ABSTRACT
The city of Montreal is the largest of twenty-eight towns located on the island bearing the same name, in the province of Quebec, Canada. The foundation and initial growth of Montreal were closely associated with its strategic location on the St. Lawrence River, at its imperfect confluence with the Ottawa and Richelieu rivers; the first providing access into the fur-rich interior while the latter led to the British colonies of New England. On the island, and (largely) within the limits of the modern city, Mount Royal rises about 230 metres above the surrounding plain.
