Montreal is the second largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec, located along the Saint Lawrence River at its junction with the Ottawa River. The city is geographically constrained, with the majority on the Island of Montreal in the Hochelaga Archipelago, and has several prominent features, including the eponymous Mount Royal. The region experiences four distinct seasons and is classified as a humid continental climate, with very cold and snowy winters and warm and humid summers.
Montreal is located in the southwest of the province of Quebec, approximately 275 km (171 mi) southwest of Quebec City, the provincial capital, and 167 km (104 mi) east of Ottawa, the federal capital. It also lies 502 km (312 mi) northeast of Toronto, 407 km (253 mi) northwest of Boston and 530 km (330 mi) directly north of New York City. [1]
The city is located on the central and eastern portions of the Island of Montreal, the largest island in the Hochelaga Archipelago, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. The port of Montreal lies at one end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which is the river gateway that stretches from the Great Lakes into the Atlantic Ocean. [2] Montreal is defined by its location in between the St. Lawrence river on its south, and by the Rivière des Prairies on its north. The city is named after the most prominent geographical feature on the island, a three-head hill called Mount Royal. [3]
Montreal is at the centre of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, and is bordered by the city of Laval to the north, Longueuil to the south, Repentigny to the east and the West Island municipalities to the west. The anglophone enclaves of Westmount, Montreal West, Hampstead, Côte Saint-Luc, the Town of Mount Royal and the francophone enclave Montreal East are all entirely surrounded by the city of Montreal. [4]
There are three main geological regions in Quebec: the great igneous plains of the Canadian Shield, the Appalachians in southern Quebec, and the St. Lawrence lowlands that lie between them. Covering over 95% of Quebec, the Canadian Shield contains some of the oldest igneous rocks in the world, dating back to the Precambrian period, over 1 billion years ago. The Canadian Shield is generally quite flat and exposed, punctuated by the higher relief of mountain ranges such as the Laurentians in southern Quebec. The Appalachian region of Quebec is a thin strip of weathered mountains along Quebec's southeast border. The Appalachian mountain chain is actually a long range that runs from Alabama north to Newfoundland. The St. Lawrence lowlands are comparatively tiny in size (about 17,280 km2 (6,670 sq mi)) but disproportionately important in that they contain most of the human population of Quebec. The lowlands actually consist of three parts: the central lowlands, or the St. Lawrence Plain, a wide and flat triangle extending from Cornwall to Quebec City. The St. Lawrence Plain is almost entirely flat because of the clay deposits left behind by the Champlain Sea (which once covered all of Montreal).
One quirk of common Montreal parlance is that directions (north, south, east, and west) along the street grid are sharply skewed relative to the actual compass directions. The St. Lawrence River is taken as flowing west to east (even though it flows north or northeast past the island), so that directions along streets parallel to the river are referred to as "west" and "east," and those along streets perpendicular to the river, "north" and "south." In much of Montreal, "north" is actually northwest, and in some areas such as Verdun and Pointe-aux-Trembles it is actually due west. The skew is greatest in Ville-Émard, where grid "north" on streets such as Rue Jolicœur is geographically west-southwest.
"Montreal directions" are used in naming street addresses and describing bus routes, among other things. As a result of this discrepancy, Montreal has been called "the only city where the sun sets in the north."
Further folk naming customs include giving directions involving going "up" or "down" streets that are perpendicular to the river; "up" being towards Mount Royal and "down" being towards the St. Lawrence. But the system can be confusing on the north side of the mountain, where "up" still means Montreal "north" as it does downtown, but will literally be downhill from Mount Royal. [5]
Streets are named "Ouest" or "Est" when they cross Saint Laurent Boulevard. Street numbers rise eastward and westward from Saint Laurent Boulevard, and northward from the St. Lawrence River and the Lachine Canal. (Rue Charlevoix, in Le Sud-Ouest borough, is the only remaining named "north-south" street with large numbers of addresses on both sides of the Lachine Canal. In this case, the addresses south of the Lachine Canal have a "0" prefixed to their street numbers, e.g., 0919 rue Charlevoix.)
