However, Dorval regained its role as a hub airport in when all scheduled international and domestic flights were directed there. A modernization of the airport was completed in , and it now handles all passenger flights.
Mirabel now handles all cargo flights, test flights, and general aviation operations. Air Canada , the country's leading carrier, also has its headquarters in Montreal.
Interconnecting expressways, built mostly in the s, crisscross the city and connect with numerous intercity highways. However, some of these projects were poorly built and are now in need of substantial repairs. In the city began to look for ways to reduce dependence on cars, which led to the introduction of the BIXI bike sharing system in Historically Montreal has been a leading communications centre in Canada and also plays a distinct role as the home of most French-language media in the country.
This concentration stimulates the whole cultural scene, allowing Montreal to be one of the leading media centres for international French speakers. The anglophone population is also well served with two local television stations, CBC and CTV, and many local radio stations. Multimedia production is also very active, thanks to numerous and creative small- and medium-sized enterprises. In Montreal got its first charter, which had a life-span of four years and allowed property owners to elect a city council.
However, the city charter was not renewed in because the provincial legislature was out of session due to political unrest in Lower Canada Quebec. Because the charter was not renewed the magistrates resumed their administrative role until the city was granted a new charter in In the people were empowered to elect the mayor, although only property owners and certain tenants had this privilege.
In its first decades the city council resembled a private club for important Montreal businessmen. In the late 19th century poor administration and corruption at city hall led some businessmen to form reformist groups. After a public inquiry, the provincial government created an elected four-member Board of Control, which limited councillors' responsibilities in the general administration.
In financial difficulties led the Quebec government to set up a five-member administrative commission, with full powers to put the city back on its financial feet. The city council regained its powers in , and in it was reformed: one-third of the 99 councillors were elected by property owners, another third by property owners and tenants, and one-third were appointed by public bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce and the universities.
The last category was abolished in , and universal suffrage in the election of the councillors and mayor was not introduced until Montreal has had an executive committee made up of city councillors chosen by the mayor since The executive committee has 12 members including the mayor, and controls the legislative agenda, drawing up the budget and the by-laws and motions submitted to the city council.
Montreal " —32, —36, —40, —54 ; and Jean Drapeau —57 and — Drapeau's Parti civique de Montreal founded in transformed civic political customs, which until then had been practised by somewhat lax interest groups and numerous independent councillors.
The Parti civique held the majority of seats on council, lending cohesion and continuity to the city administration. During the s, citizens' committees, trade-union militants and progressive associations combined forces in opposition. MCM implemented administrative reforms and greater citizen participation in the decision-making process but was criticized for overspending. In the newly formed Vision Montreal swept to power under the leadership of Pierre Bourque with the promise of beautifying the city, cutting costs and simplifying the municipal bureaucracy, and was re-elected in Montreal and the suburban cities have long disputed the sharing of costs and responsibilities for urban development.
Between and all municipalities on the island were represented in the Montreal Urban Community MUC , a public body with island-wide responsibilities including police protection, urban planning, sewage treatment services and antipollution activities. Despite numerous proposals put forward by various inquiry commissions, municipal reorganization remained a divisive issue.
In late the provincial government decided to merge the island's 28 municipalities into a single city. Many suburban municipalities and their citizens clamoured in protest, and even challenged the law up to the Supreme Court, but to no avail. Amalgamation took place on 1 January However, the new amalgamation law provided some measure of decentralization with the creation of 27 boroughs, each with its own elected council. These boroughs are responsible for local public works and neighbourhood services.
Its territory encompasses most of the metropolitan area. The Union Montreal Party under Tremblay also won majorities in and Recently Montreal politics have been tumultuous.
Applebaum resigned shortly thereafter and was ultimately convicted of eight of the charges, serving two months in prison before being paroled in A strong francophone population gives Montreal a distinctive character among large North American cities. It is the main centre of expression and diffusion of French Canadian culture, as well as the meeting place between the French and American cultures.
The anglophone minority also has its particular cultural institutions in the city. Located in Montreal, the Quebec National Library has copies of all works published in the province. With six concert halls, the Place des Arts is the main centre for performing arts. The new Maison symphonique de Montreal, opened in , is home to the Orchestre symphonique de Montreal. The Montreal Biodome houses thousands of plants and animals living in environments representative of four distinct ecosystems of the Americas.
The Molson Centre is home to the Montreal Canadiens , the city's most famous professional sports team. They have won the Stanley Cup more often than any other team and are one of sport's most enduring dynasties. The Montreal Expos called the city home for 35 years, but bad management, the Major League Baseball strike, and the refusal of the provincial government to pay for a new downtown stadium eventually led the team to leave Montreal in Montreal is also a centre for international competitions in amateur sports, the most famous so far being the Summer Olympics.
Montreal hosts many major seasonal attractions. The Montreal International Jazz Festival gets underway in early July with jazz musicians performing in halls around the city and in the streets. This is followed by the famous Just for Laughs Festival, and the French song and music festival Francofolies.
