Montreal & Suburbs Road Meet

[Dr Frankenstein]

Hey everyone. I've been waiting for a while to announce it, but here it is. We will be doing a road meet in the Greater Montreal Area on the U.S. Memorial Day weekend.

Date
Saturday, May 28, 2011, 12:00 PM

facebook Event Page
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=217970771552801

Points of Interest
We will be driving a lot of constructions areas along the A-30 extension project. We will also drive the section that opened in last November.

We will also see the new toll bridge between Montreal and Laval on A-25.

Among the other things we will be seeing are the Victoria Bridge, a truss bridge into Montreal built in the late 1800s that still carries daily car and rail traffic today.

We will also see the Turcot interchange, which is planned to be rebuilt over the next few years.

An exact route has not yet been set for the meet. If anyone has suggestions, they are welcome to post them.

Location
The rendezvous is at Como Pizzeria on QC-132, just off of A-15 and A-30.
3, rue Principale Sud,
Delson, Québec,
J5B 1Z3 CANADA
(45.38299, -73.54237)
http://www.como-pizzeria.com/

(Because some asked... they have poutine.)

Directions
From Hwy 401 (ON)

• Hwy 401 becomes A-20 as you cross the border;
  
• A-20 becomes a non-freeway just before you cross into Montreal, and becomes a freeway again after a few intersections;
  
• Exit 63 to QC-138 WB (Pont Mercier);
  
• Exit to QC-132 EB (Saint-Constant);
  
• Drive about 10 kilometres on QC-132, turn right in the restaurant's parking lot just before Principale in Delson.
  
• If you end up on A-30, you went too far.

From A-20 WB (Eastern areas and provinces)

• Exit 98 to A-30 WB (Châteauguay);
  
• Continue on QC-132 as A-30 ends in Delson (signs for Saint-Constant);
  
• Left at first signal, then first entrance right.

From I-87 (NY)

• I-87 becomes A-15 as you cross the border;
  
• Exit 42 to QC-132 EB (Saint-Constant);
  
• Left at first signal, then first entrance right.

From I-89 (VT)

• I-89 becomes QC-133 as you cross the border;
  
• QC-133 becomes A-35; stay on A-35 at exit 6 as QC-133 leaves the multiplex;
  
• Exit 55-O to A-10 WB (Montréal, old exit 18-O);
  
• Exit 11 to A-30 WB (Châteauguay);
  
• Continue on QC-132 as A-30 ends in Delson (signs for Saint-Constant);
  
• Left at first signal, then first entrance right.

From I-91 (NH, VT)

• I-91 becomes A-55 as you cross the border;
  
• Exit 34-O to A-10 WB (Montréal);
  
• Exit 11 to A-30 WB (Châteauguay);
  
• Continue on QC-132 as A-30 ends in Delson (signs for Saint-Constant);
  
• Left at first signal, then first entrance right.

Information for U.S. residents
Language
I'm making this clear because some people were concerned about this: Knowledge of French is not required for this meet. Most if not all of the meet will happen in English for everyone's convenience. As with any other travel to a foreign language area, there might be a bit of a language barrier at some points in shops and restaurants, but given Montreal's touristic nature, most places can provide service in English.

Attendants who are fluent enough in French to act as translators are invited to let everyone know in a reply!

Customs
Although the I.D. requirements to cross into Canada are not as tight, you will need at least one of these documents to re-enter the United States:

• A U.S. Passport or Passport Card;
  
• An Enhanced Driver's License (Available in WA, MI, NY and VT); or
  
• A NEXUS card.

More information about the documents required to cross back into the U.S. is available at http://www.getyouhome.gov and http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/whti-ivho/menu-eng.html.

General information about crossing into Canada: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/noncan-eng.html and http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/visit-eng.html.

[vdeane]

Is there a date to RSVP by?  I'm hoping to attend this but I have to figure out the logistics first.  Basically I'll have to stay either at my uncle's house (about two hours away) or at a hotel on Friday and Saturday nights, since I would have to leave after 5 on Friday and it's a five hour drive from Sidney, NY (where I have my internship) and a 6 hour drive from Montreal to Canandaigua, NY (where my family celebrates Memorial Day), according to google maps.  A hotel would be ideal if feasible because it would allow me to clinch more roads on the way (and I wouldn't have to worry about customs on the same day as the meet).

