What is the significance of montreal

This major event was forgotten over the centuries, absent from our history books and in our collective memory. It is only in the nineties that research and other initiatives revived memory of this chapter in our history.

In , the belvedere atop Mount Royal is renamed after Kondiaronk. Made up of 16 panels 6 metres long by 1. A decision fully supported by the community was then made: there would be a park on the mountain. In , renowned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted was commissioned to design the new park.

On May 24, , the official inauguration of Mount Royal Park drew a large crowd. As more and more faithful flocked to this place of prayer made famous by the devoted brother with healing powers, the chapel evolved over the decades to include a crypt, basilica and votive chapel and become, in , the Oratory, as it is today.

Long before the Oratory was built, Mount Royal inspired religious orders. In , the organization expressed the wish to create a cross on the mountain in memory of the one erected by De Maisonneuve in the 17th century. It was only several years later, in , that it succeeded thanks to a major Quebec-wide public fundraising campaign. Designed by a Sulpician priest Pierre Dupaigne , the illuminated cross rises to a height of 30 m from the summit of Mount Royal.

By this dual status, the Government of Quebec undertook to protect and promote the harmonious development of this unique collection of assets for its cultural, natural and landscape heritage value. Today, the territory is recognized as a heritage site by the Government of Quebec. Visible minorities account for Native English speakers account for After having an economy based on the fur trade for years, Montreal evolved into a diversified commercial metropolis, focusing on both international trade and the distribution of manufactured goods.

Industry played a growing role from the midth century, and in the 20th century the services sector expanded with the rise of financial institutions, universities and engineering firms. In the late s Montreal experienced much slower growth than in previous decades. They closed their doors in droves, and the remaining manufacturers turned to highly automated production for niche markets to survive. The depressions of the early s and s also hit the city particularly hard, and unemployment rose dramatically.

Despite social and economic hardship, the whole metropolitan area emerged from this fundamental reshuffling with a modernized and competitive industrial structure.

The city experienced a burst of activity during the second half of the s and saw sustained growth from the mids. It is also a leading research and development centre, with its four universities and numerous research institutes and laboratories in areas such as telecommunications, pulp and paper, aerospace, software and pharmaceuticals. Other important manufacturing sectors include food, beverages, tobacco products, chemicals, fabricated metal products and clothing. The city also boasts the world headquarters of the International Air Transport Association, which regulates air travel, and the North American head office of the International Society for Aeronautical Telecommunications.

Although not a capital city, it has numerous federal and provincial government offices. Montreal has long been a key seaport in eastern North America.

The constant improvement of navigation above and below the city began with the construction of the Lachine Canal in and continued with the deepening of the channel between Montreal and Quebec City in Before the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in all goods destined for or coming from the Great Lakes had to be transshipped at Montreal.

In its container traffic made up 28 per cent of the international container traffic in Canada, making it second only to Vancouver. Port facilities now extend over 26 kilometres on the island of Montreal and handle close to 30 million tonnes of cargo and 2, ships per year. Long a major Canadian grain-exporting centre, Montreal's harbour has become one of the leading container-handling ports on the Eastern seaboard of North America.

In , the outdated facilities in its core area were transferred to the Old Port Corporation, an organization created to develop tourism and recreation. The area has been transformed into a popular downtown recreational area called Le Vieux-Port. Montreal was long the hub of the great Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Rail transcontinental systems, and is closely associated with the history of Canadian railways.

However, its prominence faded with the decline of rail transportation in eastern Canada. After Montreal also lost ground in air transport when a second international airport opened at Mirabel 57 kilometres northwest of the city, making local connections more difficult.

However, Dorval regained its role as a hub airport in when all scheduled international and domestic flights were directed there.

A modernization of the airport was completed in , and it now handles all passenger flights. Mirabel now handles all cargo flights, test flights, and general aviation operations. Air Canada , the country's leading carrier, also has its headquarters in Montreal. Interconnecting expressways, built mostly in the s, crisscross the city and connect with numerous intercity highways.

However, some of these projects were poorly built and are now in need of substantial repairs. In the city began to look for ways to reduce dependence on cars, which led to the introduction of the BIXI bike sharing system in Historically Montreal has been a leading communications centre in Canada and also plays a distinct role as the home of most French-language media in the country.

This concentration stimulates the whole cultural scene, allowing Montreal to be one of the leading media centres for international French speakers.

The anglophone population is also well served with two local television stations, CBC and CTV, and many local radio stations. Multimedia production is also very active, thanks to numerous and creative small- and medium-sized enterprises.

In Montreal got its first charter, which had a life-span of four years and allowed property owners to elect a city council. However, the city charter was not renewed in because the provincial legislature was out of session due to political unrest in Lower Canada Quebec. Because the charter was not renewed the magistrates resumed their administrative role until the city was granted a new charter in In the people were empowered to elect the mayor, although only property owners and certain tenants had this privilege.

In its first decades the city council resembled a private club for important Montreal businessmen. In the late 19th century poor administration and corruption at city hall led some businessmen to form reformist groups.

After a public inquiry, the provincial government created an elected four-member Board of Control, which limited councillors' responsibilities in the general administration. In financial difficulties led the Quebec government to set up a five-member administrative commission, with full powers to put the city back on its financial feet. The city council regained its powers in , and in it was reformed: one-third of the 99 councillors were elected by property owners, another third by property owners and tenants, and one-third were appointed by public bodies such as the Chamber of Commerce and the universities.

Montreal has an Underground City, which is a series of interconnected tunnels beneath the city that run for over 32km. The tunnels connect shopping malls, over stores, 7 metro stations,universities, banks, offices, museums, restaurants and so on.

Unlike what is commonly believed, Montrealers use the underground tunnels mostly in the heat of the Summer rather than to escape the cold in Winter! Montreal is home to the famous Cirque de Soleil and hosted the Summer Olympics in Montreal has the second largest Amusement Park in Canada.