At Global Alliance, we take the “Worldwide” in our company name very seriously. We pride ourselves in offering premium limousine services to our clientele not only in our home base of Toronto but around the globe. Through our sophisticated network of trusted worldwide affiliates, Global Alliance can provide professional chauffeured services in hundreds of international cities. We will discuss many of the major worldwide destinations served via our affiliate network on this blog. Today, we’ll talk about Montreal, the second-largest metropolitan area in Canada and also one of the country’s most unique and distinctive urban experiences.
Montreal takes its name from Mount Royal, a tall volcanically-formed hill that looms above the centre of the largest city in the province of Quebec. Scaled by French explorer Jacques Cartier upon his first visit to the Iroquois settlement on a large island in the St. Lawrence River then called Hochelaga in 1535, Mount Royal has had a large and iconic cross planted near its summit since the mid-17th Century. This cross and the history behind it continues to symbolize the French Catholic identity of which Montreal has been an active hub since its founding as a French colony called Ville-Marie in 1642.
This francophone cultural heritage remains a key feature of Montreal’s character and gives it a distinct Old World feel, but the city is now a vibrant and convivial multicultural metropolis of over 4 million inhabitants. Famous for its active nightlife in the downtown and Old Port neighbourhoods, Montreal is also home to renowned cultural institutions, centres of education (including McGill University), and eclectic dining and shopping.
Canada’s most prominent sport also holds a central place in the life of Montreal: the city’s NHL hockey team the Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cups than any other franchise and are beloved locally with an almost ecstatic fervour. A Habs game at the Bell Centre is perhaps the most authentic Montreal experience possible, especially if accompanied by steamy hot poutine (a local favourite snack food consisting of french fries, cheese curds, and gravy).
The host city of the 1976 Olympics, Montreal continues to host major events annually. Most notable are the Grand Prix Montreal Formula 1 race held on L’Ile Notre Dame, the Montreal International Jazz Festival downtown, and the Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in the Old Port, with various theatres and venues downtown hosting world-famous comedians and international rising talents alike.
Please contact Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services for all of your transportation needs in Montreal, Quebec.