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espace pour la vie

Montreal's Botanical Garden is hosting a giant spring picnic under glorious pink blossoms

Montreal cherry blossoms may be on their way out, but you still have time to make the most of our city's beautiful spring blooms. The crabapple blossoms — commonly confused with cherry blossoms because of how similar they look — are beginning to flower, painting the town new hues of pink, as ordinary trees transform into extraordinary ones.

To celebrate crabapple blossom season, the Montreal Botanical Garden is hosting a giant picnic under the flowering trees in its Japanese Garden.

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Montreal's Botanical Garden is having a huge plant sale of colourful blooms and veggies

Spring is about to get greener and tastier at the Montreal Botanical Garden. The Great Gardening Weekend from May 24 to 26 promises a plant-packed extravaganza with unique greenery, new edible varieties, and practical tips on eco-friendly gardening.

A range of workshops (free with admission) will help enhance your green thumb. Topics include incorporating herbs into landscaping, growing mushrooms, and keeping plants in a small apartment.

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Montreal's solar eclipse will only look good in some areas — here’s who misses out

The total solar eclipse coming up on April 8 has been the talk of the town lately — and for good reason. It's a rare astronomical phenomenon during which the sky will go completely dark for around one-and-a-half minutes in the early afternoon, and it won't happen again in Montreal until 2205.

But if you're planning on watching from home (with your protective glasses on, of course), it's important for you to know that not every Montreal neighbourhood will provide a view of the eclipse in its totality. You have to be in something called the totality zone — basically the pathway within which 100% of the sun is covered by the moon rather than 99.99%.

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The 7 best spots in Montreal to get the ultimate glimpse of the solar eclipse

On April 8, 2024, a rare total solar eclipse will sweep across North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada — with most of Montreal set to witness three minutes of complete darkness.

The once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon occurs when the Moon aligns precisely between the Sun and Earth, obscuring the solar disc entirely. The sky will undergo a dramatic dimming reminiscent of both dawn and dusk.

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Here's where to get free solar eclipse glasses in Montreal before the big event

Are you ready to watch the rare — and likely spectacular — solar eclipse on April 8? The answer can only be "yes" if you have special protective glasses that will allow you to stare directly at the sun without damaging your eyes.

"Even a brief look at the partly eclipsed Sun can result in harm to the eyes," the Canadian Association of Optometrists says. The organization's optometrists stress that regular sunglasses are not enough to protect your eyes from temporary or permanent damage. They suggest solar eclipse viewers with filters that meet the "international standard ISO 12312-2 for safe viewing."

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eclipse montreal

Montreal Is Hosting A Once-In-A-Lifetime Eclipse Party This Year

Montreal is set to witness an extraordinary cosmic event this year and the city is throwing a party to mark the occasion. When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun on April 8, casting a shadow that completely blocks the sun from view, day will turn into night for a brief, magical moment.

To celebrate the rare occurrence, Espace pour la vie and Société du parc Jean-Drapeau are orchestrating a free public event on Île Sainte-Hélène. It will be a viewing party, complete with music, entertainment, and a lineup of activities designed to enlighten and engage. It's shaping up to be the ultimate eclipse-viewing experience.

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Montreal's Gardens of Light Will Bring Storybook Scenes Back To The Jardin Botanique

As the first amber leaves begin to drift from the trees, Montreal's iconic Jardin Botanique bursts into life once again, bathed in the ethereal glow of the Gardens of Light festival. From September 1 through October 31, pathways at the iconic botanical garden will illuminate with lanterns and light shows. On crisp fall evenings, you can wander among glowing displays — a fusion of stories, culture, and night-time magic.

This season, the Gardens of Light will focus on the mesmerizing dance of butterflies. The delicate creatures, symbolic of metamorphosis and the fleeting beauty of nature, will set the tone for an awe-inspiring experience in the garden's three main areas.

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Montreal's Botanical Garden Is Giving Away Free Trees & Seed Bombs During A Mega Plant Sale

Whether your apartment is turning into a mini-jungle, or you're just tired of killing your succulents, we have the perfect weekend plans for you. Espace pour la vie is rolling out the green carpet at the Montreal Botanical Garden for The Great Gardening Weekend from May 26 to 28.

The event promises a vibrant mix of workshops, edible products and sustainable gardening practices designed to bolster biodiversity. Held in partnership with Les Amis du Jardin botanique de Montréal, the annual affair epitomizes the joy of gardening.

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montreal biodome

A Baby Penguin Was Born At The Montreal Biodome & It's Ugly… But In A Cute Way (PHOTOS)

Montreal's Espace pour la vie museum network has announced the birth of a king penguin chick at the Montreal Biodome. Its mother laid the egg on December 29 and the chick hatched on February 1.

But don't expect to see the fuzzy grey chick anytime soon. It and its mother are currently bonding in a secluded section of the biodome's subantarctic habitat. Even zookeepers are staying away in order to not disturb the delicate process underway.

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What's Open & What's Closed In Montreal On New Year's Day 2023

Since New Year's Day falls on a Sunday in 2023, store, service and institution operating hours are especially confusing. Some that are usually closed Sundays are recognizing the holiday on Monday. Some are only closed Sunday. And a select few are open both days.

Here's a breakdown of what's open and what's closed in Montreal on New Year's Day and Monday, January 2.

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A Haunting New Sculpture In Downtown Montreal Will Melt To Reveal A Polar Bear Skeleton

All eyes are on Montreal for the United Nations conference on biodiversity, COP15. Behind all the pomp and hefty security, the thousands of delegates at the conference have an urgent mission: "to agree on a new set of goals to guide global action through 2030 to halt and reverse nature loss." And a new sculpture in downtown Montreal serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of failure.

The installation by Espace pour la vie consists of a giant block of ice carved into the shape of a polar bear around a life-size bronze skeleton. The ice will gradually melt away to, by the end of COP15 on December 19, reveal the metalwork.

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Montreal's Botanical Garden & Biodôme Will Be Free To Visit This Weekend

Montreal's Espace pour la vie museums, including the Montreal Botanical Garden and Biodôme, will be free to visit on Saturday, December 10, and Sunday, December 11. The promotion will coincide with the COP15 United Nations biodiversity conference in downtown Montreal.

Espace pour la vie consists of five museums dedicated to the environment. Together they compose the "largest natural-science museum complex in Canada," according to the federal government.

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