Technically a seasonal ice cream shop, practically a public service. Glacerie sits at the entrance to the René-Lévesque Park loop in Lachine, which puts it at exactly the right place at exactly the right time for anyone arriving by bike, on foot, or fresh off a kayak. The soft serve is the draw, but the shop also stocks inner tubes and lends out tools and pumps for cyclists who roll in with a flat, which happens more than you'd think on a long waterfront day. Dogs get their own menu items.

Paddleboards rent nearby in summer, the locks to Monk Park are a short walk west, and a cone fits naturally into any version of that afternoon. Hours can be irregular, so check before making it the centrepiece of your plans. But when it's open and the sun is out, there's nowhere better to be on this stretch of the waterfront.