GUIDE TO MONTRÉAL

Bienvenue à Montréal! Located on an island in the St Lawrence River, Montreal is the largest city in the province of Québec, and the second largest in Canada. The land was originally settled and used by the St. Lawrence Iroquoian, Algonquin and Mohawk nations over the past 2,000 years. It was later colonized by the French in the 17th century. Montreal was founded in 1641 and served as a major fur-trading post. During the Seven Years’ War, Montreal was captured by the English in 1760. Montreal became Canada’s economic capital and was the largest city in the country until it was surpassed by Toronto. While Montreal is mostly a French city, it is largely bilingual. Approximately 57% of its inhabitants speak both French and English and another 10% only speak English. This guide will help you discover the city and provide you with resources to make your stay in Montréal as exciting and fun as possible! Finally here... WHAT DO I DO NOW? Relax, give yourself a day or two to adjust and get over jet lag. Don’t try to do everything at once!

Contact the East Coast SWAP office (416-646-7927 or Toronto@swap.ca) to check in and to ask any questions you may have.

Get your Social Insurance Number

Set up a mobile phone

Open a bank account

Canadianize your resume using SWAP resources (make sure you have a French and English version!)

Look for a place to live

But most of all, have fun and meet other fabulous backpackers!

Remember, SWAP is here to help every step of the way! You are not alone!!!

MEMBERS’ LOUNGE Get online and on to your SWAP Members’ Lounge! This exclusive SWAP website gives you access to the information you will need to work, live and travel in Canada. Prior to your departure from home, you received a username and password to access the Lounge (email toronto@swap.ca if you haven’t received it!) Sections include: SWAP Services, Visas, Health, Jobs, and Travel. Don’t forget to check out the Canada-wide job database! WHERE TO GO IN MONTREAL? Montreal is made up of many different neighbourhoods with their own cultural and economic identities. Traditionally, Montreal was more or less split by St. Laurent Boulevard (also known as the Main): the French to the East, the English to the West. The two communities aren’t as separated as they once were, but generally speaking, it still holds some truth. Le Plateau-Mont Royal: The very trendy Plateau hosts a variety of cafés, independent shops and restaurants, and some of the most bike-friendly infrastructures in the city! The Mile End area of the Plateau is a hipster heaven! Old Montreal/Old Port: Old Montreal is still young compared to European standards as most buildings are from the 19th century, but it is very beautiful! It is also a bit of a tourist trap as restaurants and stores are often much pricier than elsewhere in the city! But nice for a long walk along the water.

Chinatown: Not as big as Toronto’s Chinatown, Montreal’s Chinatown is a must for Chinese and Vietnamese food! Cheap and yummy dim sum! The (Gay) Village: At Beaudry Street and Saint-Catherine, the village is closed to car traffic during the summer making it a great place to wander in! Lots of bars and clubs. Quartier Latin: The area surrounding UQAM is full of bars

and restaurants! It has a big movie theatre, but most films are dubbed into French.

Mont-Royal Park: The mountain that gave its name to the city is a must see! Tam Tams on Sundays during the summer months is a yearly tradition- check out the drummers and craft sellers near the statue at the foot of the mountain. The view from the Observatory at the summit is breathtaking, especially at night. During the winter, it is a great place to skate, cross-country ski or snowshoe. Olympic Park: See the iconic tower of the 1976 Olympic Stadium! But the real gem is the Biodome located at the Velodrome where you can see animals from around the world – including penguins! There’s also the insectarium and the Montreal Planetarium nearby if you’re feeling sciency! LANGUAGE

Montreal is a multicultural city where you will hear many languages. French, English, Italian, Arabic, Spanish, Greek, Creole, Chinese, Yiddish, etc. are heard on the street. 65% of Montrealers are French native-speakers while 13.2% are English native-speakers. French is the sole official language of the city and of the province. Speaking French is required for many jobs, including most customer service

jobs. However, it is possible to find work in English as well, particularly in English neighbourhoods like NDG or Westmount. If you want to take French lessons, here are a couple of places you can check out: Centre St. Louis centre-st-louis.csdm.ca 4285, rue Drolet 514 596-5800 ILSC-Montreal www.learnfrench.ca 410 Rue St-Nicolas, Suite 300 514 876-4572

WORK Looking for a full-time job…is a full-time job!

