. >> founded along the banks of the saint lawrence river in 1642, montreal has grown to become the largest city in the french-speaking province of quebec and the second largest city in canada. for 26 miles along the saint lawrence river, from old montreal to beyond mount royal, there are numerous neighborhoods, cultures, and attractions. join me on my montreal, quebec, canada, adventure. like most visits to montreal, mine begins in old montreal, where my guide nathalie takes me to the place d'youville, where the 1893 obelisk honors the first settlers and the original site of the mission ville-marie. so this spot is where it all began, where montreal began. >> it is. actually, ville-marie, the name of the first settlement, it started here in 1642. you've got the saint lawrence river right ahead of us. so it created a v-shaped piece of land, very convenient, surrounded by fresh water. so they thought, "hey, it's the perfect place. let's call it home." the first purpose, and i quote here, was "to convert the savages of the new world" to catholicism. so this was a religion-based settlement. >>