Bota Bota’s floating spa offers one of Montréal’s most relaxing escapes – Photo courtesy of Bota Bota
For me, travel has always been about escape—the urge to experience something new, see unfamiliar places and meet people unlike me. But an early Mother’s Day trip to Montréal offered something entirely different.
Yes, the city checked all the girls’ weekend boxes: dinners at French-inspired restaurants, indulgent spa experiences and a direct flight just over an hour from Boston. Add in shopping with an exchange rate that favors the U.S. dollar, and it felt like an easy win.
But what I’ll remember most are the moments you can’t buy: the chance to connect more deeply with my late father’s Mi’kmaq Nation heritage.
His family traces its roots to eastern Canada, and while his dark hair and skin were everything mine are not, we shared the same green eyes—and a curiosity about where we come from. Over four days in Montréal, I explored that connection firsthand through museums, culture and meaningful experiences on my first heritage-driven trip.
Where to stay in Montréal
Old Montréal’s cobblestone streets and boutique hotels like the Hotel William Gray feel like stepping into Europe. – Photo courtesy of Hotel William Gray in Old Montréal
Our home base for three nights was Hotel William Gray in Old Montréal (Vieux-Montréal). The neighborhood’s labyrinth of cobblestone paths feels like stepping back in time.
The hotel itself is a collection of 18th-century limestone buildings seamlessly stitched together. Inside, the interiors are modern yet ultra-cozy. No two rooms are alike, but our spacious corner king offered views of the Ferris wheel at Old Port and the twinkling lights lining Place Jacques-Cartier.
Another bonus is that the hotel sits steps away from Café Olimpico, one of Montréal’s most charming coffee spots. While we grabbed takeaway cups for afternoon pick-me-ups, our favorite memory was a slow Sunday morning tucked into a booth, admiring the stone walls and pressed tin ceiling while sharing Olimpico’s signature pistachio doughnuts.
What to eat and drink in Montréal
After dropping off our luggage, Mom and I set the tone with afternoon tea at Paparmane Tea Room—a maximalist dream filled with candelabras and bold decor that felt like stepping into a Lady Gaga set.
Petit fours dyed pink with cherry juice and delicate sandwiches on beetroot-stained rolls made the experience as memorable as it was delicious.
That kicked off three days of treat-yourself dining focused on local ingredients and elevated flavors—well beyond Montréal’s famous poutine (which we agreed is best saved for another trip).
Our first night brought us to Annette, a neighborhood wine bar that feels effortlessly cool. It’s come-as-you-are (perfect for post-flight outfits), but its Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand designation and Wine Spectator Award of Excellence reflect a refined Parisian bistro vibe.
We continued exploring global flavors at Le Virunga, where Quebec meats like mutton are elevated with African spices, and at Kwizinn, where Haitian-French culinary influences shine—especially in dishes like charcoal-grilled Cornish hen with curry-pineapple sauce.
One must-do? St-Viateur Bagel. Watching each bagel hand-rolled, simmered in honey water, and baked in a wood-fired oven is as entertaining as it is delicious.
Watching bagels baked at St-Viateur is part of the full Montreal experience. – Photo courtesy of St-Viateur Bagel
What to do in Montréal
Carbs before shopping isn’t usually the plan—but in Montréal, it worked.
Mom and I spent an afternoon exploring Mile End and Plateau Mont-Royal, two neighborhoods known for their independent boutiques and vibrant street culture. With end-of-season sales and a strong U.S. dollar, it felt like the perfect place for retail therapy.
Our guide, Montréal historian and fashion insider Thom Seivewright, met us at St-Viateur Bagel and led us through a curated shopping experience featuring Canadian designers.
At Rudsak, a cult-favorite outerwear brand, one fur-trimmed puffer coat priced at $295 CAD was nearly 80% less than its U.S. equivalent. It wasn’t my size—but it was hard to walk away.
At Desloups, where designer Isabelle Deslauriers crafts winter wear for temperatures as low as -25°C, my mom scored a sample jacket for just $75 USD—arguably the best find of the trip.
Boutique shopping in Montréal’s Mile End comes with major savings for U.S. travelers. – Photo courtesy of Desloups
Beyond shopping, we leaned into wellness. The spa at Hotel William Gray features Montréal’s only Himalayan salt room and a Finnish sauna. For a truly unique experience, Bota Bota—an indoor-outdoor floating spa on the St. Lawrence River—offers steam baths and waterside relaxation with skyline views.
Bota Bota’s floating spa offers one of Montréal’s most relaxing escapes – Photo courtesy of Bota Bota
What to see: Exploring Indigenous culture in Montréal
Montréal proved to be just as enriching culturally as it was visually.
At the McCord-Stewart Museum, we immersed ourselves in Indigenous Voices of Today, a multimedia exhibit curated by Wendat Nation artist Elisabeth Kaine. Through film, music, archival photography and traditional crafts, the exhibit offers a powerful, contemporary perspective on Indigenous identity—one rarely seen in North American museums.
The experience felt deeply personal, connecting past and present in a way that stayed with me long after we left.
The Indigenous Voices exhibit at McCord-Stewart Museum offers a powerful cultural perspective. – Photo courtesy of McCord-Stewart Museum
The next day, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts offered a striking contrast with the work of Cree artist Kent Monkman. His large-scale oil paintings explore themes like colonialism, religion, gender identity and climate change—balancing bold, provocative storytelling with moments of humor and emotional depth.
Our most immersive experience was at Wachiya, a gallery/boutique/educational center that means “hello” in Cree, the largest group of First Nations communities in Canada. Stepping in was like walking back in time to childhood pow-wows with my dad, flashes of vibrant beadwork moving in time with drumbeats, the smoke of a center campfire forming heart and hearth. This time, instead of gathering near the pond in our hometown, I was in the center of Old Montreal. Greeted by the scent of BakeCree coffee and woodsmoke, First Nations musicians playing in the background, we learned about Wachiya’s mission of supporting the artists who have called the land home for thousands of years. I bought a cookbook as an homage to my grandmother, who—despite being Mik’maq—favored many of the herbs and fish in its pages.
My favorite piece was a tamarack wood decoy, its wings stretched toward the sky for imminent flight. Even after just three days in Canada and about to fly back to Boston, I felt like the little bird, who rather than carved whole, was an amalgamation of tightly woven pieces. My heritage trip was about learning more about my pieces, and how together they make us whole.
Now my next adventures aren’t on the road, but in the kitchen trying my hand at those recipes, and climbing what could be a mountain of paperwork pursuing Canadian citizenship. A new law, Bill C-3, removes the limit that previously prevented citizenship from passing beyond one generation born outside the country. Like the best heritage trips that inspire us, the endeavor means reconnecting with the extended family that as we get older are still part of our Christmas card list, but aren’t on speed-dial.