Why are you moving to Montréal?
Sep 27th, 2008 by richard
What attracted you to Montréal? Why did you think about moving here? Are you interested in relocation in general? What is making you want to move here?
Move to Montréal has a mission to help people who want to or need to relocate to Montréal or the surrounding area. It’s filled with practical hints and tips about the Greater Montréal area and surrounding attractions.
Share with others your reasons for moving, your difficulties, and your questions!
We were happy to move to Montréal to live close to the country with lots of outdoor pursuits; and at the same time have access to the facilities of a big city: shopping, culture, education.
In addition as a bilingual family we were attracted to a place that speaks both our languages.
I am trying to move to Montreal because I want to go to school there. But before I attemp to go to school, I want to see how life is there before I dedicate myself to a 5 year program. I have never really travelled outside of the U.S. and I think that Canada is close enough to home that I can come back for hugs more often than if I were somewhere else. With french being my minor this also gives me the opportunity to use my french while still in the comforts of some anglophones.
I would love to perfect my language, snd if I like it there i may decide to make Canada my permanent residence.
But for right now, I’m justlooking for possible job and possible place to live. Also looking for the requirements to work there.
Sounds like a great plan that you have. To work here you will probably need a visa, but you should be eligible for one through NAFTA.
Check out: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/work/index.asp
You could also consider coming on an educational programme which would enable you to work.
I’d look for somewhere to live in McGill ghetto for an English language experience or Plateau or Hochelga-Maisonneuve for French immersion. If you want to improve your French, the latter may be a good bet.
Hi. I think you’ve got a great site, partially because of the layout and information, but mainly because I am very interested in visiting (or maybe moving to) Montreal, so this site couldn’t have been more tailored to me. I am currently in my last year in college and have taken French for three semesters. I’m considering taking it for two more, but we’ll see…
I’m fairly familiar with who to talk to/what websites to visit for questions about immigration law. However, I have a lot of questions. As a immigrant to Montreal, do you feel at home there? Have you made enough money to live comfortably and was finding a job difficult ? Is there a lot of unemployment? Was the transition to living in Canada difficult? Do you like the people (generally speaking)? Most important, would you do it again if you had the chance?
Thanks
Hi Sean,
Thank you for your comment. I’m glad that you like the site. When I decided to make it I wanted to share the knowledge I’d gained in moving here.
To answer your questions:
Do I feel at home here?
This is difficult, I’ve lived in the UK, France, Belgium and now Canada so there are aspects of each country I like. The one place I didn’t feel at home was where I grew up! I think that if you mix and meet the people here you can be really happy. Of course that depends upon each individual.
Have I made enough money?
I would say that Montréal in this respect is a bit of a gem. Salaries here are lower than what you would expect in Europe, however the cost of living is lower too, especially real estate. So you can live very comfortably in Montréal, much more so than in New York, London, Paris or Toronto.
Is finding work easy?
This depends. There are lots of signs “Nous Embauchons” retailing jobs, but I expect that this is not want you want to do with a college degree. You mustn’t forget that there are four good universities in Montréal one of which is in the top twenty worldwide (McGill). So at graduation time you can bet that the job market is very competitive and as an outsider you will not be at an advantage. That being said, let’s not be too negative because where there is a will there is a way. Do you know what kind of work you would like to do? Once you can answer yes to this question, use the internet to find companies that are performing this work and send your resumé directly to the CEO. Also, join groups on facebook and linkedin about Montréal and interact with the people you find there. Get a name for yourself. Write a blog on your professional interests.
Unemployment is average in Canada for the west, but it has been surviving the recession pretty well, especially here in Montréal. Ontario and to some extent Alberta have been hit hard, but less so than the US. I believe unemployment is around 7.5-8%. We certainly don’t feel in a slump here in Québec and house prices have not fallen.
The negative side to employment here are the number of vacation days: 10 statutory going up to 15 with experience.
Transition to living in Canada
No problem. Easy.
The People…
… are generally really friendly and welcoming. They are very polite, adore children and are very human. I don’t have anything bad to say about them really. Most people we have met have been really friendly and polite to us and really helpful.
