The fun about Montréal being a primarily French speaking city with a huge English speaking community is that a lot of people will speak both language, at the same time. In Montreal, you can parler français and English in the same phrase and tout le monde will understand. We switch d’une langue à l’autre all the time 😂🤣
@@carlsisi9712 Pas assez souvent, malheureusement. I live in the Easten Townships (about an hour to the southeast of Montréal and I used to go there quite often but it's been years since I was there for the last time and I'm not planning on going back anytime soon. Bloody orange cones and bicycles everywhere! :)
I am an anglophone (first language being English) from Western Canada and have lived in Montréal for a long time. The video shown is pretty accurate in terms of the pluses and minuses of living here. I had to learn French and now speak and write it very well. All of the jobs I have had required bilingualism where I had to use both French and English. For me, Montréal is by far the most community-minded city in Canada and housing (renting) costs are far below the national average. Even if people don't have a family doctor (one of my friends does not), there are walk-in clinics that are open to anyone and groups of family doctors who take patients (so you might get a different doctor from the group each time you go). The same universal health care available to all Canadians exists in Montreal. You are right, it's a matter of access, not affordability. Thanks, merci, for taking such an interest in our great city!
@@videogamenoob100 Go no! Montreal has always had much cheaper rents and housing prices than virtually any other major Canadian city, except maybe Halifax.
One big thing missing in the video is the fact that Montréal is an island. The other thing missing, is the underground city build around the metro system. Some people can go work without even getting outside.
Yes, there is over 24km of underground corridors… was a joy for xmas shopping during a snow storm, I could just go in tshirt and sneaker as bus was right in front of door, then subway and then a few walkways to make it easy to go from shopping center to shopping center
IMO the underground city is oversold. It's just a bunch of malls and office spaces and a few apartments that connected their buildings together. It's awesome in the winter, I could walk to the metro and then not have to go outside again untill I went back home. But it's not really a "city" per say.
Yes!! How did u miss talking about the flourishing underground city?? And how expeditiously one gets seen by a medical specialist or hospital for a medical procedure depends on the severity & urgency of ur medical problem
I lived in Montreal for 15 years. You can easily speak English only there. I miss this city. So many things to do. So many trees and parks. Good public transport. Incredible food. Montréal, je t'aime.
I lived there 11 years. You can only speak English. But police will arrest you. And if you work there DO NOT check the English box on your income tax return to Revenue Quebec. They will screw you so hard
I left when I didn't get hired cleaning cages in an animal testing facility because I wasn't French. There's a lot of immigrants there with accents so it makes it hard to even learn. I'm sure a Quebecor has a hard time understanding a Haitian. I couldn't. Probably the worst job on Earth too so I left.
Quebec is both the name of the Province, AND the name of it's capital! I'm so glad you did a video to learn about the city I was born and grew up in! Montreal is the biggest city in Quebec, and it's also the name of the island where it's located! FUN FACTS: Montreal is the city where the very first Canadian Government was located!
When trying to help some American friends imagine Montreal's vibe, I once described it as "Imagine New York and Paris had a smaller love child, which has the same party loving attitude as its cousin New Orleans". It's a crude description but it evokes the mix of bagels, cafés and nightlife that one can find there.
I swear only in Montreal could you go out one night and end up waking up on a private jet somewhere. That never happened to me, but the stories I could tell. lol. Love Montreal. One thing is a lot of 18 year old Vermont Americans there because of the drinking age. I'll never forget one picking a fight saying he was Vermont National Guard. We were just laughing and making fun of him. His girlfriend punched out my friend. I fell over laughing and we really teased him because his girlfriend fought for him. I wish camera phones had existed then
When Canadians say they don’t have a family doctor, that is speaking to a dedicated general practitioner that one uses mostly exclusively. This does not mean patients do not have access to Doctors. Canada has many medical clinics that are walk ins with no appointment. So most Canadians always have access to medical care but it is triaged, as it should be. But yes, we are short of healthcare professionals.
Agree with what you've said, but it's still a very real problem. I've been on a wait list for 4+ years running. Love our healthcare system, but there are some real pain points.
If someone can’t find a clinic. Going to any hospital is still always possible. That creates a hole set of other problem but in an emergency there is always a free option.
Quebecois and Montreal native here! I'm really enjoying your videos :) As a few have said, one of the aspects of Montreal that is glaringly missing from that video is it's cultural and artistic landscape. There are multiple yearly festivals happening during summers such as the Jazz Festival, Les Francofolies (a festival dedicated to French-language music from across the planet), movie festivals even an animation cinema festival (including Anime festival), an international fireworks competition... Oh and many of these events are free to attend. Montreal is also well-known for its culinary variety, having a rich and varied community of restaurant owners, many of them all in the same areas (Rue St-Denis, Ste-Catherine, St-Laurent, Mont-Royal). You can walk along these streets and see restaurant after restaurant or bar and can just take your pick XD Many of them also have terraces on the street front that give these area a pretty special vibe. You can also find pretty fantastic comic book and game stores such as Le Valet d'Coeur which specializes in tabletop RPG games, miniatures and books. There were also a pretty nice variety of bookstores but unfortunately the rise of the Internet has caused several of them to disappear but there are still a few enduring ones including a few specialized ones that are dedicated to European/Belgian (French) comic books, something that you will not find anywhere else in North America. It's also got a variety of concert halls and theatres. Montreal also has a pretty remarkable Chinatown with restaurants and stores that are worth visiting as well as a culturally vibrant Gay Neighbourhood. And if you're into that sort of thing... it's also got a pretty impressive number of strip clubs and adult bars and sex shops, which gave it the reputation of being the "Amsterdam of North America" (most of them on Ste-Catherine street that is also reputed for being a hotspot for hookers. Still illegal as of 2022 but there is a growing movement to legalize those activities). It's a city full of colors and rich in cultural activities for visitors and residents alike. Another thing they failed to mention is the inconspicuous Mont-Royal hill sitting in the middle of the island. The whole hill is basically a huge park you can hike on with an observation post at the top you can use to get a pretty awesome view of the city skyline. So if you're looking for a Canadian city to have fun in, Montreal is where you want to be :)
I live in Windsor now sadly. Coworker asked my favourite food cause he'd know where I should go. He was expecting pizza or something. Because I lived in Montreal for 11 years I said "Rack of Lamb" lol. Nothing like that here. I wish I could speak French, I'd be back in a heartbeat. So many hot women everywhere in Montreal
I was only in Montreal for 3 days but I noticed immediately that Montrealers really are into fashion and it seemed like no one was wearing "bummy" clothes. Everyone was dressed really nice. They also had a very big cafe culture. After work you didnt go home you would go to an outdoor cafe or a wine bar or something and hang out with friends for like "happy hour" before going home.
@@veggiebutfoodie I also stayed in a Bed and Breakfast that blew my mind because it was 17 floors up in a skyscraper. Obviously had a nice view, and breakfast was literally at the family breakfast table with the French language morning news show on. I also almost died. I went to a party on the roof of a building and I almost slipped off the side of the building.
Mostly in summer. In summer restaurant extend the dining room "in the street" with terrace, which is fun to enjoy the fews hot days we have in the year
I am only 1/4 French but Montreal feels like coming home. Canada's nice is a bit fake but the French are so genuine. F poutine try a French Canadian meatbpie and a hug. my friends ebds in France say Quebeccis its own thing
I grew up in Montreal but live in the Toronto area now. This video hit a lot of the good things for LIVING in Montreal, but it missed on some of the big ones that a visitor might specifically appreciate about the city: The food, the festivals, the beautiful places to visit - in particular the area known as Old Montreal... But a good start. We Canadians definitely need to help you learn the concept of "Provinces" though. We have Provinces the way the USA has States. Montreal is in the Province of Quebec, which also has a city called Quebec in it (think like how New York state is home to New York City), and the Province of Quebec is the most French-speaking province of Canada.
Actually, the province of Québec's _official_ language is French. However, we're the most permissive state in the World in regard to other languages, especially English (given we live on a Continent where people mostly speak English, and given that Canada proclaimed itself as "bilingual" even though it's not true outside of Québec - for instance, try to get services in French when in Vancouver, or even Toronto...).
I lived in Montreal on and off for over 9 years of my life and I yet to see many festivals here. Winnipeg and Edmonton are the festival cities of Canada and in Winnipeg I love the Fringe, Folklarama festivals and sometime check out the winter Festival du Voyager in St. Boniface. The Folk Fest is still popular too in Birdhill Park, as a kid to saw bands like Bonnie Raitt in 1988 play it. The Winnipeg Comedy festival is also decent but I only been once with a close friend and "Crabman" from My Name is Earl. It was too focused on Canadian jokes for his liking as an American, and we left a little early as professional actors like being paid to play along with filmings, and he felt he was fake laughing at too many of the jokes being told. I did attend the International beer festival twice in Montreal years back with the ex, but that is honestly the only one I ever attended and the Jazz festival here used to have good free outdoor shows, but since coming back is not even worth going to. I do like the international fire works shows, but that isn't a festival and check out the F1 street party, but this year 2024 was a total bust without any big name acts and nonstop rain the whole weekend long. Last year I saw Sam Roberts which was decent also in the pouring rain. The International Film festival in Montreal was ok years back, but that went belly up, as has the Just for Laughs now too because of bad management decisions.
@@guillaumebrodeur9642not over it officially, but the law gets translated that way. It is now supposed to be officially a bilingual province, but that only made it hard for anglophones to get work, not reduce the problem as the attacks continue.
@@guillaumebrodeur9642 the only place in the world with actual language police. They have the Charter of the French Language. When I lived here I got arrested pretty much for being English. All that in french. Hospital is all in french. They know English but some will refuse to answer in English, they're allowed to. Your kids must go to french schools. Lots of crazy rules. Montreal is an awesome city though. But if you work there DO NOT check the English box on your income tax return to revenue Quebec. They screwed with me so hard I had to leave
One little note, Montreal is in the province (like a state in the US) of Quebec. In the province of Quebec Montreal is not the most "french city" it's actually the opposite, it's the city where you are more likely to be able to be understood in English. Every other major city in Quebec is overwhelmingly majority french speaking.
Well - that's almost true. I'm a native Montrealer and it's a fact that it is a very bilingual city. As you said; other major cities are predominantly French speaking... but Gatineau (4th largest city, I think, in Québec) is very much like Montréal in its bilingual environment.
@@dominiquebeaulieu Sure... but "official" doesn't really matter in real life. It's my opinion that people who are very invested in the "official" language of the province are insecure types. The "On parle le francais ici, tbk!" types are tiresome in the extreme. Just my hare-brained opinion, obviously 🙄
Children of immigrants have to go to French schools unless their parents use to go to English schools in their native land. So immigrant children have to learn French.
I'M a Montrealer that live in many cities Quebec City, Frankfurt Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Freiburg... and travelled to many more. Montreal is unique! Don't take me wrong I'm not saying it's the city in the world or that it is perfect. Living in Montreal is like having a foot in Europe and a foot in North America at the same time. Since both English and French is used, because of the two main cultures (English-Canadian and Quebecois) sharing the city. Montreal was an harbour and a city where people immigrated to from all over the world like New-York. Actually you mentioned that Vermont is near to Montreal. Actually Burlington is kind of like a suburb of Montreal. If you watch Burlington PBS station they have ads of stores and businesses based in Montreal. PBS organized cultural excursion to Museum or concert in Montreal. FUN FACT: As much as 5.3 percent of American have French-Canadian blood flowing through there veins. The French-Canadian survive assimilation by having huge families (before the 70s it was not uncommon to see families with 10 to 15 children). During the rise of the industrialization in New England from 1840 to the 1900, there was massive emigration of French-Canadians from Quebec to work in the cotton mills of New England. Cajuns also come from Canada, they are descendent of deported Acadians from New-Brunswick by the British. 25% of Maine resident are from French-Canadian heritage, 24% in New Hampshire and Vermont, 17% in Rhode Island and Louisiana, 13% in Massachusetts, 10% in Connecticut. There was even a french PBS station in Northern New England until the beginning of the 70s. This fact is not very known by Americans. French is the 9 most common cultural heritage in USA. That nuber includes French from France and French-Canadian but most came from Canada or through Canada. I'm pretty sure that not many people are aware of that.
i m from Québec city and now living in Montréal i have interest in history and didn't know that much about the number or % of french canadian in the different states. well done André bon résumé merci.
The Cajun people are descendents of the deported Acadians from what is now New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and part of Maine, actually. ( the regions that made up Acadie at the time).
One small correction to your post, Andre - The Cajuns were deportees principally from Nova Scotia. They were given a choice of pledging loyalty to the British crown or be deported to Louisiana, a fact easily confirmed by google. And I did not know that about the French PBS broadcast. Thanks.
For sure, my maternal grandparents moved from Quebec to New England in the 19th century, so my Mon was born in Mass. She married my Dad who was from Montreal, and came to live back here. However, my aunts, uncles & cousins were all US citizens. BTW, New York City is about 320 miles due south of Montreal, so there has long been communication between via Lake Champlain & Hudson R. before railways & roads existed. Also, we aren"t that much farther from Boston MA and Washington DC.
Although Montreal is a great city (I highly recommend the Montreal Jazz Festival), Quebec City has a special place in my heart. The food, culture and people are off-the-charts awesome. Back in 1987, I was in QC and needed directions. I approached a guy and asked for directions in French, and he replied in an American drawl: I don't know what y'all are saying - I'm from Texas! 😆
Montreal native here, enjoyed this video among the others! I will say as a city of several million, Montreal is very adaptable for anglophones in day-to-day life, and you can easily communicate in & be served in English throughout the city (although some neighbourhoods will tend more or less French based on the cultures established there), establishing a career here will require some level of investment into your French, but it will be a seamless & fun place to visit even with zero French at all!
As a fellow Montrealer, yeah his channel is pretty fun, especially seeing someone from the US who seems legit interested in our beautiful country! Also fully agree with everything you said!
My daughter has just moved there to attend McGill. She has been in French emersion since Kindergarten, so it is great that she can continue to have French as part of her daily life. I've found it an to be an amazing city with friendly people, and seems to be full of events and life. Compared to Vancouver, which seems void of proper events, it did not take me long to fall in love with the city and begin to look at property there. I'll just have to brush up on my French.
A true cosmopolitan city. My first week there, I always became turned around in the subway. Although I wanted to learn french, all french-speaking acquaintances that I made, all wanted to practice their english. I was there for 8-months. I was there when the then mayor, back in '10 wanted to shut down the oldest burlesque theater in canada, it didn't happen, its a historical site. Forget starbucks, there's a chocolatier I went to everyday, it was a brisk walk from Pie-IX, yep, get my tall of dark hot chocolate from scratch. Vancouver BC is my first love, but Montreal is indeed my second.
@@ricahaurymn it's hilarious because most FR-only people in Montreal couldn't care less about English and it's SO EASY to practice English in Montreal too lol. Vancouver is a hell of a beautiful city! Look up Banff, scenery-wise it's one of the most beautiful places in Canada. Newfoundland as a whole has a huge place in my heart, from the scenery, to the people and the small towns.
After 13 years in Montréal, I can confirm everything is true in the video. A few important things are missing though. Montréal is an island with too few bridges, a port on the St.Lawrence river (fleuve St-Laurent). Water is a very important part of Montréal and the Old Port is a major historical place to visit, very beautiful and popular. It's one of the oldest place in North America. Canada is well known for hockey, but Montréal is home to the most iconic NHL team: les Canadiens de Montréal. The downtown area was not discussed at all, neither were of the various summer international festivals such as jazz, Just for Laugh, les Franco (french music), etc. Too much exposure to bicycles! Yes they are common, but cars are still everywhere, traffic is a real problem. Also infamous for bad street conditions plaguing the city, especially in the winter.
