As an English speaker in Montreal, life will not be easy

[@mr.bmt216a2]

>>> PLEASE DON'T APOLOGIZE. Your efforts to learn and speak French while living in a French environment is PROOF that you are a worthy addition to that City and Province. You are the best version of an Anglophone. NEVER APOLOGIZE. You, Sir, are WORTHY of praise. Enjoy your life.

[@shaetteb1272]

As an anglophone who moved to NB sometimes I feel out of place but then I realized I know more french than the native NB anglophones around me. However I also found out that my French only sort of works here.

[@sebastien-zf5cc]

I come from France, lived in NB for 4 years with all that it implies (job, house, scholarship for the kids, incorporate a business...). I live now in Québec because having lived in English helped me reconsider my attachment to French. But now I am a French man in Québec, with French speaking and English speaking friends. I am Canadian now, but at the same times everybody knows I am from France as soon as I start a sentence 😅 I traveled to NS, PEI, ON, AB and BC. Canada is huge and different. The language is only one of many and I love my new country!

[@emdxemdx]

Faut simplement pas dire «du coup»...

[@pirlouit9334]

@@emdxemdx L'accent, ça doit être ce qui est le plus dur à changer, même si on parle une langue parfaitement.

[@claudebuysse7482]

@@pirlouit9334 Certains ont l'oreille qui s'adaptent comme bien des acteurs mais la langue maternelle aura souvent le dessus surtout si on est ds la vingtaine avancée. Jehan va bien ? Je lisais cette bd plus jeune .

[@wavearts3279]

Just a little precision about Montréal losing the economical capital position of Canada, Montréal did not have to sacrifice its position for preserving french identity. It is an easy explanation to make and it was used so much, that it still is the main explanation, while it is closer to propaganda than facts. During the Expo 67, Toronto had already surpassed Montréal as the economical capital, but they both didn't know already and that was normal, you'd have to get a broader view to see it. Before even the famous Charle de Gaule vive le Québec libre moment, Toronto was the economical capital. Even if all francophones in Québec would have been assimilated by that time, Montréal simply could not remain the economical capital for multiple economical reasons. In fact, even in the late 19th century and early 20th century, they were signs that Toronto was gaining grounds on Montréal and was developping faster. It was only a matter of time before it would surpass Montréal. Since the industriual revolution, Ontario has developped a better economy than Québec. There were more industries and they were more diverse. The heavy industries were a lot more present in Ontario. As the midwest and the great lakes area of the USA rapidly grew, the investments exploded in the Toronto region and the general center of the economy shifted from the East coast towards the center of the continent. In the same time, the colonial british empire was declining and Montréal, with its development heavily dependent on british investments was seeing a decline in investments. The opening of the seaway in 1959 was a great example of the Great Lake region surpassing Montréal. In order to bring iron to the steal plants of the great lakes, the americans pressured Canada to build the seaway, to bring the very rich iron mined in northern Québec to the steal factories, with very limited transformation in Québec. When the 1960s and 1970s arrived, it was clear that Toronto and the great lakes were the region to be and the new center of activity. The industrial sectors of Montréal that were built along the Lachine Canal and in the east had been built at the beginning of the industrial revolution and were getting old. Heavy investments were need to modernize the factories, making many companies decide to leave Montréal to build newer, more modern factories in the Toronto region, so they could get closer to the new activity sector. It led to a cycle where as more investment happened in Toronto, more companies were willing to make the move, resulting in more activity and more investments. Banks then followed. By the time of the first PQ win in 1976, there were no doubts that Toronto had surpassed Montréal and that we were no longer the capital of Canada. Then, we collectively decided that it was time to "franciser le milieu du travail" and since, as you greatly explained, a lot of the managment was only english and still had that colonialist and imperialists ideologies, they preferred to move to Toronto than to work in french. But eventually, the companies succesfully adapted and the workplace was then in french in most companies, even those that were the most anti french a few decades earlier. So while the french preservation did accelerate the trend of the exodus towards Toronto, it was inevitable and it was a trend that started long before the Quiet revolution and Montréal did not lost it's economical capital position for it. I hope that I'd get to see you someday in a park, I'd really love a conversation with you !

