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| Straightaway Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve |
With a few hours to spend downtown Montreal I decided it would be a great day for a yhoti Marketing team outing. We are a small enthusiastic group so it is easy to pull these events together on short notice.
It was a beautiful winter day – perfect for a run on the Formula 1 track; Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Parc Jean-Drapeau. The track is completely open to the public and a fun place to run or bike. Visiting race fans find it hard to believe they can actually drive on the track.
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| Few buildings are left from Expo |
The track is on îles Sainte-Hélène, an island that has been recycled a number of times. Most of the island is manmade. In the 1960’s the city was digging the tunnels for the metro system and used the dirt to build up the island. This made a great site for the World’s Fair Expo 67. There are a few buildings left from this. In 1976 it was recycled again as rowing venue for the Olympics. The rowing basin is still used for rowing events and triathlons. In 1978 the F1 track was built and now the Casino inside the track attracts a lot of visitors to the island.
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| Biosphere designed by Buckminster Fuller |
We started at the Bio-sphere the former American Pavilion for Expo. Crossing the bridge to the island we saw the Hairpin turn was completely snowed in. We turned right and went down the back stretch – the fastest part of the race track. Running down the
Straightaway past pit lane we could hear a loud horns and bells. It took a minute to realize that it was the Boat Symphony in Old Montreal - a sure sign of spring.
Each year the boats that dock in Montreal over the winter put on a concert. They tune their ships horns and bells and each plays a part. It isn’t the Montreal Symphony orchestra but it is a fun event.
(This video will give you an idea of what it's like. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85EytfQxsdc)
We finished the run and decided to cool down with a walk through the woods to the Lévis Tower. It looks older but was built in the 1930s.
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| Lévis Tower |
Nearby there is a lookout with a view of the city. Below us we could see some snow buildings and realized it was the back of the snow village. Built for the first time this year it is based on a Finnish concept. It includes a hotel, restaurant, and ice tunnels connecting the buildings. We didn’t have time to check it out but this link has some nice nighttime photos of it.
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| Back of the Snow Village |
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Not ready for swimming yet |
We were just looking for a fun run on the track but found there was a lot of things happening in the park. It was a nice break from a busy week.
Oh, the tie-in to shopping on yhoti – my shoes were Asics GT 2150s bought for 40% off at Sport Chek - Plus 3% Cash Rewards.
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