The video seems pretty accurate, honestly. As a Montrealer, I agree with pretty much everything and understand every point they brought up. Just like everywhere, there are pros ans cons and how much they weight in the balance may vary for everyone because not everyone wants or needs the same thing. The flag that you see at the beginning is indeed the Quebec flag. The buildings are indeed apartment units. Urbanism is indeed different in Montréal because of a few reasons, including the fact that it,s an old city that has seen the expension of different neighbourhoods at different period, like is said in the video, but also those periods concorded with different immigration waves. So some neighbourhoods were predominantly built and lived in by French people in the 1600s, then some in the 1700s and 1800s by English and Scottish people. Then Irish. Then Italians in the 30s and 40s. etc. It had an impact in how the different neighbourhoods look like, because of the house desings but also the type of shops and cafés and bakeries, etc. There is quite a big community of Polish people too. Nowadays, the more recent immigration waves have been from northern Africa and Haiti (so French-speaking places, but with different cultures and religions than ours. So it adds a lot to our culture and our food and the shops in the neighbourhoods. They are more concentrated in certain areas and neighbourhoods too, so again, the experience will vary depending on which neighbourhood you are in and yes, you almost feel like you are in a different city sometimes. I never realised it; I took it for granted, as if it were just the norm. But yeah, I guess it is indeed kind of special.) The other main reason for the difference in urbanism is a law to protect the urban heritage. For example, we are not allowed to build too many high buildings because they block the view from the Royal Mount, hence why you see significantly less sky-scrapper in Montréal than in any other modern North American city. We tend to build buildings attached horizontally instead of vertically because of that. Also, the law forces us to reuse old bric blocks when putting down an old building to rebuild a new one. We either use so of the bric blocks or pieces of the old building, or we literally have to keep the "front", the storefront, and build the new building around it. So the inside is rebuilt, the sides might also be, but the original storefront must be kept. We have a lot of old Churches and Libraries that have been replaced by something else, but the storefront is kept and so the outside still looks like a Church or an old fancy library or bank from the 1800s. Another point about the differences in neighbourhoods and community feel of the city compared to other big cities is also linked to urbanism. The fact that we don't have as many traditional apartment units where it's just one big block and mostly have units that are : one big apartment at the bottom, owned by the owner (and the yard too), and then two apartments on the second floor and two or three on the third floor. That means (and I never thought about it until I watched a video that talked about it) that owners live closely to renters all the time. You have way less super rich neighbourhoods with mostly owners or renters of fancier buildings and then other neighbourhoods where all the apartment units are rented by poorer people. Buildings have around 3 to 5 apartments, and there is always one owner (who lives at the bottom, in the bigger apartment). They live there. So they workn to maintain the building, the yard, etc. and they live close to the renters, so it does affect the community vibe, the pricing and how we perceive "owners" and "renters". There are rich people and poor people and richer neighbourhood and poorer neighbourhood, and there are big buildings of apartment units (but way less), but the gap between the rich and the poor is just thinner than everywhere else. And the gap of how we treat each other based on social class too. Because of this urbanism. It makes the city a lot less "ghettoized" with almost only richer people and owners in some places and then poorer folks and renters in some other places. The owner might be the owner because they are richer, and that might be because of social class in general, but also because of the age. An older couple might be the owner of their building and rent the 2-4 apartments above to young couples, young families who are not yet able to buy a house but are planning on doing so later on in life, students, etc. So the older, more established people cohabit with younger families and students all the time within the same block. This plays a huge role in the community feel in Montreal, I'm sure of it. Also, just to clarify, the healthcare thing is indeed a shortage. The Healthcare Benefit ($) system is indeed across Canada and it doesn't really change from place to place, but the actual system is a provincial thing, not a federal thing, so some things might be different in the way they organise the system, a few laws might differ, etc. And the access obviously differs depending on if there is a shortage or not, and depending on if you live in a big city or way up north with only one hospital one-two hours away from your home. In terms of access to different care units, we're lucky in Montreal because obviously we have many hospitals and many bigger departments and specialised departments that very small cities don't have (and have to take a trip to bigger cities for some special tests, etc.) but the waiting lists are indeed very long because of the shortage. It was already getting bad, but with covid, it got really bad. *Although*, I must mention that those are waiting lists for specific tests to be done, surgeries, or for access to a family doctor which would be your assigned doctor, but that does not mean that you completely don't have access to medical care. There are so many "walk-in" clinics where you just see a random doctor, just not "yours" as if you were at the emergency room at a hospital. You can also go to the emergency. It's just that people don't like having to go there because they have to sit and wait for hours instead of just calling for an appointment with their designated doctor. So it is a bummer for sure. But it is not to the extend of being life-threathening because you won't be able to see anyone, or you'll have to pay for it. Sure, you might wait for awhile at the clinic and lose a workday, but at the end of the day, you'll have seen a doctor and it won't cost you a thing. Losing one salary day is a bummer, but it would be worse if it took only 1-2 hours out of your day but cost you 10 000$ 😅But I get it still. It's definitely not fun and people are right to complain.
Montreal is my hometown, although i haven't lived there in years. In my opinion, it's Canada's most vibrant and interesting city, because of its unique blend of cultures, languages, ethnicities and architechture. Québec is both a city and a province, like NYC and New York state. They call those houses that are connected in Montreal flats, and they're very common in the older neighborhoods of the city. The icon you see beside my name is the flag of the city of Montreal. In each corner, there's the English rose, Scottish thistle, French fleur-de-lis, and Irish shamrock. Those were the four founding ethnic groups of both the city of Montreal and of Canada. Also, you're right, Montreal is a great party town and, style-wise, is very chic and trendy. Healthcare is provincial responsibility, although each province receives a portion of funding for their systems from the federal government. Tyler, they're not regions, they're provinces. Same thing as states, just with a different name. Understand now? It's interesting seeing your reaction. Things I have taken for granted my whole life about my city and country you find so different and entertaining.
@@terryomalley1974 Toronto is nowhere near as awesome as Montreal. I won't even drive through Toronto. I miss Montreal. But I lived there 11 years and I can't learn Quebecois. So I hate Quebec more than I love Montreal. When I checked the English box on my tax return to Revenu Quebec they screwed me so hard I left. I got the message
Hey there! I'm from Quebec (small village) and I now live in Montreal. A lot of what was said is true and I agree with a lot of it... But for any québécois Montreal is unbelievably expensive. The prices have really been crazy lately, to the point where I'm considering moving back home :( Although french is the main language in all of Quebec, you can't get a job in Montreal if you don't speak English. A lot of places will serve you by saying bonjour-hi. You don't need to know French to get around. I strongly suggest you come visit! Winters really aren't that bad with global warming and everything. Sometimes it's above freezing temperatures in January, whereas when I was a child (I'm in my late 20s) we routinely had -30C / -22F (-35/40C with the wind). Back then, -10C / 14F was considered unusually warm
I live in Montreal and am an English speaker from Nova Scotia. When I became unemployed in 2009, Emplois Quebec paid for me to attend French language training for a year. Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 3:30 every day and then paid me to attend a community college to upgrade my accounting skills for another year. Great social programs are available to help, but are not available to everyone.
And yet more and more people chose not to learn French and complain about Québec and lack of opportunity due to them being unilngual (since it's usually anglos clomplaining)
you're lucky. You must've had to take those classes in french also. I hope you don't check the English Box on your tax return. Revenu Quebec screwed me so hard I had to leave
Hey Tyler, you should definitely check out Québec city. I went there once to go see Cirque Du Soleil and it felt like I was in a different country - not due to the French, but due to the architecture. (I'm from Prince Edward Island on the east coast, but lived in Moncton, New Brunswick for most of my 20's, which I'm so thankful for because I'm bilingual & it gave me the opportunity of living in a French environment). But yeah, Québec city was an experience I'll never forget. Definitely worth checking out.
I lived there for a year as an étudiante d' immersion at Laval from Nova Scotia. Quebec City will always hold a special place in my heart! One of the best years of my life
I lived in Quebec 11 years. Went to Quebec city once. $550 a night at the Fairmount, had to stay there. It is cool but expensive. I was there in 2010 and a small salad was over $20
In the video there's no mention of all the events and festivals but we have a ton, especially during the summer. Also we have a big food culture with some top notch restaurants
the hot chicks everywhere! And if you don't understand them you get silence, lol. Yeah the food there will blow you away. Mmmm. Creme Brulee. mmm Molson. Go habs
I'm in Montreal, a native french speaking Quebecer and I'm VERY proud of the city. I appreciate that you took time to talk about our nice city. Oh and the health issue is actually a doctor shortage and if you have a problem, you'll get treated, don't worry.
but in french only. I couldn't learn French, and yeah, didn't have fun living there. Love Montreal though and there are lots of super cool nice french people. A lot of ...... too
young man Quebec city existed before the province of Quebec ,and montreal is an island , the part you are looking at is the south of the island wich includes downtown core and old montreal , on the island we have Mont Royal a tiny mountain hence people built around this mountain , in montreal you find the italian rea the greek area the jewish area and so on , each with its bakeries restaurants , in the mountain side we have hospitals huge parks an oratory universities etc . it is a vibrant city . Quebec province is old france hence french , the flag represents the province
Montreal became a city because of the Lachine Rapids actually. Ships couldn't pass, so they had to unload their cargo and reload it back on ships after the Rapids to keep going inland. The first settlement to survive winter was in 1608 St Croix. Which is now Quebec city
The houses are groups of flats, which in French are called Logements. These flats are often large 2-storied with high ceilings and often some with elaborate iron winding staircases and balconies. I was born in Toronto and moved to Montreal for work. There I met my French-Canadian husband and learned to speak very poor French. I lived in Montreal downtown and its suburbs for 13 years - the best of my life. Winters are brutal, but the beauty of its architecture, the parks, amenities , culture, cuisine and people make up for it. It is a great place for a vacation.
Yééé !!! MONTRÉAL!!!🥰👍🇨🇦 I'm on the south shore . For french language, 22% of Canada have french as their primary language. Most of us live in the province of Quebec but the is french community in every provinces.
@@clairelevasseur9434 Je suis en Nouvelle Écosse. Je ne peux pas imaginer ma vie sans la langue française. C'est tellement important à moi. Mon père était acadien tandis que ma mère était Anglophone. J'ai appris le français pendant mes vingtaines, pourtant. C'est important à mon identité aujourd'hui. Il y a plusieurs écoles Francophones dans notre province aujourd'hui qui veut dire que la population francophone monte. J'ai plusieurs membres de ma famille qui sont acadien(ne)s et plusieurs amis aussi. Ma vie est plus belle à cause de cela!
Having grown up in Montreal, attended McGill and Concordia Universities, and currently being a resident of British Columbia on Canada's west coast, I can say the information in this video is very accurate. I can see how the perspective was influenced by their interest in cycling around the city, so other aspects of Montreal life were omitted, but for the information they presented, I'd say very thoughtfully and accurately done.
The compactness of the housing really is a big factor in the stability here. In the centre of the city where I live, all houses are connected. It's not as if you your neighbour can just tear theirs down. And besides, most houses are two or three houses on top of each other. Probably smaller than your standard Canadian houses as a result, but you get used to it. And as they are older they are built better. Hahaha. I never hear my neighbours and we have some on each side and bellow us. Also the tenenency rights are top notch. If you have a lease it is pretty iron clad. I have a friend who has had her flat for 20 years, so she is still paying 2002 prices. 550$ for a two bedroom in a major city is pretty great. Nice place too.
yes the regime du loadgement does their job. I escaped to Ontario and the Landlord tenant board is a joke. Quebec does it way better. Ontario you can't dispute a rent increase. Quebec you can
@ 22:34, thank you for having this perspective. A lot of English Canadians think that it's Québec/Montréal that should accommodate them since English is also an official language. But people often forget that like the USA, Canada has a federal system. The federal government is bilingual but the province of Québec on the other hand only has French as its official language.
Yes , of course. Quebec has long asserted it's right to be different than the rest of Canada. Yes, we have a federal system, and ALL of Canada is bilingual, weather you acknowledge it or not. Even your own provence is struggling to maintain french as a first language. I don't care what your provincial government says, they are just using it as a talking point. Quebec is not " special ", it's just another province.
Canada is bilingual at the FEDERAL level. The only province that is officially bilingual is New-Brunswick. All the other provinces are unilinguals. Meaning that Alberta doesn't need to provide you provincial services in French but the Federal government is obligated to provide you federal services in French.
It also goes both ways. Even in Montreal a French speaker will be expected to be perfectly bilingual for some jobs. Even more so if a French speaker looks for a job in other Canadian provinces. They mentioned the tech industry and many of my meetings are in English only even though the vast majority of our employee are French speakers.
Buildings are close to each other because what you’re looking at are inner-city neighbourhoods. It’s very much like any other city. Suburbs of Montreal are exactly what you’d imagine suburbs as being.
B Im a native Montrealer who has lived and travelled all over the world. There is definitely a uniqueness, charm and excitement about this city. I'm a proud Montrealer and my father was an architect who contributed a lot to the architectural skyline. When i miss him, i can walk downtown and see his buildings .
The only thing Canadians love more than feeling superior to Americans, is being noticed and talked about by Americans! Hi from Calgary! This has been a great series and have really enjoyed watching you get to know more about our great country!
I grew up in Ottawa, lived briefly in Toronto & New York state, but have lived mostly in Montreal for last 20 odd years. I have travelled a fair bit and in North America, you can't beat the mix you get in Montreal. I am technically an allophone being born behind Iron Curtain, but am functionally trilingual. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Especially since I have lived mostly in NDG which is one of the greener neighbourhoods with lot's of mature trees.
If I have one criticism: I've been watching a few of your videos and each time French is mentioned you go: "oh I'm not sure how important French is in Canada....anyway moving on!" There are millions of us! You should probably make a video about it.
@@highstreetkillers4377 while I disagree with the way it is enforced, laws to protect the French language are direct responses to a history of discrimination. Which could be talked about here instead of bringing up modern controversy.
I've lived in Montreal for 9 years as a French Canadian from the province of Quebec. I was living in a different region of Quebec before. I can tell you that for us (Quebecers), Montreal feels like a different culture. It is very diverse (more so than most of the province), most people in Montreal are bilingual including native French speakers, most businesses will require to speak French but for a Quebecer coming from outside of Montreal we also have a language barrier because they also require to have fluent English skills (it wasn't a problem for me but my parents don't speak English and I know it can be a challenge for many people in Quebec). On the issue of affordability, we would have to look at when the video was made. During the pandemic, while everyone thought that housing would become more affordable due to the fact that everyone wanted to leave big cities to buy a home in a smaller town and get more space, the pandemic actually had the opposite impact on Montreal. The cost of living has skyrocketted. But it is true that housing remains more affordable than other North American cities of a similar size.
Hi Tyler, I love watching your videos! You have a great and friendly personality! This video failed to mention parking issues in Montreal. Many of the parking are on the street. In winter, people are having to move their vehicles from one side of the street to the other side, during the winter months, to allow snowplows to cleaning the streets. Street signs indcate the timeframe you are allowed to park and where, but it almost feels like a game of chess. This problems explains why many Montrealers bike to and from work and other locations, as parking spots are not as accessible! Thank you, a friend from Canada! 💖
23:16 I live in Varennes (south shore suburb), that park is literally a six minute walk from my house. Bilingualism is extremely common in Montréal, in fact it's considered completely normal. Most of our public and professional life is in French, but almost all of us are also able to speak English to at least some degree. Additionally, Montréal has a large number of trilingual individuals. Just about all children of immigrants speak their parents' native language, French, and English. Having worked a fair bit in both the UK and the US one thing that never failed to blow away our local colleagues was when my business partner and I would seamlessly switch between French and English and back again easily within the same conversation.
I have a family doctor here in Rouyn-Noranda (in the Abitibi of Québec) but I actually preferred health care facilities in Montréal, where I lived for 20 years. The walk-in clinics, whether one had a doctor or not to turn to, meant that there was no waiting for care. One could just walk into a clinic at any time and be treated. 'T'was great! And don't worry about your French. I know seven languages, and French was the easiest to learn.
Not there. Most are immigrants. So they have an accent when speaking french as a second language. A lot of Frenchmen don't even know french. I worked in a kitchen and they ask me the French words for certain food. I don't know. lol
Montreal is named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill . The city is centered on the Island of Montreal. Read Wikipedia about Montreal & the flag of Quebec. Very informative :)
Houses connected together are called row houses. Sort of like houses in Europe. In Canada there are 10 provinces and 3 territories in the most northern regions. Quebec is a province thus Quebec flag.
As a French-Canadian born and raised in Montreal (now living in the suburbs), it's really fun to see your naive and curious view. It's a nice departure from my jaded point of view ;) lol
Everything in quebec is french, it's the first language. From signage on roads to labels on products to school. It's all french. It's incredibly unique.
Lots of Vermonters come up to Montreal for music concerts and other large cultural events. Also, the drinking age in Québec is 18, which is why so many young Americans across the border like to party it up here.
Vermont National Guard was talking crap, so we were laughing and making fun of them for being National Guard. The women with them punched my friend in the face and knocked him right out. I fell over laughing so hard and then we really made fun of them because there woman had to fight for them. Had to have been there and I wish cameras existed back then. Cause more people saw it all and also was making fun of them
I'm a French Canadian i just want to apologize for the narrators ( sounded like robots...) Montreal is awesome place live !!! Certainly considered having the best Food in North America :)
It's a bit weird that your videos are aimed at getting Americans to learn abour Canada, but most commenting are Canadians ! I think we appreciate your great videos and the attention 😜
The city planning of Montreal is steeped in its history of French and English colonization. Generally, the closer to downtown you get the planning is based on seigneurial system (the system of inheritance used by the French during the Royal Era) is separated in to rectangles. On the obverse, the further from downtown you get the planning is based of the English township system separated into squares.
