Club Contacts
e-mail address: info@forceamitiemontreal.ca
president/ Réal Bourbeau, ffipresidentfam@gmail.com
Club info
La Force de l’amitié de Montréal was founded in November 2000 and draws members from the Greater Montréal Area. The club is managed by a board of directors of five to nine administrators. Membership varies from 50 to 70 members, most are retired. French is the common language of our members. However, many of them are bilingual (French and English). We usually host a visiting club once or twice a year and plan one journey per year. We organize cultural or social activities every month for our members as well as friends and relatives. We publish l’Info-courriel, our monthly newsletter, on the first of the month.
AREA INFO
Co-founded in 1642 by Chomedey de Maisonneuve and Jeanne Mance, Montréal is one of the oldest cities in North America and the second largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris. Montréal sits on an island on the majestic St. Lawrence River. It is also one of the world’s largest inland seaports. More than 4 million people live in the Montréal metropolitan area, representing not less than 80 different ethnic groups.
A smoldering hotbed of creativity and culture, Montréal proffers up a delectable cocktail of European chic, daring innovation and urban sparkle. A natural duality fuels the city’s distinctive character: its Franco-British heritage, its old and modern architecture, and its mix of traditional and ultramodern styles.
Montréal is where high-tech goes hand in hand with haute cuisine, where skyscrapers rub shoulders with stylish little boutiques and where international festivals run alongside a multitude of emerging independent events. Our urban life also offers a unique commercial underground network – Montrealers would rather be marmots than beavers? But above all, our inherent joie-de-vivre, legendary hospitality, and attachment to our city really give Montréal its full flavor. Because, from the cobblestone streets of Old Montréal to the glitz of downtown to the cosmopolitan neighbourhoods, Montrealers really make their city come alive.
For members of Friendship Force Clubs from around the world who are thinking of visiting our club, you will find us to be a most friendly group. Come and discover the warmth and ease of our exchanges!
DESCRIPTION OF A TYPICAL JOURNEY
We generally host a visiting club between May and early October. The program starts with a typical welcome potluck. During your journey, you will experience different facets of our city and region, its history and architecture. Typical program includes a city bus tour and a walking tour in Old Montréal, downtown area and the underground city (a 43 kilometer pedestrian network of boutiques, restaurants, theatres, universities, train and bus stations, etc., connecting shopping malls, office tours and city’s subway); the discovery of major attractions (MountRoyal, Montréal Botanical Garden, Biodôme, Planétarium, Insectarium, 1976 Olympic Park); and a nice ballad in the countryside to visit orchards, lavender fields, vineyards or a sugar shack.
If the timing allows it, we will propose attending one of the major festivals or shows (ex: Cirque du Soleil) or a major exhibition in one of our great museums. There will be time for ambassadors to discover their hosts’ neighbourhoods, as well as to share a meal at other members’ homes. We close the program with a lively farewell party. At the end of your journey, you will have gained a good and memorable appreciation of the Montréal Greater area and its people, and you will have experienced our joie de vivre!
The typical three to six days journey program fits within the Host Club Program Fee policy of $US150 per stay. Extra could be asked for attending a major show or event, or for a customized tour.
The closest airport is Montréal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL). Generally, the members will meet their
ambassadors at the airport and might ask for the reimbursement of the parking costs if applicable ($CA25 to $CA35).