Boardsies in Quebec?

Crann na Beatha

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sillisome fiend

Phoenix wrote: »

Any boardsies take the plunge and headed to Quebec?

Myself and two friends will be moving to Montreal in February. I'm a bit apprehensive because of my lack of French. I've done a beginners course and one of my friends going has a degree in French so will also be helping me. Are you there yourself or considering it?

I have spoken to a few Irish who have been there and they say its an amazing city!

Not sure I would live in Quebec city though with little French.

vicquebec

I am Nigerian born, moved from Ireland with my wife to Quebec(city) last December. Its an absolutely fabulous city(seriously you won't want to return to Ireland)where do I start? natural beauty, great weather, standard of living, facilities?. I was lucky enough to find a great job with a Health IT company within less than two months of arriving having no French! Don't go by this though, as I'm sure my experience is not the norm! You will NEED french to really settle.. most people have a little English but will not speak it unless they have to, you will be expected to make an attempt to speak French..

As for Montreal.. Great city, but after you visit Quebec city, you will realize the difference. Let me know if you have any questions! I will try to assist..

p.s. why do so many Irish talk about Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary etc when thinking of Canada? After Alberta(due to the oil), Quebec is the most economically advanced province in Canada, then there is the beauty and low-population density of New foundland, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.. There is so much variety not just the west!!

CatFromHue

I'd imagine that Irish people don't talk about/consider going to French Canada is the language barrier. As you say yourself you will need French so if you don't have any it kind of rules it out.

For the smaller places you mentioned it could be the worry about not finding work which could rule them out.

vicquebec

Yes, those are good points. You can get a way with just english on the west Island of Montreal, Its just that there has been some tension recently with the French speaking part.. They love their French in Quebec!

seanynova

Quebec province is very nice, ive been to Montreal (and its surrounding areas) many times and Quebec city once.....the cities are good, very attractive, with 'old towm' elements to them, many streets are tree lined, lots of historical restored buildings, like city halls, churches etc. ive never had too much problem with the french language in montreal but i speak a little but usually people switch to english after i have made my attempt, they obviously know im not a natural french speaker.
im not sure the economy is all that good mind you, apparantly its gone downhill a lot over the last 20-30years with the seperatists, which could be from a banking, financial, comercial point of view and it does have very strong industrial sectors.

well worth a try for any irish going to canada!

Xiney

I lived in Montreal for four years and I would highly recommend it - the quality of life is superb.

French is a very good thing to have (some would say it's compulsory) but it depends a lot on what kind of job you intend on getting. A bit more information there might lead to better advice.


Pros: nightlife with no comparison elsewhere in Canada, joie de vivre, beautiful architecture, shopping, parks, great public transportation, lower cost of living than Toronto/Vancouver, FOOD

Cons: highest taxes in Canada, worst roads, longest waits for healthcare, I've heard from friends who live there now that there's an air of un-ease about the anglo communities, professional jobs maybe hard to come by without a) French or b) University (McGill or Concordia) network

ician

I'm in Montreal! Been here a year and a half now. I came here with no French but I wouldn't recommend doing that to be honest. Finding a job can be difficult without French, depending on which sector you are planning on working in. Law 101 says that Quebecers have the right to work in French so english speaking work environments are not that common. If you can afford it take some intensive french classes when you arrive!

Del007

ician wrote: »

I'm in Montreal! Been here a year and a half now. I came here with no French but I wouldn't recommend doing that to be honest. Finding a job can be difficult without French, depending on which sector you are planning on working in. Law 101 says that Quebecers have the right to work in French so english speaking work environments are not that common. If you can afford it take some intensive french classes when you arrive!

What are you working at over there?

montreal2011

Moi, bien sûr! Montreal is a great city to live in. Rent is cheaper than most other large Canadian cities. There are so many diverse cultural activities, there is something here for every taste. The city is a good size, smaller and more compact then Toronto, but large enough to have many diverse areas. The amount of beers here really surprised me, micro breweries are really popular here so for those who like beer, the diversity of beers here is one of the best in the world. Also, I think it has the most restaurants per capita in North America, but New York claims this too! For those who like curry cheese chips; chips, cheese and gravy, otherwise known as poutine is the national dish of Quebec and comes is many varieties!