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Montreal lies at the confluence of several climatic regions. The island's climate is classified as humid continental or hemiboreal (Köppen climate classification Dfb) but is close to the transition to (Köppen climate classification Dfa)
Precipitation is abundant with an average snowfall of 216.6 cm (85.3 in) per year in the winter. Regular rainfall throughout the year averages 818.3 mm (32.22 in). Summer is the wettest season statistically, but it is also the sunniest.[ citation needed ]
The coldest month of the year is January, with a daily average temperature of −9.2 °C (15.4 °F) — averaging a daily low of −13.5 °C (7.7 °F), colder than either Moscow (−10 °C (14 °F)) or Saint Petersburg (−6 °C (21 °F)).[ citation needed ] Due to wind chill, the perceived temperature can be much lower than the actual temperature, and wind chill factor is often included in Montreal weather forecasts. The warmest month is July with an average daily high of 26.7 °C (80.1 °F); lower nighttime temperatures make an average of 21.7 °C (71.1 °F), thus air exchangers often achieve the same result as air conditioners. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −37.8 °C (−36.0 °F) on 15 January 1957 and the highest temperature ever was 37.6 °C (99.7 °F) on 1 August 1975. [6] High humidity is common in the summer, which makes the perceived temperature higher than the actual temperature. In spring and autumn, rainfall averages between 67 and 102 mm (2.6 and 4.0 in) a month. Some snow in spring and autumn is normal. Similarly, early and late heat waves with "Indian summers" are a regular feature of the climate. [7]
2006 was noted as the only year in the history of Montreal when there was more rain than there was snow.[ citation needed ] There were 122.3 cm (48.1 in) of snow, and there were 1,225.2 mm (48.24 in) of rain. That year, Montreal received more rain than Vancouver, British Columbia. [8] [9]
Montreal is ranked 160 out of 190 world cities in the 2018 STC Climate index, a ranking of the best climates to live and work in. [10]
Montreal and the southern Quebec region receive slightly over 2,050 hours of sunshine annually, with summer being the sunniest season. The sunniest month is July with 272 hours, and the least sunny is December with 84 hours.
Montreal receives more sunshine than northern and northwestern Europe, even in locations at similar or even somewhat farther south latitudes, especially during winter.
The city's average annual precipitation is 1,041 mm (41.0 in), including 818 mm (32.2 in) of rain and 217 cm (85.5 in) of snow.
As in the Northeastern U.S. and most of Southeastern Canada, precipitation is spread evenly throughout the year, with no wet or dry seasons. Montreal has 163 days annually with some rain or snow. Thunderstorms can occur any time between late spring and early autumn.
Climate data for McGill University (McTavish) Climate ID: 7025280; coordinates 45°30′N73°35′W / 45.500°N 73.583°W ; elevation: 56.9 m (187 ft); 1981−2010 normals, extremes 1871–present [lower-alpha 1] | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °C (°F) | 12.8 (55.0) | 15.0 (59.0) | 25.9 (78.6) | 30.1 (86.2) | 34.2 (93.6) | 34.5 (94.1) | 36.1 (97.0) | 35.6 (96.1) | 33.5 (92.3) | 28.9 (84.0) | 22.2 (72.0) | 17.0 (62.6) | 36.1 (97.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.4 (22.3) | −3.7 (25.3) | 2.4 (36.3) | 11.0 (51.8) | 19.0 (66.2) | 23.7 (74.7) | 26.6 (79.9) | 24.8 (76.6) | 19.4 (66.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 5.1 (41.2) | −2.3 (27.9) | 11.1 (52.0) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.9 (16.0) | −7.2 (19.0) | −1.2 (29.8) | 7.0 (44.6) | 14.5 (58.1) | 19.3 (66.7) | 22.3 (72.1) | 20.8 (69.4) | 15.7 (60.3) | 9.2 (48.6) | 2.5 (36.5) | −5.6 (21.9) | 7.4 (45.3) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −12.4 (9.7) | −10.6 (12.9) | −4.8 (23.4) | 2.9 (37.2) | 10.0 (50.0) | 14.9 (58.8) | 17.9 (64.2) | 16.7 (62.1) | 11.9 (53.4) | 5.9 (42.6) | −0.2 (31.6) | −8.9 (16.0) | 3.6 (38.5) |