[@jacquesnadon1865]

Exactement! Pour appuyer ce que vous avez écrit, il y a ce vidéo. La part des anglos, évolution de la population britannique au Québec depuis la Conquête de 1760 Exactly! To support what you wrote, there is this video. The Anglo share, evolution of the British population in Quebec since the Conquest of 1760 kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWKvfIWJqp2AecU

[@ratoftoska7497]

Merci. J'essaie toujours de contrer ce point fatiguant qui habite l'imaginaire collectif des Anglophones, mais tu t'y prends mieux que moi. Et puis de toute façon, notre qualité de vie est vastement supérieure maintenant. Quel Francophone se plaint de ça aujourd'hui; c'est pas comme si on bénéficiait d'être "le centre financier du Canada" à cette époque.

[@tenormartin277]

In fairness, Upper Canada was always set up to overtake Lower Canada. It was all by design from the 1800’s.

[@claudebuysse7482]

La voie maritime du St-Laurent qui permettait aux bateaux de se rendre jusqu'en Ontario a contribué fortement à ce déclassement. Merci de me lire ds une des langues officielles que je maitrise le mieux.

[@wavearts3279]

@@claudebuysse7482 je ne suis pas convaincu de cet impact, puisque bien que Montréal a perdu son titre de lieu de transbondement, l'arrivée de la technologie des containers a complètement remplacé et même surpassé les activités perdues en raison de la voie maritime.

[@peterwessel4052]

Les anglophones canadiens qui s’installent au Québec ont tous des expériences différentes. Je viens de Toronto et ça fait 5 ans que j’habite au Québec. Je peux dire très honnêtement que le Québec est devenu mon vrai chez moi. Quand je vais à Toronto je ne me sens pas du tout chez moi. Je ne sais pas trop pourquoi. Le Québec est bien plus qu’une autre province pour moi. D’une certaine façon je peux dire que le Québec est mon pays. Je suis content de dire que je suis québécois. C’est mon expérience 🤩

[@pirlouit9334]

En tous cas vous écrivez parfaitement, impossible de détecter une anomalie d'écriture dans votre commentaire

[@ScoobyDoo-xu6oi]

Was this written by chatgpt?

[@claudebuysse7482]

Bravo , vous faites partie des anglos qui ont compris que le Québec n'est pas un moins pour le Canada.

[@HITABikes]

Yo Dan, I doubt you remember, but I was a candy maker you interviewed in Vancouver years ago. I'm in Montreal also now and perhaps my experience comes through a different lens being an American, but I feel like living in Montreal is a bit like living in many world cities. It's a cultural crossroads and therefore a place of cultural tension. But much of the world lives in the midst of some sort of cultural tension and folks find their place according to their individuality. I hope that you are able to make peace with the tension that both anglophones and francophones (and people whose mother tongue is neither) experience and find a sense of belonging in the midst of it all.

[@Jonathan-e9y]

It shows you are equal in Quebec since you were able to live in Montreal for the past 5 years mostly in english. Quebeckers are civilized , cultured , open minded and we are used to switch into the english language in order to make the order person comfortable . In a group of 9 francophones and 1 anglophone, everybody will speak english because we are respectful . As a francophone that used to work at Queen s park in Toronto , i would have not been able to survive in french even one second . I could not even order a coffee in french in Toronto . It is even worst in Vamcouver since British Colombia had no french policy in before 2024 .

[@Syagrius62]

Non, on ne fait pas ça, que 9 francophones cessent de parler français entre eux pour complaire à juste un unilingue anglophone. . C'est le contraire du bon sens. Il faut avoir un peu de fierté. Ce que tu dis c'est de la soumission pure et simple.

[@ecbftl]

My English speaking brother from Ontario, lived in BC, and sent his kids to school on Vancouver Island in full French immersion. There is a sizable French population there and various other parts of Canada, often ignored and not supported by the French population of Quebec. I moved to Quebec in 1978, but have not been able to work in French, and it does severely limit my options. I have come to accept that. French integration services for immigrants are not available for Canadians who move there from other provinces.

[@m.boivin8671]

@@Syagrius62 ...et j'ajouterais une attitude de colonisé. J'ai vécu cela à Ottawa, au grand dam de mon patron, un franco-ontarien, qui exigeait que l'on s'adresse en anglais entre francophones en réunion, parce qu'il y avait un ou deux anglophones autour de la table.

