The Intrepid Montreal Snowshoers of Yore 

Commentary In the 19th century, men of Canada’s greatest city, Montreal, used to test their mental and physical stamina every week during the winter, no matter how severe the weather, by traversing “the mountain,” also known as Mount Royal, on snowshoes. These were the men of the Montreal Snow Shoe Club, founded in 1840 with 12 members, and flourishing into the mid-1880s. They were hearty Anglo-Montrealers (it is easily forgotten that in 1850 Montreal had an English-speaking majority). Known for their stout spirit and blue headdress, their feat was part of “the glory of the old Montreal,” wrote John Lesperance, an American participant....