You Can Finally Go Out To Eat At A Montreal Restaurant & Have Friends Over At Your Place

It's finally here. After months of closure, the date when Montreal restaurants can reopen has arrived. Monday, June 22 is also when Montrealers can start having small indoor gatherings, meaning they can finally invite some friends over so long s they follow public health rules.

Unfortunately, that still means staying two metres apart — so no hugging just yet.

Gatherings must also be limited to a maximum of 10 people from three different households, the government's website states.

Mask-wearing is also "strongly recommended."

And though restaurant dining rooms and terrasses can reopen, it won't exactly be business as usual.

Restaurants will have to enforce strict new rules, which include an order to keep everyone two metres apart, "one-way traffic flows" so that people don't cross paths, and physical barriers between customers and employees at checkout points.

These rule changes Monday apply to the entire Montreal metropolitan community (CMM) and Joliette, as well as the North Shore city of L'Épiphanie.

Also on Monday, gyms and indoor sports facilities can reopen across Quebec. 

At the beginning of June, a Montreal trainer gave a sneak peek at what gym-goers can expect the experience to be like.

Unfortunately, the government has not announced when bars can reopen, so going out for drinks without food is still out of the question.

Quebec is the province that has had the highest number of total cases since the health crisis began in Canada, but it has also moved quickly to reopen businesses and activities as the summer begins.

Other places that have already reopened include retail, Sépaq parks, camping, and personal aesthetic care services like salons.

The resumption of indoor gatherings has also meant that vacation rentals are open again for group bookings for chalet weekends.

Now the question is, will all of these reopenings last?

This article's cover image is used for illustrative purposes only.