A comedian I liked once described Toronto and Montreal as brothers. One was an accountant, the other was a womanizing alcoholic. You can guess which is which.
I used to live in Montreal and that's what I tell everyone. You gotta be drinking all the time and the hot chicks are everywhere. Ugly ones hide or something. Go Habs!!!
Lol, I love your innocence 🤣. Anything and everything throughout the Province of Quebec is French. Ottawa borders on Ontario and Quebec, and being the nations Capital, is a bilingual city. Places like Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Regina... these are predominantly English. Cities on the Atlantic coast (east of Quebec), you'll find a bit of a mix between English and French. This is due to the French settlers settling in Quebec, proceeding through the St. Lawrence River and waterways from the Atlantic Ocean.
2 года назад+1
I love winter, its the opportunity to ski less than an hour from montreal, snow is so charming and if you dress well you will never be cold.
Most people in Montreal are bilingual. Also Montreal has an underground city. In winter you can walk the expanse of downtown without ever going outside. We have the largest jazz and comedy festivals in the world. It is a great place to live.
How Canadians confuse the world: We measure outside temp in Celsius and oven temp in Fahrenheit, Length in meters and our height in feet, Cheese is weighed in kilograms but people are in pounds. We speak like Americans, spell like Brits and randomly throw in French words.
As others have pointed out Montreal is in Quebec so French is first language there. As for the homes yes Montreal has a bunch of homes attached more like duplex like buildings if my memory serves me correctly. I'm originally from Ottawa and its been quite some time since my last visit to Montreal!!
Montreal is the fourth biggest French city in the world, after Paris, Kinshasa, and Abidjan. It is one of the oldest city in north america (1642). It is situated in the Province of Quebec, which is by far the largest province of Canada (more than twice the size of Texas). The official language for the province is French (all sign road). Quebec city, the capital of the province of Quebec, is north of Montreal and this is where the Gouvernement of Quebec is. Many USA people don't know the difference between "province of Quebec" and "Quebec City". It is pretty like New-York state and New-York city. Canada is divides into Provinces (not states) and Territories. Province of Quebec is one of them (very large area). Quebec City is a medium size city about 150 miles north-east of Montreal (pop. half-million citizen). Quebec city probably the closest thing you can get to Paris outside France. It is a very touristic city (and very beautiful). Montreal is a very cosmopolitain city (industrial and financial). At the place I work (manufacturing business), most of the people in the office speaks fluently 3 languages. There are many people in Montreal who's speaks 4+ languages (like Toronto, I think). As you get away from Montreal, the speaking become essentialy French, and sometimes little English. Outside Prov. of Quebec and outside New-Brunswick, a large proportion of the canadians population speaks only English. As for a family doctor, many people don't have one. I don't. Clinics, hospitals, and other healt center are still avalaible to everybody. I just got back from eye exam and the optometrist told me that I need to get a cataract surgery. She will contact the specialist and it is probably be done in 3-4 month (not an emergency). The operation cost $6000+, but it is covered by Medicare, so nothing to pay. 5 weeks ago, I went to a general exam with blood test and such, I had my result in 7 days. Completely covered by Medicare. No complaint about that. I am not sure what more a family doctor can do. Thanks for that video. You make me learn about my country, and frankly, you make me love it even more. By the way Tyler, just by curiosity, what state are you from?
You need to watch a couple more videos about Montreal. Montreal is a beautiful city. I was born there and lived there until early adulthood, living in several other cities since then. Nothing compares to Montreal for fun, food, and things to do.
so true. I want to go back home! A night out in Montreal and anything can happen. You can spend $1000 in a night easily and just as easily spend $0 and have fun either way
For the language subject around employers preferring hiring a French speaking candidate, it depends mostly of the type of work you're into. If your in the Service type, it could be understandably the case in public services, although a lot of enterprise offer both English and French phone services. In other type of jobs your competences will be more important than if your primary language is French or not. In some domains the lack of work force is so terrible that enterprises are hiring people abroad that neither speak French nor English. I'm in Longueuil south to Montreal, situated in the Montreal metropolitan area.
I applied for a job cleaning cages in an animal testing facility in Baie D'Urfe. I had 6 years dishwashing experience as a second job. Wouldn't hire me. Worst job on earth for sure. I got denied Welfare because "I did not have enough money for rent and food in my bank" lol. No joke. I also checked the English box on my taxes to Revenue Quebec. They screwed me hard. Gave me a $10 000 return, and then 4 months later said it was a mistake and I owe $12000 + interest. It's bad there for anglophones. I lived it. Got arrested for nothing and went to court all in french. No idea what was or did happen
My paternal grandparents (and my dad) grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec (once an English-speaking part of Quebec with immigrants from Ireland and Scotland in the early-to-mid 1800s). Back a century or so, the family used to jump back and forth across the Vermont/Quebec border depending on where the jobs were. That’s why I have American second cousins and first-cousins-once-removed, etc in Vermont.
I get it. But it's Canada, french is the minority. I survived 11 years there and I couldn't learn French. What people don't understand is Bill 101. A lot of people are foreigners. English with a foreign accent is hard for me to understand. French I had no chance
I'm a woman, born and raised in Montréal... You realizing Mtl is close to Ontario and VT/NY/NH makes me remember a funny anecdote: we can drink at 18 yo, here. You see me coming..? Ontario legal drinking age is 19, USA's is 21. I cannot COUNT how many 18th birthday parties I've seen for people (hum, dudes) coming from these places. All drunk, trying to score on the french girls... Cute..! 😏😅 About housing: yes, most the residential developments are called "plex", duplex=2, triplex=3 and so on. Owner can occupy one of the appartments (or not) and rent the others.and yes, all built next to another, most of the time with the staircase of wrought iron on the outside of house (fire hasard regulations). Tight neighborhoods indeed, in central areas. Not much of a suburb. The architecture has a mix of english victorian and french (either old 17-18th or late 19the century styles, depending on the building.) Used to be Canadian metropolis from 1840s to 1950s, hence the diversity. There's a housing crisis here too, very much similar to what's going on in North America in general. The price itself is not saying much if you compare it to people's salaries... affordability and social housing are two things to be considered separately, I think, but that's another debate... The healthcare discussion is complicated, but yeah, the shortage of doctors is the main problem. But as others have said here, there's a free (aka, public, tax-funded) service available pretty much all the time, you just don't always have a family doctor for follow ups. One important detail, the island of Montréal (it's a whole archipelago, actually) has the city of Montréal on it, but many other cities. and still, you can link them all by bike (in the summer that is... In the winter, not so much. ;) But winter is fun! Especially without a car!) Love this city with all my heart. Come and see! You'll love it! (we've always been the party city!) Oh and good for you for having the ability to make the research (about the flag!). Good for you! ;)
I remember 18 year old Vermont National Guard group causing trouble wanting to fight us. We were making fun of them for being in the National Guard like Red from that 70's Show with Bob. The woman with them sucker punched my friend out of the blue and knocked him right out. I instantly fell over laughing so hard. Started making fun of them even harder for their woman fighting for them and a lot of people saw it also and joined in. Peel st. I only wish there was cellphone cameras back then. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. My buddy hated if I told anyone cause he got knocked out by a girl. But she sucker punched him and what do you do really? All too funny
Montreal is a great city! Notwithstanding the traffic and endless road repairs. Typical American stereotype of Montreal can be found by watching American tv shows... ex when Douglas from King of Queens finds out he was born in Montreal and says "nothing good happens in Montreal" lol referring to our "sin city" reputation like Vegas.
Montreal is found in the Province of Quebec. In Canada healthcare is run by the province so it differs somewhat from province to province. In Montreal we definitely have a shortage of doctors - I live here and am one of many people waiting on the list for a family doctor 😅 I've heard from others it could be even over a 2 year wait. Wish me luck!
Yes, in the province of Quebec, the official language is French. There is law 101 that regulates the use of French as the language of the state and the right to be "served" in French and to advertise in that language, that’s why it can be criteria for employment, because of the need for stores to be able to serve peoples in French (law 101). In large cities like Montreal, English uses a lot with all ethnicities composing its diversity. Montreal is the metropole (largest town) of the province of Quebec. Still, the city of Quebec is the capital of the province where you'll find the parliament, for the matters that are of provinces jurisdiction, that's why you can also find a parliament in Ottawa, where the issues of federal jurisdiction are decided. The matter of health care is a provincial matter so there are differences in how it’s organized between the different provinces of Canada. Hope it helps ;)
How fortunate we are to live in a country with both French and English and so many other cultures to enjoy! I am a Nova Scotian who had a French Acadian father and an English mother. I have always known both worlds. I was born on a small island off of Cape Breton Island called Isle Madame. It was home to one of the first French settlements in Canada and was visited years prior to that by Basque fishermen who set up summer fishing camps along its shores before North America was settled by Europeans. My extended family members still live there centuries later. When I was a toddler, we moved to an English community in the province. That ended my chance of being educated in a French school as a child. Only a handful of French schools existed in Nova Scotia in the 1960s. Fast forward to today and there are 22 Acadian schools in Nova Scotia and I was fortunate to be able to teach in the French school system here after learning the language at Laval University in Quebec and Ste Anne University in Nova Scotia. My son graduated from our local French school and is proudly bilingual. I cannot imagine my life without knowing my French Acadian ancestry and culture. It has enriched my life and experiences. I wish every Canadian could communicate in our two official languages and even more than two for that matter. I believe we would be much more empathetic towards each other if we could.
Cheers on the west island. It's long closed. But back in early 2000 ''s they had open bar every Saturday Night from 9pm to 10pm. Free all you can drink. The stories I could tell, lol. The bars don't get crowded until after 11pm. So they were trying to bring people in early. Everyone was cool. In Ontario at the bar though people are idiot's and want to fight everyone. Montreal is the place to be if you like hot women, drinking, and food
"Oh the Urbanity" is definitely one of the best Canadian urban channels on RUclips. As you can tell, Canada is very much an urban based population, and city development is a passion for many citizens which has resulted in many fantastic RUclips channels popping up over the years.
Montreal is one of the few truly bilingual places in Canada. You can walk into most banks, stores or restaurants and be served in French or English. I never saw this anywhere else besides downtown Ottawa, even in officially bilingual New Brunswick.
It's not just downtown Ottawa. More than a third of Ottawa's population is bilingual (and that's not even counting Gatineau). The east end of Ottawa (including places like Vanier and Orleans) and the western part of Gatineau (Aylmer) are also very bilingual in the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area and you can usually get service in either language in most places (although a few smaller stores might struggle in more unilingual neighbourhoods). As a rule of thumb, the more you go north or east, the more francophone it gets while the more you go south or west, the more anglophone it gets. Once you start seeing the St-Hubert restaurants, Desjardins, or Jean Coutu drugstores, you know you're in a Franco-Ontarian neighbourhood. I've lived in both cities. Ottawa's kind of a linguistic mirror image of Montreal. Primarily anglo with a huge franco minority (which is a mix of Franco-Ontarian mostly in Ottawa and Québécois in Gatineau... cousins but definitely culturally different - the Quiet Revolution never happened in Ontario so Franco-Ontarians feel really old fashioned to a Québécoise like myself).
Montreal is an amazing city. Love it with all my heart. I moved to the suburbs when i was 27 because my husband was from the west suburbs and it was still accessible and affordable so we bought a house at the exact right time. It's been 11 years and the value of our house more than doubled compared to what we paid. I don't regret it at all, now we have kids and they had a house since they were born...but i do miss the city every single day (though not the parking situation hehe). It is a 20 minutes drive when there is no traffic...which is not that often, since Montréal is an island, you HAVE to take one of the bridges to leave the city. Also, we get a lot of americans in the bars here since its 18 years old to get in, instead of 21. It's a few hours drive and there are plenty of cheap rooms you can get downtown. Montréal nightlife is super fun (not that i partake in it anymore hehe). There is something for everyone.
From other videos, I noticed you refer to Quebec City a lot as a main city. It is beautiful, however Montreal is a lot more populated city which is in province of Quebec. Plus contrary to belief, many western students are immersed in French immersion (where all core subjects are taught in French. Other westerners take FSL (French as a second language), which is an intro to French and the basics. Several of my friends took French immersion from kindergarten until grade 10.
I live in between Ottawa and Montreal. Its pretty bilingual from Ottawa to Montreal and more French towards Quebec City and into New Brunswick. Montreal is a great place to visit for a weekend.
All major cities in Canada are close to the US because of a) they were founded near the St-Lawrence river and great Lakes because boats and b) It gets cold really fast when you go north.
@@nanskiboutski243 Yes, for sure, you can get by with English and a bare minimum of understanding French, but that's not really enough to integrate. In some ways I wish it was harder in Montreal, because most people will switch to English when they realise I'm not a native speaker.
I'm a french Canadian born and raise in the Plateau Mont-Royal and yes Montreal is a pretty cool city to live in....A cool thing about Montreal is that almost everybody (almost) do speak fluently french and english. It's not uncommon to see (and ear) a french and an english person talking together and the french one is speaking english and the english one is speaking french...
I’m an American (Californian) who’s lived in Montreal for the last 6 years. We are only here on working visas because my husband has a very specialized job in the movie biz and Montreal offers great tax incentives to the industry. We don’t speak French because we live in an English speaking neighborhood (Westmount), everyone we know here speaks English and everyone at my husbands company speaks English. I think most job offerings expect you to be bilingual, if you can find a company to sponsor your visa. You have to be able to do a job that Canadians can’t. At least that’s been our experience. As far as Montreal goes, it’s incredibly beautiful in all its wonderful seasons, especially breathtaking Autumn. The food and wine are delicious, people are very cool and fun, there’s a festival every weekend, the parks are all gorgeous, the architecture is stunning. I found a family doctor when we moved here by calling around. I find the healthcare here to be spectacular compared to the states. We pay $150 a month for both of us together for secondary insurance and medical bills are just a non issue. I had to have an emergency surgery when I was in the states but because of the insurance, I didn’t pay a penny of the $67K bill. When we moved here, real estate was shockingly cheap compared to LA, but when Toronto and Vancouver got too impossibly expensive, and people “found” Montreal, prices shot up. Allowing foreigners to buy up so many properties here for investment only made things worse. One thing that might shock you is the insane amount of construction on the streets here when it’s not snowing. But I think you would really love it here, come visit in mid October to see all of the incredible color.
Rude and disrepectful not learning french . In Rome do as Romans do. It is not to the locals to adapt to you! English privilège attitude = White privilege attitude
By not learning french, you know that you cannot interact with a large population of Quebecers. For construction, don't forget that we have a limited time to do any, because of the weather. If you have lived here for that long, you know how the coldest season can interrupt construction that could easily be done elsewhere.
To answer your questions about healthcare in Montreal, the true reason why it can be so long to find a family doctor, is actually the size of it's population: Montreal is the second most populated city in Canada with close to 5 millions people... so when you think that there's just over 50000 doctors for the entire city... You understand why!
Yes and they are not paid well compared to literally everywhere else in the country. So they tend to leave. We can blame our provincial government for cutting in healthcare, literally 4 years before a pandemic...things were already bad back then... not they are just sad and dangerous.
@@introvertedextrovert1023 not THAT dangerous! You can still get service if you need it in the hospitals, but if it's not urgent, you may wait a Little!
You can still go to the emergency room or a walk in clinic. Its more in regards to getting your own dedicated family doctor that it takes so long. I got lucky when my doctor retired i only waited 2-3 months to get a new one and she's young so i'm set until i retire! Typical shortage issue with doctors/nurses not getting paid as much as in Ontario or the states so they end up moving away. So many QC only issues, if you live here you get used to it. Bill 96 anyone?
@@bknight199 absolutely right! A family doctor can be REALLY hard to find, even with the help of the GMF (Guichet des Médecins de Famille) from the government. I was also lucky, but mainly because I have a heart condition since my 20's... Doctors here are DEFINITELY not paid ENOUGH, that's very true.
