Montréal is considered the cultural and economic capital of Québec. It is a beautiful city located on an island in the Saint Lawrence River. The island was originally inhabited by the Iroquois until 1535, when a French explorer named Jacques Cartier arrived in the island. One of Montréal's bridges now holds the name of Jacques Cartier in memory of this explorer. Montréal has a small mountain that was named "Mont-Royal" by Jacques Cartier and hence the name of the city, which was originally called Ville Marie. Ville Marie is now a borough in the centre of the city. There is still today one tunnel called Ville Marie and one metro station called Villa Maria.

Attractions occuring in the summer include the Montréal Jazz Festival and several other festivals, including the World Film Festival (for more information, see http://www.montreal.com/tourism/festivals/index.html). Montréal has many museums, including the Fine Arts Museum, the Contemporary Arts Museum, the Science Centre, and the Museum of Archaeology and History.

Tour Program for ACC 2012 Attendees

Several tours of Montréal and the region have been designed by VDM Global for conference participants. Tours are planned for all days of the conference and a post-conference tour is also available. Tickets can be purchased online. The conference organizers and sponsors are not responsible for the tour program.

Local Restaurants

VDM Global has prepared a summary of nearby restaurants, available here. Tourisme Montréal also has provided a list of restaurants, available here. Several restaurants are also located in the underground mall beneath the hotel.

More Information on Montréal

See the Toursime Montréal microsite for ACC 2012 for more on the city and for things to do and see during the conference.