The Paris of Canada, Montreal is a slice of old Europe; a stunning jewel of old-world design with cobblestone streets, 17th- and 18th-century stone houses, and slender church spires. Most captivating of all are the people themselves. Montrealers embody “joie de vivre”. The dual French-English mix of people, a (60/20)% ratio respectively, adds dynamism to the city as does its unique composition of European and North American culture. Montreal is the second largest primarily French-speaking city in the world. The metropolitan area of Montreal totals 4.1 million [2014], all of the municipalities on the Island of Montreal included, with a total land area of 4,259 square km, 1,644 sq mi.
Toronto may be Canada’s economic capital, but Montreal is our country’s cultural epicenter; captivating in its blend of old and new, with candlelit stone-walled taverns, a calendar filled with 250 theaters and 90 wild festivals and a cutting-edge arts scene. However the city is certainly an important center of commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, culture, tourism, gaming, film and world affairs. The Port of Montreal is one of the largest inland ports in the world for grain, sugar, petroleum products, machinery, and consumer goods.
Montreal has some long, cold winters; while many are found cheering Les Canadiens de Montreal, ice skating beside the St Lawrence River, tobogganing down snowy slopes, and skiing at many fine resorts nearby. Summers on the whole are warm and humid; but cold fronts can bring crisp, drier and windy weather in the early and later parts of summer. Winter brings cold, snowy, windy, and, at times, icy weather.
The city is composed of 19 large boroughs, subdivided into neighborhoods. Montreal is a diverse and lively city that offers old-world charm combined with modern culture. Nearby Quebec City also dazzles, with its grand Winter Carnival, music-filled summer fests and colorful fireworks over the river. If you are looking to settle down in a huge city that never sleeps, is rich in cultural diversity, and has a long established stable economy - then Montreal is a great place to raise your family.