Venue

Visas | Montréal | Language | University of Montréal | Conference Location | Accommodation | From the Airport | Conference Dinner | Weather | Taxes | Tipping | Electricity | Currency | 

Visas: Visitors from nearly all Western countries do not need visas to enter Canada. Check the Citizenship and Immigration Canada site for a list of countries which require a visa. 

Montréal: The city of Montréal is located 57 m (187 ft) above sea level on the Island of Montréal, the largest of a group of islands at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. The island lies 480 km (300 miles) by air from New York and 6,100 km (3,791 miles) from London. Montréal is the second largest metropolitan centre in Canada with a population of approximately 1.7 million people who live on the island and more than 3.3 million living in the greater metropolitan area. The city of Montréal has an area of 177 sq km; the island of Montréal, 494 sq km and the greater metropolitan region, 3,509 sq km. For tourist information, see the Tourisme Montréal site, www.tourisme-montreal.org/B2C/00/. 

Language: Montréal is the largest French-speaking city outside France. Even though French is the official language of the Province of Québec, approximately one million people in Greater Metropolitain Montréal have a mother tongue other than French. English, the mother tongue of 18% of the population, is widely spoken.

University: The Université of Montéal is in the Mont-Royal region of Montréal. See "Access and Maps" at the Tourisme Montréal site, www.tourisme-montreal.org/B2C/00/, or create a map by typing in Montreal, Canada at www.mapblast.com/myblast/.

Conference Location: The Lecture Hall where the conference sessions are being held is in the Pavillon Principal. The Conference Reception and the registration desk is in the Cour d'Honneur (Hall of Honour). See the campus map, the PDF version is more detailed. 

Accommodation: See the accommodation page.

From the Airport: Taxi from Dorval Airport to campus or the Terrasse Hotel should cost approximately CAD20-25. Alternatively, there is a bus from the airport to downtown (~CAD12), then the subway (~CAD2.50) to Station Université de Montréal for the university or Station Cote-des-Neiges for the Hotel Terrasse. For the university residences the closest stations are Station Université de Montréal or Edouard Montpetit.

Conference Dinner: The dinner is being held at Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello, 392, rue Notre Dame Montebello, Quebe. This resort is famed for its rugged luxury. In a stunning red cedar log château, you'll experience rustic elegance enhanced by a warm welcome. The resort is approximately 1.5 hours by bus from the University. Bus transport is provided for all conference registrants.

Weather: The weather in July ranges from an average minimum of 16C (61F) to an average maximum of 26C (80F). It can be surprisingly hot and humid. On summer days, the temperature doesn't really cool down at night. Check the weather forecast for Montreal.

Taxes: Provincial tax in Quebec is 7% and national tax (GST) is 8%. Non-resident visitors who wish to claim a refund of the GST and/or the harmonised sales tax (HST) on eligible goods must provide Proof of Export. Non-resident visitors departing from nine major international airports must have goods available for inspection and original receipts validated by a Canada Customs official on leaving Canada. 

Tipping: Customary tipping in Canada is 10-15% of your bill.

Electricity: Canada uses 110V electricity.

Currency: The Canadian monetary system is based on dollars and cents, with 1 cent, 5 cents, 10 cents, 25 cents, 1 dollar and 2 dollar coins. Paper bill denominations are in $5, $10, $20, $50, $100. Check the exchange rate of your currency to Canadian dollars.