The Ministry to Seafarers (M2S)

Seaway Bike Tour
Vélo Tour de la Voie Maritime

Register, ask your friends and colleagues to sponsor you and have fun...all for a great cause! 
- 12 KM, 25 KM, 50 KM and 100 KM options -
Inscrivez-vous, demandez à vos amis et collègues de vous parrainer et amusez-vous ... le tout pour une bonne cause! Choissisez votre distance : 12, 25, 50 ou 100 KM.
SAVE THE DATE! September 11, 2021: Seaway Bike Tour. Join us in Montreal for our second annual bike tour along the bike path waterways. (Note: Due to COVID-19, we will follow all provincial guidelines and if necessary, convert this event into a virtual tour.)

To sign up as a rider, you will first need to register ($25). You'll have the option to join an existing team (if you've been invited by someone to join them on the ride), create your own (if you're coming as a group) or join as an individual. Check back here in August for registration details.

Can't ride but want to support the cause? No problem. You'll be able to donate directly to the fundraiser.
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Seaway Bike Tour Routes (12, 25 and 50 KM)

Three distance groups (12, 25, and 50 KM) will depart from the Seafarers' Centre on the Grand Quai de Montréal (formerly called the Quai Alexandra). See details below.

Seaway Bike Tour Route (100 KM)

The 100 KM will depart from around the 5.8 kilometre mark on the Soulanges Canal in Les Coteaux. See details below.

Seaway Bike Tour Route and Points of Interest (12, 25 and 50 KM)

12 KM: Bikerdike Terminal, Île Sainte-Hélène  and Île Notre-Dame
25 KM: The same as above with one lap around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on Île Notre-Dame, plus part of La Petite Voie du Fleuve to the Estacade du Pont Champlain
50 KM: The same as above with two laps around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, plus the Sainte-Catherine Lock
100 KM: Begins in Les Coteaux west of Montreal on the Soulanges Canal, follows La Route Verte for about 75 KM and then meets up with the 25 KM route above for the last third of the tour.

Ready to ride? Here we go!
Leaving the pier, look across the street at 201
The Ministry to Seafarers began operations more than 50 years ago and had a Seafarers' Centre at 201 Rue de la Commune ouest from the 1980s to 2001.
201 de la Commune O
Rue de la Commune is at the heart of Old Montreal and where Montreal's port history all began. From the Bonsecours Market at the eastern end to the beginning of the Lachine Canal at the western tip, this street is dotted with historical buildings that still bear faded markings of a vibrant past. Today, the revitalized area now caters to tourists while major shipping operations have shifted east along the shore for 25 KM to Pointe-aux-Trembles. 
Without the free transportation we offer, seafarers would face an expensive trip into town every time they have shore leave.

Turn left on Rue de la Commune ouest and head over the Peel basin at the Mill St. bridge
Mill Street bridge marks the entrance of the Lachine Canal. Inaugurated in 1825, it allowed ships to bypass the turbulent Lachine rapids in the St. Lawrence and continue upriver towards the Great Lakes. The opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959 made the old canal redundant. On the 25 KM and 50 KM rides, you will see the new shipping lanes that carry modern vessels safely past the rapids. Don't forget to wave if you see a ship!
Mill Bridge
Follow the cycling path under the Bonaventure Expressway and turn left on Av Pierre-Dupuy.
On your left
Bikerdike
Bikerdike Terminal was built in 1896 and was the port's main facility until the 1970s. Today it serves as the provisioning port to Newfoundland and the Magdalen Islands. Cruise ships also dock here and occasionally, other ships. This is the closest terminal to the Seafarers' Centre.

The terminal is presently under construction to better handle close to 600,000 tons of cargo such as containers and vehicles.
On your right
HABITAT 67 is part of Montréal's Expo 67 heritage. It was built as a pavilion for the World Fair held from April to October of that year. It's considered an architectural landmark and one of the most recognizable buildings in our city.
HABITAT 67
On your left across the water
Bikerdike
The Grand Quai de Montréal, formerly called the Alexandra Pier was built more than 100 years ago. At the start of the 20th century it was surrounded by grain terminals and Montreal boasted the largest grain port in the world.
Today, it's home to the Iberville Passenger Terminal as well as our Seafarers' Centre!

Did you know? The passenger terminal was inaugurated in 1967, just in time for Expo '67. Today, the Seafarers' Centre welcomes hundreds of cruise ship workers each year and offers them free Wi-Fi, snacks, souvenirs and chapel services.

