The Auberge de La Fontaine would not be the same without the presence of the third largest public park in Montreal, La Fontaine Park, located right across the street. The park was named in honor of Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine (1807-1864), lawyer, politician, Prime Minister of Canada and judge. The lawyer Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine, head of the French Canadian moderate reformers has formed with Robert Baldwin, in 1842, the first government of Upper and Lower Canada Union.
Birds and squirrels enliven the park joyfully. The La Fontaine Park brings an atmosphere of unparalleled serenity; everything seems peaceful. In all seasons, the park is the meeting place for joggers. The pond where ducks swim during Summer is maintained as an outdoor skating rink during Winter. The Green Road, famous bike path cross the park and can lead you in different directions. Tennis, baseball, game of pétanque, children’s pool and beach volleyball are among the leisure facilities of the park.
The La Fontaine Park is a mecca of culture on the Plateau Mont-Royal. Dance, music, film enliven the Théâtre de la Verdure, beautiful open-air theater. Espace La Fontaine, newest bistro, welcomes a variety of exhibits but also the Comics Festival in Montreal every year in June. Several monuments adorn the park: the Dollard monument (1920), the French Canadian soldiers memorial commemorating war 1914- 1918 (1931), the Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine (1930). More recently, a statue of Felix Leclerc (1990) and a monument to Charles de Gaulle (1990) were erected.
Finally, plan a little night out, in the park, to admire the illuminated fountain in the pond. The magic of the place takes you soon in the arms of Morpheus through the comfort of your room at the Auberge de La Fontaine.
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