Montreal winters
#31
Just Joined
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 8
Re: Montreal winters
I fail to see your preoccupation with the weather?
Yes it can be frigid but you can dress for it and least the homes are well heated
It is not exactly as it you were feeble and ancient
in Montreal we are cursed with hot humid virtually tropical summers and that has been the case since the nineties. I do not think that is the case in the UK. I think you should be more concerned with summer rather than winter.
Yes it can be frigid but you can dress for it and least the homes are well heated
It is not exactly as it you were feeble and ancient
in Montreal we are cursed with hot humid virtually tropical summers and that has been the case since the nineties. I do not think that is the case in the UK. I think you should be more concerned with summer rather than winter.
And since the school year is September to April, I would barely be in Montreal during the summer so that's not a huge concern.
#32
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2016
Location: montreal
Posts: 52
Re: Montreal winters
It's not my physical reaction to winter I'm concerned about, it's my mental one, and nor was it really the temperature I was thinking about - it was the length of winter and the amount of sunshine compared to in the UK, which luckily people here have cleared up for me. I am significantly affected by winter here and if I thought it was going to be worse in Montreal then for me that would be a huge drawback to think about before I considered moving there.
And since the school year is September to April, I would barely be in Montreal during the summer so that's not a huge concern.
And since the school year is September to April, I would barely be in Montreal during the summer so that's not a huge concern.
I remember that it was a while before I got to see the sun. Montreal winters are not dreary and overcast and when it gets mighty cold the sky is completely blue.
My last winter visit to London was a surprise to me as the dampness went to my bones even though I was wearing my warm Montreal winter boots.
On balance i figure our winters are more pleasant than those in London (although we do not really have a Spring as in Europe) and i have gotten quite used to the frigid arctic days we do get in winter.
#33
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 6,148
Re: Montreal winters
I was last in London in late 1998 and early 1999
I remember that it was a while before I got to see the sun. Montreal winters are not dreary and overcast and when it gets mighty cold the sky is completely blue.
My last winter visit to London was a surprise to me as the dampness went to my bones even though I was wearing my warm Montreal winter boots.
On balance i figure our winters are more pleasant than those in London (although we do not really have a Spring as in Europe) and i have gotten quite used to the frigid arctic days we do get in winter.
I remember that it was a while before I got to see the sun. Montreal winters are not dreary and overcast and when it gets mighty cold the sky is completely blue.
My last winter visit to London was a surprise to me as the dampness went to my bones even though I was wearing my warm Montreal winter boots.
On balance i figure our winters are more pleasant than those in London (although we do not really have a Spring as in Europe) and i have gotten quite used to the frigid arctic days we do get in winter.
People keep banging on about the weather, but the reality is that if you don't like winters, even Montreal won't make a difference for the OP. When it comes to sunshine hours the figures don't lie and November to February are worse than an average October & March in London.
The shortest day is 52 minutes brighter than in London and even if the sun is higher in Montreal, it still won't make a difference if you spend those 52 minutes commuting or have longer working hours than a location in the UK, or don't have a house that's facing the sun. It's all about work life balance and be it Canada or UK, people who think they have SAD won't be happy in either place. If they do end up happier in the UK or Canada, it wasn't weather related.
It always make me laugh when people say they'd like a proper winter in the UK. Every time it's sunnier and colder the people then start to complain again.
If you were in London around 1998, it was a very strong El NiƱo, so could have been completely different in 2000 & 2001.
#35
Slob
Joined: Sep 2009
Location: Ottineau
Posts: 6,342
Re: Montreal winters
It's a combination of lots of things really but the most important one is that McGill seems to be a really good (and well-known) uni but is still affordable. I don't think I would be eligible for much if any financial aid but even so it is barely more expensive than studying in Britain, and I am lucky to be able to afford it.
Other than that I like that it is in a big city, that Montreal is bilingual so I would be able to learn French without studying it at uni (I already speak some French and it would be good to be able to practise often), I like that I could (and would have to) take multiple majors, minors and electives so I wouldn't have to narrow down too much but would still be able to avoid doing maths or science which doesn't seem to be the case at other North American unis, and from a much shallower perspective I like that the drinking age is still 18 there! And from what I understand I could also get a work permit after graduation so it's nice to have the option to stay in Canada if I still want to after four years, which would be much harder to do in the USA.
I would definitely be open to other unis in North America but the bottom line is that most of them are just too expensive and McGill seems to be a good combination of prestige, fun and affordability - the only major drawback I can see is the weather, which is why I was asking about it.
Other than that I like that it is in a big city, that Montreal is bilingual so I would be able to learn French without studying it at uni (I already speak some French and it would be good to be able to practise often), I like that I could (and would have to) take multiple majors, minors and electives so I wouldn't have to narrow down too much but would still be able to avoid doing maths or science which doesn't seem to be the case at other North American unis, and from a much shallower perspective I like that the drinking age is still 18 there! And from what I understand I could also get a work permit after graduation so it's nice to have the option to stay in Canada if I still want to after four years, which would be much harder to do in the USA.
