Change in the Labour Force, Employment and Unemployment, Montreal CMA, 1996-2008 Source : Statistics Canada * Seasonally adjusted data for July 2008 (three-month moving averages).

• In 2007, there were 1.9 million jobs in the Montreal region. In terms of annual employment growth rates, Montreal (at 2.5%) exceeded the national average (2.3%), for the first time in 20 years. It ranked first among the five largest metropolitan areas in Northeastern North America, ahead of Boston, Washington, Philadelphia and New York.1 2 3

• Montreal has sustained this rapid employment growth for several years. Thanks to a job creation rate of 23.1% over 10 years (1997 to 2007), the region is fourth among the 20 largest metropolitan areas of North America.1 2

• Real GDP per worker in Greater Montreal in 2007 was $69,427* higher than the level for all of Quebec ($68,571) but lower than Canada’s GDP ($77,688).4
  
  *In 2002 dollars

• In 2007, 18.4% of the region’s workers had a part-time job. This proportion has remained stable for about a decade and is close to the provincial average. It is interesting to note that 6.4% of those who work on a part-time basis are not doing so by choice.5

• In 2006, the unemployment rate of technical studies graduates (college level) was only 3.9%, well below the average rate for all Montrealers. Among vocational studies graduates (secondary school level), however, the unemployment rate was higher at 13.2%.6

• In 2007, 21.6% of residents aged 15 and over had not completed high school, a considerable improvement over the 38.9% recorded in 1990. Greater Montreal’s rate was better than the proportion for Quebec as a whole (25.4%), and close to the Canadian average (22.2%).

Proportion of Residents Who Did Not Complete High School, by Age Group, 2006 Source : Statistics Canada

• The proportion of the region’s residents who have completed post-secondary education has risen continuously in recent decades, from 34.3% in 1990 to 55.3% in 2007. 1

• •In 2006, 15% of those aged between 25 and 64 in Greater Montreal had a diploma of vocational studies (DVS). This was the highest proportion in Quebec. 2

• In 2006, approximately 80% of new graduates of vocational and technical studies on the island worked in a field related to their training. A DVS (secondary school level) gives access to occupations such as welder, mechanic and plumber, while technical training (college level) opens the door to careers in the police force, in dental hygiene, in childcare services, etc. 3

• In 2006, the region welcomed 28,000 school-aged immigrants, onethird of whom spoke French at home as their first language. About one in ten students (aged 5 to 16 years) was born abroad and one in twenty was a recent immigrant (i.e., had arrived in Canada no more than five years ago). 4

Sources:
1 Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey by special request, program A050705.
2 Statistics Canada, Educational Portrait of Canada, 2006 Census. Cat. No. 97-560-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2008.
3 Ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport, “Rapport d’enquête La relance au secondaire en formation professionnelle, 2006.
La situation d’emploi des personnes diplômées. Secteur de l’information, des communications et de l’administration.” Banque de données des statistiques officielles sur le Québec, Direction de la recherche, des statistiques et des indicateurs, 2007.
4 T. Chui, K. Tran, and H. Maheux, Immigration in Canada: A Portrait of the Foreign-born Population. 2006 Census. Cat.
No. 97-557-XIE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2007.

• The utilization rate of public transit rose by 1.5% in 2006. At the
  same time, there were more than 26 million trips in restricted lanes,
  and the utilization rate of park-and-ride facilities grew by 4% to reach 75%. 1

• Between 1996 and 2006, there was a slight reduction from 72.2% to 70.4% in the proportion of commuters who used their vehicles to go to work in the region. However, the rate has remained virtually unchanged since 2001 (when it was 70.6%). 2

• While the proportion of workers using public transit to go to work has increased in the past 10 years, rising from 20.2% in 1996 to 21.4% in 2006, it has barely changed since 2001, when it was 21.6%. In this regard, Greater Montreal ranked second among Canadian cities, behind Toronto (22.2%) and ahead of Ottawa (19.4%). 2

