Montreal
Overview!
Montréal is a modern and colorful city
offering the perfect blend of historic buildings, modern
structures, and skyscrapers. Below the ground, another
city exists, where extremes of heat and cold are unknown.
To the west and north of downtown are mainly English
speaking commercial and residential neighborhoods, centered
around Westmount. To the east and north are French speaking
quartiers, notably Outremount and Plateau Mont-Royal.
In between are the many dialects and cultures of residents
and business people from around the globe.
Montréal,
home to a third of the population of the province
of Quebec, occupies about one-third (60 square miles)
of the island of Montréal, which is part of
the Hochelaga Archipelago. The island is situated
in the St. Lawrence River near where it joins the
Ottawa River. At the city's center is a 764-foot hill
called Mont-Royal, from which the city takes its name.
Nearby rise more mountains: the Laurentides (the Laurentians),
the oldest mountain range in the world. The foothills
of the Appalachian mountains separate Québec
from the United States and add to the province’s
beauty.
Two
cultural traditions live side by side throughout Québec
and in the nine provinces of English Canada, but the
blending occurs in a particularly intense fashion
in Montréal. French speakers constitute 66%
of the city's population, while most of the remaining
residents are speakers of many other languages, but
predominately English and Spanish.
Montreal
is experiencing phenomenal growth and success. Unemployment
in Québec, has shrunk to under 7%, the lowest
mark in more than 2 decades and below that of Toronto.
Crime in Montréal, already one of the safest
cities in North America, has hit a 20-year low.
Favorable
currency exchange and the presence of skilled workers
have made the city a favored site for Hollywood film
and TV production. A billion-dollar building boom
has filled vacant plots of land all over downtown.
The old hockey arena has been converted to a dining
and entertainment center called Forum Pepsi, and La
Ronde, a popular amusement park, has been given an
exciting new look by the Six Flags empire’s
multi-million dollar renovation.
The
subway system, (the Métro), is modern and rapid.
Streets are clean and safe. Montréal's restaurants
are known for their fine and varied cuisine and their
reasonable prices.
The
city has fantastic parks and gardens. The huge Parc
du Mont Royal offers year round recreational opportunities
including walking, picnicking, jogging, horseback
riding, bicycling, tobogganing, ice skating, and cross-country
skiing.
The
jazz and art scene immediately engage the visitor,
and the nightlife is unrivaled in its zest and variety.
Montreal is a city of culture, of tradition, of excitement
and of promise. It is culturally diverse and always
interesting. It is a place to visit as often as possible.
There is always yet another delightful corner of this
fascinating, fun city to discover.
