We made it to April — and with that comes the Easter long weekend in Montreal.
While there's obviously not a ton to do right now, even when it's not a holiday, you'll want to note what's staying open and what's closing.
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City Services
All of Les Bureaux Accès Montréal (BAM) counters will be closed. You can access the city's digital services, but emails won't be processed until April 6.
Garbage, recycling and compost collection will maintain their regular schedules. Ecocentres are open on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3 but closed on Sunday, April 4 and Monday, April 5.
Arts & Culture
The Biodôme, Botanical Garden and the Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium are open every day but capacity is limited so the city recommends buying tickets in advance.
Many movie theatres will be open throughout the entire weekend, including Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal and Cinéma du Parc. Check websites for showtimes.
Many museums are also still operating, but some are on a special Easter schedule. For instance, the Musée d’art contemporain is open from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Easter Monday. You'll want to check the website before you go.
Grocery Stores & Markets
All the major grocery stores are closing on Easter Sunday. Smaller food shops may be open, but check online or call before you go.
Atwater Market, Jean-Talon Market and Maisonneuve Market are all open throughout the weekend — including Sunday — with special hours listed on their Facebook pages.
Retail Shopping Centres
In Quebec, Easter Sunday is a retail closing day.
Most retailers, including The Eaton Centre, are open on Good Friday, Saturday and Monday but closed on Sunday. Holiday hours may be in effect on some days.
SAQ
Stores are open as usual on Good Friday and Saturday.
On Sunday, classic SAQ stores and SAQ Express stores will be open. However, SAQ Sélection stores and SAQ Depot stores will be closed.
Most SAQ stores will be open on Monday unless they're located in a closed shopping mall and are not accessible from the outside.
SQDC
Branches will be closed on Sunday but are otherwise open.
STM
Good Friday and Easter Monday are considered legal holidays by the STM. Transit will still be running but on a modified schedule. You can plan your trip in advance on the STM website.
Gyms & Fitness Centres
City sports facilities have a varied schedule depending on the borough — and the same is true for most gyms.
Éconofitness is closed on Sunday, April 4 but open on other days.
Nautilus Plus branches are open with regular hours with a few exceptions. The Place Victoria and Place Ville Marie locations will close on Friday, April 2 and Monday, April 5. Place Montreal Trust will close on Sunday, April 4.
Banks
Banks consider Good Friday to be a holiday so don't count on your bank being accessible on April 2 aside from the ATMs and online banking services.
You'll want to check your bank's website though.
Pharmacies
Most pharmacies will be open. Jean Coutu and Pharmaprix locations have special holiday hours, which you can find online.