[@bvignola2907]

Je me sens étranger une fois avoir traversé la rivière Outaouais et quelle désillusion de ne même pas être capable de commander un café en français dans la capitale d'un pays soi-disant bilingue. Il y a plusieurs années, la dernière fois que je suis allé à Toronto, je me suis bien amusé à parler 100% en français comme les Torontois et bien des anglophones de Montréal, souvent bilingues le font à Montréal en anglais. Bref, la loi 22 a fait du français, la langue officielle du Québec (seule province au Canada, en Amérique), et le but de la loi 101 1977 était de faire du français, la langue commune de tous les Québécois car c'est la seule façon de maintenir le français dans le contexte continental et encore davantage de nos jours avec l'omniprésence de la culture américaine. Ce qui n'est pas accepté par plusieurs. Et, ce, sans rien enlever aux, droits des anglophones du Québec de s'éduquer, de se faire soigner, etc. en anglais. L''objectif n'étant pas l'assimilation contrairement aux autres provinces dans lesquelles on a empêché l'éducation en français aux francophones, de parler en français en classe. Il y a encore de nombreuses disparités entre la façon dont les francophones hors Québec et les anglophones du Québec sont traités. Et, la pendaison de Louis Rie;. Vous voulez qu'on en parle? Je sens votre tristesse de minoritaire, dans une population minoritaire. Sachez que plusieurs Québécois et francophones comme minoritaires au Canada ont cette même tristesse. J'entendais encore récemment dans une vidéo, un Albertain dire que ça coûtait trop cher de traduire les emballages sur les produits. Ouf. Vous ne trouvez pas ça triste? Quand on voit des gens qui ne disent même pas excusez-moi, mais sorry en accrochant quelqu'un sur la rue. Thank you comme s'ils ne connaissaient pas merci, débit, crédit à un caissier de supermarché. On est loin du français langue commune. Et, pour plusieurs, ça peut être triste aussi. On ne veut pas devenir un autre Toronto, non plus. Et, la langue est encore le principal vecteur culturel.

[@yoeight]

Thanks for sharing your perspective! I’m not Quebecois, but I live in Montreal, and French is my native language-I also speak English. Like others have mentioned, if you’re looking to practice your French with someone, we could hang out and grab a beer. I’m sure we’d get along with others in your Montreal community too!

[@OdinWannaBe]

Where are you from if you natives tongue is french and you even live in Quebec, its enough to be considered Québécois.

[@yoeight]

​@@OdinWannaBe I'm French. They don't consider Frenchies as Québécois. Granted, I have a much easier time integrating than Dan, but to them, I still have a thick accent, which is funny considering I'm from Paris!

[@pirlouit9334]

@@yoeight C'est sûr mais en même temps on vous aime bien les Français. Vos enfants deviendront Québécois. Enfin s'il deviennent pas anglos 😉

[@yoeight]

@@pirlouit9334 Rassures toi, j'en ai une qui est née au Québec et les autres refusent catégoriquement de parler Anglais. Je suis le seul bilingue de la famille 😁

[@RememberingGames]

That was very interesting. I'm native french speaker from outside Montreal. I've been wondering about what is the Canadian identity. I strongly believe that what binds us together (all provinces) is our empathy for others. I think whatever you speak French or English, we all love peace and wish the best for our other fellow citizens. As Québecois we are WAAAYY more similar to the rest of Canada than Europe. On the other side, I feel the rest of Canada is much more empathic and poised than the USA. So, being good people is what is being Canadian. That is our defining identity. And I think it is awesome! Love you man, cheers!

[@nuneufurbisness4040]

I don't think there's any Canadian identity, We would need a common culture for that, we don't. The only common thing we share are the little emprunt anglos made to french (for exemple, Canadien used to refer to the french speaking and catholic we call quebecers today).

[@JesuisIamEstoyyoSonoIoIchbin]

A salute your willingness to understand the context in wich you are evolving right now, I feel you have reach a plateau, since you came, you were exploring, discovering and absorbing your new environment. I suggest you do not beat yourself too much upon the language and what the others are saying or thinking, you are a legitimate Quebecer as well as a Canadian. You have as much rights as all the people that surounds you. You are not butchering our language, you are integrating your second language. Keep up you good work as well as your mental energy. Take care!

