B&Bs are less spartan than student housing, and the hosts will have local expertise. The excellent Downtown B&B Network lists singles at C$55-$85 a night. The Montréal Tourism board has listings for bed and breakfasts, as well as listings for hotels and much other useful information.

I've always stayed at the Alacoque B&B Revolution, located on St-Urbain just below Sherbrooke in an 1830s townhouse. As the conference has moved, the walk has gotten farther so that now it's about a mile away. (Here's the Google map showing the two sites.) I wholeheartedly recommend it, with the usual B&B caveats (shared baths, small rooms) and advantages (great breakfasts, low prices -- I'll be paying under US$50 for a single). -- Roger Sperberg

Fans of Montreal history will note that St Urbain St is where Mordechai Richler (author of St Urbain's Horsemen) grew up.

Here is a Google Map listing Bed and Breakfasts near the conference hotel. The closest three are: Manoir Ambrose, Petite Auberge Les Bons Matins, Le Petit Prince. The first two are much cheaper than the last. I stayed at the Manoir Ambrose in 2005. -- Jonathan Robie