If you are looking for work in different fields, you will want a resume for each field that focusses on relevant skills and experience.

Contact your references to let them know that they may hear from employers.

Network! Every person you meet in Canada will be a connection. Tell everyone you meet what your goals are. Collect business cards and names. People are always happy to help, so don’t be afraid to reach out and ask! You never know whose sister is the hiring manager at that big company!

The “walk in” approach is best for casual jobs. Walk into stores, restaurants, cafes, bars, and other businesses and ask to speak to a manager. Either leave your resume with the manager or with another employee. Ask for the manager’s name or card and return to follow up a few days later.

Keep track of the companies you apply to (you don’t want to pick up the phone and agree to an interview... then have to ask what company you’re talking to and where their offices are!)

Follow up with the employers 3-5 days after you have sent your resume. After interviews, write a thank you email.

SIN NUMBER www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/sin/index.shtml You will need a SIN (Social Insurance Number) before you can start working! This is the number that identifies you with the government. You need it to work and to get paid. To apply for your SIN, you will need to bring your passport, work permit and mailing address to a Service Canada Centre. There are many Services Canada Centres on the island of Montreal, but the downtown Service Canada Centre is located at: Guy-Favreau Complex, Suite 034 200 René-Lévesque Boulevard West Montréal, Quebec It is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. You will receive your number immediately from the agent. They will give you a piece of paper with your SIN and other information on it. Don’t lose it! The government no longer issues SIN cards.

RESUME (CV) There are great job opportunities in Canada…but you must have a Canadianized resume. SWAP staff can edit your resume(s) and provide you with professional advice and ideas!

Resumes can be 1-2 pages. 1 page for retail, bar, and casual work and maximum of 2 pages for professional work.

10.5-12 size font is acceptable.

Adjust your resume to Letter page size NOT A4.

Always have an address and local phone number.

Start off with a skills summary. Choose relevant skills for each job.

Avoid sentences and paragraphs. Stick to bullet points.

Keep the same verb tense. Past tense is best (e.g. ResearchED, assistED).

Don’t put your resume in a folder to give to each employer, just the resume is fine.

Do a Canadian spell check.

Cover letters are generally for office or professional work (or any time you send an application by email). They aren’t needed if you’re using the “walk in” method.

SWAP has resume templates if you need to start from scratch.

Do NOT include personal information like pictures, marital status or birthdate. JOB LISTINGS YES! Montreal www.yesmontreal.ca/yes.php A not-for-profit Youth Employment Service, provided in English, which can help you with your job search. Their website also includes job listings. Emploi Quebec emploiquebec.gouv.qc.ca/en The career website of the Quebec government. Has all sorts of job listings in the province. Online job listings Monster www.monster.com Indeed www.indeed.com Craigslist montreal.craigslist.org Kijiji www.kijiji.ca Good Work www.goodwork.ca Charity Village charityvillage.com

PHONES You will want to get a phone number in order to receive calls from employers and to make calls to landlords! There are different plans you can go on: pay-as-you-go, pre-paid monthly plans and yearly plans. We recommend pre-paid monthly plans, as these plans let you set up with no contract or deposit and you can modify your plan to fit your own needs. Pay-as-you-go is not recommended as it can be very expensive to receive incoming calls and it can be hard to keep track of your credit.

Bill pay/yearly plans are expensive as well and can be very expensive to cancel (if you manage to cancel at all!). The big three companies in Canada are Bell, Rogers, and Telus. They can be rather expensive and are not very traveller-friendly, so SWAP recommends Fido, Virgin or Koodo as they have pre-paid monthly plans with the same network coverage as Bell, Rogers, and Telus. When setting up an account, you will need your passport, work permit, credit card and possibly your SIN number. Every phone company has a booth set up in the Montreal Eaton Centre, so it is a good place to go to compare different plans to see what works best for you... and bargain if you can! BANK ACCOUNT

There are 5 main banks in Canada known as the “Big Five”: RBC, TD, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, and the CIBC. In addition, common banks in Quebec include the National Bank (Banque nationale) and Banque Laurentienne. SWAP recommends Scotiabank’s Start Right Program or TD that both have good deals for newcomers. Otherwise, it can be 5-15$ per month for basic services. When opening your account, you will need your passport, work permit and proof of address. This can be a letter from your hostel, the SWAP office or from your landlord.