I lived there and now Ontario. It's because we have universal healthcare. It's pure evil. I know people disagree. They'll become a victim of it someday and see
Montreal is a UNESCO design and creativity city like Berlin . Montreal is 400 years old of history , architecture , and culture . Same architects has NYC for the Central Park and Park Mount Royal . Best night life in Canada and best food 6 universities in both official languages . Some well known compagnies and singers in the USA : Cirque du Soleil, Leonard Cohen , Céline Dion fun facts : Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Hilary Clinton are from descendant from Quebec when the king of France sent girls to Canada in the 1600 ' s in order to form a family and to develop Canada. Main industries : pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, aerospace, movies, entertainment, engineering , transport ( trains , planes, ski doo )
I grew up in Montreal. Speaking of Montreal winters, please check out their snow removal videos. They probably have the best City snow clearing in the world.
I remember it snowed 44 cm overnight once. And in the morning I was able to walk 5 km to work. I was too cheap for the bus, lol. I'm in Ontario now and I'm always like "where's the plows? "
I'm a Canadian who really appreciates your curiosity in, and expressed respect for, Canada and Canadians. I really enjoy your videos and your perspective. I'm from British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, born and raised, and I wanted to comment on our Health Care system in Canada. Here goes: Our Health Care is right across Canada, and paid for through our provinical/territorial and Canadian taxes. The system and its quality is certainly one of the top in the world in quality and provision for all its' citizens. We are a very blessed nation to have our health care system. Our system was established because of, and based on, our strong Canadian belief and value that health care/medical care is a human right that all, regardless of their socioeconomic status, should have equal access to. In Canada, we have advanced medical caregivers, education, technology, medicines, and practices due to our values and beliefs, which has led to having medical professionals around the world settling and serving in Canada, i.e. we have many cures and top of the line care for various types of cancers - very high survival rate for various cancers in B.C., Canada. It is important to note that the care differs from province to province and territories. This is not in terms of policies, procedures, and values, but rather according to the following variables: a). population numbers and their needs; b). the type of provincial/territorial government (i.e. Liberal, NDP, Conservative political parties differ from each other in their approach to the way they meet medical needs); and c). availability of medical resources due to wealth and population of location in Canada For example, take British Columbia for intance, when considering the variables at play: B.C. has 8 unique locational parts to it - the Mainland/Southwest, Vancouver Island/Coast, Thompson/Okanagan, Kootenay, Cariboo, North Coast, Nachako, and North East. With such incredibly unique geography, climate, economy, history, and cultural diversity location to location in just B.C. alone, the health care resources available vary. In B.C., centre of our health care provisions centralize in Mainland/Southwest because this is the highest concentration of populace in B.C.. With this huge populace comes greater tax money coming in to buy according to the needs of its people. As a result, you'll find that seeing a doctor, a specialist, getting sugery, etc. is faster in Vancouver than it is say on Vancouver Island. Further, given this, a lot of people from around B.C., and even from other provinces and territories, come to Mainland, B.C. to receive care. These same variables in B.C. also play out in some way or another across the country. So, some provinces and territories have less resources compared to a more wealthier province who's paying for the level of Medical Care they're given based on their taxes and needs. After Covid, those who were struggling with the services prior to, are impacted at an even greater level. For those provinces/territories who were satisfied, are not so satisfied after Covid. For example, using B.C. again, the majority do not have a family doctor - there's not enough to go around (we have a shortage), and so many go to walk-in clinics and/or the local hospital for their care. In highly populated locations, you will be waiting hours, depending on what time of day you went (4-8 hrs. give or take) becasue the demands are greater. If you've taken an ambulance to the hospital, you'll tend to get in and see an E.R. doctor right away. Since Covid, we are in MASSIVE shortage of doctors, nurses, specialists, and caregivers. Many of our medical workers were buned out after the height of Covid and left. Also, our provincial/territorial and national governments need to do a far better job of recruiting a new generation of medical workers, both from within and without Canada, to meet extraordinary needs across the country. Furthermore, our most concerntrated generation, the Baby Boomers, are retiring and leaving our various important sectors, including our Health sector. On top of this, Canadians are having less babies, with the exception of our Aboriginal Peoples, and so there are not a lot of new generations to replace our retired. Our country needs to invite greater numbers of health care workers to settle in Canada in order to meet this significant need. 2 things that our Health Care doesn't cover, and Canadians are asking to make changes in, is our a) prescription drugs and b) our mental health care coverage. Unlike Australia, who has a VERY similar Health Care system to ours, our prescription drugs are not covered for all Canadians. Through a patchwork of private/public insurance coverages and federal, provincial, and territorial government supports, which offer varying levels of coverage and decide who is covered and what the patient and plan pays, are the ways Canadians pay for their prescription drugs. Even marijuana, which is now legal in Canada, can be a covered prescription drug through a prescribing doctor. In terms of our Mental Health Care, we are disturbingly behind and Covid has made the glaringly evident. Our governments do not cover much of it for the majority of our citizens. This is on our docket of discussion in our governrments, especially since Covid. This area in our Medical Care needs to be covered by our system and equally given to all our citizens. Canadians are all on board and in agreement with this, and even making demands for this. Our government just needs to push past the red tape and barriers to make it happen. This was a REALLY short summary of our Canadian Health Care system. I'm confident I left out quite a bit, but this is the basics involved in our Canadian Health Care. Hope you find that helpful and thought provoking.
I was born in NDG and have lived in Verdun for the last 17 years. If you ever come visit and need a guide, we'll hook you up. I love these videos and am now a subscriber! Montreal is a BIG party town and Marijuana is legal and the legal drinking age is 18! Also, if you want to get a real good sense of Montreal, check out the RUclips channel: The new travel
It's time for you to visit Canada's three largest cities and experience the vibe of each one 🤗! Compare Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to cities in the USA. BTW don't worry about the language in Montreal - downtown people speak both languages 😁
yeah, the rule of thumb I follow anyway is Sainte-Catherine Ouest, English, Sainte-Catherine East, French. The English parts always can serve you in French, but some of the French parts, I was surprised to find out, won't serve you in English.
Montreal is like the Sin City that Vegas would love to be. Drinking age is 18 here in Quebec; we got male and female Strippers that shows everything, weed is legal in Canada, and public drinking is tolerated. What more would you want!?
When I biked to work, for awahile, the traffic craziness (the drivers in Montréal being so European (i.e. WILD) was really too intimidating to continue to do that for more than a few months.
It really depends on how much of your journey is not in shared lanes. I would never be comfortable riding a bike, sharing a street with cars that has traffic lights, but if you're lucky and there's a dedicated path for you separate from the car lanes, as I've been lucky to have a few times in my life, then a bike path is a pretty awesome alternative.
I live in Ontario now. Quebecors are nuts. But once you understand I miss it. Basically everyone is gonna go go go. Not like Ontario where you got no clue what they're going to do. When you cross the street in Ontario people will stop and watch you cross. In Quebec they speed up so you gotta run!
I'm a native Montrealer (NDG @10:42, Outrmont @11:01, Westmount... also Mile End and Le Plateau) now living in Toronto, but, like almost all expats from the city, Montreal is in our bones. If you grew up there, it shapes you and never leaves you. EVER. Not only do you feel it's part of you, but that you're also part of IT. Every point they made in that vid, they were bang on. And you weren't far off yourself Tyler, it IS a party city! Not always crazy, but unlike many cities where "live to work" is the motto, Montreal's is "work to live".
One of the biggest problems in Montreal or the entirety of Quebec is an employment shortage, so there is a lot of business and the health care system doN,t have enough personnel to work properly or fast.
I've had the good fortune to live in Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax, Winnipeg and Gatineau .... all have their charms. But Montréal is the clear winner, in my opinion... perhaps having been born and raised there is part of it? 🤔 Canada 🇨🇦 rocks!
Yes, it is confusing lol. Quebec city is in the province of Quebec. Quebec french is different than European french. Like Creole or Cajun would be different than European french
I don't want to sound like a prick, but we don't actually call it Quebec "City", but just Quebec! The same way nobody says Toronto City, or Oshawa City, or even Boston City... It's just Quebec! The province got it's name from our provincial capital!
@@johnvermette9466 people outside of the province of Québec will call it Québec city to know what they are referring to just like when we would talk about New york city or the entire state of New York.
Not the first time I see you pop up in my recommended videos but I couldn't resist a video about my hometown! That is a pretty good representation of Montreal, the neighborhoods are definitely very different from one another and there's a bit of everything for everyone around here. And while Montreal might in a French speaking province, it's probably the most multi-cultural city too so you'd be able to get around by speaking English if you are a tourist. There's so much more to the city but I wouldn't expect a small video to be able to show everything... like the festivals in summer and some in winter, the "underground city" which is a network of interconnected buildings downtown by corridors and malls which means you could take the subway to go shopping or a restaurant without having to set a foot outside, very useful in winter... there's all the Old Montreal area which is where you find the narrow cobblestone streets that would remind you of Europe and the old world... there's also the various professional sports events, there's a rich experience for live music or standup comedy. It's definitely a place to see if you ever have the chance, it has a lot to offer. Oh and about the healthcare, yes there is a shortage of doctors, not only in Montreal but all of Quebec really, mainly because of the way they are paid and the workloads, the government always tries to have them see more and more patients because of the waiting lists but there's only so much each doctor can do!
This is a great list, if I were to add one thing though it would be that Montreal is a fairly safe city to live in. I was a student in Mtl for 4 years and used to walk 1 hour everyday back and from school or work. As a young lady in their 20s, I have never felt scared, threatenned or even nervous to wander the streets by myself, even on days I'd finish work at 11 pm. No one ever bothered me. As for the "very difficult to get a family doctor unless you have a serious condition" well, I would scratch that last part. My family and I are lucky enough to have a family doctor but even so, my dad had to wait almost two years just to meet with him (shortage of doctors = more patients per doctor = doctor is less available) when they met, they started a series of tests that took months to get appointments for and get the results back. After 3 years of waiting we finally obtained a diagnosis. Turns out dad had a stage 4 cancer and had been suffering for years. So I almost lost my dad because of this sucky healthcare system we have. there's "free healthcare insurance" sure but between you and me, I would much prefer paying a fat fee then losing my dad at age 58.
i worked in oncology in Montreal hospital and i find it difficult to believe your story, 3 years wow your father could have been to an emergency or walking clinic and that would have been taking in charge fast. I'm sorry if it was realy the case for you.
@@cgrandrew I find it difficult to believe too and I'm not saying this is a relgular occurence (I sure hope it isn't). In my dad's case, it might just be a matter of circumstances but I still blame the system for it (I'm not holding a grudge I'm just saying it could've been handled better). You see he did go to the emergency when he started pissing blood and chunks and they were quite alarmed so they sent an immediate request to our family doctor. However, since my doctor is overloaded with patients of a respectable age, my dad's case wasn't considered a priority since he was a healthy man under the age of 60. Once we got the diagnosis, things got delt with seriously and fairly quickly, it just took a while to get there... too long. I do believe there was negligence from my doctor and even from my dad who probably wasn't insistent enough because he's a proud man but I can't help to think there is a flaw in the system since it's extremely common to wait months before being able to meet our family doctor, whatever the issue is. I respect your opinion, quite frankly, I would've felt the same had I heard this story from someone else. All that really matters now is that dad is cancer free and thriving and gets a biopsy every 6 months so if the cancer shows up again we'll be ready to attack ;) thank you for you sentiments.
healthcare is bad everywhere in Canada. I don't even know how people find out they even have cancer in Canada. I believe you. People don't like the truth how bad it is. I had surgery in Ontario and my waiver they make you sign said "surgeon will be in the room but not necessarily in the room" 11 years later and I still hurt everyday and hospital does nothing. "take advil" What Americans and Canadians don't get is that we have insurance too. But it's government insurance. You don't get to make decisions. Government does it all. That same surgery I wish I went to America and got it done how I wanted properly for $5000. And any mistake I can sue. Surgery in Canada ruined my life.
Just to let you know;Canada treated the natives like shit and still do!Please take a look at the story of the residential schools and also the number of native people forced into gangs and prison due to the soceity refusing to hire them for employment.Funny thing is by my fortune I had the opportunity to work with some at casual employment and they were the hardest workers I ever met!Racism is a festering sore hidden in the behinds of the power players of this country!!Just one man with one eye's opinion!
residential schools affected white people too. They weren't just for natives. And there is no bodies, that whole thing is so ridiculous. They refuse to dig anything up because there's nothing there. Natives also don't pay taxes yet reap all the services and more. The racism needs to stop and the Native Act abolished. Should be treated the exact same as every other Canadian
I will point out that natives got screwed yeah. But not you and I had nothing to do with too. So the whole claim these days is based on race. Literally the definition of racism. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to help understanding. Think about this. Should Canadians sue all Native Americans in Canada for introducing Europeans to tobacco costing millions of lives? I'd say no...Why? I'm not trying to be mean or anything. Just think about it please
As a clarification on the healthcare issue: you still can have needed healthcare via hospital emergency rooms and walk-in clinics; the wait times mentioned are specifically for getting signed up with a family doctor
I grew up in Montreal and lived in Park Ex. We called it row housing. The greatest thing in Montreal is buildings are not torn down. It is amazing to visit other parts of Montreal and the beauty of each borough.
I was born and raised in Montréal... I still believe it's equivalent to winning a geography lottery. I've traveled widely and lived in 7 major cities apart from the places I've visited. Montréal is the real deal! An absolutely awesome place to live, work and play! I give it 4.8/5 stars! Highly recommend it. As for what one of the speakers in the video said about speaking back and forth between French and English... extremely common in Montréal. I recall a networking event that I was attending some years ago and found that I had been jabbering on in French with a chap I'd just met... we were talking in French for about 15 minutes before we learned that we were both actually English! No trace of an accent in either one that would indicate French as a second language. I consider, though, that my first language is both English and French interchangeably (quite common here) and my second language is German (so 3 really). The difference being that, even though I am fluent in German there's no way that I'd be able to speak to a native German for more than a minute or two before they noticed it was definitely not my mother tongue. It's all in the accent... and the local vernacular, I reckon. Anyway... gotta love Montréal ❤️
Also, the primary language of the ENTIRE province of Québec is French (not just in Montréal). However, most French Canadians in Montréal also speak English.
The fun about Montréal being a primarily French speaking city with a huge English speaking community is that a lot of people will speak both language, at the same time.
In Montreal, you can parler français and English in the same phrase and tout le monde will understand. We switch d’une langue à l’autre all the time 😂🤣
Like Spanglish in the US.
So vrai!😂
So true. Although you sometimes cross path with the " On parle Franca icite ! " 😂
@@sylvielajoie c'est le fun!
@@carlsisi9712 Pas assez souvent, malheureusement. I live in the Easten Townships (about an hour to the southeast of Montréal and I used to go there quite often but it's been years since I was there for the last time and I'm not planning on going back anytime soon. Bloody orange cones and bicycles everywhere! :)
I am an anglophone (first language being English) from Western Canada and have lived in Montréal for a long time. The video shown is pretty accurate in terms of the pluses and minuses of living here. I had to learn French and now speak and write it very well. All of the jobs I have had required bilingualism where I had to use both French and English. For me, Montréal is by far the most community-minded city in Canada and housing (renting) costs are far below the national average. Even if people don't have a family doctor (one of my friends does not), there are walk-in clinics that are open to anyone and groups of family doctors who take patients (so you might get a different doctor from the group each time you go). The same universal health care available to all Canadians exists in Montreal. You are right, it's a matter of access, not affordability. Thanks, merci, for taking such an interest in our great city!
As someone that always lived in Montreal, I was always told that we had the highest rent cost and all that
@@videogamenoob100 higher than the rest of the province, but for major Canadian cities I think really only Edmonton is cheaper and not by much
@@videogamenoob100 Go no! Montreal has always had much cheaper rents and housing prices than virtually any other major Canadian city, except maybe Halifax.
@@terryomalley1974 rent is now more expensive in Halifax, it's absurd
Rent is cheaper in Quebec City
One big thing missing in the video is the fact that Montréal is an island. The other thing missing, is the underground city build around the metro system. Some people can go work without even getting outside.
Yes, there is over 24km of underground corridors… was a joy for xmas shopping during a snow storm, I could just go in tshirt and sneaker as bus was right in front of door, then subway and then a few walkways to make it easy to go from shopping center to shopping center
IMO the underground city is oversold. It's just a bunch of malls and office spaces and a few apartments that connected their buildings together. It's awesome in the winter, I could walk to the metro and then not have to go outside again untill I went back home. But it's not really a "city" per say.
@@Le3eFrereBrunet The first one in North America!
The feature after which Montreal is named is Mont-Royal park "mountain" which is huge and in the middle of the city. How could you miss it ?.
Yes!! How did u miss talking about the flourishing underground city?? And how expeditiously one gets seen by a medical specialist or hospital for a medical procedure depends on the severity & urgency of ur medical problem
I lived in Montreal for 15 years. You can easily speak English only there.
