Montréal Facts

Montréal, home to a third of the population, of the province of Quebec, occupies about one-third (60 square miles) of the island of Montréal, which is part of the Hochelaga Archipelago. The island is situated in the St. Lawrence River near where it joins the Ottawa River. At the city's center is a 764-foot hill called Mont-Royal, from which the city takes its name. Nearby rise more mountains: the Laurentides (the Laurentians), the oldest mountain range in the world. The foothills of the Appalachian mountains separate Québec from the United States and add to the province's beauty.

Two cultural traditions live side by side throughout Québec and in the nine provinces of English Canada, but the blending occurs in a particularly intense fashion in Montréal. French speakers constitute 66% of the city's population, while most of the remaining residents are speakers of many other languages, but predominately English and Spanish.

Country: Canada

Average Temperatures:

January          F -10/15          C --15/-6

April              F  34/52          C 1/11

July               F 59/79           C 15/26

October          F 39/55           C 2/11

Currency:
Legal tender is the Canadian dollar, which divides into 100 cents. Bills come in 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100-dollar denominations; coins in use are 1, 5, 10 and 25 cents and 1 and 2 dollars.

Banks & ATM:
Banks are generally open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday. An extensive network of automatic banking machines is also accessible at all times.

Tipping:
Tips in hotels and restaurants range normally between 10% to 15%, excluding tax. Cab drivers, hairdressers and bellhops are tipped at the customer's discretion.

Store Hours:
Stores open from 9:30 a.m to 9:00 p.m. Monday to Friday and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5:00 p.m. Sundays. Some stores close all Sunday and after 6 p.m. during the week.

Electricity:
Montreal, like everywhere else in North America, uses 110-volt, 60-cycle AC electric power. Visitors with otther types of electrical outlets must bring an adaptor.

Metric System:
In 1980 Montreal (and all of Canada) traded in pounds and inches for the metric system. Gas is sold by the litre. There are 4.5 litres in one Canadian gallon and 3.8 litres in one American gallon. Time is generally indicated using the 24-hour system: 8 h means 8 a.m. and 20 h means 8 p.m.