Montreal
Why choose Montreal? It’s a cool, stylish city, where francophone joie de vivre meets Canadian practicality. The high-tech, aerospace, and scientific research industries draw the more engineering-minded, while jobs in fashion and the arts bring in the culturally conscious. Finance, real estate, tourism, and the non-profit sector are all major components of Montreal’s economy.
For such a big, bustling city–the metropolitan area is home to about 3.5 million people–Montreal is inexpensive. Rents and home prices are relatively low, and the many entertainment options, from festivals to concerts to wine bars, range from free to moderately priced. If you have Paris dreams but a Pensacola budget, consider Montreal.
From the bakeries serving up fresh baguettes to the creative bistros drawing inspiration from around the world, Montreal is a gourmet’s paradise. The city may be more “foreign†for English-speakers than other Canadian destinations, but you’ll be rewarded with a rich cross-cultural experience.
Montreal relocation resources:
- Quebec Immigration: Everything you need to know about immigrating to Quebec
- Learning about Québec: Quebec newcomers’ guide
- Montreal region at a glance: An introduction to Montreal for newcomers
- City of Montreal website: Guide to city services, events, and other information
- Montreal neighborhood profiles and maps
- Greater Montreal Real Estate Board: Real estate market news
- Realtor.ca: Real estate listings in Montreal (and across Canada)
- Montreal International: Information about the Montreal job market. For more job search resources, see Finding a Job.
- Profiles of Montreal’s major job sectors
- Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec: How to apply for health insurance in Quebec
- Quebec Ministry of Education, Leisure, and Sports: Overview of Quebec’s educational system, including information about who qualifies for instruction in English
- Montreal’s English-language schools: English Montreal School Board (central Montreal), Lester B. Pearson School Board (Montreal’s western suburbs), Quebec independent schools
- French language lessons for newcomers to Quebec
- Montreal universities: Concordia University, McGill University, Université de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal
- Getting around Montreal: La Société de Transport de Montréal (STM)
- Montreal English-language media: Montreal Gazette, Montreal Mirror, Hour
– Excerpted (in part) from the book, Living Abroad in Canada. To read more, buy the book.
Montreal’s Plateau neighborhood photo ©Alan Albert
