Social Program and Optional Activities

Social Program
Optional Activities
Of Special Interest

SOCIAL PROGRAM

The Sunday Night Welcome Reception, Monday Night Banquet and Tuesday Evening Farewell Cocktail Party will all be hosted on-site at the beautiful InterContinental. More details about these events will be coming soon.

Dress
Weather in Montréal is very susceptible to daily change and can definitely change rapidly. While the end of summer is a beautiful time of year, it can often feel quite humid. The average low/high temperature in September of 45-72° F, Montréal’s climate is moderate. The dress of choice is casual-oriented with sport clothing worn year-round (a sweater or jacket is always suggested for those cooler evenings), however many restaurants and clubs do have dress codes. Casual business attire is suitable for the workshop.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES / OF SPECIAL INTEREST

Day Tour: Montréal History and the Discovery of the Fur Industry

On Monday, September 11, 2006 the AMBA Workshop offers a full day excursion which will allow you to discover the city and its history with a special focus on Canada’s fur trade, which played a key role in the economic development of Montréal and the nation.

You will start the day with a 2.5 hour exclusive introduction to the history and passionate culture of this cosmopolitan city, discovering important places and sights such as Old Montréal with its famous Notre Dame Basilica, the “Golden Square Mile,” with its blend of elegant nineteenth century mansions and posh hotels, Mount Royal Park, the Quartier Latin and much more. After this tour, lunch will be enjoyed in a quaint restaurant situated on one of the winding cobbled streets in Old Montréal.

The afternoon will be enjoyed at Lachine National Historic Site of Canada located 20 minutes west of the Island of Montréal. The Fur Trade Historic Site welcomes you to its enchanting natural surroundings on the shores of Saint-Louis Lake, departure point for the Coureurs des bois, Voyageurs and other explorers in their adventures in Western Canada. Constructed in 1803, this old stone warehouse is one of the last storage spaces still remaining from the days of the epic fur trade in Montréal.

Concluding the day’s events will be a visit to one of Montréal’s largest furriers who has been manufacturing quality fur coats since 1973. This specialist retains its place as an industry leader with an impeccable commitment to the demanding trends of fur fashion and commitment to a tradition that gave birth to a nation. Throughout this tour, you will visit such areas as the design center, main stock room and factory floor. An educational and historic exploration of the various stages of production will be followed by a short expose on different qualities and varieties of fur. After the visit, you may try on garments and make purchases if desired.

This tour departs from the hotel lobby at 9:00am and will return between 4:30pm – 5:00pm. The recommended attire is comfortable walking shoes, casual pants and a jacket. Don’t forget your camera!

OF SPECIAL INTEREST

The Festival de la Sante Oasis and the Montréal International Marathon
On September 10, 2006, Montréal hosts this event that started in 1991 to offer Quebeckers tools and events to help them improve or keep their good physical shape. This great ‘health’ event has a competitive part: The Montréal International Marathon, the IGA Half-Marathon and the Reebok 10K. It also offers the popular family-oriented part: the Parmaprix Health Cycling Event, the Blakes 5K and a Blakes 5K Corporate Challenge. This event is recognized as Quebec’s foremost friendly and congenial sporting event. The marathon rallies close to 21,000 participants that set out on a course starting at the Jacques Cartier Bridge that takes them through the magnificent trails of Ile Sainte-Helene and Ile Notre-Dame, concluding at Olympic Stadium. While the various competitions of the Montréal International Marathon bring together many elite athletes, the Festival de la Sante Oasis programming is geared to families and offers sporting activities such as biking, in-line skating and walking.

For more information visit http://www.marathondeMontréal.com

Old Montréal
The historic city centre is rich in museums, shops, restaurants and grey stone architecture spread out along narrow, cobblestone streets. It is also home to the Vieux Port attractions and lively public squares like Place Jacques-Cartier. Exploring Old Montréal means exploring the very heart of one of North America's greatest cities, a multi-faceted place where the past and the present come together in exciting and unexpected ways. Major attractions include City Hall ( 275 Notre-Dame St E), and the Old Customs House (400 Place d'Youville, featured in the film The Score).

Notre-Dame Basilica
Notre-Dame's twin towers have served as an Old Montréal landmark since the neo-Gothic basilica was finished in 1829. Today they continue to be the focal point, where tourists exit from buses and calèche drivers line up for passengers. The interior glows with gilded statuary and gold-leafed fleurs de lys, and is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world. The Montréal Symphony Orchestra performs its Christmas production of Messiah here.