I moved over to Montreal from London in 2004 to discover that, three evenings later it was already -10.

It took me some months and, having now lived in three quite different parts of the Île, I would rather be here now than in London. The pace is slower, you don't chase your tail so much, but there is still enough to do that you would not find anywhere outside of only a handful of British cities. Here, you have great cuisine and stretches
of restaurants, people are accommodating and informal and the city is geared up for the people who live here. The streets are cleaned twice a week outside of winter; the parks are there to be enjoyed, the swimming pools are usually free - so too are the ice rinks. It's a great place to bring up your children (my son is one).

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The Montréal Canadiens are ice hockey's most storied team - they hold the NHL record for most Stanley Cup wins, have the NHL's largest arena (the Bell Centre, right in the middle of town) and some of its most passionate fans - especially fervent because of their famous team's unique status as the only Francophone hockey club in the otherwise Anglophone league. The Canadiens haven't won the lot for a while now, but the franchise's size and support base still means every home game is a sell-out and an occasion in and of itself.

Going to see a game offers a glimpse into a genuine Montréal and Canadian obsession. The streets around the Bell Centre fill with families dressed in Habs' (the team nickname) gear and thousands more Québecois tune into the games in sports bars and restaurants. It's also exciting - games are fast-moving and often full of incidental violence, which gets the crowd going just as much as goals and great saves.

As you'd expect from North American sports, it's a fairly family-oriented affair. Don't expect a UK football-style "atmosphere" and do anticipate lots of national anthems, audience participation and glitzy advertising on the big screens and scrolling hoardings that ring the rink.

Games against old rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins are especially tense.

The length of the hockey season and the sheer number and frequency of games means finding a game while you're in town and getting a ticket or several shouldn't be too difficult, despite the team's popularity.

Those who like to organise things in advance can check the schedule and buy tickets online at the Canadiens website: www.canadiens.com/eng/index.cfm
Alternatively, ticket agencies and posh hotels in Montréal itself can almost always help you out closer to game-time.

The Bell Centre has its own website, with details of its location and amenities: www.centrebell.ca/eng/arena/index.cfm

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A rendezvous that's been going on for years and still feels totally impromptu: every Sunday, a bunch of musicians (mainly drummers, and the odd saxophonist) gathers around the Etienne Cartier statue in the beautiful Parc du Mont Royal and entertains a happy crowd of young and old hippies. Informal and really uplifting. In the winter you can enjoy a full range of seasonal activities - hockey, lovely walks and cross country ski trails that are easy, have great views and are open all evening.

Parc du Mont Royal - www.lemontroyal.qc.ca/en_index2.html

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