This winter, rediscover Sainte-Catherine Street

Over the next few months, Montréal centre-ville, in collaboration with Partenariat du Quartier des spectacle and with the support of the Ville de Montréal, offers you an inspiring and comforting experience in the heart of downtown. In addition to the holiday favourites—the Santa Claus Parade and the Grand concours Gagne tes achats (Win Your Own Shopping Contest)—Sainte-Catherine tells its own story through archival images featured in an open-air walk-through experience. It’s an opportunity to look back on the highlights of the street’s history. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, discover these new installations and get inspired. And if you’re looking for directions or a store, look out for a blue cap and a smile: they’re the agents of the new welcome brigade!

No more orienteering, the Sainte-Cath Brigade is here

Easily identifiable by their blue sweaters and caps, this new task force’s mission is simply to make your life easier. Available every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., the agents of the Montréal centre-ville welcome brigade can be found near the worksite stretching from Stanley to Mansfield streets. With their in-depth knowledge of Sainte-Catherine Street, its shops and activities, our welcome brigade agents can help you find your way around, no matter what you’re looking for. Besides directing passing customers to points of interest downtown and around the worksite, the welcome brigade also forms a key link with local merchants. With their close ties to the various publics who live and work downtown, they are key resources for keeping their finger on the pulse of the issues and needs expressed by merchants, and for ensuring that information is passed on seamlessly.

Oasis: not just an exhibit, but a compendium of emotions

Get ready to travel back in time. With open-air installations between McGill and Drummond streets via Square Dorchester, Montréal centre-ville invites residents and visitors to reclaim Sainte-Catherine Street and create new memories. The four islets in this new exhibit offer an enchanting interlude for anyone who decides to venture in. Inviting, inspiring, and furnished with seating and seasonal greenery, these passages offer Montrealers and visitors a moment of respite from the hustle and bustle of Sainte-Catherine. It’s an opportunity to relax while rediscovering the highlights of the street’s history.

Immerse yourself in the Oasis exhibit. Take the time to discover or remember the evolution of our Sainte-Cath, a street more than 11 km long whose evolution continues today through various development and beautification projects. Through some twenty archival photos from the collections of the BANQ (Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec), the Oasis exhibit takes visitors on a journey down Sainte-Catherine Ouest from the 1930s to the 1970s. The Stanley Cup victory parade, Victory Day celebrations, images of Square Phillips from yesteryear, memories of enchanting holiday decorations: it’s like leafing through an old family album with curiosity and emotion, as you discover or rediscover the key moments that have marked the history of Montréal’s emblematic street. 

The walk-through contemplative experience will remain open all winter long. Forty-eight illuminated fir trees will soon replace the autumn-coloured floral arrangements, providing a soft and cozy winter atmosphere.

These initiatives are made possible with the financial support of Ville de Montréal.

Experience Holiday Magic

With its illuminated shop windows, grandiose events, and timeless ambience, Sainte-Catherine is a holiday must-see. Every year, the street and its merchants provide a magical experience for young and old alike. And don’t forget to mark your calendars, because the Santa Claus Parade is back on November 25, 2023! This flagship holiday event is a Sainte-Catherine Street tradition, and has been a fixture of Montréal city life since 1925. Originally, it was Timothy Eaton, founder of the Eaton retail chain, who took the initiative of organizing a parade through the downtown area. Over the years, the parade grew into a large-scale gathering. For nearly a century now, the Santa Claus Parade has marked the start of the holidays and the beginning of the gift-buying season. See you there!

The festive season also marks the return of the “Grand Concours Gagne tes achats”, in collaboration with Nouveau Centre par Ivanhoé Cambridge. Designed to encourage local purchasing, the program runs from November 25 to December 31, 2023. Participants will have the chance to win the value of their purchases in gift cards, plus other fabulous prizes to be won in a draw. Yes, that’s the magic of Christmas on Sainte-Catherine!