They often haven’t travelled very much though, so are very focused on Québec and Canada. Their world view can be quite small.
Would I do the move again?
Yes. The fundamental reasons why we wanted to move are still there: desire to live elsewhere, wish to spend more time outdoors, desire to have a more positive education for the children.
And we are enjoying ourselves!
I hope this helps. Don’t hesitate to send any more questions you may have and let me know how you get along.
Hello there!
I have visited Montreal last November and I’m now moving there this coming October from Spain. I have been given a 6 months working visa and will try to extend in order to study hotel managment.
I am attracted by the warmth of the people, the arts and the very streets of this city and look forward to living there.
I have found a lovely apartment in rue Fabre, not far away from the metro station, I have difficulties in finding information about the area, to me it looks a nice and calm area but I’d appreciate if somebody could give me more feedback on it.
Regards
Simone
Hi Simone,
Congratulations on your decision to spend some time here in Montréal. October is a beautiful time to arrive as you’ll catch the peak of the autumn display as the maple leaves change colour.
You’ll also get to experience the winter here – Montréal can be very hot in summer and very cold, especially from January to March. There are only really two months when it’s very cold. It’ll be very different from Spain. I think that it’s a great experience – you’ll learn from it.
The people here in Montréal are very open and welcoming. It’s been very positive for us.
Funnily enough we used to live on rue Fabre, but I think we were further south than you’ll be. The metro station is near to Jean Talon. I believe that this is Villeray. I know a few people who live happily here, and enjoy living near to the market. I don’t know it too well, it’s made up mainly of low rise apartments, very much like the Plateau area. In terms of the people who live there I expect a mix of professional and working class with quite some ethnic diversity.
Hi Richard! Thank you for the information.
I think I’ll go for it.
I’m finding a lot of information on your website that will help me having everything sorted by the time I move to Montreal.
I’m moving to Montreal because my job is relocating here. I have to admit that it’s taken me awhile to warm to the idea, but now I’m pretty psyched. I found a cute place near Snowdon Metro and I’ll be starting work on July 6th.
Do you have any tips on finding French language classes? I’m pretty well versed in the language, but living in Ontario doesn’t provide much opportunity to practice or enlarge your vocabularly. I’m also looking for general interest classes offered in English – e.g. cooking class or something.
Hi Richard,
It’s great you have set up these resources for people who want to live in Montreal. I am hoping to move there in about a year’s time, but I’m in Edmonton and I’m taking the Bachelor of Commerce course, graduating in April 2010.
Hopefully with my degree I could secure a job, but even though I am skilled in French, I wouldn’t say I’m fluent or that I could handle advanced conversation. So I’m a little worried there.
I also hope I will be able to find a good place to live, preferably before I go to live there. Maybe I’ll go visit beforehand, or stay in a hotel until I find a job. Is it fairly easy to be put on Quebec’s healthcare and all that administrative jazz?
Thanks,
Chrissi
Hi Maureen,
Welcome to Montréal – it’s a great and exciting city that has a lot to offer. The people here are very friendly (but aren’t all Canadians?) so I’m sure that you’ll feel at home quickly.
For courses I would look at what’s on offer in a free newspaper distributed each week called “The Hour” in English and “Le Voir” in French. Check that the people on the language course have the same background as yourself as it will make the lessons much more fun. If you’re in a room with people who have either half your education level or twice it, you won’t enjoy the experience.
Best of luck with your move – let us know how you get on!
Hi Chrissi,
I’m glad that you’ve found the site useful!
A lot of the jobs in the downtown area are very English oriented – especially in companies that deal primarily with the United States – so language may not be a problem. Moving to Montréal could be a great opportunity for you to improve your French, especially if you choose to live in a French area such as Plateau Mont-Royal.
In order to secure a job, I would start now targeting the companies where you’d be interested to work. Try to get to know some of the people there, talk to HR already so that they know you’re interested. That way when you arrive you won’t be a new face to them. If you know you want to work in Marketing, then try to get to know the head of Marketing in your target company. You can use linkedIn, Facebook and Google etc. to do so.