ACCOMMODATION For short-term accommodation in Montreal, hostels are the least costly, and provide the opportunity to meet other travellers passing through the city. For example: M Montreal 1245, rue St-André Phone: (514) 845-9803 Web: www.m-montreal.com Montreal Central 1586, rue Saint-Hubert (514) 843-5739 Web: www.hostelmontrealcentral.com HI Montreal 1040, rue Mackay (514) 843-3317 Web: www.hostellingmontreal.com You can find more hostel options at websites like www.hostelworld.com or www.hostelbookers.com. During the summer months, University residences are rented to the public and, while more expensive than hostels, may be a good option for more apartment-style short-term accommodation! McGill Residences: www.mcgill.ca/accommodations/summer Concordia Residences: www.concordia.ca/campus-life/summer-accommodations.html UQAM Residences: www.residences-uqam.qc.ca/hotel Other ways of saving money on very short-term (a couple of nights) accommodation are Couchsurfing (www.couchsurfing.org) or Air B’nB (www.airbnb.com). For long-term accommodation, try checking out the various neighbourhoods before committing to a place! Each area offers different scenery and a different community feel. For housing listings: montreal.en.craigslist.ca www.kijiji.ca www.padmapper.com Be sure to visit the apartment before agreeing to rent. If the landlord will not let you see the apartment or doesn’t want to meet you, it is quite possibly a scam. Finding an apartment with roommates is a good way to save money as single apartments are often more expensive. Subletting an apartment is another good option!

GETTING AROUND BICYCLES While it is no Amsterdam, Montreal is a relatively and increasingly bike-friendly and there are many used bike stores around the city. In 2009, Montreal launched Bixi. (montreal.bixi.com) a public bike sharing company. CARS Montreal is a difficult place to drive as there are many one-way streets and it is often forbidden to turn left or right at many intersections. You can drive on your own licence for 3 months. If you have an international drivers’ licence, you can drive with that for one year. If you want to purchase a car, your car needs to be registered, insured, and pass and air-emissions test. For information about driving with a foreign driver’s licence, check out: www.saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/driver_licence/exchange/index.php. You need to be at least 21 to rent a car and, often, if you are under 25, renting a car can cost more. There is also a car-share company operating in Montreal: communauto.com. TAXIS There are many taxi companies in Montreal. It is a relatively expensive way to get around, especially if there is traffic, but a good option if you are sharing with friends or if it’s 3am and freezing cold! Here are a few numbers of some of the larger taxi companies. Royal Taxi (514) 274-3333 Taxi Co-op (514) 845-1244 Taxi Champlain (514) 273-2435

PUBLIC TRANSIT The public transportation system in Montreal is called the STM (Société de transport de Montréal). Tickets are sold on magnetic strip cards, or can be added to a permanent OPUS card. You can buy an OPUS card for $6 and then add single fares that are deducted every time you use it. You can purchase OPUS cards and other tickets at metro stations, in dépanneurs (corner shops) and certain drug stores. If you do not have a fare card, you can pay cash but you will need exact change on the bus ($3). Different fare card options are available: 2 trips: $5.50 10 trips: $25.50 Unlimited Evening: $5.00 Day Pass (24h): $10.00 Week-End Pass: $13.00 3-Day Pass: $18.00 Weekly pass: $24.50 Monthly pass: $79.50

If you need to get to the airport, the Airport shuttle (747) is $10 (or you can also use your day pass, weekend pass, 3-day pass, or monthly pass to use the Airport shuttle). The Subway closes rather early (about 1 am), but there are night buses on selected routes. For more info: www.stm.info SUBURBAN To get to the suburbs or outlying communities, there are also the AMT commuter trains. The fare depends on how many zones you are travelling. For more information: www.amt.qc.ca

