Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest city in Canada. Montreal is an island about 40km long and 15km wide. Its most famous natural landmark is 233m-high Mont Royal, which on its southern side, is buttressed by the downtown business district. McGill University, major museums, and the main train station are all here as well. Shopping is excellent along Rue Ste-Catherine Ouest, the main east-west drag, and in the ‘Underground City’, an ingenious 30 km warren of subterranean passageways provides access to restaurants, movies theatres, offices and metro stations.

Montreal is known as the ‘City of Festivals’; popular events include the International jazz Festival and Just For Laughs during the summer season.

In the east, downtown is bounded by Boul. St - Laurent, known as “The Main”. Street names east of this major artery bear the Est ( East) suffix, while those to the west include Ouest (West) in their name.

Heading south on Boul. St-Laurent takes you to historic Old Montreal, anchored by bustling Place Jacques Cartier and the Basilique Notre Dame. Cute cobbled lanes lead to the waterfront and the Old Port where four major piers just in the St Lawrence River. Looking south across the water, you’ll spot the two islands that make up the recreational expanse of Parc Jean-Drapeau. The Pole des Rapides district, which hugs the southern shore of the Canal de Lachine, is just west of the Old Port.

On its ways north from Old Montreal, Boul St-Laurent first passes through the city’s small Chinatown before climbing up to the Plateau Mont-Royal, a neighbourhood with a huge concentrations of bars, restaurants and boutiques. Still further north is Little Italy, another foodie mecca.

East of Boul St-Laurent, Rue Ste-Catherine leads to the Quartier Latin, home of the Central Bus Station with service to the airport and other destinations. The north-south Rue Ste-Denis, which bisects the Quartier, is another fun mile filled with myriad diversions. From here it’s only a short walk further east along Rue Ste-Catherine to the Village, the hub of gay and lesbian life in Montreal.

Montreal hosted the World Expo in 1967 and the Olympic Summer Games in 1976. The Olympic Park area is about 5 km. east of central Montreal.

The metro is Montreal’s subway system. The metro and bus system provide convenient and easy access around the city.

Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport ( formerly Dorval Airport) is located in the west central region of the city in Dorval, about 25 minutes from downtown.

Population
July 1, 2009 Estimate	3,868,831
Male	1,890,478
Female	1,978,353
% Canadian Total	11.35

Marital Status (2009 Estimates - Age 15+)
Single (Never married)	959,492
Married (Legal and common-law)	1,817,939
Separated (Legally Married)	61,293
Widowed	183,207
Divorced	219,995

Home Language (Top 3)
	2009 Estimates	% Total
French	2,602,848	62.70
English	621,848	10.96
Spanish	61,071	1.60

Income
2009 Total Income Estimate $	115,279,820,000
% Above/Below National Average	-5
% Canadian Total	10.84
2009 Average HH. Income $	70,499
200 Per Capita $	29,797

Housing (2009 Estimates)
Occupied Private Dwellings	1,635,192
Owned	886,769
Rented	748,423

Occupations
2009 Estimates	Male	Female
Management	140,812	76,196
Business, Finance & Admin.	132,487	288,688
Natural & Applied Sci. and Rel’d	121,478	35,559
Health	28,113	95,420
Social Sci., Gov’t Serv’s & Relig’n	28,940	77,097
Education	31,300	59,402
Arts, Culture, Recr’n & Sport	39,134	46,400
Sales & Service	234,899	256,233
Trades, Transp. & EquipOps. Etc.	239,489	21,260
Primary Industries	16,043	3,614
Processing, Mfg. & Utilities	74,183	42,756

Retail Sales
2009 Retail Sales Estimate $	44,481,440,000
% Above/Below National Average	- 7
% Cdn. Total	10.56
2009 per HH $	27,200
2009 per Capita $	11,500

Vehicles
2007 new vehicles registered	205,694
Total vehicles on the road (July ’06)	2,088,579