I don’t want to be negative, but here’s a reality check – you’ll be competing against graduates of Concordia, McGill, UQàM and UoM so you need to put in a bit more effort to find a job. That said, if you work hard at it, prepare your ground, it’s very probable you’ll find a good position.
In terms of the healthcare Jazz – pretty easy. You just so to the RAMQ in the morning with the necessary papers and they sign you up. You have to wait three months, but Alberta healthcare should cover you during this time. Same principal for your driving licence.
Let us know how you get on!
Richard
I don’t know any single French word. Will my family and I survive Montreal?
In a word, Yes.
Westmount, the downtown core and the West Island (west of Dorval) are very anglophone and the vast majority of people there are bilingual. Most governmental and private sector services are offered in English, the only exception I can think of is the AMT train service. Shopping, restaurants etc will pose little problem.
You mention that you have a family. Your children may have to go to a French speaking school if you don’t meet the criteria for English language education (http://www.rsb.qc.ca/parentsinfo/adminregis/eligibility/eligibility.aspx).
If you’re looking for work then obviously some companies will not employ you if you do not speak French. However an awful lot of companies do business with the rest of Canada and the US so the working language tends to be English. There is enough work in Montréal, in my opinion, to find a good job in an English speaking environment.
Remember that living in Montréal is a great opportunity to learn French and that culturally and personally you and your family can gain a lot by making the most of this opportunity.
Thanks Richard. Will service jobs (tim hortons, starbucks, walmart, costco and others) employ english only people? I guess not right? Thanks anyway. You are a great help
May be in the West Island, if there is a shortage of staff. If you’re looking at a “back room” position then language probably won’t be an issue. There is a shortage of people to work in service jobs in Montréal so this could work in your favour.
Remember though, if you’re up against a bilingual person, and you have the same skills and experience, the fact that the other person is bilingual will be a benefit for them.
Hello Richard,
I am thinking about moving to Montreal (from the Boston) in two years. I visited the city a few months ago and it was exactly what I had in mind as far as relocation goes. I have a career in Information Technology here and was wondering how the IT field is in Montreal. I went right into the work force but now I’m working on my Associates and wanted to transfer to McGill to finish up my undergrad. My question would be what should I start doing now to prepare myself for the move and be able to continue a career in my field of interest? Thanks!
Hi Tom,
Sounds like a great plan. The IT sector in Montréal has large companies the in Finance and Telecoms sectors and there are a variety of start-up businesses too. So you do have a choice of environment.
I would recommend that you start to get to know people here using Twitter and Social Networks. Take a look at who I’m following (www.twitter.com/richard_beck), there are a few Montreal stars in there. You can also search on #MTL too to find activity and comments on the city.
You should also consider starting a blog devoted to the area of IT that interests you. Show that you can be a thought leader or add value to the knowledge in your area. Comment on other people’s blogs too (with links to yours of course). Some interesting blogs are:
- http://www.instigatorblog.com
- http://www.twistimage.com/blog
- http://startupcfo.ca/
Don’t hesitate to reach out to people with questions. Montrealers are a friendly bunch and I’ve always found them ready to help. Of course, this works both ways as you need to be ready with a helping hand too.
If you’re looking at a two year timeframe, I’d also consider learning French. It’s not necessary to live in Montréal, far from it, but you’ll get more out of the city and culture if you do.
Let us know how you get along.
Hey Richard,
Thanks for the advice! I’ve already started working on my French with the program Rosetta Stone V3. I’ll let you how it works out and I’ll post my blog address when it’s created, thanks again.
Umm…hello there!
I’m seriously thinking of moving to Montreal from Alberta. I haven’t spoken French since elementary school, but I pick new things up fast.
I’m more of a retail/service jockey, and I don’t drive….which areas would be better suited for me? I’ve researched, but google maps can only do so much!
Hi Lili,
I think that the first thing would be to think about where you’d find employment. Obviously in the retail or service industries, French is important. However, there are some areas where it’s less important. Towards the downtown core, I would think about Westmount and Notre-Damme -de-Grace (NDG) and maybe the downtown area itself.
