I received
these 2 postcards from my dearest pen pal from Canada. She is my first penfriend
from that country. I hope we will stay friends for many many years J
Canada is on my list of country which I
would like to visit before I'll die J
Montreal is the largest city in the province
of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America. Originally called Ville-Marie, or “City of
Mary”, the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill
located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island
on which the city is located, or Mont Réal as it was spelled in Middle
French, (Mont Royal in present French).
The city is
consistently rated as one of the world's most livable cities, was called “Canada's
Cultural Capital” by Monocle Magazine and recently was named a UNESCO City of
Design. Though historically the commercial capital of Canada, it was surpassed in population, as well
as economic strength, by Toronto after
1976. Today it continues as an important centre of commerce, aerospace, finance, pharmaceuticals, technology, design, culture, tourism,
film and world affairs.
Montreal is located in the southwest of the province of Quebec.
The city proper covers most of the Island
of Montreal 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. 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, topped at 232 m above
sea level.
Montreal is at the centre of the Montreal Metropolitan Community, and is
bordered by the city of Laval to the north, Longueuil, Saint-Lambert, Brossard, and other municipalities 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 (from wikipedia)
Saint
Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, (French: Oratoire Saint-Joseph du
Mont-Royal), is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national
shrine on the west slope of Mount Royal in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
St. Joseph's Oratory is a great basilica with a giant copper dome built in
honor of St. Joseph, patron saint of Canada. The massive
edifice, high on the slopes of Mount Royale in Quebec,
belies its simple origins as the dream of a humble lay brother named Brother
André. Pilgrims still come from all over North America
to pray for healing at the shrine of Fr. André, who was canonized a saint in
2010.
At 263 m (863 ft.), the shrine of St. Joseph is the highest
point in Montréal. Its dome is second in size only to St. Peter's Basilica in
Rome.
The
basilica is largely Italian Renaissance in style, its dome recalling
the shape of the Duomo in Florence,
but of much greater size and somewhat less grace. Inside are outstanding
sculptures, stained glass (depicting 10 scenes from Canadian religious history)
and other artworks.
Liturgical music
and concerts are provided by a great organ (with 5,811 pipes), a carillion
in 56 bells in their own building, and a choir school.
Also inside
is a museum dedicated to Saint André, where a central exhibit is hisembalmed
heart. The heart was stolen in 1972 but recovered two years later.
Outside, a Way
of the Cross lined with sculptures was the setting of scenes for the film Jesus
of Montréal. Brother André's wooden chapel, with his tiny bedroom, is on
the grounds and open to the public.
Pilgrims,
some ill, come to seek intercession from St.
Joseph and St. André and often climb the middle set of 100
steps on their knees (http://www.sacred-destinations.com)
