About Montreal

Montreal is the largest city in Quebec, located on the St. Lawrence River, between Quebec City and Lake Ontario. The most populous French-speaking city in America, it was the French explorer Jacques Cartier who, in 1535, named the mountain overlooking the city Mount Royal. There are an average of 17 days below -20°C each year. The lowest temperature ever recorded was -37.8°C, on January 15, 1957. Montreal has hosted several major international events, including the 1967 World's Fair and the 1976 Summer Olympics. It hosts numerous festivals annually, such as the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the FrancoFolies, and the Just for Laughs Festival. In Quebecois, "Attache ta tuque avec d'la broche" (attach your tuque with a spit) is a way of warning that things are going to get messy!