Hippie heaven in Montreal
Forty years ago, Montreal was home to the ultimate hippie statement and media circus, John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s Bed-In for Peace. For one week, the iconic lovers held court at a suite in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, during which time they entertained 150 journalists per day, recorded the protest song Give Peace a Chance and created a legend with their love.
The 40th anniversary was marked with a special exhibition of the pair’s work and life at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, entitled Imagine, and several special events. Those events have passed, but Montreal has plenty of lingering bohemian spirit, here’s where to find it:
Stage your own Bed-In for Peace
The Fairmont Queen Elizabeth has immortalized the suite used by Lennon and Ono, naming it the John Lennon Suite and adorning it with memorabilia and photographs from the hippie lovers’ stay. For $799, the hotel offers a Bed-In for Peace package that includes one nights accommodation, breakfast, a copy of the lyrics to Give Peace a Chance and a $50 donation to Amnesty International. Besides the fact that it’s a gorgeous suite at a resplendent hotel, there is a certain magic held in those walls, which is why the suite is consistently booked out by fans and admirers of Lennon.
Party like it’s the age of Aquarius
The hippie movement may have been two generations ago, but some of Montreal’s citizens certainly haven’t forgotten it. The vibrant neighbourhoods of Mile End and Le Plateau are multi-cultural, feature dreadlocked peaceniks, and the aroma of whacky baccy drifts from the café patios.
Every Sunday its bongos-a-go-go at the Les Tam-tams du Mont-Royal, when hundreds of free spirits come together to play drums and dance. This event started at the end of the seventies and has evolved in to a regular mini-festival complete with on-site vendors; you couldn’t hope for a more hippieish event anywhere.
There are also several bohemian bars scattered throughout the city. L’Escalier has mismatched furniture, floor cushions, cheap beer, organic food and nightly entertainment that is almost guaranteed to satisfy a beatnik spirit. The clientele is mostly young student types, but it has a fun, laid back atmosphere and is a great place to relax for a while and people watch.
