A day after the Montreal Botanical Gardens announced that it would be open as of June 15, Quebec's Minister of Tourism Caroline Proulx announced that the province would be entering the second phase of its tourism activity reopenings across the province. This time, zoos, agrotourism like farms and wineries, and gardens are all being given the green light on June 19.
Zoos near Montreal are already stepping up operations to prepare, with several of them like Parc Oméga and Parc Safari changing the format into car-based, drive-thru safaris.
As for agrotourism, it means that Montrealers will be able to visit farms to pick their own produce like strawberries which are now in season. In the areas surrounding the city, however, people can already take advantage of spaces like the vineyard Vignoble Rivière du Chêne's boutique or the picnicking that's been available at Cabane à Sucre Au Pied de Cochon.
Maritime excursions such as whale-watching, sailing, jet boating or the Old Port's bateau-mouche for example—not cruises, however—will resume operations on July 1.
As always, these permissions come with public health officials reminding the province to respect social distancing and following the recommendations of wearing masks, frequent handwashing, and gathering only with those in your household.
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