We showed up at the museum fairly late in the day and only managed to take in two of the three exhibits; Wearing our Identity: The First Peoples Collection, and From Philadelphia to Monaco: Grace Kelly - Beyond the Icon. Wearing our Identity explained the meaning behind many traditional First Nations, Inuit, and Métis garments, and allowed us to learn about the impact that their culture and heritage had, and still have, on their clothing. The garments themselves can communicate messages about a person's social, cultural, political, and spiritual identity. Grace Kelly was also a enjoyable exhibit, and as it was an audio tour it was a great way to take a break from reading, which can be intensive at museums.
In between museums, we decided to sit down in a park in downtown Montréal, called Dorchester Square. While we were there, we noticed that there were a few people wearing latex suits that were being photographed by one of the monuments. We thought it was a bit unusual, but before we knew it, the park was flooded with people who were either wearing latex costumes, taking professional photographs of people in latex costumes, or both. We didn't take any pictures, but the images will be in our minds forever... After a quick Google, we just discovered that last weekend was Montreal Fetish Weekend, which would definitely explain it.
Plus, a tip for anyone who plans to visit Montréal - the Montréal Museum Pass is worth it if you want to take in a few museums. The 3 day Museum Pass costs $80 per person and includes access to 38 museums, an unlimited 3 day public transit pass (including airport transfers), as well as additional coupons. We visited 8 attractions that were part of the deal and ended up saving $72.50 each! It's absolutely worth it, especially since many museums cost $20 per person.
Also, another tip: if you go on Labour Day weekend, or any holiday weekend, make sure you know what's open on the holiday itself. We had a couple of things planned for Monday, but when those things didn't take as long as anticipated, we were stuck wandering around, and eating at a restaurant (which was still fun).
Here are some more pictures from our weekend!