In 1535 the French explorer Jacques Cartier was the first European known to land on Montréal Island. The city of Montréal (at first also called Ville Marie) was founded in May 1642 as a missionary colony. The city’s founder and first governor, Paul de Chomedey, sieur de Maisonneuve, settled along the Saint Lawrence with some 40 colonists. After difficult beginnings, the city prospered as the fur-trading center of the French colony of New France and became the gateway to the western interior. Fur traders departed from Montréal to explore and start trading posts in the Great Lakes area and the Mississippi valley. By 1760 the city’s population of French origin had reached about 4000.
Its name comes from the old French form of the name of the mountain, Mount Royal, that dominates the city. Mount Royal, with three summits, rises over the city to a height of 233 m (764 ft) above sea level. One summit is crowned with an illuminated cross. The mountain vista is protected by a city bylaw forbidding downtown skyscrapers to rise higher than the crest. On top of the mountain is the magnificent Mount Royal Park, comprising 215 hectares (532 acres).
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The following info is taken from a Tourism booklet for Montreal that was in the local paper today. It seems to me they should have sent this to newspapers OUTSIDE the city instead of putting it in the local paper, so I felt I would share this info with non-Montrealers.
"2002
Montreal - A unique blend of European and American influences..
Summer in Montreal starts with the Air Canada Grand Prix Formula 1 race, June 7 to 9 (514-350-0000). The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, June 27 to July 7, featuring, in particular, 350 free outdoor concerts, enlivens the city. Montreal laughs its head off at the Just for Laughs Festival, July 11 to 21 (1-888-244-3155), which this year is celebrating its 20th anniversary, followed by the stunning Mondial SAQ des feux d'artifices (Fireworks Festival) June 15 to July 28, and winds up the summer season with the Montreal World Film Festival, August 23 to September 3.
The recently renovated Centre d'histoire de Montreal (514-872-3207) is presenting the new exhibition Arrier en ville. Close by, at 400 place d'Youville in Old Montreal, visit the Canadian Customs historic exhibition. Established in 1838, the Customs service is Canad's oldest governmental institution. Monday to Friday, from 9am to 2pm. Characters and places come to life in an evocation of key events from 1535 to the present. Over 150 artitist are participating in the sound and light show Et la lumiere fut! at Basilique Notre-Dame (514-842-2925), which recounts the history of Montreal and its founders.
Open to pleasure boating since May, the Lachine Canal (514-283-6054), bordered by cycling and walking paths, is the ideal place to get some fresh air only 5kms from the city. (Deb's note: the Lachine Canal runs right downtown and through to Old Montreal).
Boutique hotels are restoring the historic quarter's old look. New in 2002: the Hotel Gault, (514-904-1616), rue Sainte-Helene, offers spacious loft rooms; Le Saint-Sulpice (514-288-1000), a luxury condo hotel, is modeled on grand European residences; the Hotel St-James (514-847-0015) resembles a private European mansion.
Dancing, concerts and outdoor cinema are on the program at the Parc de la Promenade Bellerive (514-493-1967), which is also the embarkation point for the river shuttle to the Iles-de-Boucherville, a unique urban oasis offering cruises, golf, cycle paths and picnic areas.
After Toronto and Vancouver, on August 25th, Montreal will host CART racing on the Gilles Villeneuve racetrack on Ile Notre-Dame, part of the FedEx Championship (514-397-4639), (1-800-361-4594). The event is highly popular.
Cirque EOS is presenting its show Imaginaire en ville under the big top at the Quai de l'Horloge in the Old Port of Montreal, from July 17 to August 4 (1-800-971-PORT).
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