Montreal
Regarded by many as Canada`s culture capital, Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and one of the largest in North America. The city takes its name from Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city. Centrally located at one end of the St-Lawrence River, Montreal is the closest major Canadian market to Europe. The city is an important centre of commerce, finance, industry, technology, culture and world affairs.
Montreal`s main industries range from aerospace to electronic goods, pharmaceuticals, printed goods, software engineering, telecommunications, textile and apparel manufacturing, tobacco and transportation. The city is home to the headquarters of many important multinational firms, including Air Canada, Bombardier, VIA Rail, Canadian National Railway, Cirque du Soleil, CGI Group, Rio Tinto Alcan, Molson, SNC Lavalin, Saputo and Standard Life, among others. In the aerospace industry, Montreal is an important North American presence for several large international organizations such as IATA, ICAO and SITA. In addition, there are numerous other not-for-profit organizations such as WADA. Montreal is also home to the Caisse de Depot et de Placement du QuÃbec, which is the Province of Quebec`s pension fund managing in excess of $ 200 Billion in total assets.
Montreal`s strong economic fundamentals are characterized by a diverse, highly-educated and expanding population of 3.9 million. With access to nine universities (including McGill) and 12 junior colleges within an eight-kilometre radius, Montreal has the highest concentration of post-secondary students of all North American cities. Most residents speak both French and English fluently, with a large percentage also speaking a third language.
The city has a healthy commercial real estate market. Over the past decade, the office, retail, industrial and investment sectors have all displayed remarkable stability despite global economic woes. Though the city itself is an island, the north and south shores are part of the Greater Montreal Area (GMA) and have allowed for substantial real estate market expansion.
