of the Rivière des Prairies east of Papineau in a part of Ahuntsic known locally as Sault-au-Recollet.
Like most of Montreal's nature parks, Île-de-la-Visitation is on the water. The park is composed of a shoreline and an island. There are half a dozen houses on a tiny street on the island, but the rest is quite heavily forested parkland, the trees mostly typical Montreal-area waterside species – poplars and willows – and of course the ubiquitous maples.
Part of the charm of the park is the ruins of the old mill that have been shored up with interesting modern restorations that preserve them and keep them visible and accessible without spoiling them. There is also a fully restored old mill building with a pleasant café-restaurant and adjoining terrace, where the espresso is not bad at all. Another old house, the Maison du Pressoir, contains some of the displays of the Cité Historia museum.
The river rushes past through the old mill-race near the mill house, and birds flock around. If you're lucky you may see herons as well as the more usual pigeons and gulls. Walking and cycling trails cross the woods and meadows and pleasant footbridges cross the water channels here and there. It's a very pleasant spot for a walk, or just to bring a book and read under a tree, or picnic al fresco. There's even a motorized balade tour for folks with reduced mobility.
From some points in the park Laval is visible on the far side of the river; the park is also just upstream from a Hydro-Quebec dam, one of the oldest generating plants still in operation in Quebec, which offers guided tours (see contact info below).
In wintertime, the park offers cross-country skiing trails and winter bird-watching and hiking.
Parc-nature de l'Île-de-la-Visitation
2425 Gouin Boulevard East
Montreal, QC H1C 1C1 Canada
+1 514 280 6733
Centrale de la Rivière-des-Prairies
3400 rue du Barrage
Laval, Québec, Canada H7E 5A2
Toll free number: 1 800 365-5229 (Canada, USA)
Fax: 514 289-3689
Cité Historia, a history museum connected to the park, has some useful links about the area.
Access: Metro to Henri-Bourassa and then walk, or take the 68 bus east to rue Lille and walk down past Gouin Boulevard. The park is also on the Gouin Boulevard bike path. There is parking in the westernmost section of the park.