As you cycle past, can you spot the 65-m observation tower that's being constructed right outside our main door? It's slated to open this year and will boast unparalleled views of the seaway.
Take the Pont de la Concorde to Saint-Helen's Island. 
SAINT HELEN'S ISLAND is the former site of Expo '67 and hosted events from the '76 summer Olympics as well. The island was enlarged and merged with several nearby islands, using earth excavated during the construction of the Montreal metro. The Le Moyne Channel separates it from the nearby man-made island of Notre Dame. Together, they form Parc Jean-Drapeau which includes the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a beach, the biosphere, an aquatic complex, the Steward Museum and the La Ronde amusement park.  
Saint Helens Island
Take the Passerelle du Cosmos or the Pont des Îles to Notre Dame Island. 
Notre Dame Island
Today, NOTRE DAME ISLAND is best known for the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve where the Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada event takes place annually. When it's not in use for an event, the track is open to cycling, para-cycling, inline skating and running enthusiasts.
Pit Stop: This is a good place for a water break or a trip to the loo.
If you're completing the 25 KM or 50 KM, you'll be taking a lap or two around the track before you move on. Cyclists completing the 12 KM will turn around and head back to the Seafarers' Centre the way they came. 
Take La Route Verte 1 / La Petite Voie du Fleuve to the Estacade du Pont Champlain.
La Petite Voie du Fleuve: You are now travelling on a narrow stretch of land in the Saint-Lawrence River! On your left is the 33 KM-long shipping canal which allows ships to bypass the Lachine Rapids. You'll be passing by the Saint-Lambert Lock as well as under the Victoria and Samuel-de-Champlain bridges. Keep a close eye out for a ship which may be passing by. If you spot anyone, give them a hearty wave. These seafarers are the people who deliver to you 90% of all you use and own.  
la petite voie du fleuve
Cyclists completing the 25 KM will turn around at the turn-off for the Estacade and head back to the Seafarers' Centre the way they came. 
Continue straight ahead to the Sainte-Catherine Lock.
Congratulations, you've arrived!
Sainte-Catherine Lock: Together with the Saint-Lambert lock, it provides a total lift of 13.7 m to Lac Saint-Louis. Whatever floats your boat, right?  Before you turn around, consider a pit stop.
Pit Stop: There are portable toilets down the hill (unpaved road) at the intersection of the bike path and the Voie de la Voie Maritime. 
Did you know? The Saint-Lawrence Seaway has 15 locks (4 in Quebec). Together, they make up the world’s most spectacular lift system. Ships up to 225.5 metres in length (740 feet) are raised to more than 180 metres above sea level, about the height of a 60-story building. The ships carry cargoes the equivalent of 25,000 metric tonnes. More importantly, they carry seafarers too, the men and women who work tirelessly on the waterways so that the the global supply chain can move goods around the world. 
Sainte Catherine Lock
Cyclists completing the 50 KM: It's time to turn around and head back to the Seafarers' Centre the way you came. May the wind always be at your back! 

Seaway Bike Tour Route and Points of Interest (100 KM)

Head east (towards Montreal) along the Soulanges Canal bike path.
Soulanges Canal
Soulanges Canal: You are now travelling along an abandoned shipping canal on the north shore of the St Lawrence River. The canal opened in 1899 and ceased operations in 1958 with the opening of the Beauharnois Canal on the south shore. It allowed ships to bypass the rapids between Lake Saint-Louis and Lake Saint-Francis. The canal bike path is 35 KM long and today you will be riding about 23 KMs to the village of Pointe-des-Cascades. Pause to view the artifacts at Parc des ancres and be sure to look for the lighthouse!
Turn left on Rue Centrale.
La Route Verte: Quebec is blessed with a network of bike paths, giving cyclists dedicated space to ride. Most of your trip from here to the Seafarers' Centre will be on this network. Signage will help guide you towards Montreal and the Old Port (Vieux Montréal). 
To get onto the Island of Montreal, you will cross the Galipeault bridge from Notre-Dame-de-l'Île-Perrot. While crossing the bridge, look below and see if you can spot the locks at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, a National Historic Site of Canada. These locks link Lake Saint-Louis and Lake of Two Mountains (Lac des Deux Montagnes). 
La Route Verte
Estacade du Pont Champlain
You'll pass through several communities including Baie-D'urfé, Beaconsfield, Dorval and Lachine. The Lachine Canal runs 14.5 KMs from the Old Port to Lake Saint-Louis. Look for remnants of the old fur trade route.

After passing through the boroughs of Lasalle and Verdun, it's time for an exceptional view of the St Lawrence River and the new Champlain Bridge. The 2-km bicycle path passes over the Estacade du Pont Champlain (the ice control structure) from Nun's Island (Île des Sœurs) to the seaway bicycle path network.
Turn left at the end of the Estacade onto la Petite Voie du Fleuve. 
You've now joined the 25-KM route described above. You're almost there!