[@marclussier7350]

Best way for a Québécois to figure out he is not canadien is to go live in canada for a lil while

[@Javo_Non]

Id rather say Canadians get a glimpse of the lie of the nation-state when they move in and out of Quebec. That should happen too when meeting first nation communities, but theyre not considered as equally as francophones/anglophones are. In that regard, Bolivia is one of the most advanced states as it considers itself plurinational from start.

[@marclussier7350]

@@Javo_Non First nations have lots of advantages in Québec. They are treated badly in Canada that's true. You know that in latin america if you call someone "indio" it's a form of insult and people try to get partners whit pale skin so their kids will look whiter and "high statues". Igniorants are blessed broskidoo

[@mgm661]

My back car window was destroyed by someone at the gas station in rural Alberta, while I went to buy snacks .. the only reason why it happened is that I had Québec license plates.

[@ManuelMartinez-gv8dt]

Tu es simplement tombé sur un imbecile. Il y en a partout malheureusement, pas seulement en Alberta. À Montréal, c’est tranquille maintenant, mais en 1995 c’était de la vraie dynamite! J’espère ne jamais avoir à revivre cela. Cependant une chose que j’ai remarqué au lendemain du référendum, était le silence respectueux entre gagnants et perdants car nous savons vivre ensemble malgré nos différences. Et ça c’est notre plus grand trésor.

[@mitchellbarnow1709]

Dan, thank you so much for explaining things to someone from the USA that really had no idea why people who spoke a different language also wanted to have their own country.

[@klarissaclairiton9010]

that is the problem with almost every American I have met, they know practically nothing about any topic and especially their neighbouring country. They also believe that Montreal has always been a uniquely French speaking city built entirely by French people.

[@mr.bmt216a2]

​@@klarissaclairiton9010correct,,, it was not built ONLY by French people.

[@salmalucas7071]

I am not sure what exactly your point is? Being an anglo in Quebec (even Montreal) you WILL feel as an outsider at times and have a similar experience to people who move to Montreal as an immigrant. That being said, an anglo Canadian is one of the most privileged immigrants possible. Like you can receive services almost any institution in english and almost everyone speaks amazing english (this is not the reality for french quebecois in other provinces). Of course there will still be difficulties and there are mean people everywhere. It is also true historically Montreal had a large english speaking minority, but that will disappear. English proficiency will increase but english schools/communities will disappear. But that is okay, places change and we need to accept that. - an anglo quebecois

[@Sogger2Agahim]

Finally an anglo that gets it. Kudos. Love you

[@MattFrame]

As an anglophone born in Quebec, I have been denied service in English by police, in court, in health care, by the CSST, by the SAAQ, by ambulance drivers, by metro personnel, and by various governmental agencies. This is in Montreal. I keep hearing francophones pontificate that English people are are so privileged here, but the reality does not always bear that out. Yes, there are kind and generous people everywhere who will try to help out, but there are also people who refuse...just because they can. (And yes, I fully acknowledge and contest anglophones who refuse to accommodate francophones in their mother tongue as well.) I think in Montreal, essential services which concern citizens' health and safety should be offered in both languages. This goes for elsewhere too. Of course not every single person will be fluently bilingual, but there should be someone on hand to handle critical emergencies in both languages in this city, Toronto, etc.

[@freddie5ive]

​@MattFrame that guy is a bootlicker lol

[@terryomalley1974]

Montreal's anglophone community WILL NEVER COMPLETELY DISAPPEAR! We Montrealers of Irish, English and Scottish ancestry played a crucial role in the development of the city and Canada as a whole.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@terryomalley1974 I don't want it to dissapear. It can turn into folklore like the rest of French in Canada. That would actually be perfect. We could parade our bilingualism to the world like Canada. That would be fun!

[@jmrm001]

Hi Dan! I'm born in Barcelona, Spain. I came to Montreal 27 years ago because my wife was from here. I didn't speak French at that time, but with time and patience I learned it. I think that I speak gut enough French because I worked 15 years for Quebec government. My home is Montreal. I don't want to go back to Barcelona, my wife pass away 8 years ago and all my family is in Spain. I love French way of live, but I understand that we renounce a part of our identity as person when we leave our land (Spain, Ontario, Quebec, name it). We manage, and it's important to try to merge with our environment and try to be happy. I think that Canada is a wonderful country to live. We make the choice to live in other culture, and we have the responsibility to try to merge without renounce our basic principles

[@mydogisbailey]

unrelated but can we agree that Dan has amazing facial features? full lips, strong jaw, pronounced cheekbones, dense eyebrows, long lashes... damn

[@pbasswil]

Remember, North America (above Mexico) is a rare thing in the world: A v-a-s-t expanse of a mostly single-language culture. Most other places on the globe, if you travel beyond your native region, you _expect_ to have to get to grips with a different local language. Europeans, for instance, don't make a big deal out of learning to cope in various neighbouring languages - it's a normal thing. The fact that Québec is isolated and unique in its continent, _more_ than explains a certain sensitivity about its language & associated culture.

