Montreal is a beautiful and dynamic city in the Province of Quebec, Canada. The city is situated on the Island of Montreal, located at the joining of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. At the heart of Montreal is the remarkable green space/park of Mount Royal, which is just steps from The Presbyterian College—it is a beautiful place for walking, biking, and winter activities. Atop the mountain is its historic, illuminated cross. Montreal is an historic, liveable, fun place to live. A great place to study theology and pursue your Master of Divinity (MDiv) or other theology degree.
The typical greeting you receive in any store in Montreal is “Bonjour-Hi”, a fun expression of the city’s culture and history. The Province of Quebec is a Francophone province, and Montreal is made up of a beautiful mix of French and English, with numerous other languages and communities as well. In Montreal you will have a chance to work on your French (or your English) just through conversation, as well as through second language programs.
Before the colonial period, the Island of Montreal was known as Hochelaga (the name of a fortified, Iroquois village near Mount Royal), or as Tiohtià:ke Tsi (Mohawk, referring to the Lachine rapids), or Mooniyaang (Ojibway, ‘first stopping place’). We acknowledge that The Presbyterian College is located on the traditional territory of the Kanien’kehà:ka, a place which has served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. We recognize the Kanien’kehà:ka as the traditional custodians of the lands and waters on which we meet today.
Summertime in Montreal is a time of festivals. There is the world-famous Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Just for Laughs comedy festival, and Nuits d’Afrique to name a few. To live in this city is to experience its vibrant culture, its unique neighbourhoods, and its amazing restaurants. Bike paths are expanding in the city, porch concerts are springing up in neighbourhoods, and the Old Port is alive with performers and artists.
The Presbyterian College has a student resident with 40 single rooms and three apartments. There are 18 rooms on each of the third and fourth floors, with shared bathrooms, and a communal kitchen on the lower level serves the whole facility. For more information visit www.prezrez.ca.
McGill University and Concordia University both have very helpful sites for off-campus housing, including apartment listings and details about various neighbourhoods in the city.
Montreal has a comprehensive and accessible public transportation system, with bike paths (and rentals), buses, metro system, and suburban trains. For more info, check it out.
Since it is not a large city, you can get many places by walking in the city!
Montreal is among the most bicycle-friendly cities in Canada and the US, with 700 kilometres of bike paths. Bike sharing (Bixi) had its start right here in Montreal, and there are now bike stations throughout the city.
“The Plateau” is a neighbourhood just steps from the College and is known for its artist hubs, nightlife, parks, cafés, and its bagels! Check out either Fairmount Bagels or St. Viateur bagels—you’re in for a treat!
Toward the West of downtown is the neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-de-Grace, which is a more residential community with parks and restaurants and shopping (see Monkland Village, for example). A short bike ride or the #24 bus will get you there along Sherbrooke Street.
Travel up and down the metro’s Green line in order to check out the downtown businesses, or the neighbourhoods of Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, Verdun, or Lasalle. Be sure to get off at the Lionel-Groulx station for a visit to the Atwater Market!