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Diving into the Montreal bathhouse Bain Colonial

On the agenda: Rest, relaxation, and casual encounters, all on Soviet-era carpet—if the chemistry’s right.

Daisy Le Corre @ URBANIA

Daisy Le Corre @ URBANIA

November 12, 2024- Read time: 7 min
Diving into the Montreal bathhouse Bain Colonial

This story originally appeared in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.

“You know Bain Colonial? A friend was telling me about it last night. It’s kind of a sauna/social club in the Plateau for queer intellectuals to chat and meet up with people of all ages, but it’s also more than that…”

My boss has a knack for teasing. That one line was enough to pique my interest. There was just one catch: I’m not a gay man, so I couldn’t set foot in the oldest gay bathhouse in the city. Too bad. 

Fortunately, I knew someone who could get wet and undressed on my behalf—and his boyfriend would join too.

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