Introduction
Today, Canada is one of the most popular countries all over the world due to some of its places of interest such as Montreal City. Montreal is the biggest city in Quebec and the second-largest city within Canada. Originally referred to as ‘Ville-Marie’, the city’s current name is retrieved from ‘Mont-Royal’. It refers to the triple-peaked hill that is located amid the city. According to current statistics, Montreal’s metropolitan region is considered to be the second most populous in Canada because it has an area population of about 3.9 million approximately. The official language of this city is French, and it is also the common language that is spoken by the majority of the population. However, French is followed closely by English and other languages. According to the observation of scholars and explorers, Montreal has been consistently rated among one of the most lively places in the world. The popular ‘Monocle Magazine’ referred to the city as “Canada’s Cultural Capital” once and it is the one considering its economic strength and the level of cultural development. Today, Montreal continues to stand as a significant business center of technology, tourism, pharmaceuticals, finance, and design among other things (Innis, p. 46). This paper examines the expansion of Montreal as a bulging business zone in Canada and the factors contributing to its rapid growth. Other core issues, such as the city’s history, government structure, culture, and political system, are also mentioned and taken into account in this paper. Finally, the essay suggests business opportunities that can lead to a promotion of this ‘City of Design.’
Brief History of Montreal, Canada
The city of Montreal that is located in Canada was discovered in the year 1535 by Jacques Cartier, a French explorer. Jacques went down in history as the first European to discover the island. Previously, the city of Montreal was known as Ville Marie. It was founded as a missionary colony by Paul de Chomedey in May 1642 who would become the city’s first governor later on. At about seventy years after Cartier arrives in Montreal, the place was overcrowded with missionaries and trappers. However, a conflict that arose between the native French and Iroquois had an influence and a disastrous impact on the city demographics. People lived in constant fear of attacks and violence, and this fact prevented the others to come to settling down there. Resettlement in the city resumed in the year 1701 following a peace treaty between the rivals. In 1760, Montreal was defeated and surrendered to British authorities who were finalizing the conquest of Canada between 1754 and 1763. The British conquest led to regrettable results because a group of merchants with excellent enterprising skills, especially Scots took full command and control over the fur trade. These ventures were extended to the North West Company, thus, these resulted in the establishment of a stronger fur-trading kingdom that covered a great area and extended to the Pacific and Arctic oceans. The city in the highland was incorporated as Montreal in the year 1832 opening its gateways to continental business opportunities and markets for the first time.
Country’s political system and government
Montreal is located in Canada. The country’s political system, its economical progress, the cultural setup, and other things such as its political system are discussed in this paper. The Canadian political system does have a federal parliament system that bears serious democratic values attached to its functioning (Burton, p. 961). However, the roots of the system can be traced in the United Kingdom’s Westminster Parliament. But the Canadian political system is observed to be far much stronger, more responsive, and even better compared to the UK’s system of government in terms of disciplines and value. These are because democratic values and provisions are well implemented and preserved with the aid of a confident voting system.
There are three government levels in Canada, and each one of these levels has its constitution and responsibilities. The Federal Government that includes the Queen as the head of the state, the House of Commons, the Senate, and the Prime Minister is the first level that takes care of the things that affect the entire nation. These things touch on such aspects as national defense, immigration, citizenship, and trade with other nations. Territorial and provincial governments that consist of the Legislative Assembly and the Lieutenant Governor are responsible for things, such as healthcare, highway, and education. Finally, the Municipal governments take responsibility for the city streets, firefighting, and other local matters. The province authorities offer their services to the population if there is no local government. The Canadian political system comes into recognition following an initiative that is taken by the government of British. In the year 1867, the government of British set up a popular system of governance, which is beneficial for those countries that have self-governments. This makes them observe and follow the desired criteria, to bring political tranquility, stability, and peaceful regulations to the country.
Today, Canada is underway in attaining a full constitutional democracy. The political system of the country comprises a group of political parties with the New Democratic Party, the Conservative Party of Canada, and the Liberal Party of Canada. When it comes to the Judicial System, the Supreme Court of Canada has the authority and strength of the nine judges who are to reign over the overall judicial system. Additionally, the entire political system is shaped and empowered by key government charters which consist of the Revenue Department, the Finance Department, the National Defense Department, the Department for Emergency, public safety, and the Foreign Affairs Department as well as the International commerce or trade.
The Culture of Montreal
The City of Montreal possesses cultural characteristics that are influenced by the region, North America, where it is situated, and the status of being one of the most populous regions in the world. These all reflect in a wide range of cultural representations from visual arts, theatre, dance to different movements in music, such as rock and jazz (Dhalla, p. 77). The city’s diverse cultural communities play a very important and significant role in the country’s life. Moreover, the city has a special cultural color. However, being under the strong influence of the English as well as French traditions, Montreal has gained a great and rich cultural heritage. Summer appears to be the most interesting, intense, and hottest season for the cultural world in Montreal because there are a great number of festivals as well as other social and cultural events that take place in the city at that time. The ‘Just for Laughs’ festival is a great event and Montreal’s biggest performance as well as entertainment of all the times.
Montreal city is the very heart of classical music in Canada because it gained a great reputation in that sphere and became well-known as the host for different theatrical and concert events. Its arenas and opera houses are overcrowded by guests and visitors who come to see those wonderful events and visit the most famous places of interest. The “Place des Arts” is one of the popular entertainment areas in the city known for theater and concert performances. All these great activities and entertainment places have made Montreal a busy tourist center with a great number of people from all over the world who visit the city regularly to enjoy their life experiencing unforgettable adventures in this city or, at least, catch a glimpse of this paradise on earth. The ‘City in the Island’ is no doubt the main cultural point of Quebec and Canada in general. The place is also Canada’s paradise for television, radio programs, and all kinds of media, such as film, theatre, print, and multimedia works aired in French or based on its cultural context.
Conclusion
All these activities are strong manifestations of the economic strength enjoyed by the North Americans, particularly the Canadians who are close to Montreal city. For many years, Montreal has remained a significant commercial center of Quebec and Ontario. The place is also a major point of transshipment on the naval passage between the Great Lakes and Britain, another factor that contributes to the rapid growth and advancement of the city. Due to its great attraction for tourists, stirred up by the region’s interesting historical heritage and fascinating culture, Montreal remains a favorite location for many tourists as well as travel companies. the last one that is eager to invest their money in Canada. A great number of tourist centers that exist in Canada are still not enough to cater to the crowds of tourists who travel to the region to spend their holidays and vacations there. However, the Canadian tourism infrastructure is still developing and requires more investments in its sector.
Works Cited
- Burton, Gordon. “Canada’s Experiment in State Trading.” Journal of Farm Economics Nov. 1951: 33, 959-967. Print.
- Dhalla, Newton. “Canada’s Regional Markets: Households Facts.” Canadian Business 1960: 33, 75-84. Print.
- Innis, Mary. Essays in Canadian Economic History Harold A. Innis. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2005. Print.