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History & Evolution
The archeological evidence proves the existence of human occupation on the island as back as 2,000 years by various nomadic native people. With the development of the maize horticulture, the settlers established a village on the island, on the foothill of the Mount Royal.

Montreal holds a prominent and colorful chapter in the history of Canada. Jacques Cartier, a French explorer is said to be the first known European to reach the area in 1535. A yet another expedition under Champlain came to the region in 1611 and established La Place Royale, a fur trading post on the Island of Montreal, but the previous settlers soon condemned them..

The first permanent European settlement on the Island however, was created in 1639 by French tax collector Jerome Le Royer. During this period a village named Ville-Marie was found and established. This village became a new center for the fur trade and a base for further exploration into New France. Still the original settlers, The Iroquois continued their attacks on the settlement until a peace treaty (the Great Peace) was signed in 1701. The Ville-Marie remained French until 1759, when Pierre Francois de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal surrendered it to the British army under Jeffrey Amherst.

In 1763, with the Treaty of Paris, New France came under the Kingdom of Great Britain. Therefore, the city now named Montreal was under British rule until the formation of Canada though the city was officially incorporated in 1832.

It was during this British rule that Montreal became the seat of financial and political power for both English and French speaking communities of Canada, a position that it held for many years. After World War I, the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the Great Depression devastated the city, although it soon started recovering in the mid-1930s.

By the early 1950s a new mayor, Jean Drapeau, took various extreme steps to change the face of the city and nonetheless, he succeeded in doing that by encouraging redevelopment and enhancing Montreal's international reputation. This can largely be contributed to the World's Fair in 1967 (which pulled in over 50 million visitors) and the Olympic Games in 1976.

However, the time of mid-1970 was also the period of wide-ranging social and political agitation occurring from the concerns of French-Quebecker majority about the conservation of their culture and language, given the traditional predominance of the English-Quebecker minority in the business arena. This agitation led to the October Crisis and the election of the separatist political party (Parti Quebecois) which further resulted in major political, ethnic and linguistic shifts.

However, the time of mid-1970 was also the period of wide-ranging social and political agitation occurring from the concerns of French-Quebecker majority about the conservation of their culture and language, given the traditional predominance of the English-Quebecker minority in the business arena. This agitation led to the October Crisis and the election of the separatist political party (Parti Quebecois) which further resulted in major political, ethnic and linguistic shifts.

The social and economic impact of these disturbances was powerful that a significant number of Montrealers, as well as businesses, migrated to other provinces, away from an uncertain political climate. Eventually, the Bill 101 was passed in 1977 and gave primacy to French as Quebec's (and Montreal's) only official language for government, the main language of business and culture, and enforced the exclusive use of French for public signage and business communication.

Consequently, by the late 90's Montreal's economy stabilized as new firms and institutions began to fill the traditional business and financial niches. Therefore, despite facing bad times, Montreal of today is altogether a more cheerful and prosperous place as the developments bring economic revival to an already culturally rich and complex city.

Site-Seeing
With number of sightseeing and entertainment spots, whether related to art, culture, sports, science, technology or history, Montreal is a city that will leave you floored with her charming attractions.

The city has parks, gardens, museums, cathedrals and stadiums along with ritzy shopping malls and skyscrapers. This Mount Royal Island City therefore, has variety to offer to its visitors.

Montreal's Old Port (Vieux Port de Montreal):
The Old Port was once one of the most important trading ports in North America but now it has been transformed into an excellent recreation and exhibition area. Having had a major face-lift recently, the ‘Old Port’ has actually turned new.

The port today has become one of the most popular sites for visitors to the city drawing millions of them each year. Something is always happening at this thriving arts and entertainment venue which offers a huge open-air skating rink, Imax cinema and a Science and Technology Center. While the clock tower offers excellent views across the city and contains an exhibition that traces Montreal's history. Also around the port are the city's original 17th century fortifications.

Further the port offers family outdoor activities like picnic facilities, swimming, skating or skiing in winter and cycling.

Location: De la Commune Street
Situated in the Tour de la Bourse (Stock Exchange Tower), Montreal's third tallest building, the exchange is denoted as a futures exchange that trades in derivatives such as futures contracts and options.

Olympic Park:
Built to accommodate the 1976 Summer Olympic Games, the Montreal's futuristic Olympic Park serves as a showpiece today. Designed by French architect, Roger Tallibert, the park is impressive in both size and shape.

The attraction of the Park is a 575ft (175m) high landmark, which is the world's tallest inclined tower. The tower provides a spectacular view of Montreal and its surroundings from the observation floors accessible by a funicular-type elevator. The Olympic Park complex also features a unique attraction known as the Biodome, a building containing four ecosystems while one can also view the wonderful Botanical gardens, which are the second largest in the world.

Today this unique and costly Olympic Stadium serves as a venue for concerts and baseball games. It also features a sports center with four large swimming pools.

Location: Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts:
The 140 years old Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has one of North America’s finest encyclopaedic collections totaling more than 30,000 objects. The collections include Canadian art, contemporary art, Inuit and Amerindian Art, European Masters along with prints, drawings and decorative arts. The museum also regularly features special exhibitions and activity programs for adults, students and children. In 2000, the museum received the Liliane and David M Stewart Collection as a gift, comprising some 5,000 items of decorative art dating from the end of 1930s. The whole collection of the former Montreal Museum of Decorative Arts, one of the most important in North America, thus entered the museum.

Location: Sherbrooke Street West

St Joseph's Oratory (Oratoire St-Joseph):
Located on the northwest side of Montreal, St. Joseph’s Oratory is a magnificent basilica that was begun in 1924 by Brother Andre, a celebrated healer. This 97m (318ft) high dome is one of the largest in the world having room for 10,000 worshippers.

The Oratory's carillon is made up of 56 bells that were originally cast for the Eiffel Tower in Paris but were acquired by the Oratory in 1956. While the chapel and crypt of the oratory are worth investigating, its terrace provides a good view of the city.

Location: Queen Mary Street

Montreal Botanical Garden (Jardin Botanique de Montreal):
Situated opposite the Olympic Stadium, the Botanical Garden of Montreal covers 73 hectares (180 acres) of land. The garden is compilation of variety of gardens of different styles includes a Chinese garden, Japanese garden and a Tree House, which displays information on Quebec's forests.

Begun in 1931 in the midst of a financial crisis in the city, the Garden provided work for thousands of unemployed Montrealers at that time. Since then it has developed into a popular tourist attraction with an astounding array of over 22,000 plant species making it one of the largest gardens of its kind. It also houses an Insectarium which is full of crawling and flying creatures.

Recently the installation of the First Nations Garden in 2001 marked the tercentenary of the Great Peace of Montreal. Also in the grounds is

Location: Sherbrooke East Street