I would definitely be open to other unis in North America but the bottom line is that most of them are just too expensive and McGill seems to be a good combination of prestige, fun and affordability - the only major drawback I can see is the weather, which is why I was asking about it.
Montreal is heaving with students (some 220,000) so you'll have plenty of company. If such things concern you, you'll be pleased to know that Montreal girls are generally as hot as a snake's ass in a wagon rut.
#39
Banned
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 90
Re: Montreal winters
As mentioned, Montreal winters are indeed cold but generally sunny. There are reasonably frequent thaws, though as with anything weather-wise it varies from year to year.
University of Toronto and University of British Columbia are about as highly-ranked as McGill but located in milder cities (though in the case of UofT, only somewhat milder and not considerably noticeable). Something to consider.
University of Toronto and University of British Columbia are about as highly-ranked as McGill but located in milder cities (though in the case of UofT, only somewhat milder and not considerably noticeable). Something to consider.
#40
Re: Montreal winters
I live in an area with a similar climate to Montreal... I think to get through winter you will need to embrace it by taking up a winter sport of some sort e.g. Skiing etc but also maybe factor in a break of some sort, a few days in the sun if you can afford it. Winter is long here, the year before last it started on Halloween and didn't end until April, and then April was bleak, grey with dirty snow melting. Spring is nothing like it is the UK.
I like winter and snow but the never ending ness of it can be pretty tiring.
I like winter and snow but the never ending ness of it can be pretty tiring.
#41
Re: Montreal winters
A colleague of mine, from Macao, has a daughter who had the choice of UofT or McGill. The colleague, and her husband, did all they could to persuade her to go to McGill. Their logic being that McGill is an anglophone island in a francophone city, there will be a community feeling to the university. UofT, by contrast, they saw as being "too Asian, all the kids commute, there's no social life, it's just a degree, she might as well go to Waterloo". That's not the only time I've heard the UofT so described.
#42
Banned
Joined: Aug 2016
Posts: 90
Re: Montreal winters
A colleague of mine, from Macao, has a daughter who had the choice of UofT or McGill. The colleague, and her husband, did all they could to persuade her to go to McGill. Their logic being that McGill is an anglophone island in a francophone city, there will be a community feeling to the university. UofT, by contrast, they saw as being "too Asian, all the kids commute, there's no social life, it's just a degree, she might as well go to Waterloo". That's not the only time I've heard the UofT so described.
Bear in mind that U of T is a massive institution - 60,000 students attend the downtown campus. Even if only a minority of those students live downtown, that's still more people than the entire student body at most other Canadian universities. Even if UofT doesn't party as hard as McGill, there should be more than enough opportunity to find one's niche and socialize/get plastered.
#43
Re: Montreal winters
McGill certainly has more of a social atmosphere. Indeed, it is considered quite the party school (which does not detract from its academic excellence).
Bear in mind that U of T is a massive institution - 60,000 students attend the downtown campus. Even if only a minority of those students live downtown, that's still more people than the entire student body at most other Canadian universities. Even if UofT doesn't party as hard as McGill, there should be more than enough opportunity to find one's niche and socialize/get plastered.
Bear in mind that U of T is a massive institution - 60,000 students attend the downtown campus. Even if only a minority of those students live downtown, that's still more people than the entire student body at most other Canadian universities. Even if UofT doesn't party as hard as McGill, there should be more than enough opportunity to find one's niche and socialize/get plastered.
#45
Re: Montreal winters
Our first year in Montreal saw a near record breaking snowfall year.... 2007, 342cm. There was debate on the radio about whether we wanted more snow to break the record (351cm, 1997 I think).
The Eskimos apparently have 24 different names for snow.... and we saw many of the different types of snowfall while there.
The best days are -10 to -20, clear blue skies, zero wind. Feels like breathing in life!
The worst are overcast, -30 or colder, windy and ice storms to follow. Nasty.
The thing that got us about winter is the length of it.... 5 months! Kicks off mid November, snow gone by mid to late April, or even May!
The best way through it is to get a winter hobby.... skiing, curling, ice driving etc.
It is great fun driving across ice roads on frozen lakes!! :thumbs:
The mosquitos are hibernating!
The Eskimos apparently have 24 different names for snow.... and we saw many of the different types of snowfall while there.
The best days are -10 to -20, clear blue skies, zero wind. Feels like breathing in life!
The worst are overcast, -30 or colder, windy and ice storms to follow. Nasty.
The thing that got us about winter is the length of it.... 5 months! Kicks off mid November, snow gone by mid to late April, or even May!
The best way through it is to get a winter hobby.... skiing, curling, ice driving etc.
It is great fun driving across ice roads on frozen lakes!! :thumbs:
The mosquitos are hibernating!