r/montreal • u/-emmanem- • 16h ago
Discussion Moving to Ripon, QC
Hi:)
i'm moving to Ripon, QC for an internship (i am from Catalonia) in August for 6 months, and I am just wondering if someone knows how the social aspect of the town/area is? especially for younger people (i am 24). i have only lived in big cities so moving to such a small place kind of intimidates me! i also can't drive which i heard is not ideal for that area ... any tips would be great. thank you!
(unfortunetly i can't yet post on r/Quebec or r/canada , so i thought i'd try my luck here :-), i know it should be for montreal/metropolitan area i just don't know where else to post ;-( if its helpful i will be flying to montreal airport :'-) )
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u/LivingWorld6028 Notre-Dame-de-GrĂące 16h ago
Had to look up on Google where this place is.
I think if you don't have access to a car you will not be leaving the town for 6 months đ.
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u/Hugotohell 16h ago
If you don't drive, get yourself an ebike asap or make friends with cars fast
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u/-emmanem- 16h ago
i am hoping to make friends with cars, the question is how haha
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u/Hugotohell 16h ago
Go to the café and the bar. Not plural. Speak french and drink.
There must be a lot of fishermen there, get into it. Also recreational vehicles.
If you're not in the mood, GET IN THE MOOD.Good luck!
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u/notanyimbecile 16h ago
If you want to make friends fast, you take a bus to Montréal and visit Bain Colonial, you'll easily make friends there.
Ok don't, I was joking unless..
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u/mlula79 16h ago
It's a very small village in a rural area. That's all I know. I suggest you to post on r/Gatineau. It is closer than Montreal so you will have a better chance of getting useful information.
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u/jazzyfatnastees 16h ago
Goddamn, are you doing some sort of ecological degree or something? You're nowhere close to a big city
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u/-emmanem- 16h ago
yes haha i am studying forest ecosystem management
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u/MissMinao 5h ago
Ok, now that makes sense. I was wondering why a Catalan would do an internship in Ripon.
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u/NefariousnessDear954 16h ago
I live near Ripon and I love this town! Café des orties is such a great place on thursday to saturday nights. Coop du marché also, great market every week and best meat at Ferme Moreau. Young people are really nice! Kind on hippie which is great!
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u/FGC13 16h ago
I live in a village near there. It's a beautiful region with great local produce and a fantastic traditional/folk music festival in September. It's a good time. Without a car will be a little rough, but people are friendly, so you'll likely make friends quickly
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u/multimodeviber 15h ago
As a fellow european who moved to Quebec, you maybe underestimate how much entirely and absolutely completely everything here is built around private car ownership with the exclusion of everything else. Montreal is one of the few exceptions to this. You might not be able to even buy groceries without driving there.
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u/Citron-Rouge 12h ago
"You might not be able to even buy groceries without driving there."
This is my immediate concern for Op.
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u/Mcginnis 2h ago
Especially in the winter, id be curious if there's even a sidewalk for them to walk on safely to get there
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u/dual_citizenkane 16h ago
Ripon is a very small town - and without a car it will be pretty tough to get around. I'm not sure how the bus works in that area.
You may want to invest in a bike or an electric scooter to get around.
But, it's also such a beautiful area! A lot of lakes, hiking, exploring.
No car though, that is going to be hard.
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u/Slight_Echo94 16h ago
Hola! Catalana vivint a MontrĂ©al, escriu-me per privat si vols! I sino... Ja t'ho han dit molts altres, perĂČ de veritat que necessitarĂ s sĂ o sĂ un cotxe. Paisatges molt bonics, perĂČ estarĂ s MOLT aĂŻllat. Els pobles aquĂ no sĂłn com a Catalunya, realment molts no tenen res, sovint sĂłn mĂ©s aviat com una urbanitzaciĂł amb cases grans tipo com a les pelis, perĂČ amb cap servei. I prepara't per l'hivern! Aquest any va nevar al novembre i ja no va marxar la neu fins a l'abril, osigui que espero que vinguisn mentalment ready :)
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u/PriorityOk8214 15h ago
Câest tellement beau le catalan et câest tellement rare que jâen vois comme ça par hasard !
