Montréal Guide
The Village
The Village, the heart of the city's gay and lesbian community, begins around rue Amherst, a few blocks east of the Quartier Latin, and extends along rueSte-Catherine as far as rue Papineau, just shy of the massive green girders of the Pont Jacques-Cartier. Montréal's gay district was once centred on rue Stanley Downtown, but the city pressured bar owners out of the area in the run-up to the 1976 Olympics. The bars relocated to this run-down part of rue Ste-Catherine, and appearances have gradually improved, as has the city's attitude towards the gay community – the local Métro stop, Beaudry, even incorporates the colours of the rainbow flag into its design.