Montreal Vs Vancouver
Sep 4th 2012, 6:25 pm
#31
Grumpy Know-it-all
Joined: Jul 2010
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 8,928
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Really the caché of Vancouver is that it has mild winters so I think a lot of people gravitate there because they let their imagination run away with them about how bad the rest of Canada is. If you moved to Vancouver because you didn't like the cold in the rest of Canada, fair enough, but at the end of the day there are 34 million people who live in Canada and only 2.4 million of them live in the Vancouver area.
Sep 4th 2012, 6:37 pm
#32
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,849
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
The OP is only 20 and wants nightlife.
Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toront, Montreal, Halifax & St Johns and a raft of other cities all have it.
Are you telling me he wont have fun on the weekends say on George St (St Johns) Whyte Ave (Edmonton) Electric Ave (Calgary) Barrington St area (Halifax) etc etc.
Sure Vancouver for the milder winters but when you are pissed do you really notice it might be minus 30C outside in some of those other cities
Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toront, Montreal, Halifax & St Johns and a raft of other cities all have it.
Are you telling me he wont have fun on the weekends say on George St (St Johns) Whyte Ave (Edmonton) Electric Ave (Calgary) Barrington St area (Halifax) etc etc.
Sure Vancouver for the milder winters but when you are pissed do you really notice it might be minus 30C outside in some of those other cities
Sep 4th 2012, 6:39 pm
#33
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
The OP is only 20 and wants nightlife.
Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toront, Montreal, Halifax & St Johns and a raft of other cities all have it.
Are you telling me he wont have fun on the weekends say on George St (St Johns) Whyte Ave (Edmonton) Electric Ave (Calgary) Barrington St area (Halifax) etc etc.
Sure Vancouver for the milder winters but when you are pissed do you really notice it might be minus 30C outside in some of those other cities
Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toront, Montreal, Halifax & St Johns and a raft of other cities all have it.
Are you telling me he wont have fun on the weekends say on George St (St Johns) Whyte Ave (Edmonton) Electric Ave (Calgary) Barrington St area (Halifax) etc etc.
Sure Vancouver for the milder winters but when you are pissed do you really notice it might be minus 30C outside in some of those other cities
Sep 4th 2012, 6:42 pm
#34
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 829
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Though I am on the old side, I have children who are 19, 20 and 22 who enjoy what Montreal has to offer.
There is ice skating and many places to ski in the area.
The universities in Montreal include 2 english speaking universities McGill and Concordia. We also have many colleges. All in a very concentrated area. For this reason there are many fun and inexpensive places to see and things to do. Of course we have La Ronde. Most get a season pass so they can go on the rides.
Other cities can offer a great nightlife but in montreal it is all concentrated on the small Island of Montreal.
For housing check out http://montreal.en.craigslist.ca/apa/ or http://montreal.kijiji.ca/ to get an idea or rental prices.
Of course Hockey is the main sport, but there is also american football.
As for the election. Most expect the PQ to form a minority government, and if so, they will not be able to do too much. We'll have to wait until tonight.
There are things to knock about Montreal; the poorly maintained roads, the corruption and the whole language debate. But most young people are not worried about these issues and just enjoy what Montreal has to offer.
There is ice skating and many places to ski in the area.
The universities in Montreal include 2 english speaking universities McGill and Concordia. We also have many colleges. All in a very concentrated area. For this reason there are many fun and inexpensive places to see and things to do. Of course we have La Ronde. Most get a season pass so they can go on the rides.
Other cities can offer a great nightlife but in montreal it is all concentrated on the small Island of Montreal.
For housing check out http://montreal.en.craigslist.ca/apa/ or http://montreal.kijiji.ca/ to get an idea or rental prices.
Of course Hockey is the main sport, but there is also american football.
As for the election. Most expect the PQ to form a minority government, and if so, they will not be able to do too much. We'll have to wait until tonight.
There are things to knock about Montreal; the poorly maintained roads, the corruption and the whole language debate. But most young people are not worried about these issues and just enjoy what Montreal has to offer.