PROVINCIAL/NATIONAL BUSES For intercity travel, there are a variety of bus companies: Greyhound (www.greyhound.ca) – Ask SWAP about discounts with an HI card (you get 25% off). Megabus (www.megabus.ca) – Double decker bus to Toronto. Can be very cheap if you book in advance. Orleans Express (www.orleansexpress.com) – For many destinations throughout Quebec. For intercity bus tickets from Montreal, go to the Central Bus Station located at 1717, rue Berri or online at www.stationcentrale.com. For direct busses from Montreal to Toronto, use Megabus (leaves from near Place Bonaventure)- Greyhound will take you through Ottawa and takes forever! TRAINS

Via Rail (www.viarail.ca) is the national passenger train company. Trains can be expensive in Canada, but Via often offers special fares, so check their website often for “Express Deals”. If you buy your ticket on a Tuesday (for travel on any day), you get extra-special fares! For rail services to New York there is an Amtrak line: www.amtrak.com. FLYING Air Canada (www.aircanada.com) is the major airline in Canada, but there are other carriers like West Jet (www.westjet.com) and Porter (www.flyporter.ca). There are also many smaller regional airlines.

RIDESHARE Another way to travel between cities is through ridesharing: when driver and passenger(s) share a vehicle and costs to a shared destination. The largest site for ridesharing in Canada is www.kangaride.com. Do not enter a car if you feel uncomfortable with the driver. HITCHHIKING SWAP does not recommend hitchhiking in Canada as it is no longer a wide-spread practice. Some communities embrace hitchhiking and it is still done, but use your judgment and common sense at all times. TRAVEL While in Montréal, take the opportunity to travel throughout Quebec, Ontario or the United States. Ottawa: Ottawa is Canada’s capital city and is just a couple of hours away from Montreal by Greyhound bus or by train! See Parliament Hill or skate on the Rideau Canal while you eat beaver tails (delicious and heart-attack-inducing fried dough)! Quebec City: Quebec’s capital city, founded in 1608. The Old city and its winding narrow streets is a UNESCO World Heritage site! If you can face the freezing temperatures, go during Carnaval in February and drink caribou (a tasty alcoholic drink that resembles mulled wine or glühwein). Tadoussac: Go whale watching! Tadoussac is 6 hours away, but worth the trip! The United States: Getting to New York City, Boston or Vermont is easy from Montreal! Ask SWAP for information on going to the USA before you leave. National Parks: There are 4 federal national parks in Quebec as well as numerous provincial national parks many of which can be visited. For a list of parks: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_protected_areas_of_Quebec. FOOD IGA, Metro, Super C, Provigo are the main supermarkets in Montreal, but many neighbourhoods have smaller supermarkets and fruits stores. You can also purchase food from the dépanneur (the convenience store).

Montreal also has great public markets throughout the city for buying food directly from the producers: www.marchespublics-mtl.com/en/markets Jean-Talon Market (7070 Henri-Julien Avenue) Atwater Market (138 Atwater Avenue) Maisonneuve Market (4445 Ontario East) Lachine Market (1875 Notre-Dame) For eating out, Montreal has tons of great food places around the city, from pub fare and poutine to vegan and vegetarian, from Chinese and Vietnamese to Italian and Greek. There are tons of pizza places and shish taouk for cheap (and after-bar) eats! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shish_taouk_(Montreal) POUTINE:

Created in either Victoriaville or Drummondville (pick a side!) in the 1950’s, poutine (fries covered with gravy and cheese curds) is arguably the national dish of Quebec! La Banquise (994 Rachel E): The 24-hour poutine place is sometimes called the best poutine in town, but that’s probably due to the fact that you can get it at 3 am after the bars! Other

well-known poutine places include Patati Patata (4177 St-Laurent), Frites Alors! (various locations), but you can pretty much get it at any fast-food place! TRADITIONAL QUEBECOIS FOOD Tourtière (meat pie), pâté chinois (meat, potato and corn shepherd’s pie) and fèves au lard (baked beans) are staples of traditional French Canadian cuisine and can be found in many restaurants, including La Binerie Mont-Royal (367 Mont-Royal). During the fall, going to sugar shacks in the outskirts of Montreal for traditional meals is a great way to discover great food, and especially the maple toffee (tire d’érable), which is made by cooling maple syrup on snow!

SMOKED MEAT This kosher-style deli meat is produced by salting and curing beef brisket. It was brought to Montreal by Jewish immigrants in the 19th century. Smoked meat is to Montreal what pastrami is to New York. But smoked meat is clearly better!

