The top venues, music festivals and culture gems of Eastern Canada
By Eming Piansay
Thinking of heading east to visit our friendly neighbors? Consider booking your next event among the layered textures of Eastern Canada’s Montreal and Toronto. Whether your gathering is hosted against the backdrop of Toronto’s glass towers over Lake Ontario or amid the cobblestone streets of Montreal, an event paired with a vibrant food scene and cultural diversity will add memorable scenery for your attendees.
Resources
Tourisme Montréal
Martine Laberge, director of sales
Destination Toronto
Tara Gordon, CMP, SVP global sales & services
[email protected] | destinationtoronto.com
5 Reasons Why Planners Love Montreal and Toronto
Walking on the edge. Take the term “on top of the world” to the next level by bringing your group to the CN Tower in Toronto. Your team will stand 116 stories high, secured in a harness, gazing down on the bustle of Toronto. The experience includes a certificate of achievement, a video and photos to bring home.
An arts and culture community. At the heart of Toronto’s waterfront sits the 10-acre Harbourfront Centre, a hub of arts, culture, learning and recreation. November programming includes glass ornament making, glass blowing, a weaving workshop and more.
Musically inclined. Montreal offers a rich lineup of music events in November. M for Montreal caters to urban music fans. Mundial Montreal runs from November 18-21 and showcases a variety of world music. The Montreal Bach Festival takes place from November 15 to December 7.
Seeking Sherlock. Literary fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can explore the temporary Sherlock Holmes exhibition at Pointe-à-Callière. The display highlights Doyle’s sources of inspiration and the technological advancements of his time. The exhibition runs from November 27, 2025 to March 8, 2026.
Architectural marvels. For architecture buffs, Toronto features City Hall, Toronto-Dominion Centre, John P. Robarts Research Library, Sharp Centre for Design at OCAD University and the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal at the Royal Ontario Museum.
5 Places to Meet & Stay
Metro Toronto Convention Centre is located downtown and a 25-minute air-rail link from Pearson International Airport (YYZ). Fun fact: The Centre houses beehives on the roof, and each hive holds 50,000 bees.
700,000 sq. ft. of meeting space
InterContinental Toronto Centre is a four-diamond property in the financial district with an indoor saltwater pool, state-of-the-art fitness center and an 8,000-square-foot spa.
18,000 sq. ft. of meeting space; 584 guest rooms
Palais des congrès de Montréal is within a 10-minute walk of more than 16,000 hotel rooms. The venue also offers an immersive experience, the OASIS immersion, one of the largest interactive spaces in Canada.
508,756 sq. ft. of meeting space
Le Westin Montréal is near Notre-Dame Basilica, Old Port and the city’s Parisian-style historic district.
50,500 sq. ft. of meeting space; 455 guest rooms
Hilton Toronto combines French style and Western offerings, featuring two on-site restaurants: Frenchy Bar et Brasserie and Ruth’s Chris Steak House.
45,798 square feet of meeting space; 600 guest rooms
This article appears in the November/December 2025 issue. You can subscribe to the magazine here.
