Education and Culture in Montreal

Montréal has a large number of private schools, most of them partially funded by the province.

Like the rest of Québec province, Montréal has two public school systems, one for French speakers and one for English speakers.

The Charter of the French Language (1977), known as Bill 101, restricts access to English-language schools and requires children of immigrants to be educated in French. As a result, French-language schools became increasingly multiethnic.

With four universities, Montréal is one of the leading centers of higher education in Canada.

There are two English-language institutions: McGill University (1821) and Concordia University (1974).

Their French-language counterparts are the Université de Montréal (1876) and the University of Québec at Montréal (1969).

Both private and state universities are funded by the province on a similar footing.

The metropolitan area also has 16 public community colleges and 15 private institutions that offer some college-level training.

Prominent among the city’s museums is the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, with significant collections of European and Canadian paintings and other specialized collections.

The works of 20th-century Québec artists are well represented at the Musée d’Art Contemporain (Museum of Contemporary Art).

The Canadian Center for Architecture is a world-class museum and research center for the study of architecture.

Pointe-à-Callière Museum is devoted to Montréal’s history and archaeology.

The McCord Museum of Canadian History has substantial holdings in ethnology.

History is also the main feature of Château de Ramezay.

The Biodôme has an environmental focus—it replicates four ecosystems of the Americas. La Biosphère focuses on water and the Saint Lawrence River/Great Lakes ecosystem.

Many other smaller, specialized museums operate in the city. The Cosmodôme, a space museum, is located in suburban Laval.

The Bibliothèque Nationale du Québec (National Library of Québec) is in Montréal and holds the largest collection of printed works by Québec authors.

The Library of the City of Montréal has branches throughout the city and is noted for its collection of works on Canada. There are many other libraries, including the Jewish Public Library and those in the universities.

Numerous dance companies and French-language theater companies perform in Montréal.

The Montréal Symphony Orchestra has an international reputation, and the city also has the Montréal Metropolitan Orchestra.

Place des Arts is the main performing arts center and boasts the largest concert hall in the city.

Summertime is a festive season, with one major event after another.

The biggest is the International Jazz Festival in late June, but the Just for Laughs Festival of comedy shows in July and the Francopholies (a French-language song and music festival) and Montréal World Film Festival in August also attract substantial crowds.