ezvanetree

Hi. I am thinking this question might be a bit too specific for this forum, but I thought I would give it a shot. My sister currently lives in Gatineau but hates it. She finds it conservative and dull, and feels excluded from her local community because French is not her first language (she's fluent, but even I can hear her english accent when she speaks french, and I don't understand a word!). She would love to move to Ottawa, where there might be more people who share her world views etc, but is afraid of uprooting her family and spending an extra $100,000 on a house only to find Ottawa is as conservative and 'snobbish' as Gatineau. So my question is: has anyone out there lived in both Gatineau and Ottawa, and if so, did you find substantial differences between to two areas? I would appreciate your thoughts on these two cities so I can share them with my sister. Thanks!

clynnog

I've lived in Ottawa for 14 years and some people think Ottawa is conservative...I wouldn't say it is snobbish and I certainly don't find Gatineau as snobbish. Now Souvenir may dispute this, but Gatineau probably has less 'worldly' people per capita than Ottawa. Gatineau has lower university educated, lower annual income figures vs Ottawa.

I must be misreading something here but Gatineau never struck me as snobbish or conservative...more blue-collar and heavily populated by federal government people.

What does she mean by dull....IMHO Gatineau isn't really overflowing with high culture but Ottawa is just a five minute drive away.

I find the $100 K difference a stretch as there are no two houses alike in any metropolitan area. From what I understand you'll get clawed back on income tax and property tax on the Gatineau side vs. the Ottawa side.

Just my $0.02

ezvanetree

Hi. Thanks for your reply! From what my sister tells me, to get the same thing house and commute wise she has now in Gatineau would cost about another 50-100,000 in Ottawa. The terms snobbish etc are mine, actually, since I am not sure what term my sister would use--she is just struggling to meet friends in Gatineau and often feels excluded by the language difference. I would agree with your comments re: 'more worldly' people in Ottawa. I think she is afraid to make the big move only to find she is just as lonely. She is from Whitehorse and would live again in a small fontier town again in a second, but her husband's job keeps them in the Ottawa area.

geedee

Why doesn't she move South of Ottawa? Or West? Very English, prices drop dramatically if you're prepared to commute a little.

I've found that when you get to the extremes of the Quebec border, the people take on the extremes of "quebecois".... they're like the "last outpost".... which Gatinueau is one!

Get into Montreal and the French will slip to English in a flash if they see you're struggling with their language. They won't do that in Gatineau.

Funnily enough, they speak more French in Hawksbury (which is in Ontario!) than Montreal!

There's a moral there somewhere

mclauchlan35

My friend moved Quebec a long time back and found it very difficult, to be fair his french was limited and he found it very unfriendly and not the most acceptable place. Just his opinion.

I think he's in Germany now they lasted around a year in Quebec. Like above I'm sure Souv is in Gatineau best ask him.

Andthen

Ugh!

You wouldn't catch me in any part of Quebec, ungrateful stains on society that they are!

They should be allowed to seperate from Canada, and crash and burn in the process.

Souvenir

A major difference between Ottawa and Gatineau is that Ottawa is a proper city. Gatineau is not. Although large (5th largest in Quebec), it has very few bars, restaurants etc and there is no downtown core. In my experience, people here do not tend to socialise much. This may be a Quebec thing; socialising is done with family. I have been here for nearly four years. I chat to my neighbours but have never been into their houses. I don’t think that has anything to do with snobbery. My stepson has a very wide circle of friends. We barely know any of their parents. He has had the same girlfriend for well over a year. I wouldn’t recognise her parents if I passed them in the street. I have no friends. I have moved many times over the years and my usual method of finding friends is to find a local pub. I don’t have a local.

Gatineau is a classic dormitory town.

We have discussed moving to Ottawa but it makes little financial or other sense. We’d pay way more for an identical house (I’ve checked) and we’d end up living in an area that is farther away from downtown Ottawa than we are now.

I cannot agree with the language issue. My French is appalling and I have had no problems. Most people I meet speak English and are quite happy to do so.

I don’t know where in Gatineau ezvanetree’s sister lives but it sounds like she might be happier in Aylmer (more of a downtown and lots of anglos).

clynnog

Well Alymer has the 'British' Hotel and Club 61 and Cabaret Pink...all classy places....????

The Hull sector has the remnants of the old nightclub strip, but I gather that is dying off and it attracts a young demographic. I don't recall ever seeing a true pub in the greater Hull area. There are many in Ottawa of various genres and qualities.

Aylmer and points west and north west in QC is where there are lots of anglos. My french is pretty poor but I've never experienced a problem with it...however, I've never lived in QC.

The statement about Hawkesbury is true...it is more french speaking than Montreal. I believe about 85 - 90% have french as their 1st language..most are bi-lingual.

Souvenir

The old strip in Hull is pretty much gone, although there are plans to redevelop the area and get more people to live there. That could well rejuvenate the place.

Hawkesbury is not unique. Much of that part of Ontario is predominantly franco. A while back we went into a truck stop on the 417, in Ontario. Even the signs were in French.

clynnog

It must have been "Herbs" at the exit you take to go to Mirabel from the 417. The place looks like a giant barber pole. Heavily franco run business.

Souvenir

Don't remember but I'm guesing it was Casselman.

Andthen

Well that's the best don't go there advert I've ever read!!!

ezvanetree

Wow, Souvenir, I could be listening to my sister when reading your post! Your comments re: having no friends and having to pay way more for the same house are certainly things my sister would agree with. I think that she will find your comments encouraging as she feels that a lot of her lonliness is her fault and that if she would just try a little harder.... but sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

Interesting about your stepson having a lot of friends--my neices speak french with an english accent (having spent their first five years in Whitehorse) and they too are stuggling to make friends. They are in french schools--their father/sister's husband is very french and is much more comfortable in that language and culture etc, which is a major reason why leaving the immediate area is not much of an option.

I will mention Aylmer to her.

Thanks everyone for your help!

Souvenir

A little clarification needed here. The stepson is a francophone Quebecker. He was born in Montreal. He's fully bilingual. For some reason I have never understood, he and his girlfriend, also a francophone Quebecker, only talk to each other in English.

Andthen

Perhaps the youth realise that they're not really that French! :P