Downtown Montreal is the central business district which lies at the foot of Mount-Royal and extends down towards the Saint Lawrence River. Montreal is known as Canada's ‘cultural capital’ with a unique and distinguished cultural flavor thanks to /the coming together of its French and English traditions.
Montreal’s rich architectural heritage features a perfect blend of post-modern skyscrapers and magnificent landmark buildings, museums, and galleries. Below the busy downtown streets is the famous underground city – a network of passageways that connects to literally thousands of trendy boutiques, cafés, and restaurants.
Montreal’s downtown core offers so much to do, from renowned international festivals to shopping along Ste-Catherine Street and a vibrant nightlife. It is no wonder Montreal is consistently rated among the world's most livable cities.
History
Originally called Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", the city takes its present name from the most prominent geographical feature on the island which is Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city. Various native people occupied the Island of Montreal at least 2,000 years before the arrival of Europeans. The Iroquois first established the village of Hochelaga at the foot of Mount Royal . Centuries later, in 1535, explorer Jacques Cartier claimed the St. Lawrence Valley for France .
In 1760, the French colony surrendered to Great Britain after their victory in the Seven Years War. By 1860, Montreal was the largest city in North America and the undisputed economic and cultural center of Canada. The Saint Lawrence Seaway opened in 1959, allowing vessels to bypass Montreal. The 1960s saw continued growth, including Expo 67 and construction of tall skyscrapers. Montreal was host to the 1976 Summer Olympic Games.
Today, Montreal continues as an important center of commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, culture, tourism, film, and world affairs.
Geography
Downtown Montreal is defined by Mount Royal located right in the heart of the city’s downtown core which extends down towards the Saint Lawrence River.
Demographics
Montreal is the second largest city in Canada and largest in the province of Quebec. As of 2009, a population of 1,906,811 people resided in the city of the 3,814,700 in the Greater Montreal area. The official language of Montreal is French which is spoken by 57% of the population, followed by English at 19%, but most residents have a working knowledge of both French and English. Montreal is the second largest French-speaking city in the Western world after Paris.
Cityscape
Montreal is known for its contrast between old and new architecture. For over a century and a half, Montreal was the industrial and financial center of Canada leaving a legacy architectural interest, with many historical buildings still in their original form. The impressive headquarters of all the major Canadian banks on St. James Street and the landmark Place Ville Marie office tower are but a few notable examples of 20th century architecture.
Highlights
Montreal's Underground City consists of interconnected complexes in and around Downtown Montreal providing indoor access to over 1,600 shops, restaurants, offices, businesses, museums and universities, as well as metro stations, train stations, bus terminals, and tunnels extending all over downtown. It is considered the largest underground complex in the world. Some 500,000 people use the underground city every day.
Transportation
Public local transport is served by a subway and bus system with a network that extends across the island and a commuter rail system to reach outlying areas. Montreal's Metro System has 68 stations spread out along its four lines. The design and ornamentation of each station in the Metro system is unique with public artwork by some of the biggest names in Quebec culture.
Downtown Montreal is a hub for the Québec Autoroute system and is served by Autoroute A-10 (known as the Bonaventure Expressway), Autoroute A-15 (aka the Decarie Expressway) to Autoroute A-40 (part of the Trans-Canada Highway), and A-720 (aka the Ville-Marie Autoroute). Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (also known as Dorval Airport) serves all commercial passenger flights.
Schools
There are two Anglophone universities in the city with downtown Montreal home to the main campuses of McGill University, one of Canada's oldest universities and widely recognized as a world-class institution, as well as Concordia University with its affiliated John Molson School of Business.
There are also two francophone universities located in the city of Montreal: Université de Montréal, the second largest research university in Canada, and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM), the Montreal campus of Université du Québec.
The education system in the Province of Quebec is slightly different from other systems in North America. Between the high school and university levels, there is an additional college level called CEGEP. In Montreal, CEGEPs offer courses in French and English.
Services
Montreal is North America's number one host city for international association events, international congresses, and conventions.
Links
www.ville.montreal.qc.ca
www.montreal.com
www.tourisme-montreal.org
