Aussie female academic attending a conference in mid april in Montreal..

any recommendations for budget,safe,clean accommodation?

It may depend on where your conference is. The weather in April is very unpredictable, and can be anything from snow to sleet, to mild and springlike. As I mentioned in another post, the Argoat and the Manior Sherbrooke are both in a very nice area, half way between the downtown business area, and the hip plateau neighborhood. They run about $80 CDN a night. In the same area is the Residence du Voyaguer which is a little more budget, and the St Antione which is a little more upscale. Another option is a b&b, which can be a lot of fun for someone travelling alone. There are lots of b&b's and b&b networks in Montreal, just do a web search.

Thanks
AERA conference is at four big hotels...fairmont queen elizabeth ,marriot etc

Fully prepared to use public transport to stay in area of character at $cdn 80

The hotels I mentioned are a good 20-25 minute walk to your conferences, or 10 minutes on the Metro. You would be hard pressed to find something in your price range near your conferences, unless you locate a b&b.

Check out www.bbcanada.com, www.biddingfortravel.com and www.Priceline.com.

call the hotels directly that are part of the conference. You may find MUCH better prices. (the prices are actually suprisingly good--especially if you call YOURSELF--can't stress that enough).
Don't stay far from the conference--silly and unnecessary.

Good Luck!

here's some dining tips from a Montrealer :

You should check out "L'Academie" on St.Denis (bring your own wine place), a new favorite among locals.
Also great Italian place is DaVinci on Bishop or "Roberto's " on Belanger East (a little far from downtown, but worth it !!) and some of the best fish places are "Molivos" on Guy or "La Sirene de la Mer" on Jean Talon(near cote des neige) , that's MidTown and has beautiful decor. (you'll need a taxi ride). If price is no object , the go to Milos on Park Ave., very fine Greek and Mediterranean dining.
For a quick bite , check Parthenon on van horne , best cheap souvlaki joint in Mtl!
For pitas and schwarmas , go to Chez Benny's on Queen Mary (It's kosher, so closed on Fri night& Saturdays).
oh and for excellent pizza go to California Pizza on Decarie(Mondays & Tues they have great specials!!!)