Montreal. La métropole.
Montreal is known in Canada and around the world as one of the most famous 'cosmopolitan' cities. Rich with cultural diversity and proud expression of identity, Montreal carries in its array of nicknames, "City of Festivals." But the tensions that historically underpin the Francophone-Anglophone divisions in the city present a unique challenge for newcomers to the renound city.
In recent years, Montreal has, along with Quebec as a whole, embraced efforts to protect the francophone identity which include restrictions on immigration and on recent migrants within the city. For example, French-language requirements and the recent push for secularization of public spaces. These are questions on which immigrants have clear opinions, and as such are motivated to engage more prominently in the local politics of the city.
Photo Credit: Christinne Muschi