Proportion of People Who Walk to Work, 1996 and 2006 Source : Statistics Canada

• Between 2001 and 2006, there was a substantial increase – from 29.5% to 32.9% – in the proportion of workers aged 25 to 34 in the region who used alternative transportation methods [walking, bicycle, public transit]. For all other age groups, however, in particular among those aged 65 years and over, this proportion declined. 2

• In 2006, the number of trips on the suburban train network increased by 3.2%, placing the region in sixth place in North America, behind New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto. 1 2

Proportion of People Who Use Their Bicycle To Go To Work, 1996 and 2006 Source : Statistics Canada

• In four years – from 1999-2002 to 2003-2006 – the annual consumption of gas increased by 6.5%, due, among other things, to an increase of 6% (+51,317 vehicles) in the number of registered motor vehicles on the island. 3
  

On the move to school!, a program, launched in 2005-2006 by Vélo Québec in cooperation with the Canadian organization, Go for Green, encourages children to make active transportation a daily habit and, at the same time, seeks to reduce car traffic near schools. The program was implemented in six regions of the province in 2007, reaching more than 12,000 pupils in about 30 schools, including 11 schools under the Commission scolaire de Montreal. In addition to encouraging the adoption of active transportation by children, the program initiates the students and their parents to the rules that must guide cycling and walking in an urban environment, helps in the identification of hazards around schools and their neighbouring streets, encourages schools to install bicycle stands, etc.4 5

Source :
1 Agence métropolitaine de transport, Rapport d’activités 2006. Montreal: AMT, 2007.
2 Statistics Canada. Commuting Patterns and Places of Work of Canadians. 2006 Census. Cat. No. 97-561-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2008.
3 Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal, in cooperation with the city of Montréal, Indicateurs de l’état de l’environnement. Bilan pour la période 2003-2006. Montreal, 2008.
4 Transport Canada, On the move to school! Case study on sustainable transportation, Vélo Québec, 2005.
Transport Canada and Urban Transportation Showcase Program, 2006
5 Vélo Québec and Accès transports viables and Programme de promotion des déplacements actifs en milieu scolaire, 2006.

• In 2007, the rate of criminal violations of the highway code was 350 per 100,000 residents, a 56% reduction relative to 1991, when the rate was 793 violations per 100,000 residents. The region is in a favourable position in that regard, as its rate of violations is lower than the averages for Canada (400 per 100,000) and Quebec (461 per 100,000). 1

• Between 2005 and 2006, the rate of spousal violence on the island declined from 400 per 100,000 residents to 343 per 100,000. This downward trend has been observed since 2001. 2

• In 2007, the number of sexual assaults on the island declined from 1,694 to 1,320, the second consecutive annual reduction. Thanks to this 22.1% reduction, Montreal had its lowest level of sexual assaults of the last 10 years. 3

• Also in 2007, the rate of hate crimes in Greater Montreal was lower than the national average and the rates in other major Canadian cities. Hate crimes are criminal offences that target an identifiable group (based on race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.). They are unique in that they affect not only the victim but an entire community. It is interesting to note that, nationally, 38% of the perpetrators in 2006 were between 12 and 17 years old. According to the data for 2005, the victims of hate crimes were also mainly found in the 12-to-24 age group. 4

• In 2003, 12% of Grade 4 students on the island said they had been the victims of bullying and 16% said they had been the targets of intimidation. Thus it is not surprising that 32% of these students (40% among girls) stated they were afraid of being victimized on their way to school. This feeling of insecurity diminished with age, but it remained significant: one in four Grade 6 students said they were fearful on their way to school 5
  
  
• In terms of personal safety, in 2004, 94% of Greater Montreal residents felt generally satisfied. This widely shared sense of satisfaction can also be found throughout Canada as well as in other metropolitan areas such as Toronto (93 %), Calgary (96 %) and Vancouver (90 %). 6