[@scottarchibaldmusic]

It may be majority unilingual but there are obviously many different communities and languages spoken, but universally and for business it is English. Huge Spanish speaking population in the US, and pretty soon Canada with all the Latin American immigrants coming here. When you think about it, the only true Anglophone majority countries are the US , Canada , the UK, Ireland, Australia , New Zealand. English is an official language in 67 countries but is it the first language in all those countries? I would think it is only the first language for those 6 countries. For French I believe its 29 ,maybe 30 if you include Quebec. Spanish 21. There are 195 countries in the world.

[@pbasswil]

@@scottarchibaldmusic You list a bunch of interesting points, but my point is that French Québec is an island in an overwhelmingly English sea. As such, there is constant anglophone pressure influencing and eroding Québecois. Each succeeding generation (especially here in the Montreal area) is a bit more accommodated to English. For increasing numbers in this major city, Québecois is starting to be something they mostly speak at home with friends & family.

[@FulguroGeek]

I have to say, as a french canadian, the number of time i go in a store in montreal and ppls talk to me in english first is almost half of the time ..maybe its just the place i decide to go to and its not like that everywhere in montreal, but they speak to me in english first.... an dthats true Canada is a bilingual country with french and english as official languages.. i went to toronto for 1 months, i went to winipeg a few times, i went to Vancouver a few times too... i can say that 0.1 percent of the time i was spoken in french.. the only time it happened its when i went to a french restaurant in winnipeg with my ex girlfreind.. thats the only time the person was able to speak french in the rest of canada.

[@BigSlimyBlob]

The Voie maritime du Saint-Laurent, completed in 1959, also redirected a lot of economic activity from Montréal to Toronto.

[@TheoWentHome]

This is interesting. I had a friend (born mtl) tell me it’s actually frustrating for him when people practice broken French because he has to code switch his French to English brain when they have to stop because they don’t know more words and it would have been an easier transaction if you just went with whatever is easier. His feedback really deterred me from continuing to practice. This was while he worked in service so there’s a lot of dealing with idiots unfortunately as well, but his point is that he doesn’t always appreciate someone “trying”, he can be direct about that and respect someone being Anglo or Anglo and trying to learn.

[@sylviedaragon2542]

I really do think that an anglophone can reach his full potential while living in Montreal. In fact, mastering two languages or more, gives more perspective and job opportunities in big multinational corporations.

[@rosesprog1722]

I live near Montreal and I lived in Montreal for... maybe 20 years, for work and as far as I know, the linguistic antagonisms are a thing of the past, if you try a few french words once in a while, show you're not indifferent to the cultural environment, wear a happy face, enjoy a cold beer in a pub or on a terrasse with the clear intent of meeting new people, and avoid confrontational discussions about us, our choices, our protections and our tortured past, you're gonna get quick sympathy I can assure you, just be who you would like to meet, and you'll be fine.

[@adamfrank4192]

The truth is that the problem is not just French or English in Canada. The whole country is tribal and group identities are constantly played off against each other both provincial and so called "ethnic" groups. The truth is also that this is not just a Canadian or even North American problem although we are experts in divisive thinking. Look at what's happening around the world. Racist parties in government or on the rise, political systems based on groups. The origin of all this is the simple bad old tactic of divide and rule. Don't blame the economic structure that creates the huge wealth gap and strips governments of funding to pay for things that would create a more level playing field. Get them talking about the "other" = the immigrant the Francophone/anglophone, the color of people the religion of people basically anything rather than what causes the real problems and hardship because talking about that might lead to the super rich having to have one less yacht in order to pay their fair share of taxes. All this group/identity/language/divisive stuff is just a distraction. The sooner we recognise it as such, stop wasting time talking about it and start talking about the real solutions to problems the better off and the more united we will be. Personally I do speak French but I also feel English. I see people who speak neither in Montreal and although you get those who like dividing and othering in every place (trust me. I lived in 8 countries on 4 continents) the majority if people basically just don't care about difference and just want to get on in life. But language is a basic. If you want to feel at home anywhere you need to know the language and if we as Canadians want to feel at home anywhere in Canada we need to learn both national languages and put country before group or province.

