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Comment by Apocryphon | Hacker News Reader

Language barrier aside, Montréal seems like a hidden gem.

Unfortunately Québec do not have a working skilled immigration system yet. Québec do not follow rest of Canada's immigration system. The CAQ govt. of Québec has completely messed up the immigration system of Québec. Québec focuses on knowledge of French rather than other merits for their immigration, so they get a huge chunk of unskilled immigrants who speaks only French with no employable skills.

You can still apply for a Permanent Residence outside of Quebec and then drive/fly to Quebec though which is 5/1 hour away respectively.

That is ethically wrong even though a Canadian PR allows you to live and work anywhere in Canada including Québec.

I was speaking more to the high skilled foreign workers in Québec who have to wait years for a permanent residency because they work & reside in Québec. This delay also applies to foreign students in Québec who wants to apply for permanent residency after their studies. Québec is not a good choice for foreign workers and students in Québec who wants a permanent residency. Rest of Canada follows Express Entry but those who work or reside in Québec is not eligible for the fast track process. One country two rules.

Montreal is an Anglophone city. Last I checked 80% were English speakers (not necessarily primary language).

Now Quebec City is entirely different. I could see language being more challenging there.

Honestly, Montreal is a hidden gem. Low cost housing, ton of culture and history.

The only drawbacks can be the Québécois anti-immigrant and anti-business climate, but it’s not stifling, just more noticeable than the rest of Canada.

Waspsareevil’s reply is the other thing you have to put up with living in Canada if you’re not a French speaker!

I mean.. I'm a Montrealer as well, and whilst I love this city, let's not kid ourselves. Montreal is not by any means 80% English and you're essentially handicapped if you can't speak French.

You just need to take a stroll in "Plateau" to witness this. The salaries are also really low and we are the highest taxed province in Canada.

I think we should give folks an accurate portrayal of this city instead of an endless stream self promotion

You know what? You’re right.

I think the stat was for the island of Montreal, not the wider city.

That said, I have visited a few times and not speaking French didn’t seem a huge barrier, but I was a tourist.

> Montreal is an Anglophone city. Last I checked 80% were English speakers

Would you be able to provide a source for that?

Even during it's Anglo heydays (pre-referenda), I don't think it was that high.

It is true that Montreal is highly Anglophone in the tech sector, but outside of enclaves like downtown, the west Island and a few neighborhoods like TMR and Ville St Laurent, Montreal is not very Anglophone at all.

Tangential: Montreal is an awesome city. I like Toronto, but I think Montreal is a little more livable.

Bonus: Schwartz’s deli.

As an anglophone who moved to Montreal last year, I'm kinda mixed on it. In my experience, French is both required for accurately ordering food (unless you're lucky and the person taking your order knows English) and for understanding what the métro audio bulk items say (I wish they would put those messages on Twitter too). People will generally be supportive to you trying to learn French, but in order to get permanent residency in Quebec you are required to know it to a decently high level of fluency. It's doable, but honestly a nuisance.

That’s very odd. My interactions in Montreal with stores and restaurants always begin with a “bonjour-hi” and most places have an English menu. In my hundreds of interactions, I’ve only had to use my rusty French two or three times. The rest of Quebec is another story, though.

In my experience, your level of customer service largely depends on your skin color in Québec.

White French > White Anglo > Rest

Ouch. That sucks, but unfortunately doesn't surprise me when I think about it. :-/

Yeah, I've found the same as you. I've even found that if someone says just "bonjour" to you, asking parlez vous anglais? will get you a conversation in English.

Even if you get a CSQ from Québec, the Québec govt has made it such that you have to wait 2 years at Federal stage. While rest of Canada will get your permanent residency within 4-6 months with skills more in demand other than speaking French which your can learn anyway by immersion.

Unfortunately some people seem to be figuring this out... The rent has been blasting off over the past 3 years from 'low' to 'regular north american metropolis' :(

But you have to put up with cold winters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal#Climate

Which language barrier?

There's a fair share of Anglo QCs that will keep speaking English and everything will still work (be workable) in English.

It's not hard to learn French to a day to day level though.

I heard that companies are mandated to support bilingualism because of Bill 101, which could be a challenge for startups. But then again, perhaps that can be easily overcome by investing enough in localization.

> I heard that companies are mandated to support bilingualism because of Bill 101, which could be a challenge for startups

Does not apply to startups, it only applies if you have +50 employees https://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/francisation/entreprises/entrepr...

CAQ govt is working on that. Soon will come a bill which mandates all employers to exclusively recruit French. Currently the ruling govt of Québec is anti immigrant and showing signs of a future separatist referendum. I won't be counting on Québec to stay in Canada in the future.

That's a very pessimistic view of Quebec. PQ/Separatism is irrelevant and last time they were in power they got booted out quickly. It's more likely that Montreal separates from ROQ than Quebec separates from ROC.

Ah, the city-state route:

https://www.reddit.com/r/montreal/comments/54yi1o/independen...

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