{"id":440576,"date":"2025-07-18T17:22:24","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T15:22:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/?p=440576"},"modified":"2025-09-26T12:53:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-26T10:53:10","slug":"culture-shock-montreal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pvtistes.net\/en\/culture-shock-montreal\/","title":{"rendered":"Culture shock I experienced as a Brit in Montreal"},"content":{"rendered":"

I started my Canadian working holiday<\/a> adventure around a year ago (in Toronto). Just when I thought I\u2019d gotten used to the cultural differences<\/a> between Canada and my home in the UK, I came to Montreal and experienced culture shock all over again!<\/p>\n

Montreal (and the province of Quebec in general) is completely unique because it\u2019s predominantly French-speaking, and daily life feels more European at times than Canadian. This is especially true since large numbers of expats from France have made Montreal their home. Here\u2019s everything I\u2019ve found surprising about Montreal during my first few weeks living here.<\/p>\n

1. The language barrier<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re downtown or in a touristy area, people will be able to speak English, and the menus and signs are written in both languages. But in the suburbs where the locals live, suddenly you will only hear and see French being used.<\/p>\n

You can get by with a mix of basic French knowledge and Google Translate when tackling small tasks like ordering food or buying groceries. However, if you want to settle in Montreal<\/a>, take your French classes seriously, because you can\u2019t (and shouldn\u2019t) expect English to be used or prioritised when conversing with Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois.<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tCheck out our deal with Babbel<\/a> for a 20% discount on their French language course!\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n

2. Classy day drinking<\/h2>\n

The concept of day drinking is not new to me; as a Brit, we spend a lot of time in pub gardens. But compared to home, there\u2019s not as much emphasis on drinking culture in Canada, so it\u2019s been a long time since I\u2019ve seen people day drinking! Unlike a laidback British pub, Montrealers (like the French) prefer to frequent classy wine bars. Interestingly, many of these bars only open during the day, doubling up as cafes serving pastries and coffees alongside an extensive wine menu. It\u2019s perfectly acceptable here to meet a friend or even have a work meeting over a midday glass of wine (and it immediately makes me feel at home again!).<\/p>\n

3. A pretty city<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s nothing better, in my opinion, than European architecture. Hanging flower baskets in every doorway, gothic churches, towering cathedrals, wrought iron balconies\u2026 I could go on, but you get the idea. Montreal is a feast for the eyes. It doesn\u2019t necessarily have big tourist attractions like the CN Tower in Toronto, but that\u2019s because the city itself is the experience. My favourite thing to do is just wander the streets, taking in the atmosphere, and grabbing a coffee and a pastry to enjoy in one of the many beautiful town squares or parks.<\/p>\n

Also, compared to some of the other cities I\u2019ve spent time in recently (New York, Toronto, London, etc.), it\u2019s impressively clean. My understanding is that Montreal puts a lot of effort into cleaning up, and I noticed when attending the free downtown festivals that there wasn\u2019t rubbish or empty drinks containers strewn across the floor like you\u2019d expect to see. Plus, having spent a year dodging seats on the Toronto trains (they’ll be covered in bedbugs and\/or urine), it\u2019s a relief to see the Montreal metro cars are clean\u2026 and functional!<\/p>\n

\"Culture<\/p>\n

4. French flavour profiles over Canadian<\/h2>\n

Just like their taste in wine, the food in Montreal is closer to French\/European palettes than the Canadian flavour profiles I\u2019ve been getting used to. For example, you\u2019re more likely to find cafes serving French pastries and bread than soups and salads. Instead of sweet, flavoured frappuccinos, coffee menus are traditional (cappuccino, espresso, etc.) and served with real milk (unlike the rest of Canada, it\u2019s difficult to find cafes in Montreal that serve dairy-free milks, which is the same problem I have in France).<\/p>\n

5. Smoking is still popular<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve gradually gotten used to cities in Canada smelling strongly of weed (it\u2019s not legal in the UK yet, so our streets don\u2019t really smell of cannabis). Now I\u2019m having to get used to the smell of cigarettes; yep, another similarity to their European cousins. This is the only Canadian province I can think of where it’s more common to see people smoking tobacco instead of vaping or using cannabis. They smoke while they eat, while they drink; I even saw a man jogging and smoking at the same time!<\/p>\n

6. There\u2019s more cyclists and joggers than cars<\/h2>\n

Speaking of joggers, they are everywhere. Montrealers love to get outside and stay active (perhaps it\u2019s to offset the pastries and wine?). Even on the hottest days of the year, with no shade, the streets are full of people running and cycling. The outdoor gyms are always full, too. Montreal is more of a cycle-safe city than Toronto, where there weren\u2019t many designated cycle paths, so this probably contributes to the higher number of cyclists I\u2019ve seen. I\u2019ve learnt the hard way to look both ways before stepping out onto the street because you might get mown down by a speedy Montrealer out for their daily exercise.<\/p>\n

\"Culture<\/p>\n

7. Intense weather<\/h2>\n

I wouldn\u2019t be British if I didn\u2019t constantly talk about the weather<\/a>. I struggled getting used to Canadian weather in general, with the summers being overwhelmingly hot and the winters unbearably cold. What I\u2019ve noticed about Montreal heat is that it feels more akin to a Florida-level of heat, where you step into an oven of hot air and there is no relief. Toronto was also hot, but it was more of a wet heat, and there would be some breeze. Montreal also seems to have more thunderstorms, and it\u2019s quite normal for entire suburbs to lose power for hours at a time during these storms!<\/p>\n

8. The place to be in summer<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve heard people say Montreal is the best city to be in for Canadian summer and (weather aside) I have to agree. There are many free events and festivals; sometimes, there are so many on the same day that you struggle to choose what to attend! One of the issues I had with living in Toronto<\/a> was the lack of summer events: you could sit at the beach or in a park or on one of the Toronto Islands, but there weren\u2019t many actual events on. In Montreal, you still have options for relaxing or catching up with friends, but you\u2019ve also got extra activities for when you want a bit of a party!<\/p>\n

9. More of a relaxed atmosphere<\/h2>\n

Finally, I\u2019ve discovered Montreal is closer to that relaxed European vibe than a North American city. Toronto was very North American in its always-on-the-go hustle culture, which isn\u2019t always healthy to get sucked into. As I said earlier, people in Montreal like to take time out to prioritise life: exercise, good food, drink, etc. For one of Canada\u2019s biggest and busiest cities, everything feels really calm. I don\u2019t like crowds and sometimes a big city can be daunting, but Montreal\u2019s downtown and old port areas don\u2019t feel too hectic to navigate, even on weekends and evenings. Overall, it\u2019s a pleasant, laidback city, and I can\u2019t wait to get to know it more!<\/p>\n

\"Culture<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\nIf you want to learn more about what to expect when moving to Canada, check out some of our other articles:<\/p>\n