Anywhere East of Blvd St Laurent is going to be very Francophone, so you would want to avoid that. There is also the West Island (west of Dorval), but this is much more suburban and difficult to get around without a car.
In terms of where to live, Westmount is very expensive, so you might want to look more at NDG or Pointe St Charles. If you want to learn French quickly, then why not live in a French-speaking district and commute to work? On a tight budget try Hochelga-Mercier-Maisonneuve near to the Olympic village which is well served by the métro, or more expensive but more upmarket is Le Plateau Mont Royal.
Let us know how you get on!
Hello, my husband and I have been researching places to move. We have lived in Oklahoma in the United States our whole lives. Although we have always dreamed of something more. It will be a while before we are able to actually pursue this dream. I am in school for Nursing. My husband is attending school as well to be a history teacher. Our son is three years of age now but by the time we are financially stable to move he may be as old as eleven. I was drawn to Montreal for many reasons. It seems there is a great sense of culture there. We would love to be in a place where life seems simple and not always so rushed. Education is important as well as art. I am a little nervous to pick up and start some where brand new. I want to know how difficult it will be to adjust and find work. Is public transportation available? I am not sure how to go about acquiring information. Thank you
Hi Lacee,
Thank you for your question. It’s great to have a family project to discover somewhere new! You’re obviously looking into the long term so have time to plan and prepare your move.
Have you ever visited Montréal? You should consider doing so to see whether the city and Province of Québec feels good to you.
Certainly there is a lot of art in Montréal, lots of theatre and internationally renowned festivals. However, everything concerning culture will be Francophone in its majority. Are you as a family prepared to learn French?
Professionally, you would be wise to contact the relevant organisations here to see whether your qualifications will be accepted or if you need to do some top up courses. I suspect that as a nurse you will have no problems finding work – as with the rest of the western world, there is a shortage of nursing staff in Québec. The only proviso I would make is that in such a frontline role, some French would be necessary (http://www.nurse.ca/). In terms of your husband who will be a history teacher, his best bet would be to contact the Montréal English Schoolboard to inquire about his suitability for employment (http://www.emsb.qc.ca/en/emailcontact.asp). This is not the only schoolboard, but is probably the largest English language one.
Education for your son would be in French as you are immigrants, so that would be a big change for him, unless you were to put him in a private school. Whilst it’s certainly not cheap, the private system in Québec is subsidized by the government so it’s not extortionate either. The quality of schools varies too – the same rule of thumb applies here as everywhere else. You want to get your child into a good school so want to live near the good schools in a good community.
If I were you, what I would do is to make a list of all the reasons that you want to move from Oklahoma and all of the things that you require in your new home. Then start investigating places that could interest you. You should be able to rank them against your needs and desires – aim for 10 places and then cut down to three. Go visit, investigate in more depth and then choose the place you’d like to be in. If that’s Montréal, well fantastic!
Good luck.
My husband is relocating to Montreal with his company. It is located in Boucherville. We are English speaking with three children entering grades 2, 5 and 6. I am having a hard time finding information on location of english speaking schools in the montagerie region (south of Montreal?). Can you help? Thank you, this web site seems very informative!
Hi Andrea,
Boucherville is a very nice suburban town, not far from Montréal. It’s a great place to live with children.
The English speaking schoolboard of Montréal’s south shore is Riverside (http://www.rsb.qc.ca/). I’ve had a quick look and they have a school in Boucherville. They also have access to the International school in Greenfield Park. I’m not sure if they have access to any alternative schools on the South Shore.
I’m sure that you’ll have a great time here in Montréal – let us know how you get on and if you have anymore questions.
My husband and I are moving to Montreal this November from Nelson BC. I am a fashion designer and my hubby is a actor and musician
We have thought about this for years, as we both are sickc of west coast. I am over the moon to learn french, live in a large city, and finally have a fabric/fashio district.