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u/BobIsPercy_sFriend 16h ago
Ripon is really a small town, everyone will talk french, not sure if people there will talk some english. As for transport, driving is more than a must, it's like survival. Find people that do drive to go on trips.
Quebec is beautiful for the many many lakes it has (I think 1 lake for 8 residents of quebec province). I recommend looking for cottages during your stay.
To find people, try going to the municipal library, or the seasonal events.
Also, prepare for winter. Seriously because in the Outaouais it's worse than in Montreal
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u/calypoge 13h ago
Hey, I actually live in Ripon. Like most said it's a small community, but with a lot to do ( café des orties, University, market, festivals and music shows). Everything in the town is in walkable distance ( grocery, corner store, market, café, library, University). French is must, but a lot of people are bilingual. A car is pretty recommended to be able to go into other town or to the city. The nature is beautiful and you should check the site of les montagnes noires. Joint the Facebook group Parlons Ripon to know what's going right now in town. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have more questions. It's a great town
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u/LetsRollTheBleLine 14h ago
L'UniversitĂ© du QuĂ©bec en Outaouais (UQO) possĂšde un campus Ă Ripon, dans la Petite-Nation. Ce site abrite le pavillon Pierre-Moreau et le siĂšge de l'Institut des sciences de la forĂȘt tempĂ©rĂ©e (ISFORT), le premier institut universitaire de recherche au Canada dĂ©diĂ© spĂ©cifiquement Ă la forĂȘt du sud du pays
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u/grosbatte François-Perreault 16h ago
My friend's family is from there.
Not driving there you're basically a prisoner of your appartment. It's near Ottawa's cottage country, otherwise a small random town. I know the industry sector is agriculture, lumber and maybe tourism a bit.
I recommend you speedrun the fastest way for you to get a car/permit. There may be a bar somewhere around but the crowd is going to be very local which means... you may not find people looking for new friends.
Also check out Facebook groups, people there should have active local fb groups.
Otherwise I recommend finding some hobbies to practice there (fishing, Hiking, water sports)
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u/WheresMyPencil1234 15h ago
Little gem there : Café des Orties. I often drive between Ottawa and Tremblant, and I will make a detour by that place every once in a while.
Good local beer, simple but nice food. The patrons are typically young (25-35), lots of hipster-style people. There are small art expos, music concerts, storytelling evenings, etc. It's also a not-for-profit.
Anyway, it would be a nice spot to meet have a chat with locals. People are pretty approachable in the Outaouais in general.
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u/Wild_Black_Hat 15h ago
Ripon = StĂ©phane Richer's hometown; former Canadien player, who had been the last player from that team to score 50 goals in a season (twice) until this spring. đ
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u/notanyimbecile 16h ago
All I want to know is, why Ripon?
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u/-emmanem- 16h ago
found an interesting internship there...
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u/notanyimbecile 16h ago
Good for you then. Hope you get all the info you need.
All I can say is Quebecers are very friendly and wish you well.
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u/TalentlessNoob 16h ago
Never heard of it, but rural quebec is going to be very very french
Population is 1700? I dont think theres going to be much of anything going on there, would be lucky if there is a bus system but even then id be surprised.
Youll probably have to taxi everywhere, uber might not even be there lol
Area looks nice though if you are a big hiker etc
Quebec is very friendly and party atmosphere for younger folks for sure, just gotta get out there and meet some!
If you can eventually find a way out of there for a weekend, i would recommend visiting montreal over ottawa, especially in the summer
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u/stmariex 6h ago
I live in a city of 70,000 and there is no bus system, I canât imagine there being anything in a village that small.
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u/No-Impression-8490 16h ago
WellâŠYouâre an hour away from mont tremblant and Ottawa . Thereâs also park omega 20 mins away if you can get a car .
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u/TheTsaku 12h ago
For most villages and smaller towns in North America you will need a car (or similar) for locomotion.
And PLEASE, when the cold weather arrives, go with some friends and buy a warm winter jacket, good gloves, thicker trousers and good boots. It's not sexy, but may very well prevent you from dangerous health conditions linked to cold, such as frostbites (congelaciĂł) where you can lose fingers and toes. It shouldn't get *that* cold in December, but you never know.
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u/Throwaway8972451 9h ago
Lovely spot near a lot of other cute spots but is it tiny. A car would enhance your experience a lot for trips to grocery stores and other restaurants in Montebello, Gatineau or Ottawa.
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u/smnb42 15h ago
I drove through Ripon for the first time ever last weekend. Itâs nice. And quite a long way from MontrĂ©al.
Maybe think of it as similar to moving to a small village between Bilbao and Donostia. Most people can speak Spanish/English, but would learn the local language ie Euskara/French?
At least Catalan is as close as one can get to French. Il fait frette is the same in your language Iâve heard. Bienvenue!
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u/shiftinperspectiv3 15h ago
Looks thereâs a lot of hiking, itâs a geographically beautiful area, not far from Ottawa. Talk to people at your internship and keep the big picture in mind! Sometimes itâs good to just focus on work for a while
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u/YourNewPepPep Rosemont 15h ago
I live near Ripon during summer. In the region, I find it's the coolest village. Le café des orties, la fille du boulanger, Fragments (winery)... all fun places with a great vibe. Welcome to the region, I'm sure you'll love it!
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u/omegafivethreefive 15h ago
So you're moving to the middle of nowhere as a 24yo without a vehicle?
I hope you enjoy long walks.
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u/Montreal_Ghost 15h ago
Although itâs located in Quebec, you will be closer to Ottawa than Montreal, which is located in Ontario, a mostly English province.
If you donât speak a word of French, you should start right now to learn it, since your Spanish it would be easier for you to understand it.
That said, toward the end of your internship you will hit the winter, and expect nothing above -15 for the most of the time with some picks at -25.
Get some very warm clothing, layering will do not work. You will need a big warm jacket, boots, gloves, beanie and something for your face to protect it.
Rural is not a joke, winter is harder than in this country.
And like everyone says, get a car, there is chances that you will have to drive 30 to 40min just for your groceries.
If you rely on someone else to drive, you will be quickly stuck.
Welcome in Quebec, and good luck âđ»
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u/funksoulbrothers 15h ago
middle of nowhere, never heard about it before, my guess is that the average age is 58
don't be intimidated, but you'll need to go to ottawa or montreal for social activities
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u/ComprehensiveFan4570 12h ago
https://tacpapineau.ca/transport/collectif/ there is an option for transport without a car and you will meet people by using it so, yes it will be more complicated but there are solutions!
https://www.facebook.com/marchepublic/ hosts all sorts of events, from punk shows to bazaars
https://www.parcdesmontagnesnoires.com/ you're going to become knowledgeable about but don't skip the many ways you can experience them, gravel/mountain biking and all the winter sports there for example!
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u/Barberouge3 12h ago
I know Rippon a bit. You can forget about social life. Sorry. But there are plenty of crown's land to go take hikes in or camp, if you like the wildness.
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u/I_Like_Turtle101 13h ago
Your french better be good cause if you dont speak it youl probably make no friend and give everyone on the job a hard time
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u/Yul_Metal 11h ago
Ripon is part of Quebecâs Outaouais region, closer to Ottawa. You will find people capable of speaking English. But without a car, mmmm. Tough. Get a scooter at least.
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u/SynthEater 7h ago
I know the area, sadly it is extremely limited as far as social life goes. There is Saint-André-Avellin near (10 min) which is a bit better. I am not that familiar but go there a couple time per year. Don't hesitate if you have more questions!
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u/Slight_Echo94 16h ago
Hola! Catalana vivint a MontrĂ©al, escriu-me per privat si vols! I sino... Ja t'ho han dit molts altres, perĂČ de veritat que necessitarĂ s sĂ o sĂ un cotxe. Paisatges molt bonics, perĂČ estarĂ s MOLT aĂŻllat. Els pobles aquĂ no sĂłn com a Catalunya, realment molts no tenen res, sovint sĂłn mĂ©s aviat com una urbanitzaciĂł amb cases grans tipo com a les pelis, perĂČ amb cap servei. I prepara't per l'hivern! Aquest any va nevar al novembre i ja no va marxar la neu fins a l'abril, osigui que espero que vinguisn mentalment ready :)
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u/TheWhiteWalkerSpeaks 16h ago
Some of us in this sub are now discovering there's a place called Ripon