Record low °C (°F) | −33.5 (−28.3) | −33.3 (−27.9) | −28.9 (−20.0) | −17.8 (0.0) | −5.0 (23.0) | 1.1 (34.0) | 7.8 (46.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | −7.2 (19.0) | −27.8 (−18.0) | −33.9 (−29.0) | −33.9 (−29.0) |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 73.6 (2.90) | 70.9 (2.79) | 80.2 (3.16) | 76.9 (3.03) | 86.5 (3.41) | 87.5 (3.44) | 106.2 (4.18) | 100.6 (3.96) | 100.8 (3.97) | 84.3 (3.32) | 93.6 (3.69) | 101.5 (4.00) | 1,062.5 (41.83) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 28.4 (1.12) | 22.7 (0.89) | 42.2 (1.66) | 65.2 (2.57) | 86.5 (3.41) | 87.5 (3.44) | 106.2 (4.18) | 100.6 (3.96) | 100.8 (3.97) | 82.1 (3.23) | 68.9 (2.71) | 44.4 (1.75) | 834.9 (32.87) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 45.9 (18.1) | 46.6 (18.3) | 36.8 (14.5) | 11.8 (4.6) | 0.4 (0.2) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 2.2 (0.9) | 24.9 (9.8) | 57.8 (22.8) | 226.2 (89.1) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 15.8 | 12.8 | 13.6 | 12.5 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 12.3 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 13.1 | 15.0 | 16.2 | 163.9 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.3 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 10.9 | 12.8 | 13.8 | 12.3 | 13.4 | 12.7 | 12.7 | 11.5 | 6.5 | 122.2 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 13.6 | 11.1 | 8.3 | 3.0 | 0.14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.62 | 5.3 | 12.0 | 53.9 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 99.2 | 119.5 | 158.8 | 181.7 | 229.8 | 250.1 | 271.6 | 230.7 | 174.1 | 138.6 | 80.4 | 80.7 | 2,015.2 |
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] |
Climate data for Montreal (Montréal–Trudeau International Airport) WMO ID: 71627; coordinates 45°28′N73°45′W / 45.467°N 73.750°W ; elevation: 36 m (118 ft); 1991−2020 normals, extremes 1941−present | |||||||||||||
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Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high humidex | 13.5 | 14.7 | 28.0 | 33.8 | 40.9 | 45.0 | 45.8 | 46.8 | 42.8 | 34.1 | 26.2 | 18.1 | 46.8 |
Record high °C (°F) | 13.9 (57.0) | 15.1 (59.2) | 25.8 (78.4) | 30.0 (86.0) | 36.6 (97.9) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.1 (97.0) | 37.6 (99.7) | 33.5 (92.3) | 28.3 (82.9) | 24.3 (75.7) | 18.0 (64.4) | 37.6 (99.7) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.0 (23.0) | −3.4 (25.9) | 2.4 (36.3) | 11.3 (52.3) | 19.4 (66.9) | 24.2 (75.6) | 26.7 (80.1) | 25.7 (78.3) | 21.1 (70.0) | 13.2 (55.8) | 6.1 (43.0) | −1.2 (29.8) | 11.7 (53.1) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.2 (15.4) | −8.0 (17.6) | −2.0 (28.4) | 6.2 (43.2) | 13.9 (57.0) | 19.0 (66.2) | 21.7 (71.1) | 20.6 (69.1) | 16.0 (60.8) | 8.9 (48.0) | 2.3 (36.1) | −5.0 (23.0) | 7.0 (44.7) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.5 (7.7) | −12.4 (9.7) | −6.5 (20.3) | 1.1 (34.0) | 8.3 (46.9) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.7 (62.1) | 15.6 (60.1) | 10.9 (51.6) | 4.5 (40.1) | −1.7 (28.9) | −8.7 (16.3) | 2.3 (36.2) |
Record low °C (°F) | −37.8 (−36.0) | −33.9 (−29.0) | −29.4 (−20.9) | −15.0 (5.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | 0.0 (32.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 3.3 (37.9) | −2.2 (28.0) | −7.2 (19.0) | −19.4 (−2.9) | −32.4 (−26.3) | −37.8 (−36.0) |