I miss this city. So many things to do. So many trees and parks. Good public transport. Incredible food.
Montréal, je t'aime.
I lived there 11 years. You can only speak English. But police will arrest you. And if you work there DO NOT check the English box on your income tax return to Revenue Quebec. They will screw you so hard
I left when I didn't get hired cleaning cages in an animal testing facility because I wasn't French. There's a lot of immigrants there with accents so it makes it hard to even learn. I'm sure a Quebecor has a hard time understanding a Haitian. I couldn't. Probably the worst job on Earth too so I left.
Quebec is both the name of the Province, AND the name of it's capital! I'm so glad you did a video to learn about the city I was born and grew up in! Montreal is the biggest city in Quebec, and it's also the name of the island where it's located! FUN FACTS: Montreal is the city where the very first Canadian Government was located!
Like NY NY
Quebec City is the capital of Quebec.
@@nancysanborne1226 Quebec City is just what the anglophones call it. It's Québec.
@@101starting mod like Oklahoma City Oklahoma
@@laurentbourassa1168 I stand corrected. ✌️♥️👍😊
When trying to help some American friends imagine Montreal's vibe, I once described it as "Imagine New York and Paris had a smaller love child, which has the same party loving attitude as its cousin New Orleans". It's a crude description but it evokes the mix of bagels, cafés and nightlife that one can find there.
I swear only in Montreal could you go out one night and end up waking up on a private jet somewhere. That never happened to me, but the stories I could tell. lol. Love Montreal. One thing is a lot of 18 year old Vermont Americans there because of the drinking age. I'll never forget one picking a fight saying he was Vermont National Guard. We were just laughing and making fun of him. His girlfriend punched out my friend. I fell over laughing and we really teased him because his girlfriend fought for him. I wish camera phones had existed then
When Canadians say they don’t have a family doctor, that is speaking to a dedicated general practitioner that one uses mostly exclusively. This does not mean patients do not have access to Doctors. Canada has many medical clinics that are walk ins with no appointment. So most Canadians always have access to medical care but it is triaged, as it should be. But yes, we are short of healthcare professionals.
Agree with what you've said, but it's still a very real problem. I've been on a wait list for 4+ years running. Love our healthcare system, but there are some real pain points.
The clinics are not without appointment now. So walking through a clinic without appointment doesn't exist anymore.
@@oiseaufeu I guess that depends where you are. I walked in just last week without issue.
@@JT.Pilgrim I am in Montréal.
If someone can’t find a clinic. Going to any hospital is still always possible. That creates a hole set of other problem but in an emergency there is always a free option.
Quebecois and Montreal native here! I'm really enjoying your videos :) As a few have said, one of the aspects of Montreal that is glaringly missing from that video is it's cultural and artistic landscape. There are multiple yearly festivals happening during summers such as the Jazz Festival, Les Francofolies (a festival dedicated to French-language music from across the planet), movie festivals even an animation cinema festival (including Anime festival), an international fireworks competition... Oh and many of these events are free to attend.
Montreal is also well-known for its culinary variety, having a rich and varied community of restaurant owners, many of them all in the same areas (Rue St-Denis, Ste-Catherine, St-Laurent, Mont-Royal). You can walk along these streets and see restaurant after restaurant or bar and can just take your pick XD Many of them also have terraces on the street front that give these area a pretty special vibe.
You can also find pretty fantastic comic book and game stores such as Le Valet d'Coeur which specializes in tabletop RPG games, miniatures and books. There were also a pretty nice variety of bookstores but unfortunately the rise of the Internet has caused several of them to disappear but there are still a few enduring ones including a few specialized ones that are dedicated to European/Belgian (French) comic books, something that you will not find anywhere else in North America. It's also got a variety of concert halls and theatres.
Montreal also has a pretty remarkable Chinatown with restaurants and stores that are worth visiting as well as a culturally vibrant Gay Neighbourhood. And if you're into that sort of thing... it's also got a pretty impressive number of strip clubs and adult bars and sex shops, which gave it the reputation of being the "Amsterdam of North America" (most of them on Ste-Catherine street that is also reputed for being a hotspot for hookers. Still illegal as of 2022 but there is a growing movement to legalize those activities). It's a city full of colors and rich in cultural activities for visitors and residents alike.
Another thing they failed to mention is the inconspicuous Mont-Royal hill sitting in the middle of the island. The whole hill is basically a huge park you can hike on with an observation post at the top you can use to get a pretty awesome view of the city skyline. So if you're looking for a Canadian city to have fun in, Montreal is where you want to be :)
I couldn't have said it better!
I live in Windsor now sadly. Coworker asked my favourite food cause he'd know where I should go. He was expecting pizza or something. Because I lived in Montreal for 11 years I said "Rack of Lamb" lol. Nothing like that here. I wish I could speak French, I'd be back in a heartbeat. So many hot women everywhere in Montreal
I was only in Montreal for 3 days but I noticed immediately that Montrealers really are into fashion and it seemed like no one was wearing "bummy" clothes. Everyone was dressed really nice. They also had a very big cafe culture. After work you didnt go home you would go to an outdoor cafe or a wine bar or something and hang out with friends for like "happy hour" before going home.
True, very nice of you to notice that ! 🤩
@@veggiebutfoodie I also stayed in a Bed and Breakfast that blew my mind because it was 17 floors up in a skyscraper. Obviously had a nice view, and breakfast was literally at the family breakfast table with the French language morning news show on. I also almost died. I went to a party on the roof of a building and I almost slipped off the side of the building.
Mostly in summer. In summer restaurant extend the dining room "in the street" with terrace, which is fun to enjoy the fews hot days we have in the year
I am only 1/4 French but Montreal feels like coming home.
Canada's nice is a bit fake but the French are so genuine. F poutine try a French Canadian meatbpie and a hug.
my friends ebds in France say Quebeccis its own thing
That's our European style!
I grew up in Montreal but live in the Toronto area now. This video hit a lot of the good things for LIVING in Montreal, but it missed on some of the big ones that a visitor might specifically appreciate about the city: The food, the festivals, the beautiful places to visit - in particular the area known as Old Montreal... But a good start.
We Canadians definitely need to help you learn the concept of "Provinces" though. We have Provinces the way the USA has States. Montreal is in the Province of Quebec, which also has a city called Quebec in it (think like how New York state is home to New York City), and the Province of Quebec is the most French-speaking province of Canada.
The only province where french is the official langage over english
Actually, the province of Québec's _official_ language is French. However, we're the most permissive state in the World in regard to other languages, especially English (given we live on a Continent where people mostly speak English, and given that Canada proclaimed itself as "bilingual" even though it's not true outside of Québec - for instance, try to get services in French when in Vancouver, or even Toronto...).
I lived in Montreal on and off for over 9 years of my life and I yet to see many festivals here. Winnipeg and Edmonton are the festival cities of Canada and in Winnipeg I love the Fringe, Folklarama festivals and sometime check out the winter Festival du Voyager in St. Boniface. The Folk Fest is still popular too in Birdhill Park, as a kid to saw bands like Bonnie Raitt in 1988 play it. The Winnipeg Comedy festival is also decent but I only been once with a close friend and "Crabman" from My Name is Earl. It was too focused on Canadian jokes for his liking as an American, and we left a little early as professional actors like being paid to play along with filmings, and he felt he was fake laughing at too many of the jokes being told.
I did attend the International beer festival twice in Montreal years back with the ex, but that is honestly the only one I ever attended and the Jazz festival here used to have good free outdoor shows, but since coming back is not even worth going to. I do like the international fire works shows, but that isn't a festival and check out the F1 street party, but this year 2024 was a total bust without any big name acts and nonstop rain the whole weekend long. Last year I saw Sam Roberts which was decent also in the pouring rain.
The International Film festival in Montreal was ok years back, but that went belly up, as has the Just for Laughs now too because of bad management decisions.
@@guillaumebrodeur9642not over it officially, but the law gets translated that way. It is now supposed to be officially a bilingual province, but that only made it hard for anglophones to get work, not reduce the problem as the attacks continue.
@@guillaumebrodeur9642 the only place in the world with actual language police. They have the Charter of the French Language. When I lived here I got arrested pretty much for being English. All that in french. Hospital is all in french. They know English but some will refuse to answer in English, they're allowed to. Your kids must go to french schools. Lots of crazy rules. Montreal is an awesome city though. But if you work there DO NOT check the English box on your income tax return to revenue Quebec. They screwed with me so hard I had to leave
One little note, Montreal is in the province (like a state in the US) of Quebec. In the province of Quebec Montreal is not the most "french city" it's actually the opposite, it's the city where you are more likely to be able to be understood in English. Every other major city in Quebec is overwhelmingly majority french speaking.
Well - that's almost true. I'm a native Montrealer and it's a fact that it is a very bilingual city. As you said; other major cities are predominantly French speaking... but Gatineau (4th largest city, I think, in Québec) is very much like Montréal in its bilingual environment.
@@haggis525 However, only French is official.
@@dominiquebeaulieu Sure... but "official" doesn't really matter in real life. It's my opinion that people who are very invested in the "official" language of the province are insecure types. The "On parle le francais ici, tbk!" types are tiresome in the extreme. Just my hare-brained opinion, obviously 🙄
Children of immigrants have to go to French schools unless their parents use to go to English schools in their native land. So immigrant children have to learn French.
Didnt Quebec ban english on store fronts or something like that
I'M a Montrealer that live in many cities Quebec City, Frankfurt Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Freiburg... and travelled to many more. Montreal is unique! Don't take me wrong I'm not saying it's the city in the world or that it is perfect. Living in Montreal is like having a foot in Europe and a foot in North America at the same time. Since both English and French is used, because of the two main cultures (English-Canadian and Quebecois) sharing the city. Montreal was an harbour and a city where people immigrated to from all over the world like New-York. Actually you mentioned that Vermont is near to Montreal. Actually Burlington is kind of like a suburb of Montreal. If you watch Burlington PBS station they have ads of stores and businesses based in Montreal. PBS organized cultural excursion to Museum or concert in Montreal.
FUN FACT: As much as 5.3 percent of American have French-Canadian blood flowing through there veins. The French-Canadian survive assimilation by having huge families (before the 70s it was not uncommon to see families with 10 to 15 children). During the rise of the industrialization in New England from 1840 to the 1900, there was massive emigration of French-Canadians from Quebec to work in the cotton mills of New England. Cajuns also come from Canada, they are descendent of deported Acadians from New-Brunswick by the British. 25% of Maine resident are from French-Canadian heritage, 24% in New Hampshire and Vermont, 17% in Rhode Island and Louisiana, 13% in Massachusetts, 10% in Connecticut. There was even a french PBS station in Northern New England until the beginning of the 70s. This fact is not very known by Americans. French is the 9 most common cultural heritage in USA. That nuber includes French from France and French-Canadian but most came from Canada or through Canada. I'm pretty sure that not many people are aware of that.
That's so interesting! Thanks for sharing
i m from Québec city and now living in Montréal i have interest in history and didn't know that much about the number or % of french canadian in the different states. well done André bon résumé merci.
The Cajun people are descendents of the deported Acadians from what is now New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and part of Maine, actually. ( the regions that made up Acadie at the time).
One small correction to your post, Andre - The Cajuns were deportees principally from Nova Scotia. They were given a choice of pledging loyalty to the British crown or be deported to Louisiana, a fact easily confirmed by google. And I did not know that about the French PBS broadcast. Thanks.
For sure, my maternal grandparents moved from Quebec to New England in the 19th century, so my Mon was born in Mass. She married my Dad who was from Montreal, and came to live back here. However, my aunts, uncles & cousins were all US citizens. BTW, New York City is about 320 miles due south of Montreal, so there has long been communication between via Lake Champlain & Hudson R. before railways & roads existed. Also, we aren"t that much farther from Boston MA and Washington DC.
Although Montreal is a great city (I highly recommend the Montreal Jazz Festival), Quebec City has a special place in my heart. The food, culture and people are off-the-charts awesome. Back in 1987, I was in QC and needed directions. I approached a guy and asked for directions in French, and he replied in an American drawl: I don't know what y'all are saying - I'm from Texas! 😆
Dear EK. I've attended as a family n performer. Cheers from SpoCanada.
Cheers from Quebec City!
Montreal native here, enjoyed this video among the others! I will say as a city of several million, Montreal is very adaptable for anglophones in day-to-day life, and you can easily communicate in & be served in English throughout the city (although some neighbourhoods will tend more or less French based on the cultures established there), establishing a career here will require some level of investment into your French, but it will be a seamless & fun place to visit even with zero French at all!
As a fellow Montrealer, yeah his channel is pretty fun, especially seeing someone from the US who seems legit interested in our beautiful country!
Also fully agree with everything you said!
But we appreciate when tourists make an effort to speak French.
My daughter has just moved there to attend McGill. She has been in French emersion since Kindergarten, so it is great that she can continue to have French as part of her daily life. I've found it an to be an amazing city with friendly people, and seems to be full of events and life. Compared to Vancouver, which seems void of proper events, it did not take me long to fall in love with the city and begin to look at property there. I'll just have to brush up on my French.
A true cosmopolitan city.
My first week there, I always became turned around in the subway. Although I wanted to learn french, all french-speaking acquaintances that I made, all wanted to practice their english. I was there for 8-months. I was there when the then mayor, back in '10 wanted to shut down the oldest burlesque theater in canada, it didn't happen, its a historical site.
Forget starbucks, there's a chocolatier I went to everyday, it was a brisk walk from Pie-IX, yep, get my tall of dark hot chocolate from scratch.
Vancouver BC is my first love, but Montreal is indeed my second.
@@ricahaurymn it's hilarious because most FR-only people in Montreal couldn't care less about English and it's SO EASY to practice English in Montreal too lol. Vancouver is a hell of a beautiful city! Look up Banff, scenery-wise it's one of the most beautiful places in Canada. Newfoundland as a whole has a huge place in my heart, from the scenery, to the people and the small towns.
We should make Tyler an honorary Canadian.
He's definitely getting closer to passing the Citizenship test! Might be a good video to try a test exam.
I agree!!!
Cheers n point Well Made/Taken, from an AmeriCanadian in SpoCanada.
Agreed !
Ha thanks Rick!
After 13 years in Montréal, I can confirm everything is true in the video. A few important things are missing though. Montréal is an island with too few bridges, a port on the St.Lawrence river (fleuve St-Laurent). Water is a very important part of Montréal and the Old Port is a major historical place to visit, very beautiful and popular. It's one of the oldest place in North America. Canada is well known for hockey, but Montréal is home to the most iconic NHL team: les Canadiens de Montréal. The downtown area was not discussed at all, neither were of the various summer international festivals such as jazz, Just for Laugh, les Franco (french music), etc. Too much exposure to bicycles! Yes they are common, but cars are still everywhere, traffic is a real problem. Also infamous for bad street conditions plaguing the city, especially in the winter.
Found you last night. I love that you’re taking the time to learn about Canada. You also had me laughing my butt off - you’re hilarious
The video seems pretty accurate, honestly. As a Montrealer, I agree with pretty much everything and understand every point they brought up. Just like everywhere, there are pros ans cons and how much they weight in the balance may vary for everyone because not everyone wants or needs the same thing.
