Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means more kids out earlier, more parties and a later night than usual. Here’s what to know about Halloween safety in Montreal for Oct. 31, plus a few borough events and one schedule quirk worth noting before the weekend.
Halloween safety in Montreal: the basics
The SAAQ urges parents to go over road safety rules with their kids before Halloween night, warning in a 2024 Halloween reminder that children shouldn’t get swept up in the excitement. A few common-sense habits help:
- Plan a route on familiar streets and cross at corners and intersections, not between parked cars.
- Pick costumes kids can see out of and walk in easily; face paint is often safer than a mask that blocks vision.
- Add something bright or reflective, and carry a flashlight, since it gets dark early at this time of year.
- Younger kids should go with an adult; older kids should travel in a group and agree on a time to be home.
- Check treats at home before anyone digs in.
The SAAQ’s Halloween tips for kids aged 5 to 12 add a few specifics: walk on the sidewalk (or on the shoulder facing traffic where there isn’t one), cross one side of the street at a time at intersections, follow the lights, and look left, right, then left again before crossing. Kids should wait outside rather than go into houses, and never go near or get into a vehicle without a parent’s permission.
For drivers
Expect children on sidewalks and darting between cars from late afternoon onward. Slow down on residential streets, take extra care backing out of driveways, and keep an eye out at crosswalks, especially in neighbourhoods known for big trick-or-treat turnouts.
The SAAQ also reminds adults that children can have trouble judging a vehicle’s distance and speed, especially in the dark, and suggests avoiding driving on Halloween night if possible. Heading to a party instead? Our This Week in Montreal guide rounds up what’s on, and planning your ride home before you go out keeps the night simple.
Making Halloween accessible
Not every trick-or-treater can climb a front staircase, and plenty of Montreal homes have them. CTV News reported on Oct. 25 on Treat Accessibly campaigns, which encourage families to hand out treats in front of their homes so people with limited mobility can take part. Setting up a table at the bottom of the stairs is an easy way to join in.
Borough events worth knowing
Lachine
The borough’s Halloween roundup (last updated Oct. 20) lists trick-or-treating at both Lachine libraries on Oct. 31 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Bibliothèque Saul-Bellow is going with a Día de Muertos theme, with live music and Mexican altars, while the Bibliothèque de Saint-Pierre has stories on Halloween’s origins and Celtic musicians. The libraries’ candy draw for young people 18 and under is also set for Oct. 31.
Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
CDN-NDG is running its first Halloween decoration contest. Public voting for residents’ decorations runs Oct. 26 to 29, and winners in three categories, including scariest decor, are set to be announced Oct. 30, per the borough. Each winner receives a $100 gift card from the SDC Côte-des-Neiges.
The three categories are best immersive atmosphere, most creative decor and most frightening decor, and each person can vote once. Today, Thursday, Oct. 29, is the last day to cast your vote.
One thing to check before you go
As of Oct. 26, the city’s professional employees had been on a legal strike since Oct. 19, with weekend strike hours running from 5 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m. Monday, according to the City of Montréal. Several boroughs have reported reduced evening and weekend hours at libraries and maisons de la culture (details in our strike explainer). If you’re planning on a library Halloween event on Saturday evening, check the library’s page on montreal.ca or call 311 first.
And don’t forget the clocks
Halloween night is also the night the clocks change: they fall back an hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1. That means an extra hour of sleep for party-goers, and darker late afternoons from next week. Our time-change guide explains it all.
Looking for things to do beyond the candy run? See our list of 15 Halloween activities in Montreal. Joyeuse Halloween, and stay safe out there.
More on MTL365
- Free Things to Do in Montreal in November: Museum Free Days, Thursday Nights at the CCA and More
- Game Day: Canadiens vs Stars in Dallas to Close Out a Four-Game Road Trip
- Best Halloween Treats in Montreal: Pastry Shops Going Spooky This Weekend
- More Montreal news on MTL365
Photo: Matt Jiggins / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Sources: Ville de Montréal: Lachine Halloween, Ville de Montréal: CDN-NDG contest, CTV News, SAAQ, Ville de Montréal: Municipal professionals on strike, SAAQ: Halloween tips