Hi Freya,
You’ve made a big decision, congratulations! There’s a lot going on in Montréal, a lot of activity in the fashion sector too. Have you had any thoughts about where to live? Mile End was the traditional centre of clothes manufacturing. From the little I know, there is still a lot of activity around there and across the Plateau-Mont-Royal in general. It could be a good move if you’re going to learn French as you’ll be diving into the deep end and will give you a good exposure to French. However, most of the housing in this area is apartments. Great if you have no kids.
Lianne at Babyburrito.ca also made the move from the West coast to Montréal and has a fashion related business. She’s based in the French speaking suburbs on Montréal’s South Shore.
Best of luck with your move!
My wife and I were both born and raised in Texas and still live in Austin now. We have been ready for a change for quite a while, but not sure where to go. For me: I speak very little French, but would like to be immersed in it so I can pick it up better. I’m also a musician and have heard great things about Montreal’s music/arts scene.
My wife is an educator (administration). Can anyone tell me if Montreal is friendly to incoming educators? Her French is virtually non-existent, but she wants to learn it as well.
We also want our 2 kids (ages 8 and 5) to have exposure to other cultures besides what is around them here in Texas. Don’t get me wrong I love Texas, but I can still love it from afar… Montreal seems like a good fit for a lot of our wants/needs?
You thoughts?
Hi Alex,
It’s an amazing choice to make to move to a new city and a new country. Montréal is very different from Texas so will give you a strong feeling of change.
I’m not an expert on the music scene here in Montréal, but I do know that there is a lot going on in both languages and in different forms. You need to Google the subject and connect with people who are very knowledgeable on that subject.
For your wife as an educator, I would suggest getting in contact with one of the English schoolboards around Montréal. Whilst there is a quite lively private sector in education, most employment would be found in one of the schoolboards. Try the Montréal English Schoolboard and the Riverside School Board. I expect that she would be in a better position to find work if she could speak some French.
It’s worthwhile for all the family to take some French lessons before arriving in Québec. It will mean that you can get so much more out of the city and will be able to settle in more quickly.
I think that the exposure to different cultures in Montréal would be great for your kids. Montréal is a very international city with children from Canada, but also south America, Europe and Africa. Also, your children would probably have to go to school in French, so it would enable them to learn an additional language.
Best of luck, and let us know how you get on with your deliberations and investigations.
Richard
Hey Richard I just came back from Montreal after 3 days and I am in love with this city. I’m thinking Montreal might be the change I am looking for but as a hairstylist I didn’t see many salons around, not sure where I would want to live what is the price of a 1 bedroom. Where would be the best place to live for newcomers.
Thanks susan
Hi Susan
I’m glad that you enjoyed your time in Montréal! As for hair salons, there are many. I think that that Montréalers really enjoy having their hair done!
I would start looking along Boulevard St Denis, there are quite a few there and they tend to be high end. There are some in and around St Catherine. You may also want go look around Westmount and NDG where the clientelle will be more Anglophone.
I’m not too sure of the price of a 1 bedroom flat. I suspect it would start around the $600 a month mark. Check out Craig’s list and kijiki.ca. Areas such as La Salle, Villeray, Hochelega-Maisoneuve may suit you.
Best of luck Susan. Let us know how you get along
Hi there,
We currently live in London (UK). My wife is Canadian (originally from New Brunswick) and we have 2 children both under 3 (both have Canadian citizenship). We are seriously considering emmigrating to Montreal to improve our quality of life and certainly to give our children the best possible education and start in life. As I’m British, I understand I can apply for a spouse visa and have been quoted various amounts (£900-£2000) for a company to handle the Visa request & required documentation on my behalf.
I have a couple of questions:
1) Would it be possible to set the ball rolling with a visa application when we’re in Canada for a holiday (due to go in the next couple of months) as I’d imagine this could be cheaper?
2) Although my wife is fluent in French, I’m not! I work in the print industry in customer facing roles however a change of career is not out of the question. I’ve read various things and have the understanding that although conversational French would be a benefit, it’s not an absolute requirement and I should be able to find an english only speaking role relatively easily?
Apologies for the long message – I look forward to any advice or help offered!