Record low wind chill | −49.1 | −46.0 | −42.9 | −26.3 | −9.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −4.8 | −11.6 | −30.7 | −46.0 | −49.1 |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 85.8 (3.38) | 65.5 (2.58) | 77.2 (3.04) | 90.0 (3.54) | 85.6 (3.37) | 83.6 (3.29) | 91.1 (3.59) | 93.6 (3.69) | 89.2 (3.51) | 103.1 (4.06) | 84.2 (3.31) | 91.9 (3.62) | 1,040.8 (40.98) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 32.8 (1.29) | 16.9 (0.67) | 37.3 (1.47) | 74.9 (2.95) | 85.6 (3.37) | 83.6 (3.29) | 91.2 (3.59) | 93.6 (3.69) | 89.2 (3.51) | 101.6 (4.00) | 67.4 (2.65) | 44.2 (1.74) | 818.3 (32.22) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 52.0 (20.5) | 47.1 (18.5) | 37.1 (14.6) | 14.8 (5.8) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 1.1 (0.4) | 16.3 (6.4) | 48.2 (19.0) | 216.6 (85.2) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 17.1 | 13.7 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 13.8 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 13.5 | 14.3 | 16.8 | 163.5 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.5 | 3.8 | 7.0 | 11.4 | 13.7 | 12.9 | 12.8 | 11.2 | 11.3 | 13.2 | 11.1 | 6.7 | 119.6 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 15.4 | 12.4 | 9.0 | 3.0 | 0.04 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.63 | 4.8 | 12.8 | 58.1 |
Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00 LST) | 68.1 | 63.0 | 57.8 | 50.7 | 49.8 | 53.6 | 55.5 | 56.1 | 58.2 | 61.4 | 66.4 | 71.9 | 59.4 |
Mean monthly sunshine hours | 101.2 | 127.8 | 164.3 | 178.3 | 228.9 | 240.3 | 271.5 | 246.3 | 182.2 | 143.5 | 83.6 | 83.6 | 2,051.3 |
Percent possible sunshine | 35.7 | 43.7 | 44.6 | 44.0 | 49.6 | 51.3 | 57.3 | 56.3 | 48.3 | 42.2 | 29.2 | 30.7 | 44.4 |
Average ultraviolet index | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada [18] [6] [19] [20] [21] [22] and Weather Atlas [23] |
Climate data for Mirabel (Montréal–Mirabel International Airport) Climate ID: 6153300; coordinates 45°40′N74°02′W / 45.667°N 74.033°W ; elevation: 82.6 m (271 ft); 1981-2010 normals | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high humidex | 12.5 | 12.3 | 21.7 | 34.2 | 39.4 | 45.5 | 45.5 | 45.4 | 40.2 | 32.7 | 22.9 | 18.6 | 45.5 |
Record high °C (°F) | 12.0 (53.6) | 12.6 (54.7) | 21.8 (71.2) | 31.1 (88.0) | 31.4 (88.5) | 33.5 (92.3) | 33.6 (92.5) | 36.1 (97.0) | 33.3 (91.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 19.8 (67.6) | 16.4 (61.5) | 36.1 (97.0) |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.5 (20.3) | −4.3 (24.3) | 1.3 (34.3) | 10.8 (51.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 23.4 (74.1) | 25.7 (78.3) | 24.7 (76.5) | 19.9 (67.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 4.7 (40.5) | −2.7 (27.1) | 10.7 (51.3) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.5 (11.3) | −9.5 (14.9) | −3.6 (25.5) | 5.4 (41.7) | 12.4 (54.3) | 17.4 (63.3) | 19.8 (67.6) | 18.7 (65.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 7.3 (45.1) | 0.6 (33.1) | −7.1 (19.2) | 5.3 (41.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.5 (2.3) | −14.8 (5.4) | −8.5 (16.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | 6.3 (43.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 14.0 (57.2) | 12.7 (54.9) | 8.1 (46.6) | 2.0 (35.6) | −3.4 (25.9) | −11.5 (11.3) | 0.0 (32.0) |
Record low °C (°F) | −37.0 (−34.6) | −33.1 (−27.6) | −29.9 (−21.8) | −15.4 (4.3) | −3.9 (25.0) | −0.9 (30.4) | 4.8 (40.6) | 1.1 (34.0) | −5.3 (22.5) | −8.0 (17.6) | −22.1 (−7.8) | −33.0 (−27.4) | −37.0 (−34.6) |
Record low wind chill | −50.0 | −44.0 | −40.0 | −24.0 | −10.0 | −3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −7.0 | −12.0 | −28.0 | −46.0 | −50.0 |
Average precipitation mm (inches) | 87.9 (3.46) | 64.6 (2.54) | 70.4 (2.77) | 88.0 (3.46) | 86.8 (3.42) | 103.1 (4.06) | 91.9 (3.62) | 96.0 (3.78) | 91.7 (3.61) | 96.5 (3.80) | 103.2 (4.06) | 87.6 (3.45) | 1,067.7 (42.04) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 32.0 (1.26) | 21.8 (0.86) | 30.7 (1.21) | 72.9 (2.87) | 86.5 (3.41) | 103.1 (4.06) | 91.9 (3.62) | 95.9 (3.78) | 91.7 (3.61) | 93.1 (3.67) | 80.4 (3.17) | 36.0 (1.42) | 835.9 (32.91) |
