The Village

Vibrant home of Montréal's gay community
Noteworthy for: Montréal has long been a gay-friendly city and holds a large pride parade every summer.

Talk of the town: The earliest recorded gay establishment in The Village (and the whole of North America) was Moise Tellier's "apples and cakes shop"; where gay men met in secrecy in 1869.
Located along rue Saint-Catherine Est between rue Berri and Avenue de Lorimier, The Village is the nexus of the vibrant LGTB community. The small, pink-hued area supports a thriving collection of shops, restaurants and nightclubs that service the gay community, and enjoys the support of the Quebec government which officially marks The Village on the city map and promotes its activities.

Although gay Montréalers reside across the city, The Village is their "community centre" and they take a lot of pride in beautifying it and initiating improvements. For example, rue St-Catherine Est transforms into a car-free zone every summer, which hosts cultural festivities for the entire city and it's visitors to enjoy.