Montréal, en famille

🥞 Old Montreal walking route (pancakes → sights → Old Port)

September Café itself sits a little west of Old Montreal proper, in Griffintown — so start there, then walk the sights on your way back east. Total walking is roughly 1.5–2 km; plenty of benches and stroller-friendly cobblestone-adjacent sidewalks along the way.

1. September Café — pancakes

   Get off at Square-Victoria–OACI, walk 5 min to 2471 Rue Notre-Dame O. Go early (opens can mean lines by mid-morning).

2. Notre-Dame Basilica (exterior / quick peek)

   Walk ~15 min east along Notre-Dame to Place d'Armes. The façade alone is worth the stroller detour.

3. Place Jacques-Cartier

   One block over — a sloped, pedestrian square with street performers and flower stalls; easy for kids to run around.

4. Hôtel de Ville & Château Ramezay

   Grand City Hall building and the small stone château next door, both just photo-stops.

5. Marché Bonsecours

   The silver-domed market building — a good spot for a bathroom break and a snack.

6. Old Port — Voiles en Voiles & La Grande Roue

   Down at the water: the climbing-course park (has courses scaled for young kids) and the big Ferris wheel, right next to each other on Quai King-Edward / Quai Jacques-Cartier.

🏊 To Sir Wilfrid Laurier Park (pool day)

Turn left out the front door, walk north on Laval to Laurier Ave Est, then right (east) on Laurier to de Brébeuf — the pool entrance is at that corner. About 20–25 minutes at kid pace.

✈️ Airport transfers

Montréal–Trudeau (YUL) to 4300 Ave Laval is about a 20–25 minute taxi ride (Montreal airport taxis run a flat rate to most downtown/Plateau addresses — ask the dispatcher to confirm before you get in). Taxi stands are just outside the arrivals doors.

🔑 Arrival

Keys are in the key box next to the stairs — the code is sent shortly before arrival. Bring the box inside once you're in (don't leave it open outside). The front door key unlocks by pulling the handle toward you while turning the key. Three more keys are inside the house: the patio door, the shed, and the wooden alley access door.

📞 Contacts

Claire: +1 514 885 6421  ·  Clément: +1 438 889 2923  ·  Emergencies: 911

🛜 Wifi

Network: c&c  ·  Password: chezclaire&clement

🍽️ Kitchen basics

Water: tap water is filtered through the ZeroWater pitcher (city water has trace lead). Test with the blue tester in the utensil drawer — replace the filter if it reads above 006; a spare is under the sink.
Coffee: Nespresso machine (Original capsules — recycle used ones in the green bag under the sink) plus a Bodum French press.
Dishwasher: tablets are under the sink; press "On", leave it on "Auto", then "Start".
Food: basic pantry items, oil, spices, and anything in the fridge are fair game.
Microwave: in the cupboard above the wooden counter near the patio door.

🧺 Laundry & living room

Fresh towels are on the beds on arrival. Washer/dryer are upstairs in the bathroom — liquid detergent goes in the washer's small drawer; clean the dryer's lint filter after each use.
TV has no cable, just Netflix and Apple TV — remote is underneath it. The electrical panel is behind the mirror above the sofa.

🌳 Backyard & BBQ

Backyard lights run 8–10 PM on a timer (manual override in the waterproof box on the fence by the BBQ). Outdoor furniture covers store under the sofa seat — use them if rain's coming. A parasol lives in the shed; bring it in if it rains. Hose faucet is behind the sofa — the plants like an evening watering if it's been dry.
BBQ: the red ignition button doesn't work — open the gas valve under the BBQ, open a burner valve, then light with the long lighter (cupboard under the wooden counter). Close the cylinder valve after use.

🌡️ Heating & AC

Thermostats are in every bedroom and run on an automatic program (manual changes reset back automatically). AC is upstairs in the office corner — power on, then flip the mode to the snowflake (cooling) setting. A fan at the top of the stairs helps circulate air between floors.

🗑️ Garbage, compost & cleaning

Bags are in the cupboard under the sink; set them out on Laval Street after 7 PM the evening before collection.

• Household waste (black bag) — collected early Friday.
• Recycling (blue bag) — collected Wednesday.
• Compost (small beige bag, kept in the under-sink bin, then the brown bin out back — store it in the shed to keep raccoons out) — collected early Wednesday.

Vacuum and mop are in the basement, along with the main water shut-off and the fire extinguisher. A $150 CAD cleaning fee is left in cash on the wooden kitchen counter. The house is non-smoking. Mail can be left on the kitchen counter.

📍 Around the corner

Coffee: Replika (Laval & Rachel) · Névé (De Bullion & Rachel)
Bakery: Toledo (Mont-Royal & Drolet) · De Froment et de Sève (Rachel & St-Christophe) · Copains d'abord (Rachel & St-Denis) · Première Moisson (Mont-Royal & St-André)
Grocery: Valmont (Mont-Royal & Laval — closest, mostly produce) · Intermarché (Mont-Royal & Colonial) · Maxi (Mont-Royal & St-Urbain — the big one) · Rachel Berri (Rachel & St-Denis — organic)
Pharmacy: Pharmaprix (Mont-Royal & St-Laurent)
Wine & spirits: SAQ at Rachel & St-Denis
Métro: Mont-Royal station (Orange Line)
Bikes: Bixi stations nearby; La Bicycletterie JR (Rachel & Hôtel-de-Ville) rents bikes and e-bikes.

🧳 Departure

Strip used sheets and towels into the bathtub. Close up trash bags — if it's not collection day, put the compost bin and household waste bag in the shed. Lock the backyard gate, patio door, and front door. Return the keys to the key box and lock it outside.

How to walk it: Laval meets Mont-Royal one block from the house. Turn right (east) and everything below unfolds in order — the closest shop is 2 minutes away, the farthest about 25 at kid pace. Stroller-friendly the whole way, with plenty of benches, picnic tables, and ice cream between stops.