Average snowfall cm (inches) | 55.8 (22.0) | 43.1 (17.0) | 38.5 (15.2) | 14.0 (5.5) | 0.3 (0.1) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 3.1 (1.2) | 22.8 (9.0) | 51.3 (20.2) | 228.8 (90.1) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.8 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 13.0 | 13.7 | 13.2 | 12.7 | 12.0 | 11.4 | 13.8 | 16.1 | 17.1 | 167.5 |
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 4.4 | 3.9 | 6.4 | 11.2 | 13.7 | 13.2 | 12.7 | 12.0 | 11.4 | 13.4 | 11.5 | 5.9 | 119.6 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 15.2 | 12.1 | 9.9 | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.1 | 6.8 | 14.0 | 63.3 |
Average relative humidity (%) | 66.0 | 61.3 | 58.0 | 50.9 | 51.0 | 56.2 | 58.3 | 58.9 | 60.7 | 61.5 | 68.9 | 71.3 | 60.2 |
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada [24] |
The St. Lawrence River is a large international river in the middle latitudes of North America connecting the Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Its waters flow in a northeasterly direction from Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, traversing Ontario and Quebec in Canada and New York in the United States. A section of the river demarcates the Canada–U.S. border.
The Island of Montreal is a large island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities, including most of the city of Montreal, and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main island of the Hochelaga Archipelago at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers.
Lake Saint-Louis is a lake in southwestern Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. The Saint Lawrence Seaway passes through the lake.
Quebec City, officially Québec, is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec. As of July 2021, the city had a population of 549,459, and the metropolitan area had a population of 839,311. It is the twelfth-largest city and the seventh-largest metropolitan area in Canada. It is also the second-largest city in the province, after Montreal. It has a humid continental climate with warm summers coupled with cold and snowy winters.
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour. It is part of the densely populated Quebec City–Windsor Corridor and is approximately halfway between Montreal and Quebec City. Trois-Rivières is the economic and cultural hub of the Mauricie region. The settlement was founded by French colonists on July 4, 1634, as the second permanent settlement in New France, after Quebec City in 1608.
Battleford is a town located across the North Saskatchewan River from the City of North Battleford, in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Sept-Îles is a city in the Côte-Nord region of eastern Quebec. Along with Brador and Blanc-Sablon, Sept-Îles is one of the oldest places in the province. The population was 24,569 as of the 2021 Canadian census. The town is called Uashat, meaning "bay" in Innu-aimun.
Located in the eastern part of Canada, and part of Central Canada, Quebec occupies a territory nearly three times the size of France or Texas. It is much closer to the size of Alaska. As is the case with Alaska, most of the land in Quebec is very sparsely populated. Its topography is very different from one region to another due to the varying composition of the ground, the climate, and the proximity to water. The Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Lowlands and the Appalachians are the two main topographic regions in southern Quebec, while the Canadian Shield occupies most of central and northern Quebec.
