How many Quebec-ers do we have in the house?!

[Scrappy McSlap 6]

Gogo and I were discussing Montreal (Quebec, actually) and it's fantastic qualities... we figured it would be a good idea to let everyone else share their opinions on this one.

 

I may have the opportunity to live there, some time in the near future (not sure where or when or if it's even for sure at this point). Anybody have any experience/stories about the province that they'd like to share? I love stories.

 

How diverse is the culture there? How's the food....? What's the "English speaking to French" speaking ratio like? Are there any crazy laws that no other province has (that kinda stuff always makes me chuckle...) Just some probing questions to get the brain juices flowing.

Edited July 18, 2010 by Scrappy McSlap

[gogoblender 3,078]

Hey Mike

 

Montreal!

 

Home

 

 

I'd never consider leaving this city, and in fact perhaps even this province. I'm a mostly allophone who can speak French ( Or so I say ) and so have found myself never feeling a lot of the frustrations that a lot of my English friends only have. It's funny you brought this up Scrappy, because just yesterday one of my friends was ranting on and on about how he wants to move to Ontario.. but I sketched out in a few words, the austere greys, the lack of french, the lack of FOOD... ^^

 

Cost of living in this city ... DIRT CHEAP. Jobs...well, if you know French you can pick...if you know a bit of french you can see a lot more options.

 

Apartment rent here is so government watched...yay for us tenants, poor landlords.

 

Let's not forget the Poutine!

 

 

gogo

[locolagarto 15]

Don't forget the reason most Canadians live within 100 miles of the US border.....It's freakin' COLD up there!

 

*hands warm blanket to friends of the great white north*

[gogoblender 3,078]

ha I'm gonna pass on the blankie though Loco... I'm just about all sweated out today... I'll have another of those beers I see with icey cold drops on top

 

 

gogo

[locolagarto 15]

ha I'm gonna pass on the blankie though Loco... I'm just about all sweated out today... I'll have another of those beers I see with icey cold drops on top

 

 

gogo

 

True, it's been unusually hot this summer, We'll be forgetting all about that in January when it's 10 below.

[gogoblender 3,078]

Actually cool is that one of the awesome stuffs about Montreal is that a lot of apartments have hot water and heat included in the Rent.

 

At the end of the month, we just have an electrical and Teksavvy bill to pay... they are THE BEST PROVIDERS IN THE WORLD.

 

 

gogo

[Scrappy McSlap 6]

You're selling me on this, gogo....... I do love me some poutine! Heh!

 

Yeah, locolagarto, you might want to pass up some raincoats too... it's been raining cats and dogs in the west here like mad. Nuts, I tell you.

[Schot 407]

I Montreal!

 

I grew up in Ontario and I'm so glad I left. The first thing I noticed about Montreal is how friendly it is. So much more inviting than the places I lived in Ontario and much more exciting. It's also surprisingly easy to get around with only English. In fact I haven't been able to pick up the French language much because I don't get enough exposure to French speaking folk. For the most part Montreal is Bilingual so even us Anglos can get around easily in the city.

I think there's an unwritten common courtesy to at least try to initiate conversation in French when asking for help from a stranger. Like directions and such. If your French is really terrible, like mine!, they'll probably ask(read as: beg.) you to speak in English and then they'll do their best to respond in English. Little tip there for those travelling in Quebec.

[FrostElfGuard 9]

As a visitor to Montreal, who mostly speaks English (but was trying to speak French when there)... I found Montreal to be a very welcoming and warm city.

 

I found myself in a different world. Montreal is Europe-light. That is, it is a European city inside North America. This means: a non-English language is prevalent, food in restaurants is exquisite (and expensive), the buildings are old (by North American standards). There is public transport (a subway, ---which only a handful of Canadian cities have {Toronto, Vancouver(?), Montreal).

 

I don't consider myself fat, but... in Montreal... I was fat! That is: as a European city in Canada, the customs are different. Different lifestyles (lots of people don't have cars--so walking is more common), (smaller portion sizes), (different approach to leisure time (more active))--all add up. Sure there's McDonalds (and all his cousins)--but a lot less than most N.A. cities (like 5%).

 

Friends tried to convince me to move there... but I balked when I heard that rent was $900 for a shared student type apartment (rent only)! That's $500 more a month than I pay--and I have everything included (heat, phone, water, electricity, high speed internet, laundry).

 

My friends there had bought their own condo, sold their car, and both had high salaries (one is a professor at one of the universities there). Double income, no children. And a taste for the high life (like $50 vegetarian suppers). We ate out everyday, and each day there was a different vegetarian restaurant... which gives you an idea of how varied the food is there... that there were that many high-end vegetarian restaurants--which implies lots of 'regular' restaurants too...

 

Wow. Montreal. A little piece of heaven, but just a bit too expensive for me!