Sep 4th 2012, 6:44 pm
#35
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,849
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
and neither am I. Id be more concerned on where he can get a job rather than worrying about the nightlife.Sounds like he would be coming on the IEC programme so has the ability to move around and work for different employers.
His choice at the end of the day.
Sep 4th 2012, 6:47 pm
#36
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 89
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Yes. Vancouver's not my kind of place at all, I accept that some people like it. Theme done to death here:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=759654
Here's the thing with Montreal; they use French. If you want to live there you should learn French. Much the same would be true of Berlin and German or Prague and whatever people in Prague speak. That's not, in my view, a problem with the place but a feature; there's no point in going to a foreign country and expecting everyone there to switch to your language. Once you get the idea that, in francophone places, people speak French, nearly all the objections to Montreal disappear.
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=759654
Here's the thing with Montreal; they use French. If you want to live there you should learn French. Much the same would be true of Berlin and German or Prague and whatever people in Prague speak. That's not, in my view, a problem with the place but a feature; there's no point in going to a foreign country and expecting everyone there to switch to your language. Once you get the idea that, in francophone places, people speak French, nearly all the objections to Montreal disappear.
I have no problem at all with learning French and using it when I need to. I was just wondering if the Montreal French dislike English speaking people who live in Montreal. I want to know if there is a divide between the two, or if they don't have a problem at all.
Check tonights election results on the CBC webpage
http://www.cbc.ca/
Weve had PQ Govts before a lot of it is sabre rattling or demanding stuff that other Provinces would be told to **** off by the Fed Govt.
After 20 plus years of listening to this you tend to tune it out.
BTW Montreal is a great city and I dont speak French and I never had problems for the 16 weeks I was in that Province.
http://www.cbc.ca/
Weve had PQ Govts before a lot of it is sabre rattling or demanding stuff that other Provinces would be told to **** off by the Fed Govt.
After 20 plus years of listening to this you tend to tune it out.
BTW Montreal is a great city and I dont speak French and I never had problems for the 16 weeks I was in that Province.
What did you feel the peoples attitudes towards you (as an English speaker) were ? Did you get on fine with the French Montreal residents ?
Why are you limiting yourself to just these two cities? There are a whole bunch of other cities in Canada.
Vancouver if you dig up the thread we were having about it I can say without question is the most overrated place to live in the world. Even if you like Vancouver I think you have to concede it is overhyped. It's very similar to the UK, i.e. densely populated, expensive, appalling traffic, but it is near the sea. And it rains a LOT.
But there is nowhere in Canada that has a decent winter (if you like warm sunny winters). You're either cold, wet, or both.
Montréal is in Québec, so you have to deal with the whole vendetta that the PQ etc. have against English speaking people, plus they also have higher taxes than most of Canada. Also the infrastructure in Québec is in rough shape.
If you're young and looking for a bit of social activity then Toronto is probably best but job prospects are probably best in Alberta, but it depends on what your job skills are.
Vancouver if you dig up the thread we were having about it I can say without question is the most overrated place to live in the world. Even if you like Vancouver I think you have to concede it is overhyped. It's very similar to the UK, i.e. densely populated, expensive, appalling traffic, but it is near the sea. And it rains a LOT.
But there is nowhere in Canada that has a decent winter (if you like warm sunny winters). You're either cold, wet, or both.
Montréal is in Québec, so you have to deal with the whole vendetta that the PQ etc. have against English speaking people, plus they also have higher taxes than most of Canada. Also the infrastructure in Québec is in rough shape.
If you're young and looking for a bit of social activity then Toronto is probably best but job prospects are probably best in Alberta, but it depends on what your job skills are.
For nightlife, excitement and reasonable living costs, what else does Canada have to offer ?
Not bothered about cold winters at all, so that is not an issue. Maybe later on down the line I will get fed up with freezing weather and big lumps of snow everywhere, but just now I don't see an issue with it other than if it disrupts transport.
Sep 4th 2012, 6:49 pm
#37
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Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Sep 4th 2012, 6:53 pm
#38
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Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Hello.
