MonSFFA will be active during the coming summer months; here’s what’s on our agenda:

KNIGHTS IN OLD MONTREAL

2025 MonSFFA Field Trip – Saturday, June 14

The club will first embark upon a field trip, set for Saturday, June 14, 2025; mark that date in your calendars!

We will be making our way to Old Montréal to take in the newly opened exhibition, “Knights.” We’ll be visiting our city’s “Archaeology and History Complex,” the Pointe-à-Callière museum, host of this exhibition.

MonFFen to Meet-Up at Museum

Our plan is to meet in the museum’s main entrance lobby at 1:00PM on Saturday, June 14 (don’t be late!) and enter together as a group at about 1:30PM. As always, each individual is responsible for their own entrance fee and any other expenses incurred, such as lunch or gift shop purchases. For any interested, we will make our way to a nearby restaurant after our visit to enjoy a post-field trip dinner.

Adult admission charge is $29, with various discounts available for seniors, students, etc.

Information on the Exhibition

Genre fans are, of course, familiar with medieval knights, who feature in many an epic fantasy tale. The museum invites us to “Delve into the heart of history with ‘Knights,’ a fascinating exhibition that stirs up the spirit of chivalry. From the battlefield to the royal court, this exhibition explores the various aspects of the life of knights.” We are offered a full exploration of the world of knights, including “their training, their place in society, and their code of honour.” Exquisite examples of European weaponry and armour, sourced from Italy’s prestigious Museo Stibbert, are among the over 250 pieces on display, showcasing the skill of the period’s craftsmen.

Note that there are also other exhibits of interest at Pointe-à-Callière, including studies of Montreal’s founding and past, the history of the Dow Brewery, and an immersive and interactive family exhibition on pirates and privateers.

Getting to the Museum

The nearest Metro station is Place-d’Armes; from there, it’s a 10 minute walk to the museum via rue Saint-François-Xavier. Also, the 50 bus, running along rue de-la-Commune, stops at the museum. Paid parking is available in the area, primarily in the Old Port.

Museum’s Address and Contact Information

The museum’s address is: 350 Place Royale, Old Montreal, QC, H2Y 3Y5

Phone number: 514 872-9150

Web site: https://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/

AFTERNOON IN PARC MAISONNEUVE

MonSFFA’s 2025 Barbecue-in-the-Park – Sunday, July 13

Our annual Barbecue-in-the-Park is scheduled, this year, for Sunday, July 13. MonSFFen and their families, as well as friends of the club, are invited to gather at about 10:30AM in Parc Maisonneuve on that date to enjoy a day of fresh air, sunshine, and fun with friends!

Sprawling Parc Maisonneuve, easily accessible by Metro (Viau, Pie-IX) or bus, is located in the city’s East End, adjacent the Botanical Gardens and the Olympic Stadium. Parking is available on site, or on nearby streets.

Our intention is to claim a picnic spot along one of the park’s lines of trees, not too far from the Chalet (washrooms) and parking lot; our “Preferred Picnic Area” is indicated on the map (below). Look for us within roughly that area.

Bring your own refreshments, snacks, and any meats you may wish to barbecue; MonSFFA will provide a grill. Should inclement weather scuttle plans, our rain date is Sunday, July 20, same Bat-time, same Bat-place.

As a handy reminder, download to your phone or print out to post on your fridge these flyers touting the club’s field trip and barbecue: 2025SummerActivitiesPromoFlyer(PDF)

AUGUST AFTERNOON OF “FANCRAFT”

“Fancrafting” Workshops – Saturday, August 16

Finally, we’ll wrap up this summer’s MonSFFActivities on August 16, returning to the club’s usual Nouvel Hotel meeting locale for the revival of an old, pre-pandemic tradition of MonSFFA’s, that of holding a number of “fancrafting” workshops throughout the course of the afternoon’s meeting. These hands-on demonstrations of SF/F-themed crafting projects, which we have dubbed “fancrafting,” will run concurrently, allowing folk to learn about and try their hand at each during the afternoon.

In past workshops we have learned how to fold sci-fi origami, for instance, tried our collective hand at stop-motion animation, realistically painted and weathered dollar-store toy guns and plastic knives for use as cosplay props, and “scratchbuilt” model spaceships from assorted household odds and ends.

Our workshops are hosted from among our own and allow all to exercise their innate creativity. This year, we’ll learn how to fashion beautifully decorative magic wands (of particular interest to those Hogwarts hopefuls among us!), explore “papercraft” model building, try our hand at making sci-fi hand puppets (for kids of all ages!), and more!