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Montreal
The Best of Both Worlds
With
its overwhelming French and American influence, Montreal has everything
to offer the international student whether it be the opportunity
to study in beautiful surroundings, the convenience of living in
an area well-equipped with modern facilities, or simply the chance
to experience the atmosphere of city rich in both history and culture.
 Taking
its name from its very own extinct volcano, Mount Royal (Mont-Real),
Montreal is Canada’s second largest city, although you would
not think so were you to experience the friendliness of the people.
With a population over three million, Montreal is one of the worlds
largest French-speaking cities, and the third largest English-speaking
centre in Canada. Bilingual and multicultural, it would be very
difficult to be considered a foreigner in this thriving city where
newcomers continually visit and settle from all corners of the globe.
The very identity of a city that has welcomed such an array if visitors
make it a haven for international students looking to find a place
they can feel at home in, and with four universities and countless
colleges, students play a huge role in maintaining the lively and
diverse environment.
However, Montreal
has made much to offer besides its welcoming nature. Renowned for
a vibrant nightlife and a proliferation of bust cafes to rival continent,
Montreal oozes culture, from the architecture of the Old Town buildings
to the museums and theatres of the downtown area. Boasting an Olympic
stadium, shopping malls to die for and a year-round calendar of
festivals, visitors to this city cannot fail to enthrall by one
of the many attractions. Despite its size, Montreal considered a
safe city by North American standards, and for students, such at
those at McGill University Concordia, that adherence to safety is
taken one step further with the introduction of WALKSAFE –
a volunteer-run service for students studying or working late on
campus.
The art and
culture are very much celebrated in Montreal and a wide selection
of museums are located in the downtown area, such as the museum
of Fine Arts and the McCord Museum, which houses exhibits reflecting
the history of the city itself. The Mary, Queen of the World Cathedral
is also located here and is a miniature version of St Peter’s
Basilica in Rome, though far from small.
If you are looking
to be entertained, visit the Place ses Arts where you could take
in the Montreal Symphony Orchestra or Les Grands Ballets des Montreal.
If this is not enough, Montreal is also home to the internationally
acclaimed Cirque de Soleil.
Shopping is made easy in Montreal with the presence of large department
stores, as well many small boutiques. For even greater convenience,
many shopping malls are actually accessible via the Metro (subway)
and are part of the Southerrain – a complex of over 1,500 subterranean
shops and restaurants, constructed so that city-dwellers can bypass
the colder winder weather remaining entirely underground.
However, when
the weather is fine there is much to do above ground. Get a birds
eye view of the downtown area and the river by taking a hike along
the walking paths leading from the base of the volcano up to Mount-Royal
Park, or hire roller-blades at the waterfront and go for a riverside
roll! If you are still not impressed, catch a ferry to the twin-isles
of the Parc des Iles and visit the Olympic Park complex, home to
professional baseball team the Expos, or the Biodome, a unique ecological
centre containing manmade representatives of different habitants.
At night, Montreal
comes alive, especially the area north of Old Montreal, Rue St.
Denis and Boulevard de Maisonneuve, which was originally revitalized
by the students. This is now a major café district and if
you like jazz music, the clubs here - - situated in old stone row
houses – will more that live up to your expectation. If this
is not enough, there is also the annual Montreal Jazz Festival,
which takes place in July. Throughout the year, Montreal celebrates
a variety of other events such as the Fete de Neiges (winter carnival)
in January, the International Fireworks Competitions in June and
the Montreal World Film Festival around autumn time. For each of
these events, yet more visitors flood to this city of life.
If you are looking
for the study experience of a lifetime in an environment welcoming
people from around the world, Montreal is the place for you.
Author: Kirsty Anderson.
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