Search The Canadian Encyclopedia. Remember me. I forgot my password. Why sign up? Create Account. Montreal is currently suffering the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy has been introduced lasting to August to help employers retain staff.
The unemployment rate, which in Canada means the number of people actively searching for work but unable to find a job, is More than 26 million tonnes of cargo pass through this busy port yearly. It is a hub for shipments of sugar, grain and oil products destined for world markets.
Many streets in the neighbourhood of Old Montreal feature the original buildings and cobblestone roads of early settlement. This neighbourhood is often used in period pieces and films set in Europe.
It is not unusual to pass several film crews working on different films as you pass through the city on a summer day. Getting around Montreal without a car is quick and easy. The city has a robust transit system of bus lines and 4 subway lines, called the Metro, with 68 stations.
While often crowded during the morning and evening rush hours, most bus stops operate once every 15 minutes, and the metro lines once every 6 minutes. Each station was designed by a different architect, and feature original artwork and themes. Many vehicle owners use public transit to commute to work, and park their cars to use on the weekends. As most residents own vehicles, and few apartments feature on-site parking, owning a vehicle in Montreal is often tedious.
Montreal is smoggy in summer, and the main entries to the city are generally congested at rush hour. A commuter rail system serves the outlying parts of Montreal, and serves Cycling in popular in Montreal, and the city is often held up as a Canadian example of a bike friendly city. Main streets often feature bike-only lanes, making cycling during heavy traffic safer and less stressful.
Skating in the city. From museums to art galleries, historic sites to beautiful architecture, Montreal has something for everyone. Located in the heart of the city, this urban park features popular hiking and cycling trails in the summer, and cross country skiing and tobogganing in the winter.
The metre summit offers an outstanding view of the entire city. It allows patrons to travel the four different eco-systems of the Americas, complete with plants, animals, climate and environment.
It is one of the few places in Canada you can visit with colourful tropical butterflies and subarctic dwelling penguins in the same afternoon. Originally built for the Summer Olympics, the park is now open to the public and professional athletes alike. A guided tour explains the history of the construction of the stadium, and no visit is complete without a trip to the top of the observation tower, the largest inclined tower in the world.
A walking tour of the Old Port is a view of the evolution of Montreal. The Port features architecture from the 17th century to the 20th century, often right next to each other. Many of the small cobbled streets are barely wide enough for one lane of traffic so driving the Old Port is difficult, but small restos and cafes dot the corners offering many places to stop for a rest, lunch or even a glass of wine for those on foot. Montreal is unique in Canada as it is the only French metropolitan city.
While this makes it a difficult relocation point for those who speak little or no French, its wide range of cultures offers excellent opportunities to meet people from around the world and participate in a diverse range of activities.
Major enterprises in the city are business services, manufacturing and retail sales. The city is also a hub for students as it has the most universities and schools per capita in the country. While the average yearly family income is slightly lower than the national average, rental and housing prices are significantly lower than those of other major cities.
After traveling hours from US we found Montreal being a very nice and animated city. We were pleased with the hotel we stayed in , but we had two bad experinces in the same day. The first one was in a souvenir store, where the owner was very rude no friendly welcoming, looked very bothered by our presence, and told my seven years old daughter to find a souvenir at the next store because he has to take his break.
The second one was in the waiting line at a famous restaurant. We were 7 persons, out of which 4 were kids, cold and hungry, we took uber to this famous restaurant, saw a waiting line, and tried to get in and find out the waiting time.
I was with a 5,7,8, and 10 years old kids. I asked him to watch his language in front of the kids thinking that he may have not noticed them, but he did not care. His friend even pushed me out to close that door. I felt very frustrated and sad at the same time because I choose this location as my vacation place, spend a good amount of money, and got cursed and pushed because I was visibly not a local. I truly believe that not all the locals act in this manner and are true at their heart.
But this experience left a very sour taste in my mouth and I will never come visit Montreal or recomend to any of my friends. Best regards! Please believe me as an American citizen, permanent Canadian resident, living in Montreal for 6 years now, that that is definitely not the typical attitude of average Montrealers. On the contrary, I have most often found the locals to very welcoming and even very accommodating to my not-so-perfect French. Usually when they hear my accent, they switch to English just for me.
I hope you will visit again. There are so many wonderful places to visit and things to see. That being said, if you move here and only speak english, prepare to have a really tough time finding a job.
As mentioned above, bilingualism is a must for any customer-facing job here, which you would expect of any mixed language region. In terms of quality of life, rent is average, public transit is really good, and the cultural aspects of the city compare well to that of Toronto. In terms of parking and driving, things go badly quickly.
Local parking is scarce and often restricted, and further to this, it is very obvious that the city fines aggressively as a means of raising capital. Additionally, the parking signs are often confusing.