I am interested in hearing what you guys have to say about Vancouver and Montreal, as a place to live.
So far, I have read that:
Montreal - Majority is french speaking, Cold winters, warm Summers, Really beautiful city, excellent nightlife, lots of art museums, big music scene.
Vancouver - Again a really beautiful city, quite expensive cost of living.
Just wondering if there are people on here that live in either place can give me the low down on both ?
FYI, I am 20 years old, very outgoing so would be interested to hear more about the nightlife and what activities are available.
Also, If I learned French (very well) would I still be 'second choice' to secure a job than somebody who is 'Montreal French'?
I am interested in hearing what you guys have to say about Vancouver and Montreal, as a place to live.
So far, I have read that:
Montreal - Majority is french speaking, Cold winters, warm Summers, Really beautiful city, excellent nightlife, lots of art museums, big music scene.
Vancouver - Again a really beautiful city, quite expensive cost of living.
Just wondering if there are people on here that live in either place can give me the low down on both ?
FYI, I am 20 years old, very outgoing so would be interested to hear more about the nightlife and what activities are available.
Also, If I learned French (very well) would I still be 'second choice' to secure a job than somebody who is 'Montreal French'?
Sep 4th 2012, 6:54 pm
#39
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Ontario
Posts: 40,018
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
She's never lived in Guelph. Mississauga, Leslieville, the Beach, Halifax, Montreal, Alaska, Vancouver, Montreal again, now Vancouver with seven or eight whole summers on boats, usually sailing from Michigan. Maybe some other places I forgot or never knew. Perhaps Guelph is in her future.
Sep 4th 2012, 6:56 pm
#40
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 89
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Though I am on the old side, I have children who are 19, 20 and 22 who enjoy what Montreal has to offer.
There is ice skating and many places to ski in the area.
The universities in Montreal include 2 english speaking universities McGill and Concordia. We also have many colleges. All in a very concentrated area. For this reason there are many fun and inexpensive places to see and things to do. Of course we have La Ronde. Most get a season pass so they can go on the rides.
Other cities can offer a great nightlife but in montreal it is all concentrated on the small Island of Montreal.
For housing check out http://montreal.en.craigslist.ca/apa/ or http://montreal.kijiji.ca/ to get an idea or rental prices.
Of course Hockey is the main sport, but there is also american football.
As for the election. Most expect the PQ to form a minority government, and if so, they will not be able to do too much. We'll have to wait until tonight.
There are things to knock about Montreal; the poorly maintained roads, the corruption and the whole language debate. But most young people are not worried about these issues and just enjoy what Montreal has to offer.
There is ice skating and many places to ski in the area.
The universities in Montreal include 2 english speaking universities McGill and Concordia. We also have many colleges. All in a very concentrated area. For this reason there are many fun and inexpensive places to see and things to do. Of course we have La Ronde. Most get a season pass so they can go on the rides.
Other cities can offer a great nightlife but in montreal it is all concentrated on the small Island of Montreal.
For housing check out http://montreal.en.craigslist.ca/apa/ or http://montreal.kijiji.ca/ to get an idea or rental prices.
Of course Hockey is the main sport, but there is also american football.
As for the election. Most expect the PQ to form a minority government, and if so, they will not be able to do too much. We'll have to wait until tonight.
There are things to knock about Montreal; the poorly maintained roads, the corruption and the whole language debate. But most young people are not worried about these issues and just enjoy what Montreal has to offer.
But hes 20 and you are not and neither am I. Id be more concerned on where he can get a job rather than worrying about the nightlife.
Sounds like he would be coming on the IEC programme so has the ability to move around and work for different employers.
His choice at the end of the day.
and neither am I. Id be more concerned on where he can get a job rather than worrying about the nightlife.Sounds like he would be coming on the IEC programme so has the ability to move around and work for different employers.
His choice at the end of the day.
Don't get me wrong, obviously I want to ensure that I have a good job, but I want to find the right balance. I don't want to live somewhere I have a great job, but with nothing to do, nothing to spend my money on etc. I would just be miserable. I want to find the right environment first.
