I'm personally a fan of cold weather, snow and all. If that's the case then I'm sure I'll like university in North America.
To be honest, I think you should go to McGill only for postgraduate study instead of as an undergraduate student, unless if your family is going to move and live in Québec or if you already have Canadian citizenship. I reckon you should go to McGill as an exchange student first whilst in undergrad. and see what it's like. If you like it there then apply for postgraduate study there when you have the money (you will need a lot of money), maturity, and independence to look after yourself. Being an international student is very expensive and difficult, especially if you are an undergraduate and not even 20 yet. You have to pay full fees upfront and pay for accommodation, sustenance, and equipment. You're probably talking up to at the very least $35 000 a year to be an international student, so technically you're going to be paying a minimum of $140 000 for a piece of paper when you graduate, if you graduate. Is all that money really worth a Bachelor's degree? Also, if you want to go on exchange you need at least $20 000 in your bank account before whichever uni you are studying at here in Australia will let you go. The plus side is that your tuition fees will be covered by HECS if you choose to go on exchange though. I haven't actually been to NA, but I did have a pen pal who lives in Montréal. From what I read from her emails to me, this is what I can infer about Montréal and its pros and cons in regards to Québécois culture (I haven't been to McGill so I can't tell you the pros or cons of going to study there).
Pros-
1). French Canadian women are generally very attractive.
2). It's a multicultural place. Actually, it's more multicultural than Australia.
3). La poutine.
4). You'll be taught in English (you probably already know this).
5). There is a lot history there and buildings from the French colonial area. Québéc city is full of historical buildings where the capital of New France used to quartered before the British took over after their victory in the Seven Years War. It'll be a once in a lifetime experience.
Cons-
1). It will be very expensive being an international student and you will be away from your family. You will have to take care of yourself. Remember that unis are businesses first and learning institutions second.
2). You'll probably need to know some Québécois French to get around Montréal. Not all French Canadians speak English fluently (my pen pal didn't, which is why I corresponded with her as she wanted to learn English and I French), though a fair few do. Québécois French is quite different to the French spoken in Western Europe and NW Africa, especially in regards to pronunciation and some vocabulary. There are French people who do not understand Québécois French at all. Have a watch at how Québécois French is spoken in the following video.
[youtube]5lB-AX8_lSA[/youtube]
3). You will have to acclimatise yourself to a new culture. Generally, Canadians really like donuts and ice hockey, and can smoke marijuana legally, and the French Canadians are the biggest smokers and gamblers in the whole country.
4). As already stated, it's cold in winter. Really cold. The frosty wind can get as cold as minus 20 degrees Celsius.
5). There are no beaches. There is an artificial one though.
Finally, always remember that in life the idea will always be more pleasant than the reality. I'm not suggesting that you drop this, I'm just suggesting that you think thoroughly about it first, try to talk to people who are in the know about studying overseas as an international student, and mature a bit before making the decision. Don't make decisions when you're still unworldly (sorry if you're not unworldly and quite mature, it's just that many people your age are unworldly, no offence). Take things one step at a time as you don't know what will happen in the future. Plans always go to s h i t, but it's always best to know as much as possible before sticking to one. So, I recommend you earn a place at uni here first; study here for your Bachelor as it will be much cheaper and less worrying for you here than at McGill (you don't even know if you will earn your degree in the end, you might end up hating uni--most people do, then again you might really like it); study real hard and get your WAM up there to compete for a spot at McGill (it's very competitive since few spots are available); go there; come back and finish your degree; and if you liked McGill, apply for postgraduate study there and maybe live at Montréal if you really like it. However, you can disregard what I have typed and go and study there as an international student if you like. I'm not forcing you to do anything. It's your life in the end, so do what makes you happy.
Here are some sites that might help you in your endeavour to study at McGill-
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/mcgill-university/
http://www.univforum.com/canadian-universities/viewforum.php?f=1&topicdays=0&start=0
http://www.unigo.com/mcgill_university/
I wish you all the best, mate.
