Montreal’s first female sports bar opens its doors to fans

Nadia bar in Hochelaga is the first of its kind that shows women's pro sports from the Victoire to the Roses in Montreal's Hochelaga neighbourhood.

Montreal Victoire fans cheered on the team in a new location on Wednesday night.

It was not in Halifax, N.S., where the team took on the Toronto Sceptres, but in Montreal’s Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood, at the city’s only female sports bar, Le Nadia.

Half an hour before puck drop, the bar, which can seat about 60 people, was packed.

“You can see how busy this bar is. People want women’s sports, they want to be able to watch them, and it’s really cool to have a space dedicated to that,” said Victoire fan Gabrielle Drolet.

Le Nadia is a sports bar and café that only broadcasts women’s sports.

It opened just over a week ago on Ontario Street, and co-owner Catherine D. Lapointe says it’s the first of its kind in Canada.

“We were looking for a place to watch the new Victoire game two years ago when they just announced the league, and there was no answer to where we should go,” she told CTV News.

Women’s professional sports are growing in popularity in Montreal.

The city is home to the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) team, the Montreal Victoire, and the Northern Super League soccer team, the Montreal Roses, who just wrapped their first season.

The bar’s owners say the idea for the space came from a personal need, but they quickly realized that other people also wanted a place to cheer on their favourite female hometown teams together.

“I love it. I live right around the corner. It’s really nice to have a place in my neighbourhood,” said Henri Pilote.

Open seven days a week, Le Nadia has put women’s handball, volleyball and gymnastics on its screens in an ode to the Olympic athlete the bar is named after, Nadia Comăneci.

“As a women, seeing women on screen, I feel so lucky, which is kind of weird saying,” said Lapointe. “I didn’t have that chance when I was young. I’m almost 40, and there was no representation.”

The co-owner says she’s happy to continue pouring pints for passionate fans and beginners who want to learn more about women’s sports.

It’s her way, she says, of helping female athletes continue to excel in their fields.