Pointe-Saint-Charles is a neighbourhood in the borough of Le Sud-Ouest in the city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Historically a working-class area, the creation of many new housing units, the recycling of industrial buildings into business incubators, lofts, and condos, the 2002 re-opening of the canal as a recreation and tourism area, the improvement of public spaces, and heritage enhancement have all helped transform the neighbourhood and attract new residents. Community groups continue to be pro-active in areas related to the fight against poverty and the improvement of living conditions.
Notre Dame Island is an artificial island in the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is immediately to the east of Saint Helen's Island and west of the Saint Lawrence Seaway and the city of Saint-Lambert on the south shore. Together with Saint Helen's Island, it makes up Parc Jean-Drapeau, which forms part of the Hochelaga Archipelago. To the southeast, the island is connected to the embankment separating the seaway and Lachine Rapids.
Havre-Saint-Pierre is a municipality located on the north shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, in Côte-Nord region, Minganie Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada.
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The city of Vancouver, located in British Columbia, Canada, has a temperate oceanic climate. Its summer months are typically dry and modestly warm, while the rest of the year is rainy, especially between October and March. The region has frequent cloudy and overcast skies during the late fall, winter, and spring.
Winnipeg lies at the bottom of the Red River Valley, a low-lying flood plain with an extremely flat topography. This valley was formed by the ancient glacial Lake Agassiz which has rich deposits of black soil. Winnipeg is on the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies in Western Canada; it is known as the 'Gateway to the West'. It is relatively close to many large Canadian Shield lakes and parks, as well as Lake Winnipeg. Winnipeg is bordered by tallgrass prairie to the west and south and the aspen parkland to the northeast.
Ontario is located in East/Central Canada. It is Canada's second largest province by land area. Its physical features vary greatly from the Mixedwood Plains in the southeast to the boreal forests and tundra in the north. Ontario borders Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay to the north, Quebec to the east, and the Great Lakes and the United States to the south. The province is named for Great Lake Ontario, an adaptation of the Iroquois word Onitariio, meaning "beautiful lake", or Kanadario, variously translated as "beautiful water". There are approximately 250,000 lakes and over 100,000 kilometres (62,000 mi) of rivers in the province.
Montreal is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest in Canada, and the tenth-largest in North America. Founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie, or "City of Mary", it is now named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill around which the early settlement was built. The city is centred on the Island of Montreal and a few much smaller peripheral islands, the largest of which is Île Bizard. The city is 196 km (122 mi) east of the national capital, Ottawa, and 258 km (160 mi) southwest of the provincial capital, Quebec City.
The geography of Prince Edward Island is mostly pastoral with red soil, white sand, and scattered communities. Known as the "Garden of the Gulf", the island is located in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence north of Nova Scotia and east of New Brunswick, with which it forms the Northumberland Strait.
Montreal has a developed transport infrastructure network, which includes well-developed air, road, rail, and maritime links to the rest of Canada, as well as the United States and the rest of the world. Local public transport includes a metro system, buses, ferry services and cycling infrastructure.
The Archipelago of Lake Saint Pierre counts 103 islands in the western part of Lake Saint Pierre, in the Canadian province of Quebec. There are two groups: Islands of Berthier to the north and the islands of Sorel to the south.
In late January 2019, a severe cold wave caused by a weakened jet stream around the Arctic polar vortex hit the Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada, killing at least 22 people. It came after a winter storm brought up to 13 inches (33 cm) of snow in some regions from January 27–29, and brought the coldest temperatures in over 20 years to most locations in the affected region, including some all-time record lows. In early February, a concentration of Arctic air colloquially referred to as the "polar vortex" moved west, and became locked over Western Canada and the Western United States. As a result, February 2019 was among the coldest and snowiest on record in these regions. In early March, the cold once again shifted east, breaking records in many areas. In mid-March, the cold wave finally retreated, but combined with above-average temperatures, precipitation, and a deep snowpack, widespread flooding ensued in the Central US.