Not having French will restrict you somewhat, in terms of jobs and socialising. There are many free courses provided by the Government to help those who want to learn French. They are especially accessible for those who can do 8 hours a day for a period of two months. So this is especially good for new arrivals; you are likely not to be working and two months of 8 hours a day gives you a great start in French.

Montréal is an island, about 50km in length and 15km wide. The west of the island is traditionally English speaking and the East is traditionally French speaking. Most people here speak both French and English, but French is the dominant language. At a rough guess I would say the island is 1/3 english speaking and 2/3 french speaking. Many people don't like speaking English, either because they are bad at it, or just because they hate the language and fear it becoming dominant.

Quebec has higher taxes than most other Canadian provinces. The infrastructure can be bad too (possibly a lot to do with city officials taking bribes from the Mafia to award them construction projects, which the city then overpaid for and and were done to a poor standard).

Despite it's many flaws and my poor French, Montreal is the best place I have ever lived in and I would find it hard to live anywhere else are living here.

For those who work in IT, having good English is probably more important than having good French. Also, those who work in computer games, the city of Montreal is a bit of hub for computer game development. The workplace in Quebec is supposed to be French speaking, but exceptions are made for companies which are nationwide if the HQ is in Quebec. Also, don't be put off if you see job applications which ask for bi-lingual in French and English. Often this is just a legal requirement; while many jobs require this, many others are just doing it to keep the language police happy; often having good English is preferred; read between the lines!

HabsForever

I'm actually from Montreal and live in Ireland.

If I were moving to Quebec, I'd probably move nowhere else than Montreal, unless if I were a nature buff.

Quebec City is very nice, and in terms of comparisons it is very similar in size to Dublin. It is an extremely safe city. At one point they went nearly two years without a single murder. It's also very pretty, in all seasons. In the fall with the brightly coloured foliage everywhere, in Winter with all its fairy-tale snowy appearance, and in Summer with greenery and nature pretty much in all direction. However, it is a *french* city. Not knowing any French there would be similar to moving to Dublin not knowing any English. To me Quebec City was always an interesting place to visit and have a nice time, and as a convenient springboard to the amazing nature further out along the St. Lawrence river. It's pretty sparsely populated outside Quebec City. Also contrary to Dublin, Quebec City is a capital but not an economic hub. The economic hub is Montreal, so you might find that getting a job would be difficult.

As far as Montreal is concerned, it's my hometown so I'm most likely biased. Most of what people write here about it is accurate, except regarding the economy. Montreal is a lot like Berlin, with dirt-cheap rent, spectacularly thriving cultural and night life, immigrants from all corners of the globe, and a stark contrast to the rest of the country, but the economy is a bit of a disaster (like Berlin). Many people move regularly to Toronto because they can't find a job despite living there all their lives. If you work in one of the thriving industries there you'll be fine. In short you might have a great time there except with regards to the job situation. Being in Montreal in Summer is a fantastic place to be in, with major festival after major festival from June to August. People are really happy it's finally hot outside and really make the most of it.

It's not pretty though there are some pretty spots. Language-wise you really can get by with English only, though it's probably not recommended in the long term. And forget your Leaving Cert French, it'll be useless there. Quebec French is identical in writing but slang and pronunciation are radically different to the point that many commented that it sounds like a different language entirely. It's also a near completely bilingual city. The language laws do not reflect the reality that nearly everyone will speak French and English and will quickly pick up your accent and switch to English, which is maddening for some that are trying to learn the language. Some French don't like the English, and English speakers who don't make an effort to speak may not be treated completely fairly by some, however if you make sure to clarify that you are indeed Irish that reaction usually changes from negative to extreme positive.

Other than Montreal or maybe Quebec City, I wouldn't consider living anywhere else there. If you move to be able to explore a bit, living outside the main centres may feel isolating. The three nearest cities (Toronto, Boston, and New York City) are 8 hours drive in any direction from Montreal, and being outside a main centre may make it near impossible to see anything else. There are no cheap airlines, and coaches & trains all pass through Montreal. Also there is a bit of xenophobia / anti-english tension outside Montreal or Quebec City. Again if you're Irish it's not going to be a problem once they get to know you.