Hi Chris,
Thanks for your questions. Here are my thoughts:
1. Given the fact that you’re married to a Canadian, the best course of action would be a spousal visa. Your first action item should be to check out Citizen and Immigration Canada to understand all of the steps that you need to take. I would expect that you would make your application to the London office as that’s where you’ve been living for the last two years. I don’t think it would be accepted directly in Canada – so you can start the ball rolling how.
As for immigration consultants, some people use them, most don’t. Of those who do use them, not everyone is happy as it’s a lot of money. You should check out first the CIC website and determine if there is any potential roadblock to your application, notably a criminal record or health problems. If not, saving your money and doing the application yourselves would be better advised.
2. There are jobs that are only for English speakers – my workplace is overwhelmingly Anglophone. Will you be able to get a job easily – hard to say as it depends on the sector, industry. Best thing to do is to determine what kind of job you’d like to do and reach out already to potential employers. Ask about your potential employability. That way, when you come, you’ll know the companies you can work for and have made a connection with them.
Also, there are many reasons that you should learn French to live in Québec. And these are positive reasons, such as being able to apply for a larger range of jobs, interact with more people, media, culture etc. Learning a language isn’t necessarily difficult, but it’s a long process, kind of like a marathon. You should start now with lessons and in a couple of years you’ll be speaking French pretty well. Yes, I said a couple of years! But it can be really fun and you’ll get there.
Montréal is a fun place to be and has a lot to offer young families and kids. Come visit, see where you’d like to live and get a feel for the place.
Hello, there,
I am so happy to find this informative site. thank you.
I am a newcomer, also a single mother to Canada as a skilled immigrant. I came to Canada this April and have been living in Vancouver since then. My daughter just got her visa and will come to me soon. I’m thinking about a better city for my daughter’s education and for myself as well.
Please kindly refer to below my queries and your advices will be highly appreciated.
1) I’ve already got my permanent resident card, my social insurance card, my BC care-card and I’ve been paying BC’s MSP(medical insurance premium).
If I plan to move to Montreal, how about the MSP I’ve paid in BC? Can it be transferred to Montreal?
2) I’ve passed the knowledge test for driving and I’ve got the learner’s drive license in BC.
Shall I need to re-sit the knowledge test for driving again in Montreal? or I can directly go for the road test in
Montreal?
3) My daughter will apply to study in college or university after she comes, and I am also planning to take some certificate/diploma courses to update my knowledge and skills, I would like to know if there is any finanical help in education from the government in Montreal?
4) I’ve passed the CLB (Canadian language benchmark) test in BC. Is it recognized in Winnipeg?
5) Are there any affordable rental housing subsidized by the government in Montreal?
6) I’ve been in administration, freight forwarding and customer service industry for more than 6 years before I came to Canada. Is it possible for me to find a job in Montreal? I don’t mind start from entry level.
I am looking forward to your advices.
Thank you for your time and help !
Best Regards,
esther
Hi Esther,
Here are my replies:
a. Why would you expect Montréal to be better for your daughter’s education than Vancouver?
1. I don’t know anything really about BC healthcare – I suggest that you contact the BC health service. Here in Québec, standard care is offered by the RAMQ and private companies offer a top-up if desired.
2. Good question. Check with the SAAQ – you may need to contact them on this. Note that Québec accepts some foreign licences that BC doesn’t.
3. I can’t answer this. You may want to contact a university such as McGill or Concordia directly. At the very least, there may be the possibility to deducting taxes. Please check and let us know!
4. No idea about Winnipeg. I suspect that this is valid throughout Canada. Now it also depends upon who you expect to accept it. Remember that employers choose their own hiring criteria.
5. I don’t know about subsidized housing. Cheap housing is hard to find in Montréal, especially on the island as demand is high. If the government offers subsidized housing my expectation would be that waiting lists would be long.
6. The port of Montréal is big and busy. There are a lot of companies here, so you need to spend the time to create a list of these companies and then contact them to see what the employment situation is like. Check out the series of articles on the site about finding employment in Montréal.
Hi! Happy New year!