There is also large police presence compared to other Canadian cities, and while some may find this comforting, I personally find it oppressive. That being said, Montreal is a very safe city, so do not think the heightened police presence implies otherwise. Finally, for those thinking of moving here, official document integration is a laborious, unpleasant process.
If you like security, green space, family environnement with no stress and if you search a life quality and a cheaper place to live all is more expensive in Montreal: tax, house, rent, gas you will find it outside of Montreal. Montreal is like most cities…. I moved here having never lived in a city and this experience is making me loath cities even more. Visiting here is fun.
Living here is hell. The winters are cold and it makes the locals bitter. I love winter camping and living in a city in winter is possibly the worst experience i have ever had. The metro breaks down quite often. In the summer, if you have a car, you will have to move it twice a week so they can clean the streets. The only reason to live in the city is if you are a true consumer of things. Immigrating to Quebec is also complex.
I do not see the return on investment for all the tax dollars. There is no connection to local officials or the ministry. People just seem to fall in line and pay taxes though the nose without demanding anything in return. The CBC coverage of local issues is non-existent. This town. The last comment from Andy is very accurate. I personally really like much of Quebec outsider of Montreal, yet wihtin the city…..
There is the rancid smell of rotting garbage and dirty diapers in the summer air as you walk the sidewalks, large heeps of garbade bags full of putrifying food scraps lay out in the open for all to see. Even in fast food and restaurant areas. As for the street sweeping system and high fines for parking in sweeping zones, especially when there are limited places to park in the first place. It would be more efficient to schedule the sweeping days only for when its actually needed like in the spring and fall instead of weekly and instead improve upon waste management and systems of composting and more renewable practices.
And how about those high taxes and low paying jobs! Rent is not actually cheap considering the qulaity of what you get is certainly not that great. Living in a building full of people, some who smoke cigarettes indoors and landlords who could care less about the implications it has on quality of life and health. The bad was so bad that the good became not worth gambling for it anymore.
Needless to say, I will be making my way back west as soon as possible. How do they treat visitors? We will be coming from Alabama and we know very little French. At worst someone might force an accent through their English, however you are guaranteed service in English by law so just ignore this arrogant minority, though be aware that they do exist. Should it happen, just apologize and say you are visiting, they should apologize.
It is very safe and the thieving is very low. Cleanliness standards in both restaurants and hotels are very demanding therefore there should not be issue on that level. A lot of museums are free, there are usually several festivals going on at pretty much any given time.
All banks accept american money and american credit should be accepted pretty much everywhere, however if you intend on using cash, please convert it as, by law, patrons are not required to accept american money. Credit and Debit should work, simply advise your bank of your trip abroad beforehand. Also, American express is greatly limited in Canada. A few behaviors to avoid for a best experience; like any good family dinner, avoid political discussions or issues as well as the language status of French, however, if you want to ask questions, that is certainly fine, however these tend to be a polarising topics.
The legal age is 18, however alcohol and other substances are not permitted in public and cannot be sold past 9pm. Quebec is still technically in prohibition when it comes to alcohol.
For the best experience I would recommend to have an idea, an outline of your trip and where you want to visit to maximise your experience, there are various information centers that offer free services to orient you with activities and information should you need them. I have to say, I agree with a lot of your points about Montreal. I absolutely love this city. I do speak French at decent intermediate level. Even so, finding a job in my field publications has been extremely difficult.
Canadians in general are the most accommodating people in the world. I migrated here 10 months back and lived a few days in Toronto. Then i found a job in Montreal and moved here. If you dont know French, then this is not the best place to be. There is language racism! Take my word for it. People will ignore you or be rude to you if you do not speak in French. So think again before coming in here. But not all people in Montreal are bad. I have met a few French Quebecois who are really nice people!
Hi, My son wants to study French in high school starting next year in Los Angeles and, to help him, I was thinking of maybe taking him to Montreal for the summers for the next four year and enrolling him in French summer school.
I reckon this would make him get a head start, give him practice opportunities, and put him in a natural, French-speaking environment for 2 months each summer. What I would like to know is the following: Are there any free summer schools that an American teenager can attend in Montreal or Quebec City?
What troubles me the most about this city is the bilingualism. I have to agree with Sheri. Always complaining about money or politics. I live in Westmount, the most expensive area supposedly. But aside from a few blocks here and there of prominent first world feel, you run into bums everywhere. The scary part is they are not bums, just regular locals.
Many more speak a third language. In downtown stores, shoppers are greeted with a confident BonjourHi , a term which is becoming more and more popular, indicating bilingualism. Montreal is build around Mont Royal, from where the city received its name. No building in Montreal can be taller than the famous Cross found on Mont Royal! Montreal has an Underground City, which is a series of interconnected tunnels beneath the city that run for over 32km.
The tunnels connect shopping malls, over stores, 7 metro stations,universities, banks, offices, museums, restaurants and so on. Unlike what is commonly believed, Montrealers use the underground tunnels mostly in the heat of the Summer rather than to escape the cold in Winter!
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