Parc Jean Drapeau is virtually synonymous with the two adjacent islands it occupies in the midst of the St. Lawrence River: Île Notre Dame and Île Ste. Hélène.

Together these give Montreal its most extensive urban playground: gardens, sports facilities, amusement parks and events attract visitors in droves and have even given the park international significance.

History

It was in the 1960s, that earth from the construction of Montreal’s Metro was heaped in today's Parc Jean Drapeau, to produce a stage for Expo 67, the 1967 World’s Fair.

Around a decade later, the 1976 Summer Olympics visited the islands for various events (particularly rowing and swimming), while a couple of years later Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a motor-racing track, opened on adjacent land where it's hosted the Montreal Grand Prix ever since.

Skating and Cycling