Get creative and boost your skills in Montréal

1. Catch some waves in the St. Lawrence River – no really, there’s no stopping surfers around here, who whip out their wetsuits off the shores surrounding Montréal. Find your bearings at stores like Empire and KSF.

2. Discover another side of Mount Royal by joining in on one of the free activities courtesy of Amis de la Montagne – they know all of this landmark’s best secret spots.

3. Unlock the mysteries of bouldering at Allez Up, a colourful climbing wall open to all levels of expertise with three locations around town.

4. Find the action at the Olympic Stadium – whether on the Esplanade Pie-IX or in the Sports Centre, there hasn’t been a dull moment here since the 1976 Olympic Games.

5. Test your creative logic and cooperation skills – and anxiety levels! – in one of the escape rooms at A/Maze.

7. Learn some acrobatic skills in the birthplace of Cirque du Soleil, at either the Montréal Circus Academy, Cirque Éloize or Creation and Production Centre The 7 Fingers.

8. Play with fire at Espace VERRE, Montréal’s glass-art centre. Classes and workshops will introduce you to everything from glassblowing and flameworking to sandblasting.

9. Seek out some of the landmarks that made Montréal a UNESCO City of Design on an architectural bike tour, learning about the city’s rich heritage as you roll.

10. Become an expert at Avanaa Chocolat, where the tasting workshops take you through the bean-to-bar process, from the origins of cacao to the craft behind the finished product – with samples along the way.

11. Take a hands-on jewellery workshop at Camillette Jewelry, where beginners can learn to design and fabricate silver rings, charm jewellery and pearl pieces under professional guidance. Yes, actual soldering may be involved.

12. Design your own signature scent at Maison Cirier, where you’ll choose your favourite fragrances and learn the surprisingly delicate business of working with hot wax as you make your own candles.

13. Take your coffee with a side of creativity at Palette Pastel, a café offering more than a dozen DIY activities, from mosaics to resin art or glass painting. 

14. Visit the Caverne de Saint-Léonard with the cave specialists of Spéléo Québec, or go deeper with training in speleology and canyoning, offered through the École québécoise de spéléologie et de canyonisme for multiple skill levels.

15. Make something at Les Affûtés, a paradise for the DIYer where you can master cabinetmaking, sewing, cooking and plenty more while producing anything from a cutting board or bag to a terrarium – even a skateboard.

16. Embrace Art Chaos, where spin art turns centrifugal force into your artistic collaborator. Practise first, learn how the process works, then send paint swirling across a canvas that’s impossible to reproduce.

17. Get down with a one-off dance class at cool schools like Studio Danse Montréal, École de danse contemporaine de Montréal and Studio 303. 

18. Take “learning on the fly” literally at Hélicraft with an introductory piloting experience. It’ll put you at the controls under an experienced instructor, covering the basics before giving you actual flight time. 

19. Learn to surf without checking the weather forecast at Oasis Surf, Canada’s first indoor surfing centre. Beginners get an introduction before tackling a two-foot wave with an instructor, while seasoned surfers can graduate to waves reaching four to six feet.

20. Take a self-guided architectural tour along the Lachine Canal, where the landmarks include Silo 5, the Five Roses sign and Moshe Safdie’s famous Habitat 67.

21. Educate yourself on Montréal’s public art works thanks to Art Public Montréal’s suggested walking tours, featuring works by the likes of Irene Whittome, Joe Fafard and Jean-Paul Riopelle.