Spend quality time outdoors
Take in the sights and sounds of Montréal's MURAL Festival along Saint-Laurent Boulevard and on side streets: see new artworks and watch artists create incredible murals outdoors this weekend and all summer. If the weather cooperates, pack a family-sized meal for a picnic in the park – lay out your blanket in a park near your house or ride bikes to Parc La Fontaine, Mount Royal Park or Frédéric-Back Park near La TOHU circus complex. If he's got a green thumb, definitely visit the Montréal Botanical Garden’s gorgeous outdoor gardens, now with timed tickets and free entry to children 17 and under for the season. For another memorable outdoor adventure, head to one of Montréal's large nature parks, like Cap-Saint-Jacques and l’Île-de-la-Visitation. If dad enjoys recreational gear and vehicles, you may want to check out Écorécréo at the Old Port. They offer fun activities such as pedal boating and quadricycles. There is also rafting with Rafting Montréal at the Lachine rapids.
Serve up his favourite food and drink
Everyone has their favourite Montréal restaurants, but why not treat dad to a feast from local restaurants offering farm-to-table food? If he's a coffee connoisseur, order fresh Montréal-roasted beans from the best roasters and cafés in the city, like Saint-Henri micro-torréfacteur and Dispatch. And pick up pastries to go at Montréal's best bakeries and pastry shops. If he's at home in the kitchen, plan on making a meal with him from a new cookbook: pick up ingredients at public markets, specialty grocers and fine food shops and, for Québec-made items, the Terroirs Québec website.
Set him up in style behind the bar
Level up dad's cocktail game with Monsieur Cocktail's colourfully inventive mixer sets and drink recipes (both boozy and alcohol-free). Stop by the SAQ or put in an order online for locally-made spirits – gin, vodka, rum and even pastis and eau-de-vie brandy – to go with those mixers! If beer is where it's at, bring him to some of Montréal's microbreweries: try locally-made ales from Dieu du Ciel! and Birra, Memento, Brasserie Harricana and more.
Find him something cool to wear
New basics are always a good idea – find locally-designed t-shirts, button-ups, pants, jackets and more online at Montréal's Marmier or Frank And Oak. For high-end casual, formal and business clothing, browse L'Uomo Montréal downtown. Give long-wearing, high-quality merino wool clothing and accessories and more from Montréal's Bonnetier, atelier b and Bon Vivant. Look to Lowell for timeless leather bags, wallets and accessories. For sporty dads, buy Montréal-made athletics-wear online at Ionik Sport. If dad is planning camping trips and hikes for the summer, shop online for outdoor clothing and gear (or get a gift certificate!) at Montréal-based La Cordée, Altitude Sports and cross-Canada co-op MEC. For more inspiration, check our list of ways to shop local in Montréal.
Self-care is for dads too
Discover a wealth of locally-made artisanal soaps, body care, clothing, accessories, stationery, furniture and more at SOUK's extensive database of Montréal artists and designers who offer online shopping options and at online boutique arloca too. Give him the gift of getting away from it all with a therapeutic massage at one of Montréal's best spas. Buy him a graphic novel, acclaimed literary fiction and more to relax in a comfortable chair with at Librairie Drawn & Quarterly and other great Montréal bookstores, or if music chills him out, get his favourite artists' albums from Montréal's best vinyl stores.
Give him a day off
Or maybe he just really needs some downtime on his own. If he loves art, give him a day pass or even a yearly membership to the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts or the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, where he can spend time with historic and contemporary art. If he's a history buff, offer him a pass to his favourite Montréal museums. Or send him off to play golf in and around Montréal, whether on the island or within an hour’s drive. He could even go fishing without leaving the city with Fishing Old Montréal on the St. Lawrence River.
