Quebec , as far as I know, has the lowest university tuition fees and one of the lowest costs of living. There are 4 universities in Montreal- 2 french ( l'Universite de Montreal -my alma mater- and Universite de Quebec a Montreal)- which I doubt your friend would attend...and then there are 2 english speaking universities. Personally speaking, I attended McGill University which has a diverse international student population where I think your friend would feel more at ease. In addition, McGill University is often called the "Harvard of the North" and is internationally reknown for its faculties of medicine, law and for medical research. It has produced one of the highest number of Rhodes scholars then the other Canadian universities
( if that means anything to your friend) Anyone who is in academia in the US knows McGill's reputation (here I go sounding all snobby but it is true). One of the greatest programs offered in the faculty of science at McGill is the "microbiology & immunology" program (which I studied) and I think it is an EXCELLENT foundation not only because it is an absolutely fascinating field but it is also good for those interested in either entering research/medicine/dentistry.
McGill's reputation has been slipping in the past few years and some studies, notably, the infamous MacClean magazine's annual review of universities, has been rating the University of Toronto as the best university for those interested in any health related field. But lately, McGill's alumni foundation is pretty strong and aggressive so there has been a lot of money being poured into the construction of new facilities which have all started after I graduated, such as the Wong Materials Sciences building ( for chemical engineering and other engineering programs), the Trottier Building ( a new biotech building), the The Montreal Genomics and Proteomics Centre and Jamson T.N. Wong Laboratories for Bone and Periodontal Research (MGPC),Nahum Gelber Law Library...and that's of the few that I know of.
But don't assume that reputation is everything. I know someone who completed a B.Sc at Concordia, did his DDS at McGill ( where he graduated top of his class with numerous awards) and went onto oral surgery in the US where he also achieved numerous awards.
Montreal is a great party town- it's Canada's equivalent to NYC but without the guns and without the large population. There are so many great restaurants, cafes, festivals in the summer, and more. And it is extremely safe to walk in the downtown area- there are always pedestrians out at night.
In summary, I think, what really matters is what the student makes of him/herself in whichever university he/she chooses. I personally have fond memories of my McGill experience.
Anyhow, hope that helps.