One thing to bear in mind in relation to living in Quebec... is the weather. Summers are short and intense (up to +35°C and humid), but Winter is long and severe (down -25°C, but because of the wind it can go down to a felt temperature of -40°C). Winter lasts from November to April. On an average year you will get several snow storms (defined as separate dumps of 30cm), with Quebec City being much snowier and colder than Montreal. I'm not 100% sure but I think I heard the Montreal-Quebec City region as being the snowiest urban area in Canada. Getting ready to go outside in Winter takes preparation and specialised clothing; forget about wearing your runners in January. Public services will still work during a nasty blizzard albeit buses might be 5-10 minutes late during the storm. They're generally prepared for the weather, it's just still bitterly cold with heavy precipitations.

So a bit of a warning: if you can't bear cold weather, don't move to Quebec.

vicquebec

Hi HabsForever-

I used to live in Ireland for 11Years and have now moved to Quebec Late 2011. I must say your description of life in Quebec is very accurate. I couldn't have put it better myself! I will have to say though from a neutral standpoint that Quebec is MUCH better than Montreal for standard of living..

I am a nature buff, so I prefer to live in Quebec city! Montreal is much too big, easy to get swallowed up! When I arrived here I had no french but learning Quebecoise very fast, its not for the feeble though, It will be tough at first!:D

HabsForever

vicquebec wrote: »

Hi HabsForever-

I used to live in Ireland for 11Years and have now moved to Quebec Late 2011. I must say your description of life in Quebec is very accurate. I couldn't have put it better myself! I will have to say though from a neutral standpoint that Quebec is MUCH better than Montreal for standard of living..

I am a nature buff, so I prefer to live in Quebec city! Montreal is much too big, easy to get swallowed up! When I arrived here I had no french but learning Quebecoise very fast, its not for the feeble though, It will be tough at first!:D

I'm happy you settled in nicely. Nigeria - Ireland - Quebec is quite a life path! I would agree with you that big cities like Montreal can swallow you up. Last time I was in Quebec City I ran into an old schoolmate I hadn't seen since graduation. It's more of a "village" than Montreal, and people often say you're very likely to run into someone you know there. Depends what you like, really. Montreal is bigger, uglier, but also polycentric & far more developed economically and culturally. Winter in Quebec City is pretty, peaking at the Carnaval de Québec. Winter in Montreal is an ugly abomination to be forgotten, hence the world's largest underground city.

Just out of curiosity VicQuebec, how was your first Winter?

Oh yeah, forgot to mention to readers, both Montreal and Quebec City are built on a mountain and surrounded by water. The Quebec City shoreline is one of the most iconic sights in Canada. The city itself is walled and just celebrated it's 400 years. Much of New France's architecture from the 17th & 18th Centuries is still there. Other North American big cities feel much "younger" by comparison (though this is baby years compared to the rest of the world). This is what Quebec City looks like:

vicquebec

My first winter? wow where do I begin. I was immediately awestruck by the amount of snow! Very very pretty, its hard to describe it really must be seen to be believed. The amount of snow that falls here is incredible, and everyone was saying to me that normally there was even more! The flip side is, come the month of March/April, you are sick of all that snow and can't wait for spring(at that stage folks call it white crap!)

It was cold at -22 typically(height of winter, generally higher during the day). The funny thing was though, I preferred it to the Irish winter! why? no humidity, no damp wetness and wind that makes you want to do nothing like in Ireland. Life does not ground to a halt here, people are just as active as in summer(skidoo,snow shoeing, skiing, Ice fishing and tons of winter festivals, Ice hotel etc). Homes are built well in general and very warm. Maybe it sounds strange coming from an African born person but I preferred the Quebec winter to the Irish winter!

Having spent a year in Canada, I can say to anyone that I don't think I could live in Ireland again. To visit my friends of course, but there is so much to do here all season long here! I haven't met any Irish since I arrived, didn't think I would as moving to another country is tough enough plus having to learn a new language.. It is a small world though!