[@Robusquet]

As a "Francophone" who grew up in Ontario, another province in this false country with no soul and future called Canada, and has lived just as long in Québec, the comparison is not in favour of the "Ego-Saxon empire". Languages come and go; nations rise and fall; ethnic identities are diluted through invasions; empires oppress and are destroyed by immorality; this "country" is no exception. You'll be served in English in most parts of Québec. You will almost never be served in French in Canada. Demographics are such, not necessarily always ill-will. But any French historian knows how the English established themselves, hence the mental resistance. In Northern Ontario, the French and English grow up side by side. The French are bilingual, the English are not. N'ough said.

[@OldSchoolZ-wy2yx]

I've never seen someone take so much pride in being unilingual. Just say you're mentally challenged and spare us your psychotic rants, please.

[@marvinmillman9747]

It’s not a francophone city. It’s bilingual. There are over 1 million Anglos in this city.

[@m.boivin8671]

Le français est la langue officielle de l'administration municipale de Montréal, langue parlée par 71% des citadins, alors que 20,4% de ces derniers ont l'anglais comme première langue. Ce n'est pas le fait de parler l'anglais ou une autre langue qui fait de Montréal une ville bilingue. Il ne faut pas confondre ses vœux avec la réalité.

[@marvinmillman9747]

@ you are really not seeing reality.

[@devroombagchus7460]

When I lived in Boston for a few years, I loved to escape to Québec. My first time in Montréal in about 2015, on a tourist bus trip of the city, I had to insist that the guide also explained in French. It was not an English language tour.

[@LiberalRecord]

It great that you fully understand the dynamics of Montreal, you want to be sure over time that you truly want to be here and are not here just because you got stuck here. Your a proactive kind of guy so dont have to worry about that.

[@GG-py9vp]

My young 18 year old son went to work in Whisler with his friends. One of his friends got into a fight in a bar because he was speaking French (he couldn’t speak English at the time but by the end of ski season he was perfectly bilingual). My son was told to go home by two Australian kids!! My son called me when he first arrived and said “did you know mum that there are people that don’t like French speaking people”.

[@thoughtsontravelandlife]

Sorry to hear that. That sucks!

[@astrius22]

Yeah, the more british Canada has not liked Québec for a long long time and only relatively recently has started to backpedal on wanting french gone, so social tensions still exist all around. As someone from here, I GREATLY appreciate you attempting to learn the language. It truly means something.

[@jeanmarcdrap3449]

That is very sad to hear 😢 I am french Canadian and I can say that wherever I am in the country I feel as a Canadian.

[@powermiro]

I was born in Montreal. I learned French like everyone else, but always had difficulties with it. Learning English really helped me express myself, thus I am an anglophone in a French speaking province. My frustration comes with the absolute discrimination anglophones in Montreal experience in their own city. Bill 96 is a good example. I major in history, and recognize the troubles that francophones experienced in Canada, but we cannot relive these same mistakes. Legault is making more people leave. English cegeps, can't let in as many international students as before. And that's how they used to make money. Same thing with universities. There are other ways to promote french in a province that is entirely french. But banning the usage of french in certain aspects of life is not one of them. When alcohol was banned in the US, it just made more people want it. More people will wanna speak English. I have a friend from France who came to live in Quebec. She told me that the French classes here are way harder. This makes it harder for people to enjoy the language. I enjoy being Quebecois, but when my own government hates me, I can't accept that. Personally, I think the only solution for this linguistic conflict to end, is if the greater Montreal area becomes its own province. Free from Quebec laws that prohibit the use of English. Montreal is my home, and I do not want to leave.

[@Kaizerzydeco1]

As an Anglo you have to stand up and be counted, even if that means just pressing that English button on the self-serve store kiosk. Don’t let them grind you down.

[@ganpik]

I considered doing a French course in Montreal but I thought that outside class I won't have any opportunity to practice my French, because all the locals would speak English. I thought that maybe, maybe if I get to Quebec city, only then I would get a chance to be in a French environment.