We are thinking of moving to Montreal from vancouver BC. We have 2 kids, 6 years old and 1 year old. What would be the best area to live with kids, not too suburban, but nice and safe, also convenient.
Also which supermarkets have organic meat besides TAU?
Thanks
Hi Happy New Year,
Apologies for the delay in getting back to you, I missed the notification that you left a comment.
In terms of the best place to live with kids, a lot depends upon what you would like and how much money you have available.
If you would like a condo, flat or maybe two floors in a building in a Francophone area, then the Plateau would be interesting. However the schools will have a mix of children from different backgrounds. More upmarket and Francophone is Outremont.
On the more Anglophone side, Westmount and Notre-Dame-de-Grace (NDG) offer both condos and houses without being too far from the city centre. However, both areas are not cheap for Montréal, but you may find them reasonable when compared to Vancouver.
If you’re willing to look further away, the Anglophone suburbs of Pointe-Claire in the West-Island and the more Francophone Greenfield Park-Brossard-La Prairie are good on the South Shore.
In terms of getting organic produce in Montréal, it’s more challenging as the main supermarkets don’t stock much organic. So the smaller stockists such as Tau, Rachel Berry or Avril would be the main source. I have to admit to not being a meat expert as I’m vegetarian, but I think that there is also a seller on the Jean-Talon marketplace. Another potential source would be Equiterre.
Let me know how you get on!
Hello. I’m a middle-aged voice coach who lived in Montreal for 10 years previously and has pined away for it ever since.
This spring I’m finally making the move. I adore the city – and hope I can get some business for my voice coaching/kundalini yoga classes. I plan to live in NDG. I have friends there, but I’d like to congratulate you on this site. Montreal is indeed special and this site reflects that!
got any ideas about marketing my services? I speak French fluently.
Hi Richard,
This site is very informative and I highly appreciate your help to people like me who are moving to Montreal from the rest of the world. I am immigrating to Montreal in March 2010 from India. I am looking for some initial place to live after I land in Montreal and can you suggest me some youth hostels or some less expensive hotels? How difficult is it difficult to find housing in Montreal for newcomers like me? I am looking for a room at around 400$/month until I find a job. How are the prospects for manufacturing engineers in Montreal? I have 6 years of work experience with 4 years in Aerospace sector and I can communicate in French though I am not very proficient with technical terms in French. I will look forward for your advices and suggestions for my search for job and accommodation.
Hello,
Thank you for your post, I’m glad that you are doing something that you really want to do.
What would I suggest to get some business:
- yoga – contact the yoga schools and see who might be interested. There are a lot of schools in Montréal
- voice coaching – I don’t really know what to suggest as I’m not “plugged in” to the music scene here. The easy answer would be craigslist / kijiji / The Hour / La Voir, but I’m sure that there are more sophisticated ways than that. Try to find cultural organizations that are involved in the music scene – they may be able to give you good pointers.
Best of luck!
Hi Venu,
Congratulations on your move to Montréal.
The good news is that the aerospace market is always looking for engineers here in Montréal, and I would say that’s true despite the recent layoffs. Bombardier is looking for talent to work on its C-Series plane.
Now, the more difficult news. $400 is really at the bottom end of accomodation here and you will find it difficult to get a decent place for that price. I would look around Parc Extension and Verdun by way of craigslist, Kijija and Le voir in French. I will warn you though that these areas do have some trouble – they’re not the nicest places, but for $400 you will get what you pay for. If you’re willing to share a flat then you may be able to get a nicer place in a nicer part of town such as Villeray or Rosemont.
As an aerospace engineer, my expectation is that once you have a job you’ll be able to move to somewhere nicer. Having said all of that, the I believe there is an Indian community around Parc Extension.
Try to use linkedIn to connect with people in the industry before you arrive – it will help with your jobsearch.
Best of luck!
Richard
Hi Venu,
Hope you have settled now in montreal. I am in the same queue.
Let me know the details of where to stay in Montreal.
Also please send me your mail id.
Cheers!
Prads
Sorry Richard.
I missed you in my previous reply.