Schwartz’s (3895 Saint-Laurent): the best-known Montreal-style smoked meat deli in the city! Now owned by Céline Dion and others, this restaurant has been the subject of a documentary and a stage musical (if you can believe it!) Other places include the Main (3864 St-Laurent), Dunn’s (1249 Metcalfe) and Lester’s (1057 Bernard). BAGELS Who has the best bagels, Montreal or New York? Montreal! Who has the best bagels in Montreal? Asking that question can lead to long discussions, but generally there are two camps: St. Viateur (263 Saint-Viateur W) and Fairmount (74 Fairmount W). Try them and decide for yourself! STEAMÉS Grilled hot dogs are found on many a street corner in Toronto, but Montreal prefers its steamés (small steamed hot dogs), which can be found in many a cheap fast food place like Lafleur’s, Valentine and La Belle Province (various locations). If you ask for them all-dressed, you’ll get them with relish, mustard, onions and cabbage! VEGETARIAN/VEGAN Montreal is very open to vegetarians and vegans, so there are tons of places to go. L’Escalier (552 Sainte-Catherine E) is a great place filled with students, but the service can take a while! Aux Vivres (4631 St Laurent) is probably one of the best vegan restaurants in Montreal and La Panthère verte (various locations) arguably makes the best falafel sandwich. Also check out Lola Rosa (545 Milton) and read messages left by previous customers in your tables’ drawers. DESSERTS Juliet et Chocolat (many locations): This chocolate-themed restaurant is great if you have a sweet tooth! For Ice Cream, check out Le Bilboquet (1311 Bernard) or Kim CoBa- they make their own soft-serve (60 Fairmount W), and Rockaberry (4275 Saint-Denis) for pie. For more food ideas, check out http://cultmontreal.com/2014/05/best-of-mtl-2014-food-drink/.

MONTREAL EVENTS There are always great things going on in Montreal! For concert listings, neighbourhood parties and other events, check cultmontreal.com or voir.ca (in French). MONTREAL INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL (www.montrealjazzfest.com): The Montreal Jazz Festival is one of the largest, if not the largest, jazz festivals in the world and includes free concerts. Going strong for over 35 years, this event is held in late June and early July. OSHEAGA (www.osheaga.com): Held on Ile-Sainte-Hélène, this indie music festival is growing in popularity and features some big names in Canadian and international music! JUST FOR LAUGHS (www.hahaha.com): Starting in 1983 (French) and in 1985 (English), Juste pour rire/Just for Laughs is the largest comedy festival in the world. NUIT BLANCHE (www.montrealenlumiere.com/nuit-blanche-en), capping the Montreal en Lumière festival in February, the Nuit Blanche is a great opportunity to discover Montreal at night! Events, many of them free, take place throughout the night, mostly in the downtown core. POP MONTREAL (popmontreal.com): Another great indie music and art festival, held in September.

IGLOOFEST (www.igloofest.ca): EDM fans, this is the event for you! Every January, Igloofest is organised in the Old Port – outside! So wear your warmest one-piece snowsuit and dance for warmth! LA SAINT-JEAN: Quebec’s national holiday is on June 24th, so put on your blue and white and head to Parc Maisonneuve for a free concert! For more hardcore partiers, you can head to Quebec City for a big party on the Plains of

Abraham on the evening of June 23rd. ST PATRICK’S DAY PARADE: Montreal has a large population of Irish descent and the Saint Patrick’s Day parade has been held annually in March since 1824!

SPORTS Montreal is a sports city like any other major city and there are tons of sporting events you can check out!

Hockey: The Club de Hockey Canadien (www.canadiens.com) have won 24 Stanley Cups and are hockey’s answer to the New York Yankees and Manchester United. They play at the Bell Centre. The regular season runs from October to April. Montreal also has a professional women’s hockey