The flag that you see at the beginning is indeed the Quebec flag. The buildings are indeed apartment units. Urbanism is indeed different in Montréal because of a few reasons, including the fact that it,s an old city that has seen the expension of different neighbourhoods at different period, like is said in the video, but also those periods concorded with different immigration waves. So some neighbourhoods were predominantly built and lived in by French people in the 1600s, then some in the 1700s and 1800s by English and Scottish people. Then Irish. Then Italians in the 30s and 40s. etc. It had an impact in how the different neighbourhoods look like, because of the house desings but also the type of shops and cafés and bakeries, etc. There is quite a big community of Polish people too. Nowadays, the more recent immigration waves have been from northern Africa and Haiti (so French-speaking places, but with different cultures and religions than ours. So it adds a lot to our culture and our food and the shops in the neighbourhoods. They are more concentrated in certain areas and neighbourhoods too, so again, the experience will vary depending on which neighbourhood you are in and yes, you almost feel like you are in a different city sometimes. I never realised it; I took it for granted, as if it were just the norm. But yeah, I guess it is indeed kind of special.) The other main reason for the difference in urbanism is a law to protect the urban heritage. For example, we are not allowed to build too many high buildings because they block the view from the Royal Mount, hence why you see significantly less sky-scrapper in Montréal than in any other modern North American city. We tend to build buildings attached horizontally instead of vertically because of that. Also, the law forces us to reuse old bric blocks when putting down an old building to rebuild a new one. We either use so of the bric blocks or pieces of the old building, or we literally have to keep the "front", the storefront, and build the new building around it. So the inside is rebuilt, the sides might also be, but the original storefront must be kept. We have a lot of old Churches and Libraries that have been replaced by something else, but the storefront is kept and so the outside still looks like a Church or an old fancy library or bank from the 1800s. Another point about the differences in neighbourhoods and community feel of the city compared to other big cities is also linked to urbanism. The fact that we don't have as many traditional apartment units where it's just one big block and mostly have units that are : one big apartment at the bottom, owned by the owner (and the yard too), and then two apartments on the second floor and two or three on the third floor. That means (and I never thought about it until I watched a video that talked about it) that owners live closely to renters all the time. You have way less super rich neighbourhoods with mostly owners or renters of fancier buildings and then other neighbourhoods where all the apartment units are rented by poorer people. Buildings have around 3 to 5 apartments, and there is always one owner (who lives at the bottom, in the bigger apartment). They live there. So they workn to maintain the building, the yard, etc. and they live close to the renters, so it does affect the community vibe, the pricing and how we perceive "owners" and "renters". There are rich people and poor people and richer neighbourhood and poorer neighbourhood, and there are big buildings of apartment units (but way less), but the gap between the rich and the poor is just thinner than everywhere else. And the gap of how we treat each other based on social class too. Because of this urbanism. It makes the city a lot less "ghettoized" with almost only richer people and owners in some places and then poorer folks and renters in some other places. The owner might be the owner because they are richer, and that might be because of social class in general, but also because of the age. An older couple might be the owner of their building and rent the 2-4 apartments above to young couples, young families who are not yet able to buy a house but are planning on doing so later on in life, students, etc. So the older, more established people cohabit with younger families and students all the time within the same block. This plays a huge role in the community feel in Montreal, I'm sure of it.
Also, just to clarify, the healthcare thing is indeed a shortage. The Healthcare Benefit ($) system is indeed across Canada and it doesn't really change from place to place, but the actual system is a provincial thing, not a federal thing, so some things might be different in the way they organise the system, a few laws might differ, etc. And the access obviously differs depending on if there is a shortage or not, and depending on if you live in a big city or way up north with only one hospital one-two hours away from your home. In terms of access to different care units, we're lucky in Montreal because obviously we have many hospitals and many bigger departments and specialised departments that very small cities don't have (and have to take a trip to bigger cities for some special tests, etc.) but the waiting lists are indeed very long because of the shortage. It was already getting bad, but with covid, it got really bad. *Although*, I must mention that those are waiting lists for specific tests to be done, surgeries, or for access to a family doctor which would be your assigned doctor, but that does not mean that you completely don't have access to medical care. There are so many "walk-in" clinics where you just see a random doctor, just not "yours" as if you were at the emergency room at a hospital. You can also go to the emergency. It's just that people don't like having to go there because they have to sit and wait for hours instead of just calling for an appointment with their designated doctor. So it is a bummer for sure. But it is not to the extend of being life-threathening because you won't be able to see anyone, or you'll have to pay for it. Sure, you might wait for awhile at the clinic and lose a workday, but at the end of the day, you'll have seen a doctor and it won't cost you a thing. Losing one salary day is a bummer, but it would be worse if it took only 1-2 hours out of your day but cost you 10 000$ 😅But I get it still. It's definitely not fun and people are right to complain.
Montreal is my hometown, although i haven't lived there in years. In my opinion, it's Canada's most vibrant and interesting city, because of its unique blend of cultures, languages, ethnicities and architechture. Québec is both a city and a province, like NYC and New York state. They call those houses that are connected in Montreal flats, and they're very common in the older neighborhoods of the city. The icon you see beside my name is the flag of the city of Montreal. In each corner, there's the English rose, Scottish thistle, French fleur-de-lis, and Irish shamrock. Those were the four founding ethnic groups of both the city of Montreal and of Canada. Also, you're right, Montreal is a great party town and, style-wise, is very chic and trendy. Healthcare is provincial responsibility, although each province receives a portion of funding for their systems from the federal government. Tyler, they're not regions, they're provinces. Same thing as states, just with a different name. Understand now? It's interesting seeing your reaction. Things I have taken for granted my whole life about my city and country you find so different and entertaining.
I chose the old version of the flag on purpose. Actually, Toronto didn't overtake Montreal as Canada's largest city until 1976.
@@terryomalley1974 Toronto is nowhere near as awesome as Montreal. I won't even drive through Toronto. I miss Montreal. But I lived there 11 years and I can't learn Quebecois. So I hate Quebec more than I love Montreal. When I checked the English box on my tax return to Revenu Quebec they screwed me so hard I left. I got the message
Hey there! I'm from Quebec (small village) and I now live in Montreal. A lot of what was said is true and I agree with a lot of it... But for any québécois Montreal is unbelievably expensive. The prices have really been crazy lately, to the point where I'm considering moving back home :( Although french is the main language in all of Quebec, you can't get a job in Montreal if you don't speak English. A lot of places will serve you by saying bonjour-hi. You don't need to know French to get around. I strongly suggest you come visit! Winters really aren't that bad with global warming and everything. Sometimes it's above freezing temperatures in January, whereas when I was a child (I'm in my late 20s) we routinely had -30C / -22F (-35/40C with the wind). Back then, -10C / 14F was considered unusually warm
I live in Montreal and am an English speaker from Nova Scotia. When I became unemployed in 2009, Emplois Quebec paid for me to attend French language training for a year. Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 3:30 every day and then paid me to attend a community college to upgrade my accounting skills for another year. Great social programs are available to help, but are not available to everyone.
And yet more and more people chose not to learn French and complain about Québec and lack of opportunity due to them being unilngual (since it's usually anglos clomplaining)
you're lucky. You must've had to take those classes in french also. I hope you don't check the English Box on your tax return. Revenu Quebec screwed me so hard I had to leave
Hey Tyler, you should definitely check out Québec city. I went there once to go see Cirque Du Soleil and it felt like I was in a different country - not due to the French, but due to the architecture. (I'm from Prince Edward Island on the east coast, but lived in Moncton, New Brunswick for most of my 20's, which I'm so thankful for because I'm bilingual & it gave me the opportunity of living in a French environment). But yeah, Québec city was an experience I'll never forget. Definitely worth checking out.
Vous êtes bienvenu !
I lived there for a year as an étudiante d' immersion at Laval from Nova Scotia. Quebec City will always hold a special place in my heart! One of the best years of my life
I lived in Quebec 11 years. Went to Quebec city once. $550 a night at the Fairmount, had to stay there. It is cool but expensive. I was there in 2010 and a small salad was over $20
In the video there's no mention of all the events and festivals but we have a ton, especially during the summer. Also we have a big food culture with some top notch restaurants
I miss going to Gibby's in the old port on special occasions. Food was always amazing!
a ton*
@@bobbyr.7578 Ah yes, thank you.
the hot chicks everywhere! And if you don't understand them you get silence, lol. Yeah the food there will blow you away. Mmmm. Creme Brulee. mmm Molson. Go habs
I'm in Montreal, a native french speaking Quebecer and I'm VERY proud of the city. I appreciate that you took time to talk about our nice city. Oh and the health issue is actually a doctor shortage and if you have a problem, you'll get treated, don't worry.
Le système de santé est dla marde.
but in french only. I couldn't learn French, and yeah, didn't have fun living there. Love Montreal though and there are lots of super cool nice french people. A lot of ...... too
young man Quebec city existed before the province of Quebec ,and montreal is an island , the part you are looking at is the south of the island wich includes downtown core and old montreal , on the island we have Mont Royal a tiny mountain hence people built around this mountain , in montreal you find the italian rea the greek area the jewish area and so on , each with its bakeries restaurants , in the mountain side we have hospitals huge parks an oratory universities etc . it is a vibrant city . Quebec province is old france hence french , the flag represents the province
Montreal became a city because of the Lachine Rapids actually. Ships couldn't pass, so they had to unload their cargo and reload it back on ships after the Rapids to keep going inland. The first settlement to survive winter was in 1608 St Croix. Which is now Quebec city
The houses are groups of flats, which in French are called Logements. These flats are often large 2-storied with high ceilings and often some with elaborate iron winding staircases and balconies. I was born in Toronto and moved to Montreal for work. There I met my French-Canadian husband and learned to speak very poor French. I lived in Montreal downtown and its suburbs for 13 years - the best of my life. Winters are brutal, but the beauty of its architecture, the parks, amenities , culture, cuisine and people make up for it. It is a great place for a vacation.
Yééé !!! MONTRÉAL!!!🥰👍🇨🇦 I'm on the south shore . For french language, 22% of Canada have french as their primary language. Most of us live in the province of Quebec but the is french community in every provinces.
Avant c'était 23%
But 80% speak French in the province of Québec !!!
@@clairelevasseur9434 Je suis en Nouvelle Écosse. Je ne peux pas imaginer ma vie sans la langue française. C'est tellement important à moi. Mon père était acadien tandis que ma mère était Anglophone. J'ai appris le français pendant mes vingtaines, pourtant. C'est important à mon identité aujourd'hui. Il y a plusieurs écoles Francophones dans notre province aujourd'hui qui veut dire que la population francophone monte. J'ai plusieurs membres de ma famille qui sont acadien(ne)s et plusieurs amis aussi. Ma vie est plus belle à cause de cela!
Having grown up in Montreal, attended McGill and Concordia Universities, and currently being a resident of British Columbia on Canada's west coast, I can say the information in this video is very accurate. I can see how the perspective was influenced by their interest in cycling around the city, so other aspects of Montreal life were omitted, but for the information they presented, I'd say very thoughtfully and accurately done.
The compactness of the housing really is a big factor in the stability here. In the centre of the city where I live, all houses are connected. It's not as if you your neighbour can just tear theirs down. And besides, most houses are two or three houses on top of each other. Probably smaller than your standard Canadian houses as a result, but you get used to it. And as they are older they are built better. Hahaha. I never hear my neighbours and we have some on each side and bellow us.
Also the tenenency rights are top notch. If you have a lease it is pretty iron clad. I have a friend who has had her flat for 20 years, so she is still paying 2002 prices. 550$ for a two bedroom in a major city is pretty great. Nice place too.
yes the regime du loadgement does their job. I escaped to Ontario and the Landlord tenant board is a joke. Quebec does it way better. Ontario you can't dispute a rent increase. Quebec you can
@ 22:34, thank you for having this perspective. A lot of English Canadians think that it's Québec/Montréal that should accommodate them since English is also an official language. But people often forget that like the USA, Canada has a federal system. The federal government is bilingual but the province of Québec on the other hand only has French as its official language.
Yes , of course. Quebec has long asserted it's right to be different than the rest of Canada. Yes, we have a federal system, and ALL of Canada is bilingual, weather you acknowledge it or not. Even your own provence is struggling to maintain french as a first language. I don't care what your provincial government says, they are just using it as a talking point. Quebec is not " special ", it's just another province.
Canada is bilingual at the FEDERAL level. The only province that is officially bilingual is New-Brunswick. All the other provinces are unilinguals.
Meaning that Alberta doesn't need to provide you provincial services in French but the Federal government is obligated to provide you federal services in French.
It also goes both ways. Even in Montreal a French speaker will be expected to be perfectly bilingual for some jobs. Even more so if a French speaker looks for a job in other Canadian provinces. They mentioned the tech industry and many of my meetings are in English only even though the vast majority of our employee are French speakers.
@@fredbyoutubing Oui c'est des grosses conneries
@@echobeefpv8530 Sorry but Québec so Much more différent than the rest of Canada that yes it's special
Buildings are close to each other because what you’re looking at are inner-city neighbourhoods. It’s very much like any other city. Suburbs of Montreal are exactly what you’d imagine suburbs as being.
B
Im a native Montrealer who has lived and travelled all over the world. There is definitely a uniqueness, charm and excitement about this city. I'm a proud Montrealer and my father was an architect who contributed a lot to the architectural skyline. When i miss him, i can walk downtown and see his buildings .
The only thing Canadians love more than feeling superior to Americans, is being noticed and talked about by Americans! Hi from Calgary! This has been a great series and have really enjoyed watching you get to know more about our great country!
I grew up in Ottawa, lived briefly in Toronto & New York state, but have lived mostly in Montreal for last 20 odd years. I have travelled a fair bit and in North America, you can't beat the mix you get in Montreal. I am technically an allophone being born behind Iron Curtain, but am functionally trilingual. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Especially since I have lived mostly in NDG which is one of the greener neighbourhoods with lot's of mature trees.
If I have one criticism: I've been watching a few of your videos and each time French is mentioned you go: "oh I'm not sure how important French is in Canada....anyway moving on!"
There are millions of us! You should probably make a video about it.
I know I wish he'd learn about bill 101 and all the insane rules. Only place in the world with actual literal language police
@@highstreetkillers4377 while I disagree with the way it is enforced, laws to protect the French language are direct responses to a history of discrimination. Which could be talked about here instead of bringing up modern controversy.
I have lived in all the major cities in Canada and Montreal is the city I enjoyed the most. You should check it out you'll love it.
I've lived in Montreal for 9 years as a French Canadian from the province of Quebec. I was living in a different region of Quebec before. I can tell you that for us (Quebecers), Montreal feels like a different culture. It is very diverse (more so than most of the province), most people in Montreal are bilingual including native French speakers, most businesses will require to speak French but for a Quebecer coming from outside of Montreal we also have a language barrier because they also require to have fluent English skills (it wasn't a problem for me but my parents don't speak English and I know it can be a challenge for many people in Quebec). On the issue of affordability, we would have to look at when the video was made. During the pandemic, while everyone thought that housing would become more affordable due to the fact that everyone wanted to leave big cities to buy a home in a smaller town and get more space, the pandemic actually had the opposite impact on Montreal. The cost of living has skyrocketted. But it is true that housing remains more affordable than other North American cities of a similar size.
Hi Tyler, I love watching your videos! You have a great and friendly personality! This video failed to mention parking issues in Montreal. Many of the parking are on the street. In winter, people are having to move their vehicles from one side of the street to the other side, during the winter months, to allow snowplows to cleaning the streets. Street signs indcate the timeframe you are allowed to park and where, but it almost feels like a game of chess. This problems explains why many Montrealers bike to and from work and other locations, as parking spots are not as accessible! Thank you, a friend from Canada! 💖
23:16 I live in Varennes (south shore suburb), that park is literally a six minute walk from my house.
Bilingualism is extremely common in Montréal, in fact it's considered completely normal. Most of our public and professional life is in French, but almost all of us are also able to speak English to at least some degree. Additionally, Montréal has a large number of trilingual individuals. Just about all children of immigrants speak their parents' native language, French, and English.
Having worked a fair bit in both the UK and the US one thing that never failed to blow away our local colleagues was when my business partner and I would seamlessly switch between French and English and back again easily within the same conversation.
Given the number of allophones in Montreal tri-lingualism is pretty common. I happen to be one of those.
@@kazkazimierz1742 As am I.
That's awesome! Je peux faire la même chose. It's a great thing!
I have a family doctor here in Rouyn-Noranda (in the Abitibi of Québec) but I actually preferred health care facilities in Montréal, where I lived for 20 years. The walk-in clinics, whether one had a doctor or not to turn to, meant that there was no waiting for care. One could just walk into a clinic at any time and be treated. 'T'was great! And don't worry about your French. I know seven languages, and French was the easiest to learn.
Incredible.
Not there. Most are immigrants. So they have an accent when speaking french as a second language. A lot of Frenchmen don't even know french. I worked in a kitchen and they ask me the French words for certain food. I don't know. lol
Montreal is named after Mount Royal, the triple-peaked hill . The city is centered on the Island of Montreal. Read Wikipedia about Montreal & the flag of Quebec. Very informative :)
Houses connected together are called row houses. Sort of like houses in Europe.
In Canada there are 10 provinces and 3 territories in the most northern regions.
Quebec is a province thus Quebec flag.
As a French-Canadian born and raised in Montreal (now living in the suburbs), it's really fun to see your naive and curious view. It's a nice departure from my jaded point of view ;) lol
Everything in quebec is french, it's the first language. From signage on roads to labels on products to school. It's all french. It's incredibly unique.
Lots of Vermonters come up to Montreal for music concerts and other large cultural events. Also, the drinking age in Québec is 18, which is why so many young Americans across the border like to party it up here.