Source :
1 Statistics Canada, Table 252-0013, Cansim series.
2 Sécurité publique Québec, Statistiques 2006 sur la criminalité commise dans un dans un contexte de violence conjugale.
Quebec, 2007.
3 Service de police de la Ville de Montréal,
   Additional information and statistical data 2007, Statistical data – 2007 Annual Review. Montreal, 2008.
4 Statistics Canada, “Hate Crime in Canada,” based on data from the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, the Universal Crime Reporting (UCR 2.2) Survey and the Hate Crime Supplemental Survey.
5 Direction de santé publique Montréal, Objectif jeunes : comprendre, soutenir. Rapport annuel 2004-2005 sur la santé de la population montréalaise. Agence de développement de réseaux locaux de services de santé et de services sociaux, 2005.)
5 Statistique Canada, Enquête sociale générale sur la victimisation, cycle 18 : la sécurité personnelle et les perceptions du système de justice pénale dans les territoires, 2004.

Proportion (%) of Households Conserving Energy or Water in 2006 Source : Statistics Canada

• Greater Montreal experienced only four days of poor air quality in 2006, down from 17 days in 2005. Since 2001, the annual average has been 11 days. 3

• Plant cover in the area encompassed by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM) dropped by 18% between 1998 and 2005, equivalent to 310 hectares. Whereas woodlands represented 25 % of the CMM area in 1965, that proportion had declined to 15% by 2005. On an annual basis, this is equivalent to the loss of 7 km2 of woodlands every year. 4

• The loss of wooded areas leads to the development of urban heat islands, where summer temperatures are higher than those of immediate surrounding areas by between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius. The Saint-Laurent and Anjou industrial parks, as well as the Plateau Mont-Royal and large shopping centres, are all especially affected by this phenomenon, with temperature differentials sometimes reaching 17 degrees. 4 5

• The three Canadian urban regions that used the least amount of pesticides in 2005 were Saguenay (12%), Montreal (14%) and Sherbrooke (15%), thanks to the legislation in place in Quebec. In areas where similar legislation does not exist, close to one household in two uses pesticides – for example, in Winnipeg (47%), Regina (46%) and Saskatoon (46%). 6

• On the island, 16.1% of children between the ages of 6 months and 12 years suffer from allergic reactions associated with ragweed. The prevalence of these allergic reactions is proportional to the degree of exposure within a radius of less than 1 kilometre. It varies by some 6% across the island of Montreal, with the east end and west end zones being most affected. 7

• A Brundtland Green School (BGS) is a school where people think globally and act locally, where thinking, teaching and actions are based on values that are fundamental to the development of a society that is more environmentally friendly, peaceful, united and democratic. Fifteen years ago, two schools on the island of Montreal were granted a BGS certificate. Today, more than 1,100 establishments are taking part in the movement, most of them schools, including 167 on the island. In recent years, BGSs have extended their awareness campaign on sustainable development to daycare centres and to the health care sector. 8 9

Source :
1 Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, “Les opinions et les habitudes des citoyens du Grand Montréal à l’égard des 3RVs.”
Perspective Grand Montréal, Vol. 2, No. 2, March 2008.
2 Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, "La gestion des matières résiduelles. Un défi prioritaire pour la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal." Mémoire présenté à la Commission des transports et de l’environnement de l’Assemblée nationale du Québec. Montreal, 2008.
3 Environment Canada, data obtained by special request.
4 Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal and Conseil régional de l’environnement de Laval, “Colloque Montréalais sur l’état du couvert végétal et les îlots de chaleur urbains.” Press release, February 19, 2008.
5 M. R. Sauvé, “Montréal se réchauffe dangereusement!” Forum, March 10, 2008.
6 Statistics Canada, Households and the Environment. Cat. No. 11-526-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2008.
7 L. Jacques, S. Goudreau, C. Plante and R. Thivierge, “Prévalence des manifestations allergiques associées à l’herbe à poux chez les jeunes Montréalais.” Montreal: Direction de santé publique, Agence de la santé et des services sociaux, forthcoming (2008).
8 Website of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec, section devoted to the EVB (BGS.).
9 Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal, in cooperation with the city of Montréal, Indicateurs de l’état de l’environnement. Bilan pour la période 2003-2006. Montreal, 2008.