team called the Stars (montreal.cwhl.ca), winners of 3 Clarkson Cups. Gridiron Football (Canadian Football): The Montreal Alouettes (www.montrealalouettes.com) play in the Canadian Football league. Association Football (Soccer): Like in the United States and Australia, we call Association Football soccer. The Women’s World Cup will be held in Canada in 2015 (including in Montreal!). Our professional men’s soccer team is called the Montreal Impact (www.impactmontreal.com), and has just joined the MLS a couple of years ago. They have won the Canadian championship twice. Tennis: The Canadian Open (www.rogerscup.com) was founded in 1881 and currently takes place in both Montreal in Toronto every August. Each year the women’s tournament and the men’s tournament alternate between the two cities. The Montreal matches are held at Stade Uniprix. Auto racing: Ile Notre Dame hosts the Canadian Grand Prix (Formula 1) every year. If you are into skiing or snowboarding, you can head over to Mont Tremblant (www.tremblant.ca), Mont Blanc (www.skimontblanc.com) or Mont Saint-Sauveur (www.montsaintsauveur.com) resorts in the Laurentians or to Bromont (www.skibromont.com/), Orford (www.orford.com/ski/en/) and Sutton (www.montsutton.com) in the Eastern townships. The closest hill to Montreal is the urban resort in Saint Bruno de Montarville (skisaintbruno.ca) and is about half an hour away from downtown. Many ski resorts double as summer resorts for golf, tennis, camping or other summer activities. Camping and canoeing can also be done in many of the province’s national parks. For winter sports in the city, Mont-Royal is a great place. Head to Beaver Lake atop the Mont Royal (www.lemontroyal.qc.ca) where you can rent cross-country skis, snowshoes or skates! During the summer, you can head to Jeanne-Mance Park across from the Mont-Royal where beach volley-ball courts have been set up. For more summer activities in the city, check out Parc Jean Drapeau (www.parcjeandrapeau.com), just a short Metro ride away. Most parks throughout the city

have tennis courts, baseball diamonds or soccer fields. There are many indoor and outdoor swimming pools run by the city as well. GOING OUT! Montreal is well known for its nightlife. The legal drinking age in Quebec is 18+, and beer and wine can be purchased until 11pm at grocery stores and dépanneurs across the city. For spirits, wine, and beer head to the SAQ. Last call at bars is at 3 am. IMPORTANT: You may need to have ID proving you are over 18 to enter bars and clubs. It is highly recommended you use other ID than your passport (especially as it contains your work permit) as it can be difficult, very time consuming and expensive to replace if you lose it or it gets stolen. CLUBS Foufounes Electriques or “Foufs” (87 Saint-Catherine E) is an alternative rock concert venue and club. It has aged a bit but once was the centre of underground punk music in the city. Le Belmont (4483 St-Laurent) is considered one of the city’s favourite clubs. Other clubs on the Saint-Laurent strip: Rouge (7 Prince Arthur W), Ivy (3556 Saint-Laurent), hipster club Korova Bar (3908 Saint-Laurent) and the very affordable, no-dress code student club Café Campus (57 Prince Arthur E). For Gay clubs, there are tons of options in the village, including Sky (1474 Sainte-Catherine) as well the Royal Phoenix (5788 Saint Laurent) in the Mile End. The Village also includes after-hours Circus (917, rue Ste-Catherine Est) for partying past 3 am! BARS Peel Pub (1196 Peel) lives on its reputation as a dive bar and as a Montreal rite of passage, but the beer is still cheap! Other student-friendly dive bars include Bar des Pins (3714 Parc) and Bifteck (3702 Saint-Laurent). Dieu du Ciel! (29 Laurier W) is one of the best rated breweries in the country- go here if you are a fan of hops, barley and malts. It gets noisy and cramped, but the beer is worth it! Other great bars for microbrews and craft beer in the city are Broue Pub Brouhaha (5860, de Lorimier), Benelux (245 Sherbrooke W) and Le Saint-Bock (1749 rue Saint-Denis) and Vice et Versa (6631 St-Laurent). Hipster bar Notre Dame Des Quilles (32 Beaubien E) is really cheap and has a bowling alley! If you want to play board games with your drinks, check out Randolph Pub Ludique (2041 St Denis). For more Nightlife suggestions check out: cultmontreal.com/2014/05/best-of-mtl-2014-nightlife

We hope this overview of Montreal helps! Remember, if you have any questions you can always contact the East Coast SWAP office:

SWAP Working Holidays 187 College Street, 2nd floor

Toronto, ON M5T 1P7

telephone: 416-646-7927

fax: 416-646-1773 email: toronto@swap.ca