New Montrealers: 6 new arrivals tell their stories

Every year, thousands of people come to Montreal to make a new life.

This week, CBC Montreal's Daybreak profiled six people who recently settled in the city as part of its "New Montrealers" series.

The series showcased people from around the world,from Iran to Texas to Australia.

Below, each of them explain why theychose to move to Montreal.

Click on their names for their full stories.

Omar Chouiekh, Morocco

Montreal for me is the best place in Canada for many reasons. The first and most important is that Montreal is bilingual. It represents me as a person who grew up in an Arab/French speaking environment and who gives much admiration to English as a global language that connects all humans on Earth.

Chris Binagana, Burundi

I had family in Montreal so when it became dangerous for me to stay in my country, I came to Montreal.

Victoria Montalvo, Texas

I had planned on moving out of Texas after graduating from college...the question was where! I wanted something a lot like Austin lots of events and concerts and festivals, good public transportation, but I also wanted to know somebody who lived there and some place affordable.

Zac Brandstater and Cait Brandstater, Australia

Zac:We didn't have any concrete plans to move to Montreal, but we did have friends here and a small inkling that it might happen. When we arrived, we liked the city so much that we'd found an apartment and signed a lease within twoweeks.

Cait:I'd always wanted to visit Canada and so when we were planning our move it made sense to come here. It certainly helped that the cost of living is so cheap, too.

Mohammad Esmail Bitarafan, Iran

I have some of my friends living here in Montreal, which is the biggest reason of mecoming here. Besides, searching through theinternet and talking to my friends, I found thathere is livelier and less hectic in comparison to Toronto or Vancouver