This summer, the warm breeze blowing through Montreal makes you want to go out for drinks on a patio— with or without a book —with your crush, the kids, or friends. And the best patios are always the ones where your feet are in the water, right?
Just a 45-minute drive from downtown Montreal, you can go for a swim in a cool lake and read a book or enjoy a drink on the terrace at the Village des Écluses beach this summer.
The Village des Écluses and the Soulanges Canal
The Village-vacances des Écluses, which has a bit of the look and feel of a summer camp for adults, features a tiki bar—the Tiki Frit—and a very large beachfront terrace overlooking Lake Saint-Louis. You can go for a swim, soak up the sun, and sip a fruity cocktail from a colorful glass.
During the day, you can go kayaking (alone or with a partner) and stand-up paddleboarding, and take a dip in the lake.
You can also bike along the very refreshing Soulanges Canal, a 35-kilometer stretch on a concrete path under tall trees—the canal runs from Village des Écluses to Saint-Zotique and Rivière-Beaudette. You can rent bikes at the kiosk in Coteau-du-Lac.
In the evening, there are concerts, country line-dancing classes, and you can eat fries and drink beer by the water while watching the sunset. The 2026 season schedule is here.
Practical Information
Where? Village des Écluses, 2 Chemin du Canal, Pointe-des-Cascades
When?
Tuesday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Friday: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday: 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Sunday: 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
What? Admission to Village des Écluses is free, and parking costs about $5
