Welcome to Montréal!
Montréal is home to many universities and colleges, including LAB sister campus LaSalle College. The city is alive with young people and filled with students from around the globe. It’s a vibrant hub of culture, learning and fun with some of the most significant cultural festivals in the world, including the Montréal Jazz Festival, Montréal International Fireworks Festival and the Just For Laughs Comedy Festival. Along with being a hotspot for food and arts, Montréal, a UNESCO city of design, includes must-see architectural gems in Old Montréal and the Old Port.
What you need to know
Climate
Montréal is known for having four completely distinct seasons, each with their own set of activities to keep a student’s life full of opportunities. Staying connected with the movements of the city’s population helps international students understand the Canadian economy and meet new people in various industries.
Montréal, a green city
Many Quebecois are sensitive to environmental causes. Recycling is practiced in most boroughs and fees may be charged if city-dwellers throw away recyclable material. Montrealers like cleanliness. Caring for the environment is a sign of respect for the city and its inhabitants.
Tipping
Tipping is a common practice in North America, including Canada. In restaurants - It is customary to tip approximately 12% - 15% on the total bill before tax. Many restaurants may charge an automatic 15%-18% gratuity for large groups.
For other services - Tipping is also customary for other service providers such as hairdressers, manicurists, and taxi drivers. In these cases, a 10% tip is common.
Getting around the city
Metro and bus system
Plan carefully if you plan to take public transport at night because there is no late night metro service. There are however night busses that may take you where you need to go. You can purchase individual fares, weekly or monthly fairs. Your public transport fares are all found on one electronic card called the OPUS card that you swipe to enter metros and busses. For complete details and prices, visit www.stm.info.
Bicycles
Montréal has over 450 km of bike paths throughout the city with some stretches of the bike paths accessible even in the winter! Wearing a bicycle helmet is strongly recommended. BIXI is the name of the public bike system in Montréal. Visit www.bixi.com for details.