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, 2010 Estimate	3,850,472
Male	1,894,362
Female	1,956,110
% Canadian Total	11.35

Marital Status (2010 Estimates - Age 15+)
Single (Never married)	955,901
Married (Legal and common-law)	1,808,581
Separated (Legally Married)	61,255
Widowed	183,125
Divorced	219,229

Home Language (Top 3)
	2010 Estimates	% Total
French	2,590,400	68.38
English	618,319	16.32
Spanish	60,712	1.60

Income
2010 Total Income Estimate $	117,441,135,478
% Above/Below National Average	-5
% Canadian Total	10.75
2010 Average HH. Income $	72,155
2010 Per Capita $	30,500

Housing (2010 Estimates)
Occupied Private Dwellings	1,627,619
Owned	882,622
Rented	744,997

Occupations
2010 Estimates	Male	Female
Management	140,861	75,846
Business, Finance & Admin.	132,490	285,942
Natural & Applied Sci. and Rel’d	121,407	35,401
Health	28,121	94,680
Social Sci., Gov’t Serv’s & Relig’n	28,946	76,496
Education	31,327	58,879
Arts, Culture, Recr’n & Sport	39,300	46,165
Sales & Service	234,616	253,672
Trades, Transp. & EquipOps. Etc.	238,744	21,130
Primary Industries	16,042	3,591
Processing, Mfg. & Utilities	74,092	42,410

Retail Sales
2010 Retail Sales Estimate $	45,593,590,374
% Above/Below National Average	- 6
% Cdn. Total	10.66
2010 per HH $	28,012
2010 per Capita $	11,841

Vehicles
2008 new vehicles registered (Year end)	212,810
Total vehicles on the road (Dec ’08)	2,153,333