Best city in Canada

Johnny74

New Member
Aug 26, 2009
1
0
1
Montréal???? Be very careful!

I have lived in Montréal since 2005. I tried my best to integrate with the French speaking community. I am Italian and got out of the ghetto to stay with French speaking people. My French does not excel but I can communicate... I am very surprised nobody has mentioned the incredible discrimination there is in Montréal against ANY immigrant. And if you dare to speak English? Forget it. I have experienced discrimination in public stores, bus, metro, Police, and recently even at the emergency. This was the last drop. I am disgusted, and seriously thinking to leave for good. I am sorry but most (there are rare exceptions) people from Québec are very racist. No to mention ignorant in way to many areas. I truly wish Québec will separate from Canada. After all this is what they want! In my opinion they don't deserve to belong to this beautiful country. In all the other cities I have been I have never had a problem. Before I moved in I was warned about these issues...My friends were right. I have wasted 4 years of my life. Montréal could be great place to live, but the problem is not the place but, again, the people. In life we deal not with buildings or landscapes, but people. It's way easier to integrate elsewhere in Canada. I suggest: Vancouver, Calgary or suburbs of Toronto (you need to fish around...there are many good ones)
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
I have lived in Montréal since 2005. I tried my best to integrate with the French speaking community. I am Italian and got out of the ghetto to stay with French speaking people. My French does not excel but I can communicate... I am very surprised nobody has mentioned the incredible discrimination there is in Montréal against ANY immigrant. And if you dare to speak English? Forget it. I have experienced discrimination in public stores, bus, metro, Police, and recently even at the emergency. This was the last drop. I am disgusted, and seriously thinking to leave for good. I am sorry but most (there are rare exceptions) people from Québec are very racist. No to mention ignorant in way to many areas. I truly wish Québec will separate from Canada. After all this is what they want! In my opinion they don't deserve to belong to this beautiful country. In all the other cities I have been I have never had a problem. Before I moved in I was warned about these issues...My friends were right. I have wasted 4 years of my life. Montréal could be great place to live, but the problem is not the place but, again, the people. In life we deal not with buildings or landscapes, but people. It's way easier to integrate elsewhere in Canada. I suggest: Vancouver, Calgary or suburbs of Toronto (you need to fish around...there are many good ones)

WOW, you didn't do much to add to my excitement about visiting Montreal for
3 days, in October, have never been there, looking forward to it, don't know
any french at all, born and raised on the west coast, now I'm getting jittery.;-)
I'm sorry you have had a bad experience, I know nothing of the area, so can't
say anything to cheer you up.
I just contacted a tourist place today, to send me a tourist map, so that I can
familiarize myself with places to go.
I will be going to a montreal canadians/ottawa hockey game.
Good luck with your new plans.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
WOW, you didn't do much to add to my excitement about visiting Montreal for
3 days, in October, have never been there, looking forward to it, don't know
any french at all, born and raised on the west coast, now I'm getting jittery.;-)
I'm sorry you have had a bad experience, I know nothing of the area, so can't
say anything to cheer you up.
I just contacted a tourist place today, to send me a tourist map, so that I can
familiarize myself with places to go.
I will be going to a montreal canadians/ottawa hockey game.
Good luck with your new plans.

I don't think you will have a problem in Montreal. There are some great restaurants and there is plenty to see. My wife and I were there three years ago. Never had a problem in Montreal. The only time we experienced any discrimination was in Quebec City where some seem to have a stick up their but about the language.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
I don't think you will have a problem in Montreal. There are some great restaurants and there is plenty to see. My wife and I were there three years ago. Never had a problem in Montreal. The only time we experienced any discrimination was in Quebec City where some seem to have a stick up their but about the language.

Thanks Juan, I don't think so either, I'm looking forward to it. We won't have
time to do a great many things, might contact a bus co. to see if they have a
city tour bus, and just ride around one of the days and look.
 

#juan

Hall of Fame Member
Aug 30, 2005
18,326
119
63
Try to get a look at this:

St. Joseph's Oratory

I'm sure there are no more than 3 or 400 steps to climb...;-)
It is a magnificent building.

 

karrie

OogedyBoogedy
Jan 6, 2007
27,780
285
83
bliss
WOW, you didn't do much to add to my excitement about visiting Montreal for
3 days, in October,

oh, how to say this nicely....

go to the profile for the poster, read through, and get a feel for whether or not they approach the world in the same way you do, before you decide if their experience will be your experience. ;-)
 

rideAbike

New Member
Sep 9, 2009
7
0
1
Vancouver
I have lived in Montréal since 2005. I tried my best to integrate with the French speaking community. I am Italian and got out of the ghetto to stay with French speaking people. My French does not excel but I can communicate... I am very surprised nobody has mentioned the incredible discrimination there is in Montréal against ANY immigrant. And if you dare to speak English? Forget it. I have experienced discrimination in public stores, bus, metro, Police, and recently even at the emergency. This was the last drop. I am disgusted, and seriously thinking to leave for good. I am sorry but most (there are rare exceptions) people from Québec are very racist. No to mention ignorant in way to many areas. I truly wish Québec will separate from Canada. After all this is what they want! In my opinion they don't deserve to belong to this beautiful country. In all the other cities I have been I have never had a problem. Before I moved in I was warned about these issues...My friends were right. I have wasted 4 years of my life. Montréal could be great place to live, but the problem is not the place but, again, the people. In life we deal not with buildings or landscapes, but people. It's way easier to integrate elsewhere in Canada. I suggest: Vancouver, Calgary or suburbs of Toronto (you need to fish around...there are many good ones)

