Montreal

Montréal's Gay Village (in French called Le Village gai or simply Le Village) is located on  rue Sainte-Catherine Est, downtown, centred on Beaudry metro station, in the Ville-Marie borough of the city. The Village runs approximately from rue Berri to rue De Lorimier, a distance of nearly two kilometres, making it the largest in North America in terms of scope of the complete area.

Formerly a poor working-class neighbourhood, part of the Centre-South area of the city, the area was occupied by the gay and lesbian community after the huge expulsion of many gay businesses from an area closer to boulevard Saint-Layuent (or "The Main" as the locals call it). The area has been considerably brightened up, thanks in part to recent investment from the various levels of all governments.

Indeed, despite repression as late as the early 1990s, recent government support of "Le Village" has been significant. All three levels of government are aggressively promoting the Village, and with the accepting climate of Québec, and gay life in Montréal as a tourist attraction. In recognition of the Village's importance to the city, the borough of Ville-Marie recently hung a rainbow flag in its council chambers, and recently redecorated the entrance to the Métro Beaudry subway with rainbow pillars. The Village is specifically marked on official city maps as "Le Village".

Finally, the government lent their support in securing the Gay Games. The city later lost the right to hold the Games under that name because the Federation of Gay Games considered their plans too ambitious. Instead, Montréal Rendez-Vous 2006, the first edition of the  World Outgames, took place in Montréal, with the 2006 Gay Games moved to Chicago.

Gays and lesbians live all over the highly accepting city, so their residential density in the Village is only slightly higher than elsewhere. However, the Village contains a variety of shops and services targeting the community, and so serves as an entertainment and tourism centre rather than as a gay neighbourhood strictly speaking. A wide range of local media, radio and TV stations are located in the same area as the gay community.

The Village contains a wide variety of nightlife: bars and discotheques catering to all tastes (Montréal has more gay bars and discotheques than Paris, and as many as San Francisco or New York), including three very large entertainment complexes, one of which is the largest of its kind in the world. There are also a wide range of boutiques, restaurants, cafés, bed-and-breakfasts, and major chain-style hotels.

The Association des Commerçants et Professionels du Village (Village Businesspersons and Professionals Association) represents the businesspeople of the Village. The Centre communautaire des gais et lesbiennes de Montréal (Montréal Gay and Lesbian Community Centre) through the Mario-Racine, Foundation is currently planning on constructing an important community complex in the heart of the Village.

The city also contains a number of gay establishments outside of the Village area, particularly in areas that are historic gay neighbourhoods.