Vermont National Guard was talking crap, so we were laughing and making fun of them for being National Guard. The women with them punched my friend in the face and knocked him right out. I fell over laughing so hard and then we really made fun of them because there woman had to fight for them. Had to have been there and I wish cameras existed back then. Cause more people saw it all and also was making fun of them
I'm a French Canadian i just want to apologize for the narrators ( sounded like robots...) Montreal is awesome place live !!! Certainly considered having the best Food in North America :)
and the hottest women. My god I miss Montreal.
It's a bit weird that your videos are aimed at getting Americans to learn abour Canada, but most commenting are Canadians ! I think we appreciate your great videos and the attention 😜
The city planning of Montreal is steeped in its history of French and English colonization. Generally, the closer to downtown you get the planning is based on seigneurial system (the system of inheritance used by the French during the Royal Era) is separated in to rectangles. On the obverse, the further from downtown you get the planning is based of the English township system separated into squares.
I live in Windsor now and it is way more like that old system than Montreal. I miss Montreal but not Bill 101. Never again sadly
A comedian I liked once described Toronto and Montreal as brothers. One was an accountant, the other was a womanizing alcoholic. You can guess which is which.
I used to live in Montreal and that's what I tell everyone. You gotta be drinking all the time and the hot chicks are everywhere. Ugly ones hide or something. Go Habs!!!
Lol, I love your innocence 🤣.
Anything and everything throughout the Province of Quebec is French. Ottawa borders on Ontario and Quebec, and being the nations Capital, is a bilingual city. Places like Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Regina... these are predominantly English. Cities on the Atlantic coast (east of Quebec), you'll find a bit of a mix between English and French. This is due to the French settlers settling in Quebec, proceeding through the St. Lawrence River and waterways from the Atlantic Ocean.
I love winter, its the opportunity to ski less than an hour from montreal, snow is so charming and if you dress well you will never be cold.
Most people in Montreal are bilingual. Also Montreal has an underground city. In winter you can walk the expanse of downtown without ever going outside. We have the largest jazz and comedy festivals in the world. It is a great place to live.
How Canadians confuse the world:
We measure outside temp in Celsius and oven temp in Fahrenheit,
Length in meters and our height in feet,
Cheese is weighed in kilograms but people are in pounds. We speak like Americans, spell like Brits and randomly
throw in French words.
As others have pointed out Montreal is in Quebec so French is first language there. As for the homes yes Montreal has a bunch of homes attached more like duplex like buildings if my memory serves me correctly. I'm originally from Ottawa and its been quite some time since my last visit to Montreal!!
Montreal is the fourth biggest French city in the world, after Paris, Kinshasa, and Abidjan. It is one of the oldest city in north america (1642). It is situated in the Province of Quebec, which is by far the largest province of Canada (more than twice the size of Texas). The official language for the province is French (all sign road). Quebec city, the capital of the province of Quebec, is north of Montreal and this is where the Gouvernement of Quebec is. Many USA people don't know the difference between "province of Quebec" and "Quebec City". It is pretty like New-York state and New-York city. Canada is divides into Provinces (not states) and Territories. Province of Quebec is one of them (very large area). Quebec City is a medium size city about 150 miles north-east of Montreal (pop. half-million citizen). Quebec city probably the closest thing you can get to Paris outside France. It is a very touristic city (and very beautiful).
Montreal is a very cosmopolitain city (industrial and financial). At the place I work (manufacturing business), most of the people in the office speaks fluently 3 languages. There are many people in Montreal who's speaks 4+ languages (like Toronto, I think). As you get away from Montreal, the speaking become essentialy French, and sometimes little English. Outside Prov. of Quebec and outside New-Brunswick, a large proportion of the canadians population speaks only English.
As for a family doctor, many people don't have one. I don't. Clinics, hospitals, and other healt center are still avalaible to everybody. I just got back from eye exam and the optometrist told me that I need to get a cataract surgery. She will contact the specialist and it is probably be done in 3-4 month (not an emergency). The operation cost $6000+, but it is covered by Medicare, so nothing to pay. 5 weeks ago, I went to a general exam with blood test and such, I had my result in 7 days. Completely covered by Medicare. No complaint about that. I am not sure what more a family doctor can do.
Thanks for that video. You make me learn about my country, and frankly, you make me love it even more.
By the way Tyler, just by curiosity, what state are you from?
The houses being stuck to one another also had the advantage of being easier to heat up in the winter as the heat doesn't have as mean escape routes.
yeah winter is cold. But sadly 1 person dies there everyday from fire. Check your smoke alarms!!!
You need to watch a couple more videos about Montreal. Montreal is a beautiful city. I was born there and lived there until early adulthood, living in several other cities since then. Nothing compares to Montreal for fun, food, and things to do.
so true. I want to go back home! A night out in Montreal and anything can happen. You can spend $1000 in a night easily and just as easily spend $0 and have fun either way
For the language subject around employers preferring hiring a French speaking candidate, it depends mostly of the type of work you're into. If your in the Service type, it could be understandably the case in public services, although a lot of enterprise offer both English and French phone services. In other type of jobs your competences will be more important than if your primary language is French or not. In some domains the lack of work force is so terrible that enterprises are hiring people abroad that neither speak French nor English. I'm in Longueuil south to Montreal, situated in the Montreal metropolitan area.
I applied for a job cleaning cages in an animal testing facility in Baie D'Urfe. I had 6 years dishwashing experience as a second job. Wouldn't hire me. Worst job on earth for sure. I got denied Welfare because "I did not have enough money for rent and food in my bank" lol. No joke. I also checked the English box on my taxes to Revenue Quebec. They screwed me hard. Gave me a $10 000 return, and then 4 months later said it was a mistake and I owe $12000 + interest. It's bad there for anglophones. I lived it. Got arrested for nothing and went to court all in french. No idea what was or did happen
My paternal grandparents (and my dad) grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec (once an English-speaking part of Quebec with immigrants from Ireland and Scotland in the early-to-mid 1800s). Back a century or so, the family used to jump back and forth across the Vermont/Quebec border depending on where the jobs were. That’s why I have American second cousins and first-cousins-once-removed, etc in Vermont.
I wish all anglos living in Montréal think like you : not imposing English when the official language is French.
I get it. But it's Canada, french is the minority. I survived 11 years there and I couldn't learn French. What people don't understand is Bill 101. A lot of people are foreigners. English with a foreign accent is hard for me to understand. French I had no chance
I'm a woman, born and raised in Montréal... You realizing Mtl is close to Ontario and VT/NY/NH makes me remember a funny anecdote: we can drink at 18 yo, here. You see me coming..? Ontario legal drinking age is 19, USA's is 21. I cannot COUNT how many 18th birthday parties I've seen for people (hum, dudes) coming from these places. All drunk, trying to score on the french girls... Cute..! 😏😅
About housing: yes, most the residential developments are called "plex", duplex=2, triplex=3 and so on. Owner can occupy one of the appartments (or not) and rent the others.and yes, all built next to another, most of the time with the staircase of wrought iron on the outside of house (fire hasard regulations). Tight neighborhoods indeed, in central areas. Not much of a suburb. The architecture has a mix of english victorian and french (either old 17-18th or late 19the century styles, depending on the building.) Used to be Canadian metropolis from 1840s to 1950s, hence the diversity. There's a housing crisis here too, very much similar to what's going on in North America in general. The price itself is not saying much if you compare it to people's salaries... affordability and social housing are two things to be considered separately, I think, but that's another debate... The healthcare discussion is complicated, but yeah, the shortage of doctors is the main problem. But as others have said here, there's a free (aka, public, tax-funded) service available pretty much all the time, you just don't always have a family doctor for follow ups. One important detail, the island of Montréal (it's a whole archipelago, actually) has the city of Montréal on it, but many other cities. and still, you can link them all by bike (in the summer that is... In the winter, not so much. ;) But winter is fun! Especially without a car!) Love this city with all my heart. Come and see! You'll love it! (we've always been the party city!)
Oh and good for you for having the ability to make the research (about the flag!). Good for you! ;)
I remember 18 year old Vermont National Guard group causing trouble wanting to fight us. We were making fun of them for being in the National Guard like Red from that 70's Show with Bob. The woman with them sucker punched my friend out of the blue and knocked him right out. I instantly fell over laughing so hard. Started making fun of them even harder for their woman fighting for them and a lot of people saw it also and joined in. Peel st. I only wish there was cellphone cameras back then. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen. My buddy hated if I told anyone cause he got knocked out by a girl. But she sucker punched him and what do you do really? All too funny
Montreal is a great city! Notwithstanding the traffic and endless road repairs. Typical American stereotype of Montreal can be found by watching American tv shows... ex when Douglas from King of Queens finds out he was born in Montreal and says "nothing good happens in Montreal" lol referring to our "sin city" reputation like Vegas.
Montreal is found in the Province of Quebec. In Canada healthcare is run by the province so it differs somewhat from province to province. In Montreal we definitely have a shortage of doctors - I live here and am one of many people waiting on the list for a family doctor 😅 I've heard from others it could be even over a 2 year wait. Wish me luck!
Yes, in the province of Quebec, the official language is French. There is law 101 that regulates the use of French as the language of the state and the right to be "served" in French and to advertise in that language, that’s why it can be criteria for employment, because of the need for stores to be able to serve peoples in French (law 101). In large cities like Montreal, English uses a lot with all ethnicities composing its diversity. Montreal is the metropole (largest town) of the province of Quebec. Still, the city of Quebec is the capital of the province where you'll find the parliament, for the matters that are of provinces jurisdiction, that's why you can also find a parliament in Ottawa, where the issues of federal jurisdiction are decided.
The matter of health care is a provincial matter so there are differences in how it’s organized between the different provinces of Canada.
Hope it helps ;)
How fortunate we are to live in a country with both French and English and so many other cultures to enjoy! I am a Nova Scotian who had a French Acadian father and an English mother. I have always known both worlds. I was born on a small island off of Cape Breton Island called Isle Madame. It was home to one of the first French settlements in Canada and was visited years prior to that by Basque fishermen who set up summer fishing camps along its shores before North America was settled by Europeans. My extended family members still live there centuries later. When I was a toddler, we moved to an English community in the province. That ended my chance of being educated in a French school as a child. Only a handful of French schools existed in Nova Scotia in the 1960s. Fast forward to today and there are 22 Acadian schools in Nova Scotia and I was fortunate to be able to teach in the French school system here after learning the language at Laval University in Quebec and Ste Anne University in Nova Scotia. My son graduated from our local French school and is proudly bilingual. I cannot imagine my life without knowing my French Acadian ancestry and culture. It has enriched my life and experiences. I wish every Canadian could communicate in our two official languages and even more than two for that matter. I believe we would be much more empathetic towards each other if we could.
Well said !
They forgot to mention the night life in Montreal. Great partying downtown.
I did a lot of that. Some of my old haunts are still around. The Cock n Bull for example.
Yup, night life is very important
Cheers on the west island. It's long closed. But back in early 2000 ''s they had open bar every Saturday Night from 9pm to 10pm. Free all you can drink. The stories I could tell, lol. The bars don't get crowded until after 11pm. So they were trying to bring people in early. Everyone was cool. In Ontario at the bar though people are idiot's and want to fight everyone. Montreal is the place to be if you like hot women, drinking, and food
"Oh the Urbanity" is definitely one of the best Canadian urban channels on RUclips. As you can tell, Canada is very much an urban based population, and city development is a passion for many citizens which has resulted in many fantastic RUclips channels popping up over the years.
Montreal is one of the few truly bilingual places in Canada. You can walk into most banks, stores or restaurants and be served in French or English. I never saw this anywhere else besides downtown Ottawa, even in officially bilingual New Brunswick.
It's not just downtown Ottawa. More than a third of Ottawa's population is bilingual (and that's not even counting Gatineau). The east end of Ottawa (including places like Vanier and Orleans) and the western part of Gatineau (Aylmer) are also very bilingual in the Ottawa-Gatineau metro area and you can usually get service in either language in most places (although a few smaller stores might struggle in more unilingual neighbourhoods). As a rule of thumb, the more you go north or east, the more francophone it gets while the more you go south or west, the more anglophone it gets. Once you start seeing the St-Hubert restaurants, Desjardins, or Jean Coutu drugstores, you know you're in a Franco-Ontarian neighbourhood.
I've lived in both cities. Ottawa's kind of a linguistic mirror image of Montreal. Primarily anglo with a huge franco minority (which is a mix of Franco-Ontarian mostly in Ottawa and Québécois in Gatineau... cousins but definitely culturally different - the Quiet Revolution never happened in Ontario so Franco-Ontarians feel really old fashioned to a Québécoise like myself).
Thanks for being candid about your previous knowledge of Canada
Montreal is an amazing city. Love it with all my heart. I moved to the suburbs when i was 27 because my husband was from the west suburbs and it was still accessible and affordable so we bought a house at the exact right time. It's been 11 years and the value of our house more than doubled compared to what we paid. I don't regret it at all, now we have kids and they had a house since they were born...but i do miss the city every single day (though not the parking situation hehe). It is a 20 minutes drive when there is no traffic...which is not that often, since Montréal is an island, you HAVE to take one of the bridges to leave the city. Also, we get a lot of americans in the bars here since its 18 years old to get in, instead of 21. It's a few hours drive and there are plenty of cheap rooms you can get downtown. Montréal nightlife is super fun (not that i partake in it anymore hehe). There is something for everyone.
Love Montreal. I lived in Pointe Claire
From other videos, I noticed you refer to Quebec City a lot as a main city. It is beautiful, however Montreal is a lot more populated city which is in province of Quebec. Plus contrary to belief, many western students are immersed in French immersion (where all core subjects are taught in French. Other westerners take FSL (French as a second language), which is an intro to French and the basics. Several of my friends took French immersion from kindergarten until grade 10.
I live in between Ottawa and Montreal.
Its pretty bilingual from Ottawa to Montreal and more French towards Quebec City and into New Brunswick.
Montreal is a great place to visit for a weekend.
And live!!!
All major cities in Canada are close to the US because of a) they were founded near the St-Lawrence river and great Lakes because boats and b) It gets cold really fast when you go north.
Montreal is amazing ❤ Came here a year ago, planning to move on to BC, but I don’t ever want to leave. Language is a hurdle, but worth it.
Imagine a unilingual French speaking person moving to Winnipeg or Edmonton! I think anglos have it easy in Montréal
@@nanskiboutski243 Yes, for sure, you can get by with English and a bare minimum of understanding French, but that's not really enough to integrate. In some ways I wish it was harder in Montreal, because most people will switch to English when they realise I'm not a native speaker.
I survived 11 years. Language will get you eventually. Do not check the English box on your income taxes to revenue Quebec
I'm a french Canadian born and raise in the Plateau Mont-Royal and yes Montreal is a pretty cool city to live in....A cool thing about Montreal is that almost everybody (almost) do speak fluently french and english. It's not uncommon to see (and ear) a french and an english person talking together and the french one is speaking english and the english one is speaking french...
Both practising their language skills!
I’m an American (Californian) who’s lived in Montreal for the last 6 years. We are only here on working visas because my husband has a very specialized job in the movie biz and Montreal offers great tax incentives to the industry. We don’t speak French because we live in an English speaking neighborhood (Westmount), everyone we know here speaks English and everyone at my husbands company speaks English. I think most job offerings expect you to be bilingual, if you can find a company to sponsor your visa. You have to be able to do a job that Canadians can’t. At least that’s been our experience. As far as Montreal goes, it’s incredibly beautiful in all its wonderful seasons, especially breathtaking Autumn. The food and wine are delicious, people are very cool and fun, there’s a festival every weekend, the parks are all gorgeous, the architecture is stunning. I found a family doctor when we moved here by calling around. I find the healthcare here to be spectacular compared to the states. We pay $150 a month for both of us together for secondary insurance and medical bills are just a non issue. I had to have an emergency surgery when I was in the states but because of the insurance, I didn’t pay a penny of the $67K bill. When we moved here, real estate was shockingly cheap compared to LA, but when Toronto and Vancouver got too impossibly expensive, and people “found” Montreal, prices shot up. Allowing foreigners to buy up so many properties here for investment only made things worse. One thing that might shock you is the insane amount of construction on the streets here when it’s not snowing. But I think you would really love it here, come visit in mid October to see all of the incredible color.
Rude and disrepectful not learning french . In Rome do as Romans do. It is not to the locals to adapt to you! English privilège attitude = White privilege attitude
By not learning french, you know that you cannot interact with a large population of Quebecers. For construction, don't forget that we have a limited time to do any, because of the weather. If you have lived here for that long, you know how the coldest season can interrupt construction that could easily be done elsewhere.