Sep 4th 2012, 7:04 pm
#41
slanderer of the innocent
Joined: Dec 2008
Location: Vancouver, BC
Posts: 6,695
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
What I find fascinating on here is how people who live there knock it a fair bit and then when people who don't live there knock it they get all defensive. And typically we're only pointing out what everyone points out, resident or not.
Really the caché of Vancouver is that it has mild winters so I think a lot of people gravitate there because they let their imagination run away with them about how bad the rest of Canada is. If you moved to Vancouver because you didn't like the cold in the rest of Canada, fair enough, but at the end of the day there are 34 million people who live in Canada and only 2.4 million of them live in the Vancouver area.
Really the caché of Vancouver is that it has mild winters so I think a lot of people gravitate there because they let their imagination run away with them about how bad the rest of Canada is. If you moved to Vancouver because you didn't like the cold in the rest of Canada, fair enough, but at the end of the day there are 34 million people who live in Canada and only 2.4 million of them live in the Vancouver area.
Last edited by ExKiwilass; Sep 4th 2012 at 7:07 pm.
Sep 4th 2012, 7:15 pm
#42
.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
You know what I find fascinating? How you go on and on about that, STILL. It's like you have a chip on your shoulder about Vancouver, or rather, about Calgary, or something. I know this is hard for you to understand but even though Vancouver blows in a lot of ways, the ROC and esp. Calgary suck even more. It's all relative innit.
Sep 4th 2012, 7:16 pm
#43
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,682
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
b) If you are not planning on buying real estate there is very little difference between the cos of living in any Canadian city.
c) Go to Montreal, have fun.
Sep 4th 2012, 7:25 pm
#44
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
Posts: 19,849
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
Great post, I will check out those links to get a rough idea, thanks!
I am sure most big cities will have lot's of job opportunities, or am I wrong ?
Don't get me wrong, obviously I want to ensure that I have a good job, but I want to find the right balance. I don't want to live somewhere I have a great job, but with nothing to do, nothing to spend my money on etc. I would just be miserable. I want to find the right environment first.
I am sure most big cities will have lot's of job opportunities, or am I wrong ?
Don't get me wrong, obviously I want to ensure that I have a good job, but I want to find the right balance. I don't want to live somewhere I have a great job, but with nothing to do, nothing to spend my money on etc. I would just be miserable. I want to find the right environment first.
Sure having a good job with nothing to do is not ideal but neither is living in a great city with things to do but having a shite job.
There are very few cities in Canada with nothing to do hell even Regina has nightlife
Are we talking pubs, discos err I mean dance/night clubs, theatres the Arts etc.
If sports is your thing then yes Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto are the best bets.
According to some Canada has no culture so you are SOL on that.
Sep 4th 2012, 8:06 pm
#45
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2005
Location: Montreal
Posts: 172
Re: Montreal Vs Vancouver
The only sports team worth watching in Montreal is the Montreal Impact MLS team this year. There is unlikely to be any NHL for some time, and while we do have Alouettes football the CFL is pretty boring in my opinion.
Montreal is a great city to live in, despite the fear of the PQ, Im hopeful the negative things they are planning to bring in wont materialise, especially as they will be a minority government or better still the CAQ/Liberals will form a coalition instead.
We will know more this time tomorrow.
But for a young 20 something Montreal or Vancouver are both fun. Why not come out and visit both and make up your own mind - its the best way.
Whoever said Edmonton and Winnipeg had great nightlife is having a laugh though... I've been in downtown Edmonton on a weeknight and its ridiculous, there's practically nothing to do.
Montreal is a great city to live in, despite the fear of the PQ, Im hopeful the negative things they are planning to bring in wont materialise, especially as they will be a minority government or better still the CAQ/Liberals will form a coalition instead.
We will know more this time tomorrow.
But for a young 20 something Montreal or Vancouver are both fun. Why not come out and visit both and make up your own mind - its the best way.
Whoever said Edmonton and Winnipeg had great nightlife is having a laugh though... I've been in downtown Edmonton on a weeknight and its ridiculous, there's practically nothing to do.