Basically I'd be arriving around 11pm Friday and leaving Sunday morning.  Also, I don't know French, so if I stayed at a hotel they'd have to accommodate English.  There's also the budgeting issue (being a college student, on internship a couple hours from home so I don't know how much spending money I'm going to have).  If anyone has recommendations, please let me know.

[Roadgeek Adam]

Besides the fact I'm not sure whether or not we'll be camping that weekend, I am currently short a passport, so I can't really get back across the border easily. I'd love to make it up to you for what happened at my meet, I would have to talk to parents and if Steve has plans to come or not.

I do still feel a bit upset about Six Brothers calling the tow truck on you, and if it makes it up for you.

Besides, I haven't been to Montreal in nearly 12 years.

[Alps]

Is there a date to RSVP by?  I'm hoping to attend this but I have to figure out the logistics first.  Basically I'll have to stay either at my uncle's house (about two hours away) or at a hotel on Friday and Saturday nights, since I would have to leave after 5 on Friday and it's a five hour drive from Sidney, NY (where I have my internship) and a 6 hour drive from Montreal to Canandaigua, NY (where my family celebrates Memorial Day), according to google maps.  A hotel would be ideal if feasible because it would allow me to clinch more roads on the way (and I wouldn't have to worry about customs on the same day as the meet).

Basically I'd be arriving around 11pm Friday and leaving Sunday morning.  Also, I don't know French, so if I stayed at a hotel they'd have to accommodate English.  There's also the budgeting issue (being a college student, on internship a couple hours from home so I don't know how much spending money I'm going to have).  If anyone has recommendations, please let me know.

If you're staying anywhere near A-15 or the Montreal area, you should have no trouble finding lodging for the night. Pick one of the national Canadian chains for a safer bet, or place a call or two and see how they do understanding you. I believe the place we're having lunch is not going to be taking reservations, so don't worry too much about an RSVP. On a really tight budget, you could always shack up in a hostel, but make sure you're a sound sleeper...

[Dr Frankenstein]

I would be really surprised to find a hotel with absolutely no English service; anywhere in Quebec, but most especially in and near Montreal.

The restaurant is on the South Shore, just outside of Montreal, in Delson (see first post for details). Hotels might also be cheaper in that area than downtown.

Those who want, team up, find a hotel and share one or more rooms. Perhaps you'll save that way.

Hotels in Montérégie (South Shore); Places you may want to look for are: Delson, La Prairie, Boucherville, Longueuil, Châteauguay...
http://www.bonjourquebec.com/us-en/recherche/resultats.php?langue=en&typerecherche=HEBERGEMENT&cat1=10817&BQC_REGIONID=3426&x=2&y=2
Hotels in Montreal, downtown or otherwise:
http://www.bonjourquebec.com/us-en/recherche/resultats.php?langue=en&typerecherche=HEBERGEMENT&cat1=10817&BQC_REGIONID=3432&x=35&y=8

Adam, no need to apologize for the tow truck incident, it wasn't your fault. And this time, there's a Park n' Ride just next to the restaurant.

[Roadgeek Adam]

On the upside, looks like I won't be camping, and can get a passport card soon. Downside is I have no ride.

[froggie]

Too bad you're not having this a few weeks later. I might be in town then for a conference.

[Alps]

Don't forget that the meet's in just a few days! I hope to convince Como to put together a poutine pizza.

[Alps]

Meet was a great success despite the lack of poutine pizza (but some excellent, excellent poutine nonetheless). We had a balance of four native Québecois and four Americans at Como and saw everything planned on the meet. I write this from Rivière-du-Loup, having squeezed 17.5 hours of driving into 15 hours of daylight, and hope to do a full writeup tomorrow or Tuesday.

[oscar]

Here;s my two photos of the meet group, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River with the Pont Victoria bridges in the background.  They were taken from two different vantage points, with the first photo showing better the train crossing the river behind us.  Both show the part of the bridge structures where one lane of auto traffic for the bridge on the right rises over the junction of train tracks on both bridges.





From left to right (in the second photo, Steve and Félix switched positions from the first photo):

Oscar Voss (Virginia), Alexandre Bourcier (Quebec), Carl "Dr. Frankenstein" Tessier (Quebec, kneeling), Steve Alpert (New Jersey), Félix (Quebec), Maxime Lesperance (Quebec, behind Doug's "SEND HELP" sign), Doug Kerr (New York), Anthony Costanzo (Connecticut).

[Duke87]

Maxime Lesperance
Alexandre Bourcier

[Alps]

Felix will remain last-nameless per his wishes