On October 2, 1535, the French navigator Jacques Cartier went up to the mountain near the St. Lawrence River with the help of the Natives. He was impressed by the view and gave a name to the mountain — Mont Royal. Hence the name, MontRéal or Montréal came in to existence. The original Native name of Montréal was Hochelaga.

Some people refer it to as the mini Paris of North America mainly because of the French language, the outdoor cafés, restaurants, road signs in French which is a rare view in the whole of North America. The comparison often leads to lengthy discussions and debates with an ultimate conclusion that, "Paris is Paris and Montréal is Montréal." True, you cannot compare any two cities of the world just because of the language or a few similarities in lifestyles. What makes Montréal really different from other cities of North America is the blending of many cultures and no one disagrees when you say, Montréal is a truly Multi-Cultural City.