Salvation through Harmony in Montreal

“Salvation through Harmony” is Montreal’s motto and appears on the city’s coat of arms intended to illustrate that different communities have co-existed in harmony for nearly 400 years: a fleur de lis for the French, a rose for the English, a thistle for the Scots, a shamrock for the Irish, and a beaver for the Canadians.

First, the Amerindians and the French coexisted – then the British, the Scottish, the Irish, the East Europeans, Italians, Greeks and now people from every continent … and today the Montreal School Board welcomes children born in 188 different countries. Talk about interoperability!

History, music, food, architecture, universities, churches, museums, islands, water, shopping … Montreal has it all. Despite the cold and the snow and the ice and the slush in early January, the city has a palpable vibe of fun and friendliness. It is extremely accessible – and if you don’t mind bundling up in winter – it’s a great place for walking.

By the way, the 31st Festival International de Jazz de Montréal will take place June 25 to July 6, 2010. The festival will be a carbon-neutral event through the help of Rio Tinto Alcan.

Check it out! Here’s a great clip from the 2007 festival: