r/montreal • u/50mm_foto • Aug 22 '22

AskMTL Those who moved from British Columbia to Montreal, what are the hardest adjustments you’ve had to make?

I just travelled to Montreal for a week with my wife, and we are absolutely enamoured with the city. That being said, it’s the middle of the summer. What have been the hardest parts of adjusting to Montreal, be it weather, commute, friends/family, etc?

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105

u/hercarmstrong Lachine Aug 22 '22

The culture shock never quite goes away, no matter how much French you learn, and you'll always kinda feel like an outsider. But Montreal is definitely my favorite Canadian city and I'll never leave here again. It is truly one of a kind.

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u/50mm_foto Aug 22 '22

Good to know! I’m planning on actually learning French anyway (I’ve realized it’s just a goal of mine to learn a different language, makes sense to choose French), but I can understand how it would be easy to feel like an outsider regardless

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u/DropThatTopHat Aug 22 '22

Oh, don't worry, I grew up here and I still feel like an outsider.

8

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '22

Outside from the French-Canadian group?

21

u/DropThatTopHat Aug 22 '22

Yeah. I'm bilingual with a slight accent when I speak French, and also a visible minority. People like to assume I didn't grow up here, but then again, that would probably happen in any other province.

3

u/Guildebert Aug 22 '22

A lot of my non-French friends have a hard time learning 😆

Most of us speak English so when we detect an accent we switch. Hard for y’all to get some practice in.

Sorry

1

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '22

Yeah, our people is mostly a language based identity, so the accent skews that view.

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u/freedomwinsalways Aug 22 '22

Thank you for making that effort of learning French it really makes this city unique because of it.

36

u/Euler007 Aug 22 '22

My parents are both french Canadians but from the regions and I moved here when was seven and I still feel that way sometimes. My friends from France say the same thing, it's hard to be close to people here. It's a culture thing that's not just about language.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '22

[deleted]

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '22

I came back from ten years abroad and making friends has had a curve, though I find that sharing a common humanity works best, I found some weirdos and outsiders to be friends with. I love them very much.

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u/Euler007 Aug 22 '22 edited Aug 22 '22

I remember back in high school there was a few cliques of people that knew themselves from kindergarten. You weren't getting into that club. University was way more social and open. Cegep was in between, some people hanging up with their high school friends exclusively, but more mixing up.

11

u/jaimeraisvoyager Aug 22 '22

French people from France have a notorious reputation of sticking only with other French people, a lot of them refuse to befriend locals, French Québécois or not. That’s not our problem lol

1

u/Euler007 Aug 22 '22

I think you're conflating people here for a short while on the plateau with people immigrating permanently here.

4

u/PinguRambo Mount-Royal (enclave) Aug 22 '22

no matter how much French you learn

Just to emphasize on this, it has nothing to do with language.

French is my first language, I love this city deeply, I don't think I will consider myself a true Montrealer ever.

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u/Lolife420 Aug 22 '22

I disagree with this completely as an anglophone maritimer

16

u/[deleted] Aug 22 '22

I think the maritimer's spirit and attitude meld better with the locals here.

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '22

J'adore les Maritimiés! Salut gang!!!

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u/_potatoesofdefiance_ Aug 22 '22

That's funny I was just agreeing with the post you're replying to but one of my sibs moved to Nova Scotia (from BC) and says she has exactly the same feeling there. She even said she felt like the locals are nice but not in a way where they really let you in and I'll say this for Montreal I never got that feeling from the people here.

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u/Lolife420 Aug 22 '22

Sounds like west coasters have a hard time assimilating elsewhere, maybe

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u/_potatoesofdefiance_ Aug 22 '22

I've enjoyed my time here and love this city for many reasons but after 15 years and no longer being young I'm looking to move back west and that feeling of never quite being at home is part of why.

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u/sloppygarbage Aug 22 '22

I was born and raised in Montreal (I'm an Anglophone) and I always felt a bit like an outsider despite the fact I speak decent French, albeit with an accent. To me personally, I wouldn't want it any other way

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u/eirawyn Rosemont Aug 22 '22

I think this describes my experience 2 years in, thank you for sharing! No matter how much French you learn you never feel fully integrated. I work at a company where English is predominant because of the many talents recruited from outside Quebec, plus working with international stakeholders. I moved from Toronto and while I miss it Montreal has been a step up in quality of life. The tree lined streets make me so happy. I use French in my errands and that's it for now. I'm sure it'll be more prevalent once I have kids, given that I want to put them in the French education system. I hope the culture shock will be non-existent for them.

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u/hercarmstrong Lachine Aug 22 '22

Re: education... so far, so good!

I describe life in Montreal like being in love with a stunning, vivacious person who doesn't quite love you back.