There's assholes A Mari usque ad Mare mate... get a grip!
 

jambo101

Electoral Member
Sep 18, 2009
213
4
18
Montreal
Dont put off your trip to Montreal by what you are reading about rude obnoxious behavior from French people,most of them are quite nice and any snide seperatist behaviour will probably go right over your head,however if you are in some way insulted for being English just let it slide and dont go back to the establishment.
Montreal is a great city.
Personally i'd love to live by the sea in some place like Digby or Yarmouth NS
 

FiveParadox

Governor General
Dec 20, 2005
5,875
43
48
Vancouver, BC
Vancouver, Hands Down

I would have to say that the unequivocal best city would be Vancouver.

The corporation of the City of Vancouver is British Columbia’s only city to be incorporated through its own individual Act of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia; the Vancouver Charter is the fabulous Act that grants, by the power and authority of Her Majesty The Queen of Canada in Right of British Columbia, its corporation status.

Vancouver is perhaps the most demonstrable success of Canada’s mosaïc-style of multiculturalism. The people of Vancouver (and the Greater Vancouver Area) are, despite the numerous sub-cultures and ethnicities, one largely progressive people. Absolutely everyone is welcome here, and there is no end to the acts of good faith, kindness and comeraderie.
 

ddimes

New Member
Sep 26, 2009
1
0
1
Vancouver is the best city in Canada. Mostly I love the density: 4th highest in North America. The building density creates a skyline that can't be matched for beauty in the rest of the nation. Huge glass skyscrapers with a mountain silhouette all surrounded by an endless expanse of ocean. In terms of beauty I've never seen anything match it and I've spent considerable time in New York, Montreal, Tokyo, Paris, London, Amsterdam, Rome, Venice. There's just nothing as beautiful (well maybe Venice with a thin fog or the skyline of New York at Sunset from the Brooklyn Bridge). However, the thing that gets me with Vancouver is how fresh the air is. The moment you get off a plane at YVR you can actually taste a difference in air quality. Furthermore, Vancouver is so young that having lived there at different phases over 21 years I've seen it grow at an astonishing pace. If you went there five years ago you wouldn't recognize it today. The sad part is obviously the Vancouver east-side; it's always been a mind trip going down there and seeing all the poverty, but in the last few years it's improved considerably. The funny thing is that after gardening around the Vancouver West End I got to know some of the homeless population pretty well and a huge majority of them are from Eastern Canada. It's a strange but strong endorsement for the cities more moderate climate. As for the rain, I love it, although this is a total bias as I grew up with it.

Montreal is the best city in Canada for students. This can't be overstated, as much as Vancouver is beautiful Montreal is much more fun when it comes to bars and clubs and women; the latter of which are incredibly incredibly beautiful. In addition the price of bars and clubs is much lower than Vancouver and the atmosphere a lot more fun and carefree. You get a lot less guys from the suburbs with popped collars buying bottle service. The summer is great, as there is an endless cavalcade of festivals. In terms of culture, and amusement, Montréal is definitely the best city in Canada for people under 30 years of age.
 

Albaby

New Member
Sep 30, 2009
1
0
1
So which cities would you recommend for someone with 2 young children aged 7 and 4. I'm a civil engineer in the construction industry looking to relocate to Canada soon. Places we've considered so far are:

- Toronto: Obvious place for construction. Visited last December and really liked it.
- Ottawa: Visited also and seemed a pleasant place with nice museums and liked the river. Doesn't seem to be much economic activity though for my industry
- Calgary: great location for the Rockies and seems pleasant enough from a search on the internet if a little bland
- Edmonton: surprised the only reference seems to be negative. It seemed to have a lot of activities/festivals on in the summer, the valley park and cost of living not too expensive. Any views?
- Vancouver: Looks great but property prices seem excessive. A friend mentioned White Rock as a place you could commute from.

Any views on the above or other suggestions.
 

talloola

Hall of Fame Member
Nov 14, 2006
19,576
113
63
Vancouver Island
So which cities would you recommend for someone with 2 young children aged 7 and 4. I'm a civil engineer in the construction industry looking to relocate to Canada soon. Places we've considered so far are:

- Toronto: Obvious place for construction. Visited last December and really liked it.
- Ottawa: Visited also and seemed a pleasant place with nice museums and liked the river. Doesn't seem to be much economic activity though for my industry
- Calgary: great location for the Rockies and seems pleasant enough from a search on the internet if a little bland
- Edmonton: surprised the only reference seems to be negative. It seemed to have a lot of activities/festivals on in the summer, the valley park and cost of living not too expensive. Any views?
- Vancouver: Looks great but property prices seem excessive. A friend mentioned White Rock as a place you could commute from.

Any views on the above or other suggestions.

White Rock is nice, ocean everywhere, close to the u.s. border, you can be in
Seattle in a couple of hours, close to the
freeway to vancouver, but it's also expensive, nicest close to the ocean, but
most expensive there, lots of boating, nice marina and beaches.
Great weather in White Rock, and also in Tsawassen, which is even closer
to vancouver, also near the ocean and ferries to vancouver island, probably
a little more reasonable than White Rock, not sure.