To answer your questions about healthcare in Montreal, the true reason why it can be so long to find a family doctor, is actually the size of it's population: Montreal is the second most populated city in Canada with close to 5 millions people... so when you think that there's just over 50000 doctors for the entire city... You understand why!
Yes and they are not paid well compared to literally everywhere else in the country. So they tend to leave. We can blame our provincial government for cutting in healthcare, literally 4 years before a pandemic...things were already bad back then... not they are just sad and dangerous.
@@introvertedextrovert1023 not THAT dangerous! You can still get service if you need it in the hospitals, but if it's not urgent, you may wait a Little!
You can still go to the emergency room or a walk in clinic. Its more in regards to getting your own dedicated family doctor that it takes so long. I got lucky when my doctor retired i only waited 2-3 months to get a new one and she's young so i'm set until i retire! Typical shortage issue with doctors/nurses not getting paid as much as in Ontario or the states so they end up moving away. So many QC only issues, if you live here you get used to it. Bill 96 anyone?
@@bknight199 absolutely right! A family doctor can be REALLY hard to find, even with the help of the GMF (Guichet des Médecins de Famille) from the government. I was also lucky, but mainly because I have a heart condition since my 20's... Doctors here are DEFINITELY not paid ENOUGH, that's very true.
I lived there and now Ontario. It's because we have universal healthcare. It's pure evil. I know people disagree. They'll become a victim of it someday and see
Montreal is a UNESCO design and creativity city like Berlin . Montreal is 400 years old of history , architecture , and culture . Same architects has NYC for the Central Park and Park Mount Royal . Best night life in Canada and best food 6 universities in both official languages . Some well known compagnies and singers in the USA : Cirque du Soleil, Leonard Cohen , Céline Dion fun facts : Angelina Jolie, Madonna and Hilary Clinton are from descendant from Quebec when the king of France sent girls to Canada in the 1600 ' s in order to form a family and to develop Canada. Main industries : pharmaceuticals, artificial intelligence, aerospace, movies, entertainment, engineering , transport ( trains , planes, ski doo )
all that stuff is incredibly subsidized by the rest of Canada though
I grew up in Montreal. Speaking of Montreal winters, please check out their snow removal videos. They probably have the best City snow clearing in the world.
I remember it snowed 44 cm overnight once. And in the morning I was able to walk 5 km to work. I was too cheap for the bus, lol. I'm in Ontario now and I'm always like "where's the plows? "
I'm a Canadian who really appreciates your curiosity in, and expressed respect for, Canada and Canadians. I really enjoy your videos and your perspective.
I'm from British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, born and raised, and I wanted to comment on our Health Care system in Canada. Here goes:
Our Health Care is right across Canada, and paid for through our provinical/territorial and Canadian taxes. The system and its quality is certainly one of the top in the world in quality and provision for all its' citizens. We are a very blessed nation to have our health care system. Our system was established because of, and based on, our strong Canadian belief and value that health care/medical care is a human right that all, regardless of their socioeconomic status, should have equal access to.
In Canada, we have advanced medical caregivers, education, technology, medicines, and practices due to our values and beliefs, which has led to having medical professionals around the world settling and serving in Canada, i.e. we have many cures and top of the line care for various types of cancers - very high survival rate for various cancers in B.C., Canada.
It is important to note that the care differs from province to province and territories. This is not in terms of policies, procedures, and values, but rather according to the following variables:
a). population numbers and their needs;
b). the type of provincial/territorial government (i.e. Liberal, NDP, Conservative political parties differ from each other in their approach to the way they meet medical needs); and
c). availability of medical resources due to wealth and population of location in Canada
For example, take British Columbia for intance, when considering the variables at play:
B.C. has 8 unique locational parts to it - the Mainland/Southwest, Vancouver Island/Coast, Thompson/Okanagan, Kootenay, Cariboo, North Coast, Nachako, and North East. With such incredibly unique geography, climate, economy, history, and cultural diversity location to location in just B.C. alone, the health care resources available vary. In B.C., centre of our health care provisions centralize in Mainland/Southwest because this is the highest concentration of populace in B.C.. With this huge populace comes greater tax money coming in to buy according to the needs of its people. As a result, you'll find that seeing a doctor, a specialist, getting sugery, etc. is faster in Vancouver than it is say on Vancouver Island. Further, given this, a lot of people from around B.C., and even from other provinces and territories, come to Mainland, B.C. to receive care. These same variables in B.C. also play out in some way or another across the country. So, some provinces and territories have less resources compared to a more wealthier province who's paying for the level of Medical Care they're given based on their taxes and needs.
After Covid, those who were struggling with the services prior to, are impacted at an even greater level. For those provinces/territories who were satisfied, are not so satisfied after Covid. For example, using B.C. again, the majority do not have a family doctor - there's not enough to go around (we have a shortage), and so many go to walk-in clinics and/or the local hospital for their care. In highly populated locations, you will be waiting hours, depending on what time of day you went (4-8 hrs. give or take) becasue the demands are greater. If you've taken an ambulance to the hospital, you'll tend to get in and see an E.R. doctor right away. Since Covid, we are in MASSIVE shortage of doctors, nurses, specialists, and caregivers. Many of our medical workers were buned out after the height of Covid and left. Also, our provincial/territorial and national governments need to do a far better job of recruiting a new generation of medical workers, both from within and without Canada, to meet extraordinary needs across the country. Furthermore, our most concerntrated generation, the Baby Boomers, are retiring and leaving our various important sectors, including our Health sector. On top of this, Canadians are having less babies, with the exception of our Aboriginal Peoples, and so there are not a lot of new generations to replace our retired. Our country needs to invite greater numbers of health care workers to settle in Canada in order to meet this significant need.
2 things that our Health Care doesn't cover, and Canadians are asking to make changes in, is our a) prescription drugs and b) our mental health care coverage.
Unlike Australia, who has a VERY similar Health Care system to ours, our prescription drugs are not covered for all Canadians. Through a patchwork of private/public insurance coverages and federal, provincial, and territorial government supports, which offer varying levels of coverage and decide who is covered and what the patient and plan pays, are the ways Canadians pay for their prescription drugs. Even marijuana, which is now legal in Canada, can be a covered prescription drug through a prescribing doctor.
In terms of our Mental Health Care, we are disturbingly behind and Covid has made the glaringly evident. Our governments do not cover much of it for the majority of our citizens. This is on our docket of discussion in our governrments, especially since Covid. This area in our Medical Care needs to be covered by our system and equally given to all our citizens. Canadians are all on board and in agreement with this, and even making demands for this. Our government just needs to push past the red tape and barriers to make it happen.
This was a REALLY short summary of our Canadian Health Care system. I'm confident I left out quite a bit, but this is the basics involved in our Canadian Health Care. Hope you find that helpful and thought provoking.
I was born in NDG and have lived in Verdun for the last 17 years. If you ever come visit and need a guide, we'll hook you up. I love these videos and am now a subscriber! Montreal is a BIG party town and Marijuana is legal and the legal drinking age is 18! Also, if you want to get a real good sense of Montreal, check out the RUclips channel: The new travel
Your videos about Canada have become a daily watch here. My daughters and I enjoy watching your reactions learning about Canada. Come visit!
It's time for you to visit Canada's three largest cities and experience the vibe of each one 🤗! Compare Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver to cities in the USA. BTW don't worry about the language in Montreal - downtown people speak both languages 😁
yeah, the rule of thumb I follow anyway is Sainte-Catherine Ouest, English, Sainte-Catherine East, French. The English parts always can serve you in French, but some of the French parts, I was surprised to find out, won't serve you in English.
outsiders stand out and people aren't dicks to them. When they know you live there they will be dicks
Montreal is like the Sin City that Vegas would love to be. Drinking age is 18 here in Quebec; we got male and female Strippers that shows everything, weed is legal in Canada, and public drinking is tolerated. What more would you want!?
When I biked to work, for awahile, the traffic craziness (the drivers in Montréal being so European (i.e. WILD) was really too intimidating to continue to do that for more than a few months.
It really depends on how much of your journey is not in shared lanes. I would never be comfortable riding a bike, sharing a street with cars that has traffic lights, but if you're lucky and there's a dedicated path for you separate from the car lanes, as I've been lucky to have a few times in my life, then a bike path is a pretty awesome alternative.
I live in Ontario now. Quebecors are nuts. But once you understand I miss it. Basically everyone is gonna go go go. Not like Ontario where you got no clue what they're going to do. When you cross the street in Ontario people will stop and watch you cross. In Quebec they speed up so you gotta run!
I'm a native Montrealer (NDG @10:42, Outrmont @11:01, Westmount... also Mile End and Le Plateau) now living in Toronto, but, like almost all expats from the city, Montreal is in our bones. If you grew up there, it shapes you and never leaves you. EVER. Not only do you feel it's part of you, but that you're also part of IT. Every point they made in that vid, they were bang on. And you weren't far off yourself Tyler, it IS a party city! Not always crazy, but unlike many cities where "live to work" is the motto, Montreal's is "work to live".
One of the biggest problems in Montreal or the entirety of Quebec is an employment shortage, so there is a lot of business and the health care system doN,t have enough personnel to work properly or fast.
100% because of Bill 101 though
I've had the good fortune to live in Montréal, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Halifax, Winnipeg and Gatineau .... all have their charms. But Montréal is the clear winner, in my opinion... perhaps having been born and raised there is part of it? 🤔 Canada 🇨🇦 rocks!
No its awesome! It's just bill 101 that messes it up. I could only take it 11 years. I couldn't learn French, I'm not smart enough i guess
Yes, it is confusing lol. Quebec city is in the province of Quebec. Quebec french is different than European french. Like Creole or Cajun would be different than European french
I don't want to sound like a prick, but we don't actually call it Quebec "City", but just Quebec! The same way nobody says Toronto City, or Oshawa City, or even Boston City... It's just Quebec! The province got it's name from our provincial capital!
Creole and Cajun is way more different tho.
It's more like some strong regional accent from the UK to an American I would say.
@@johnvermette9466 Yes I know. Was only trying to explain to an american
@@johnvermette9466 people outside of the province of Québec will call it Québec city to know what they are referring to just like when we would talk about New york city or the entire state of New York.
Le Québec = the province
Québec (or Ville de Québec) = the city
As a Canadian living just outside of Toronto, I'm loving your videos.
Moved here from Western Canada. Best major city on the continent if you're willing to learn French, in my opinion.
Not the first time I see you pop up in my recommended videos but I couldn't resist a video about my hometown! That is a pretty good representation of Montreal, the neighborhoods are definitely very different from one another and there's a bit of everything for everyone around here. And while Montreal might in a French speaking province, it's probably the most multi-cultural city too so you'd be able to get around by speaking English if you are a tourist. There's so much more to the city but I wouldn't expect a small video to be able to show everything... like the festivals in summer and some in winter, the "underground city" which is a network of interconnected buildings downtown by corridors and malls which means you could take the subway to go shopping or a restaurant without having to set a foot outside, very useful in winter... there's all the Old Montreal area which is where you find the narrow cobblestone streets that would remind you of Europe and the old world... there's also the various professional sports events, there's a rich experience for live music or standup comedy. It's definitely a place to see if you ever have the chance, it has a lot to offer. Oh and about the healthcare, yes there is a shortage of doctors, not only in Montreal but all of Quebec really, mainly because of the way they are paid and the workloads, the government always tries to have them see more and more patients because of the waiting lists but there's only so much each doctor can do!
This is a great list, if I were to add one thing though it would be that Montreal is a fairly safe city to live in. I was a student in Mtl for 4 years and used to walk 1 hour everyday back and from school or work. As a young lady in their 20s, I have never felt scared, threatenned or even nervous to wander the streets by myself, even on days I'd finish work at 11 pm. No one ever bothered me.
As for the "very difficult to get a family doctor unless you have a serious condition" well, I would scratch that last part. My family and I are lucky enough to have a family doctor but even so, my dad had to wait almost two years just to meet with him (shortage of doctors = more patients per doctor = doctor is less available) when they met, they started a series of tests that took months to get appointments for and get the results back. After 3 years of waiting we finally obtained a diagnosis. Turns out dad had a stage 4 cancer and had been suffering for years. So I almost lost my dad because of this sucky healthcare system we have. there's "free healthcare insurance" sure but between you and me, I would much prefer paying a fat fee then losing my dad at age 58.
i worked in oncology in Montreal hospital and i find it difficult to believe your story, 3 years wow your father could have been to an emergency or walking clinic and that would have been taking in charge fast. I'm sorry if it was realy the case for you.
@@cgrandrew I find it difficult to believe too and I'm not saying this is a relgular occurence (I sure hope it isn't). In my dad's case, it might just be a matter of circumstances but I still blame the system for it (I'm not holding a grudge I'm just saying it could've been handled better). You see he did go to the emergency when he started pissing blood and chunks and they were quite alarmed so they sent an immediate request to our family doctor. However, since my doctor is overloaded with patients of a respectable age, my dad's case wasn't considered a priority since he was a healthy man under the age of 60. Once we got the diagnosis, things got delt with seriously and fairly quickly, it just took a while to get there... too long. I do believe there was negligence from my doctor and even from my dad who probably wasn't insistent enough because he's a proud man but I can't help to think there is a flaw in the system since it's extremely common to wait months before being able to meet our family doctor, whatever the issue is. I respect your opinion, quite frankly, I would've felt the same had I heard this story from someone else. All that really matters now is that dad is cancer free and thriving and gets a biopsy every 6 months so if the cancer shows up again we'll be ready to attack ;) thank you for you sentiments.
healthcare is bad everywhere in Canada. I don't even know how people find out they even have cancer in Canada. I believe you. People don't like the truth how bad it is. I had surgery in Ontario and my waiver they make you sign said "surgeon will be in the room but not necessarily in the room" 11 years later and I still hurt everyday and hospital does nothing. "take advil" What Americans and Canadians don't get is that we have insurance too. But it's government insurance. You don't get to make decisions. Government does it all. That same surgery I wish I went to America and got it done how I wanted properly for $5000. And any mistake I can sue. Surgery in Canada ruined my life.
As an E-skater from montreal, gotta say this place rocks. There's a mountain in the middle of the city, so we have epic slopes and a lot to explore.
have you been on the jacques cartier bridge? Take the metro to the casino and walk across, awesome view. It's a bit scary looking at the rust
Just to let you know;Canada treated the natives like shit and still do!Please take a look at the story of the residential schools and also the number of native people forced into gangs and prison due to the soceity refusing to hire them for employment.Funny thing is by my fortune I had the opportunity to work with some at casual employment and they were the hardest workers I ever met!Racism is a festering sore hidden in the behinds of the power players of this country!!Just one man with one eye's opinion!
residential schools affected white people too. They weren't just for natives. And there is no bodies, that whole thing is so ridiculous. They refuse to dig anything up because there's nothing there. Natives also don't pay taxes yet reap all the services and more. The racism needs to stop and the Native Act abolished. Should be treated the exact same as every other Canadian
I will point out that natives got screwed yeah. But not you and I had nothing to do with too. So the whole claim these days is based on race. Literally the definition of racism. I'm not trying to be mean, just trying to help understanding. Think about this. Should Canadians sue all Native Americans in Canada for introducing Europeans to tobacco costing millions of lives? I'd say no...Why? I'm not trying to be mean or anything. Just think about it please
As a clarification on the healthcare issue: you still can have needed healthcare via hospital emergency rooms and walk-in clinics; the wait times mentioned are specifically for getting signed up with a family doctor
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I grew up in Montreal and lived in Park Ex. We called it row housing. The greatest thing in Montreal is buildings are not torn down. It is amazing to visit other parts of Montreal and the beauty of each borough.
I was born and raised in Montréal... I still believe it's equivalent to winning a geography lottery. I've traveled widely and lived in 7 major cities apart from the places I've visited. Montréal is the real deal! An absolutely awesome place to live, work and play! I give it 4.8/5 stars! Highly recommend it.
As for what one of the speakers in the video said about speaking back and forth between French and English... extremely common in Montréal. I recall a networking event that I was attending some years ago and found that I had been jabbering on in French with a chap I'd just met... we were talking in French for about 15 minutes before we learned that we were both actually English! No trace of an accent in either one that would indicate French as a second language.
I consider, though, that my first language is both English and French interchangeably (quite common here) and my second language is German (so 3 really). The difference being that, even though I am fluent in German there's no way that I'd be able to speak to a native German for more than a minute or two before they noticed it was definitely not my mother tongue. It's all in the accent... and the local vernacular, I reckon.
Anyway... gotta love Montréal ❤️
Also, the primary language of the ENTIRE province of Québec is French (not just in Montréal). However, most French Canadians in Montréal also speak English.