This is a great service you have embarked on by helping prospective immigrants to settel in Montreal. I really thank you for this, since there is hardly any web information/guide on settling in Montreal.
Hats off to you!
Hi Richard:
This blog is awesome! So much insider info on moving to Montreal. I am in my early 50’s and have decided, now that my children are grown that I need to live in a much more exciting environment than the very small Northern BC town I live in. I love the people and culture of Quebec and have decided to make Montreal my new home this fall. I am currently taking French online but can speak Spanish so am so far not having much problem catching on. I am a certified bookkeeper (it’s a national designation via IPBC) and am wondering how much difficulty it would be to secure work or start a business. I have been running my own business here for many years so am accustomed to being my own boss, however, I realize that it will take some time to build new connections in order to secure clients. I plan to live in the Plateau area so that I can do the French immersion thing and improve my French more rapidly. Do you have any advice for how to start with building bridges and getting to know small business owners that could use my services?
Margaret
Hi Margaret,
Congratulations on your decision to move!
I think that the best way to look for work is to use linkedIn to find potential prospective clients, who are similar to the clients you currently have, and reach out to ask them what the market is like and what it needs. Try to reach out to 100 people, I’m sure you can build a relationship with some who can lead to work. Once you have some contracts, word of mouth works well for finding work here!
Hope that helps,
Richard
Hi there
We are a family of four (2 kids under
and are looking at moving to Montreal from Dublin Ireland.
I am a secretary/legal secretary and my husband works in retail. Can you make a decent living in Montreal in these sectors?
I speak French (although I will have to brush up on it), my husband doesn’t but will learn (he is Greek). On some forums i have read that it is tricky for non francophones to get decent jobs is that the case or just bad experiences?
What would an average rent cost (in a decent area) ? Generally speaking is it safe in Montreal ? Are the schools good?
Sorry a lot of questions.
Thanks
Fiona
Hi Fiona,
Thanks for your question. It’s always hard to answer any that require a “decent living” response as it depends on how you categorize that. I have no first-hand knowledge of what a legal secretary could earn in Montréal. You could check that by googling recruitment agencies and contacting them. They’ll also be able to give you an idea of the demand for your profile.
Retail is tricker. There are some places on the island that are heavily Anglophone, such as the West Island, but even then I think it would be challenging to find good retail work without a reasonable level of French. Retail positions are in demand, there are a lot of shops looking for people of all levels, however – and I’m sure this is true in Ireland too – I don’t believe that it’s the best paid of positions.
There is a large first and second generation Greek community in Montréal, so that may be a help for your husband – like the rest of Canada, a lot of progress can be made through word of mouth.
In terms of finding work without French – it’s certainly not impossible, but French will always be a help. There are many companies that deal almost exclusively with US based customers who don’t use French – and the more senior level the position, the less French would be an issue.
Schooling in Québec is a bit of an issue – for immigrants its entirely in French unless you pay privately (around $10,000 per child per year). Also, children start rather late and there is not a lot of pressure to move quickly. Schools are selected for your child by the schoolboard, so there is no choice and the population of the school will be reflected by where you live.
For rental information, have a quick look through craigslist or levoir.ca. Again, the cost will depend upon whether you need a house or condo and where you’d like to stay. I’d imagine that a good sized condo on the Island would be in the region of $1250-$1500 a month. Nun’s Island actually offers bargain rental homes in an area that’s very expensive to buy in.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Richard
Hi Richard
Thank you so much for your very detailed reply. When I read your bio I was pleasantly surprised that your partner is from Belgium, moi aussi!!! I was born in Brussels.
Anway enough waffling, I will get my husband to read your feedback. We are keen on Canada but not keen on obstacles that would be quite large i.e. getting work where French is required to have a better standard of living. I know you can either have the attitude of the obstacles being a problem or something that you can get around, but sometimes we need a bit of reality and i think BC or elsewhere (if we can get in) would suit us better from a language point of view. We would pass for Quebec no problem, but I would need to have a job pre arranged to get into the rest of Canada from a points perspective.
Thanks again.
Fi