Montreal is a gathering place for all the nations of the world. When French explorer Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River in 1535 and met with natives of Hochelaga, he was impressed by a mountain nearby, which he named Mount Royal. Over a hundred years later, in 1642 French Catholics founded a mission post in the area, and called it Ville-Marie (City of Mary). This village eventually became more associated and assumed the name Montreal. Surrounded by rivers, Montreal is an island city, connected to mainland by bridges and tunnels. This gives Montreal some unique qualities.

Montreal is often called the “Paris of North America” because of its European charm and French culture, and it’s also said to be the second-largest French speaking city next to Paris. Services at the small church in Montreal are generally bilingual, including the singing.

The Montreal CPS Boys unit started in 1990 with houseparents and two boys. This is still the current size of the unit, likely to be expanded in the future. The boys make their way to their jobs on buses and the Metro and sometimes by bicycle. Here are a few of their projects:

Welcome Hall Mission – Two mornings a week at the food bank helping with the distribution of food to families in need.

Welcome Collective – Two days a week with this organization going out on furniture deliveries for refugees all over the city.

Entraide Benevole Metro – One afternoon a week doing friendly visits with several elderly people in the city who still live at home; each boy has two clients.

Metro Singing –Booking a singing spot in the metro system and singing every Friday evening with the houseparents, missionaries, and the nearby youth groups who take turns participating.

The boys also spend an afternoon each week at a Habitat for Humanity store, and one evening a week serving supper at a soup kitchen downtown. An evening per week of French study at home is incorporated into the schedule.