Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

The mining industry is the same. English is a must. All the QC-based mining companies I deal with essentially operate in English.

I remember being in the bar at Montreal station a few years back and the girl running it confessed that she didn't speak French at all.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

During my time living in Canada I went to Montreal a couple of times, once for a long weekend with my OH and another time for work.

On the long weekend we stayed in B&B downtown that was ran by an Indian family and I remember overhearing the owner pleading with one of his suppliers to use English over the phone because he couldn't understand French.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

I'd forgotten but the first time my daughter was at university in Montreal she took a boyfriend with her. She moved on leaving him behind. He spoke no French but was working on Rue Crescent (in a pub not under a lamppost). I think people can thrive in the bar trade anywhere without much of the language so long as they look good and smile a lot.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

People tend to suddenly become proficient in English when money is involved.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

That is a surprise.

Each to their own but Montreal seems so much nicer and I really miss the Gazette.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

I was thinking of Ubisoft when I read your post & replied ;).

:nod: Not surprised.

That does surprise me a bit (for Montreal). IME it's pretty standard that Montreal companies use English/understand English speaking clients.

Or throw the call to the "token" English-speaker(s) on staff when necessary ;). I'd say it's quite rare in MTL to have trouble doing business in English.

I've pretty much made a career/got most of the jobs or contracts I have had in Qc BECAUSE of my English.

Apologies to the OP for contributing to and prolonging this massive thread swerve :).

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

You can read it online, you know............

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

Yeah, I look occasionally. But I like a 'real' newspaper to read :nod:

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

Fair enough.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

I think Europeans often tend to prefer Montreal because there is something more homely and familiar about the place whereas people from India/Asia may prefer Toronto and Vancouver because they look and feel more like American cities.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

That's actually a reasonable point - I definitely thought Montreal & Quebec felt like much more European cities, while pretty much anywhere in the west has a vibe of just not being well lived-in, because they're so new

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

I think parts of Atlantic Canada may also look a bit more familiar since they were largely rooted in British settlement. I've never been to Vancouver personally but Toronto just looked like a smaller, cleaner and slightly less dazzling version of New York.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

They (as well as pretty much everywhere else in Qc) felt pretty darn foreign & unfamiliar to me when I arrived! & that despite having previously visited, & thinking I knew about being an expat. Moving to Canada (Quebec) was one of the hardest transitions I made.

I think (it's been a LONG time, & I've had a lot of time to reflect on it) that I fell into the "we speak the same language", "have a long history of immigration/colonisation/similar culture", "how different can it be" trap.

Which swings right back around to the OP ;).

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

That's how the Toronto council would like it be thought of but, in fact, it looks like Pittsburgh.

Re: Finding Canadian differences very frustrating - How do I fix this?
 

At one point Vancouver was the hotbed of Canada's games industry, but about 6-7 years ago they all seemed to have picked up and left for Montreal. I have a lot of friends in the gaming industry, but few are still here in Vancouver. Saying that, there are a few companies lingering around (Radical, Relic, EA, etc.). But it does seem like Montreal is the place to be these days.