US citizen moving to Quebec

[Roland R. Cote]

Originally Posted by expatincanada21

Hi, I am a 54 year old woman from California and I’m getting married to a guy from Montreal and planning to move there in August. Although I have traveled to 29 countries, I have never lived outside of the United States. Since I got laid off several months ago I won’t have to worry about missing the job.

I have always fantasized about living in another country and now that it is going to happen, I’m getting a serious case of nerves/anxiety about leaving my friends and life as I know it. Of course, vacation is one thing but uprooting oneself from a house I’ve lived in for 20 years and getting remarried is a lot to deal with.

Therefore, I’m hoping I can get support, advice from this forum.

Thank you for reading.

After 15 years of living in Pennsylvania, we came back to live in Montreal. what a treat. It is diffirent and a lot of fun. We miss our American friends but with Skype we are in touch on a daily base.
In Montreal you have to jump in. If you have money you can eat in a different restaurant every day at a fair price. With a lower budget you can walk around and anjo ynew things every day. You can travel around in the Metro (subway) that is clean and noise less. Montrealer love American and make sure to introduce yourself as such. If you speak or learn some french it will be more fun. But ther is always someone close by to spek to you in english particularly if you are American. There more bycicle path thna anywhre in world. You can rent a bike and numerous ite all over the city, the same for renting a car at cheap price. In winter you can live in the undergroud galeries, shops restaurants all connected to the Metro. With a smile you can make friends easily. The street are amongst the safest you can find. The people make the difference. We still dicover stuff every day.
Bienvenue !!!!!

[helenew]

Originally Posted by Azsereth

If you won't be living downtown and if you're not fluent in French, I'd consider looking into the suburbs on the West Island, which is considered more anglophone/bilingual and includes cities like Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield, Pierrefonds, Kirkland, etc. Time-wise, they're less convenient regarding access to the city via public transportation, but there is access to nearby trains that can be taken downtown.

Living in the suburbs on the West Island is a drag if you work downtown. Trains only really run Mon-Fri so getting into town at the weekends you need a car. And the bridges are a nightmare, particularly at the moment with all the roadworks! I'd always recommend living on Montreal island (or Laval at a push!) if possible

Originally Posted by Azsereth

Montreal has what is considered one of the best public transportation systems in North America (and perhaps even in the western hemisphere), and it's heavily used by people in all walks of life.

It may be the best public transport systems in North America, but having come from London, it's definitely not the best in the western hemisphere!! Three small lines (plus the tiny two stop yellow line) with dated old stations and old trains leave a lot to be desired for me....

Originally Posted by Azsereth

I imagine that the more French you know, the easier the adjustment will be. Oh, and in addition to a winter coat, make sure you have some good boots for the winter too. Both of those things are probably much easier to find once you're here.

French is the official language of Quebec; this is not officially a bilingual province. While most people in customer service will speak English to you if you speak English to them, they don't have to if they don't want to and there have been a couple of instances recently that hit the headlines where STM (metro) workers have refused to speak English to customers. And if you don't speak French, getting a job is very, very difficult. Most jobs specify that you are bi-lingual with an emphasis on French rather than English.

Originally Posted by helenew

Living in the suburbs on the West Island is a drag if you work downtown. Trains only really run Mon-Fri so getting into town at the weekends you need a car. And the bridges are a nightmare, particularly at the moment with all the roadworks! I'd always recommend living on Montreal island (or Laval at a push!) if possible

The West Island is on the island of Montreal and refers to the western suburbs on the island. It's a relatively short drive to the city on the weekends, and there are no bridges to cross. There are a couple highways running east into the city, so if you check ahead, you can take the one that is less congested.

Everything you said about the importance of French is spot on. I've lived both on the West Island and on the South Shore - one a very anglophone/bilingual area, and the other primarily francophone. I only recommend the western suburbs as an alternative if one doesn't want to live downtown *and* isn't already fluent in French.