Montreal, Quebec

Montreal is the second most populous city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. It is located on an island on the St Lawrence River and is the largest island in the Hochelaga Archipelago, a group of over 230 islands at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence River and Ottawa River.

Montreal is 150 miles upstream from the provincial capital, Quebec City.

Population

A majority French-speaking city, Montreal also has a substantial English-language population.

Economy

Headquarters

Montreal is site of the headquarters for two federal cultural agencies, Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board of Canada.

The International Civil Aviation Organization, the United Nations body governing civil aviation, is headquartered in Montreal, as is its industry counterpart, the International Air Transport Association.

Mount Royal

One of the key geographical features of Montreal is Mount Royal, actually a ring of small peaks in the centre of the city. This complex of hills includes Westmount and Outremont, two upscale Montreal residential neighbourhoods. The mountain is home to Mount Royal Park, a major urban park designed by Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted.

History

Montreal was founded in 1642 by French officer Paul Chomedey de Maisonneuve, on the site of the former Iroquois village of Hochelaga. It was passed to Britain in 1760 and in 1766 became occupied by the American colonies. It was recovered in 1767.

Montreal was briefly the capital of the United Province of Canada, from 1844 to 1849, until the House of Assembly was burned by an angry mob.

In recent years, all municipalities on the island of Montreal were merged into a single city, as part of a series of municipal fusions across the province mandated by the former Parti Quebecois government. The Quebec Liberal Party ran on a platform that included "demergers," and with their subsequent election, many former Montreal island municipalities regained their city status.

Expo 67

The 1967 International and Universal Exposition, popularly known as Expo 67, attracted 50 million visits during Canada's centennial year, setting an attendance record that stands to this day. Though most pavillions were temporary structures, several remaining structures have become Montreal landmarks, including the geodesic dome US Pavilion, now the Montreal Biosphere, as well as Moshe Safdie's striking Habitat 67 apartment complex. The fair's pavilions were concentrated on two islands, Saint Helene's Island and the man-made Île Notre-Dame, with an entrance and additional structures in the Cité du Havre harbour district. An amusement part was built for Expo on Saint Helen's Island, called La Ronde. Today it is part of the Six Flags amusement park chain.

1976 Summer Olympics

The city played host to the 1976 Summer Olympics. Though successful in many respects, the games were marred by a boycott by African nations, as well as the city's failure to complete its stadium in time for the Games. The cost of building the Olympic facilities also left the city with a massive debt that took a generation to pay off.

Culture

Key museums in Montreal include the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; the newer Musée d'art contemporain, located on Place des Arts performing arts complex, and the Canadian Centre for Architecture, the brainchild of Bronfman Family heiress and Phyllis Lambert.

Professional sports

The Montreal Canadiens ice hockey team is the unquestioned king of the Montreal sports scene, with a record 22 Stanley Cup championships to their credit. The city also has a Canadian Football League franchise, the Montreal Alouettes, and the city will play host to the 2008 Grey Cup, the CFL championship game. The Montreal Impact is the city's pro soccer team. The Montreal Expos Major League Baseball franchise folded and was relocated as the Washington Nationals.

The city hosts the annual Canadian Grand Prix Formula One race, along with Canada's first Busch Series NASCAR race, on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve race track on Île Notre-Dame.