Enthralling colonial secrets walking tour - Challenging, engaging, enthralling. A model walking tour of Old Montreal that visits its main attractions while reimagining and reinterpreting them from the perspectives of Indigenous Peoples, African slaves, and those subjugated by colonial violence. A tour that brings history to life.

A great way to spend around 90 minutes on a nice Montreal summer's day - I was fortunate to attend the soft launch of Donovan King's new tour Colonial Secrets of Montreal which delves into some of the little known and even lesser shared history of Montreal's Colonial past. Well researched and expertly presented with Donovan's usual flair. I brought my 12 year old granddaughter Emma who was spellbound. Never looked at her phone once! A great way to spend around 90 minutes on a nice summer's day. Congratulations Donovan!

The missing components of Montreal's story. The hidden history that paints a better picture. - I was given the opportunity to join the trial run of the Colonial Secrets tour on August 6, 2025. I was not disappointed. As an Indigenous person, I tend to take all history based tours with a grain of salt, because of the constant whitewashing of history. This one was very different. For the first time, I felt like MY history was acknowledged. Donovan took the typical colonial narrative head-on. He discussed the more realistic aspects of early colonial Montreal, from interactions with Indigenous people to the slave markets and a few of the dark episodes of colonial life. I highly recommend that if you see a "traditional" tour of Old Montreal, you complement it with this tour, to get a far more complete view of how colonial life actually was. By putting both together, you start to see how the glory and the gory coexisted in a time when life was not easy for anyone. A must-see.

Always great to see... - Always great to see something/learn something/view something through a different lens. I know little to nothing about Canadian First Nations and enjoyed the view(s) that our guide showed us while learning about the historic area.

Decolonial visit to Old Montreal - Great informative and authentic visit with Sophie Claude. I've always been Montrealer and I really learned to look at my city differently. I loved it.

Gave us a deeper understanding of Old Montreal history - As frequent visitors to Montreal, we are always looking for new activities and attractions when we visit. Having done several of the Haunted Montreal tours in the past, we knew we could expect a good quality experience with this new tour offering, and we were not disappointed. The tour was well-researched and gave us a deeper understanding of the history of this area. As someone with ancestral ties to New France, it was a humbling and enriching experience to learn more about the realities of this time in history. We appreciated the guide's sensitive handling of the subject matter, and the personal connections she shared with us as well.

Chilling! - Great overview of the Colonial history of Old Montreal with a refreshingly progressive perspective. The on-site presentation provided an immersive experience that was truly haunting! Did not see the sites the same way afterwards. Would highly recommend!

Fantastic tour of the dark side of Montreal's history! - Skip the sanitized tourist traps. This is Montreal's REAL history. While government-certified guides peddle feel-good fluff for thousands in training fees, Haunted Montreal serves up the raw truth they don't want you to hear. Slave markets in Old Port? Check. Architectural warfare between British and French colonizers playing out in Place d'Armes? You bet. All the sordid, shameful bits conveniently scrubbed from those polite walking tours. Their guides don't just recite facts—they're passionate historians who dare to tell Montreal's unvarnished story. Same routes as the "official" tours, but with actual substance. Bottom line: If you want Disney-fied history, go elsewhere. If you want the truth, book Haunted Montreal. Highest recommendation.

Best tour in Montreal - Even though I was born and raised in Montreal, this tour taught me more on the colonial origins of the old port district than decades walking around. An absolutely mind-blowing tour that changes our very notion of the origins of this city. The guides are very professional, generous and knowledgeable. Best tour in Montreal in my opinion.

Informative and entertaining! - Wow! Such an informative tour for Colonial Secrets of Old Montreal. I learned so many interesting facts that are not taught in any schools or other tourist sites or information. The tour guide Don, was excellent in speaking and entertaining as well. I highly recommend this tour when in Montreal.