Indoor and underground cities exist on all five continents. While the networks in Toronto, Atlanta and Chicago are not as extensive as Montréal’s, those cities do boast some of the better developed underground areas. As in most cities with an indoor underground network, these corridors and tunnels are linked by underground transport, and, more often than not, connected to area stores and office buildings.

London, New York, Taipei, Paris, Singapore and Moscow are among the cities with developed, commercialized underground pedestrian networks in their downtown business centres. Some of these cities continue to improve their tunnels, with plans to enlarge and extend their networks even further.

toronto.ca/path
underground-atlanta.com
pedwayguide.com

Atlanta

Chicago

Toronto

Montréal

Paris

A RACE THROUGH THE OTHER MONTRÉAL
This year, 1,000 runners of all ages will take part in the 3rd annual edition of Montréal’s unique indoor and underground footrace, running a course marked out over 5 km of corridors, tunnels and halls; with over 1,000 steps to climb and descend, and five different course surfaces to cover: granite, terrazzo, wood, carpet and cement! Last year, our swiftest contestants completed the course in fewer than twenty minutes. Will someone set a new record in 2008? Staggered start times, rigorous timekeeping and a team of volunteers promise a pleasant, festive edition of this one-of-a-kind footrace!

Race Results

Participants’ Guide Foot Race
[document PDF]

Come with family or friends to enjoy Montréal’s indoor and underground walking tour, at your own pace and rhythm. The partners associated with our Festival have prepared a surprising and playful array of activities to warm the heart of winter. Come for a visit!

This year, for the first time, The Other City invites you on a treasure hunt that reveals Montréal from a new perspective.

RACE
Welcome point: Carrefour Industrielle Alliance
Start: Place Montréal Trust, 8:30 A.M.
Finish: Complexe Desjardins, medal presentation at 10:30 A.M.

WALK
Start: Place Montréal Trust, from 10:30 A.M.to 3 P.M.
Finish: Complexe Desjardins, jusqu’à 17 h

Duration: approximately 1 h 45 min

CLUE HUNT
THE OTHER CITY offers a unique opportunity to discover Montréal's indoor and underground "neighbourhoods." With the help of customs officer and your passport, go off in search of clues and souvenirs of your trip!

Start: Carrefour Industrielle Alliance 10 A.M.to 2 P.M.

GUIDED TOUR
Turn a walk through Montréal into an educational adventure!
Join a certified guide from the Kaléidoscope agency and take advantage of a
free tour, FRENCH ONLY. (3 hrs approx.)

Start: Leaving from Place Montréal Trust 11 A.M.and 1 P.M.
Halfway meeting point: 12 P.M. and 2 P.M. in Central Station, in front of McDonald’s

LES PLAISIRS CRÉATIFS À LA PLACE MONTRÉAL TRUST
placemontrealtrust.com
10 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.
Fun is on the agenda with an array of creative activities for the whole family!

LE CENTRE EATON DE MONTRÉAL AU COEUR DE LA FÊTE
centreeatondemontreal.com 514 288-3708
Come cheer on all our runners and walkers, or simply discover our shopping mall!

LE COMPLEXE LES AILES EMBOÎTE LE PAS
complexelesailes.com
10:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.
Children can enjoy facepainting and free balloons. There will also be contests, gifts and surprises galore for the entire family throughout the day.

EXPOSITION DE PHOTOS AUX PROMENADES CATHÉDRALE
promenadescathedrale.com
10:30 A.M. to 2:30 P.M.
Explore and relive history through a guided tour of our photo exhibit illustrating the construction of the shopping centre under the Christ Church Cathedral.

ÉVÉNEMENT MODE ÉCODESIGN SITQ
10 A.M. to 4 P.M.
As part of the Mode écodesign SITQ contest, in partnership with École internationale de mode at Collège LaSalle’s, vote for your favourite project and earn a chance to win gift certificates offered by SITQ boutique retailers. Watch student designers give new life to used materials at the following venues:

SITQ / Place Ville Marie: used clothing, revisited.

SITQ / Atrium Le 1000 De La Gauchetière: fashion accessories (hats, belts, handbags, etc.) created from vinyl promo banners.

SITQ / Centre CDP Capital: original clothing from recycled paper.

SITQ / Centre de commerce mondial de Montréal: jewelry created from office equipment, metal, stones and hardware articles.

In addition to these activities, clowns and make-up artists are on
hand to entertain children of all ages!

A HEALTHY SPIRIT IN A HEALTHY BODY!
For a second straight year, Complexe Desjardins welcomes the Active Living Show! This event offers useful tricks and simple, practical advice to renew and improve your physical regimen. Stop by our kiosks and get a healthy head start!

LIQUID NUTRITION
The Liquid Nutrition company offers fresh and modern health solutions for today’s busy urbanites. Liquid Nutrition specializes in smoothies and natural health products.

ÉNERGIE CARDIO
Backed by its formidable team, Énergie Cardio is on a mission to enhance the fitness and quality of life of the general public, providing accessible and effective programs supervised by competent and motivating trainers.

VÉLO QUÉBEC
Vélo Québec promotes bicycle use to benefit the environment and promote the health and well-being of the general public. All you need to know about the Tour de l’Île and the Montréal Bike Fest, our bicycle trips or the Route verte.

RÉSEAU À-VIE-FORME
Since 1993, Réseau A-Vie-Forme has offered a fitness program centred on walking, with 23 clubs in Montérégie and the Eastern Townships.

BOUGEX
Alone or among friends, choose from a list of activities at Bougex.com (featuring over 500 activities each year) and Bougex will do the rest! Bougex has over 175,000 members across Quebec.

Montréal’s indoor city is an ensemble of 69 real estate complexes and 113 buildings connected by protected pedestrian passageways, forming THE MOST EXTENSIVE NETWORK OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD, with a total length of 30.7 km. Only a few of these properties, such as the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and its two downtown campuses, the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, and the SITQ Centre CDP Capital, operate under the aegis of the Government of Quebec and are therefore bound by the 1% policy. This policy of integrating art and architecture, adopted by the Quebec government in 1981, obligates every ministry or public body to include a work of art in any new construction or major renovation. Even so, the indoor city boasts a number of exhibited artworks that enhance the quality of these public spaces for anyone passing through. Take your time exploring and you’ll notice them.

Public art integrates architecture, design and visual arts in numerous ways. This type of art is mainly found in parks, public places, cultural centres or libraries. However, publicly accessible spaces, whether private or public, are increasingly incorporating a cultural element into their design. In Montréal, declared a UNESCO City of Design a year ago, succeeding Berlin and Buenos Aires, we can be encouraged by the indoor city and its contribution to public art, and hope that efforts and investments continue in this direction.

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