• In 2006, more than 1,400 stage
  performances were aimed at Quebec
  youth. Attendance was highest on the
  island of Montreal, where more than
  half of children below the age of 15 attended
  at least one performance that year. 1

• The “Culture in the Schools” Program, established in 2004, encourages the development of cultural activities in order to provide students with multiple opportunities to experience culture in its many forms. In 2005-2006, more than 400 projects were completed across the island, 80% of them by children at the pre-school and elementary levels of the public system. 2 3

• On average, 10% of those who visit Montreal’s 64 museums are students at the elementary and secondary school levels. In 2007, two-thirds of them (68.6%) were children enrolled in elementary schools. 4

• In 2005, there were 561 performances by professional dance companies on the island, with attendance averaging 70%. That number represented 78% of all performances given across the province. Three of every four recipients of grants from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec lived on the island, which was also home to 22 production companies averaging 20 years’ experience. 5

Proportion of the Population Attending a Concert or an Artistic Performance, 1998 and 2005 source : Statistics Canada

• In 2005, Greater Montreal was first (32.8%) among major cities with respect to the attendance of cultural festivals, followed by Ottawa (30.8%) and Victoria (29.8%), Toronto (25.2%) and Vancouver (20.5%). 6

• In 2005, the median family income of immigrants living in Greater Montreal ($49,257) was significantly lower than that of non-immigrants ($68,430), and it had been declining since 2000 ($50,733*). A similar situation was found in other major Canadian cities. The smaller differential seen at the national level ($67,874 vs $62,842) suggests that the situation is quite different in smaller communities. 1
  
  * In 2005 dollars

• In 2004-2005, new immigrants were more likely to start a new business than were Canadian-born residents, especially in Montreal (10.5% vs 7.9%). However, there were fewer immigrants than Canadian-born heading established businesses (in existence for 42 months or more). 2
  

• Between 2001 and 2006, the percentage of allophones in Greater Montreal rose from 19% to 21.8%. The allophone linguistic groups most responsible for this growth were those who speak Arabic, Spanish and Chinese. 3

• In 2006, 90.2% of Quebec’s visible minorities lived in Greater Montreal. They accounted for 16.5% of the region’s population, a proportion that has been rising in the past 10 years (from 12.2% in 1996 and 13.5% in 2001). In Canada overall, visible minorities represent 11.6% of the population. These proportions are greater in Toronto (42.9%) and Vancouver (17.3%). 4

• In 2006, the majority of same-sex couples in Canada lived in the three largest urban regions: Toronto (21.2%), Montreal (18.4%) and Vancouver (10.3%). In Montreal, only 10.5% of same-sex couples were married, a proportion that was lower than the Canadian average (16.5%) and than the proportions in Toronto (24.8%) and Vancouver (18.9%). According to Statistics Canada, this situation is due to the greater propensity of all couples in Quebec to choose common-law unions over marriage. 5

Source :
1 Statistics Canada, Census 2006, Topic-Based Tabulations. Cat. No. 97-563-XWE2006021. 2008.
2 Nathaly Riverin, L’entrepreneuriat à Montréal. Cahier de recherche 2006-17, Chaire d’entrepreneuriat Rogers-J.-A.-Bombardier. Montreal: HEC Montréal, 2006.)
3 Statistics Canada, The Evolving Linguistic Portrait, 2006 Census. Cat. No. 97-555-XWE2006001. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2007.
4 Statistics Canada, Canada’s Ethnocultural Mosaic, 2006 Census. Cat. No. 97-562-X. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2008.
5 A. Milan, M. Vézina, and C. Wells, Family Portrait: Continuity and Change in Canadian Families and Households in 2006. 2006 Census. Cat. 97-553-XWE. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2007.