[@PatrioteQuebecois]

Il suffit d'insister.

[@lecosmopolite-l5m]

If you get a qualified French tutor you can become fluent in spoken French in 10 hours' class time for under 250 usd, by taking 2-3 2-hour classes with an extra 45 minutes to complete homework for 2 weeks. That's not going to happen in a big classroom setting where you're just listening and not getting the undivided attention of the tutor. Ask me how I know :)

[@m.boivin8671]

On appelle ce prétexte "paresse intellectuelle". (This excuse is called "intellectual laziness")

[@mariamironova3095]

Hi Dan! I'm an Anglo who grew up in Toronto and moved to Montreal for university, and staying here because I love Montreal so much more than Toronto. I have learned French since the third grade at school (French immersion program) and my French is pretty good, not bilingual, but definitely intermediate - advanced. I don't have much of an accent and have actually adopted the Quebecois accent a bit when I speak French. That being said, I obviously don't sound like a native French speaker, because I am not. French is my third language. Despite how well I speak and understand French however, very often people (at cafes and restaurants mostly) will hear me speak French and immediately switch to English. Mind you, I know for a fact that they understood perfectly when I ordered a cappuccino à emporter. For some reason, they still switch to English. It's so incredibly frustrating. I hear that the Quebecois just want Anglos to learn French and do their best, but when we do often respond in this way and act very condescending. When this happens to me, I continue speaking French to prove a point. But it's still very hurtful. We literally can't win. I love Montreal so much and really don't want to move elsewhere but I am very tired of this treatment.

[@xouxoful]

Passer a l’anglais n’est pas méchant. Ils pensent juste que leur anglais est meilleur que votre français ou alors c’est pour être gentil avec vous. Mais vous avez le droit de continuer en français !

[@cassiopee26]

S.v.p. continuez de leur répondre en français! Je suis vraiment navrée d'entendre que vous avez cette réaction, pourtant je me fais toujours un plaisir de parler en français quand je vois que les gens parlent ma langue et ressentent le besoin de la pratiquer ou juste de la parler. En tant que franco-québécoise, je ne comprendrai jamais ces gens qui snobent ou changent à l'anglais pourtant, c'est en pratiquant qu'on devient meilleur! Personnellement, je veux vous dire bravo et merci de vos efforts et que, malgré les frustrations que vous vivez, nous sommes plusieurs à les apprécier aussi! Bienvenue à Montréal et bienvenue au Québec. :)

[@ComicsAreEscapism]

Peut être que la personne n’est pas francophone et fait le switch aussi pour que ça soit plus facile?

[@philippes1987]

yeah, I think I understand your point of view - I am a Franco and I switch English for the exact situations and times you have described. We, the bilinguals Francos, switch to English fast because we like to speak a different language and make communication easier. I say Keep pushing the French, make your point come across and celebrate!

[@OdinWannaBe]

You are bilingual the moment you can hold a conversation.

[@imhotep1613]

You mentioned an important thing about the foundational English-speaking community of Montreal, which is true 100%, but my question is this : In the rest of Canada, aren't there significant foundational french-speaking communities ?

[@firthbythesea]

Francophones are in decline in most foundational regions outside Quebec in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, etc. it's disappointing and disquieting but French has never really been given equal respect in Canada

[@Jonathan-e9y]

@@firthbythesea Well , even the governor of Canada , Mary Simon, is uniligual in english while she represents Canada to the King . It shows anglophones have never evolved over the time . Most of the british are unilingual as well unless they are immigrants . it is called xenophobia.

[@GG-py9vp]

@@Jonathan-e9y Mary Simon may not speak French but she is not unilingual You say most British people are unilingual - I think it’s a bit of a leap from that to being xenophobic.

[@redMaple_QC]

As an French speaker outside Quebec, life is not easy, is a supposedly bilingual country.

[@vibrolax]

My wife, a francophone born in Montréal to a family with pioneer New Brunswick roots, has felt 'not Québecoise' vibes from some people in Québec. Of course, it's nothing like the abuse by some anglophones she grew up with in Ottawa's west end. As an American who moved to Québec, I learned French, and attempt to conduct all my business in French. I have had only good experiences. On the other hand, I know I will never belong to this place or this culture. It would be a lot more difficult if I were young, and needed to build a career, find a mate, etc.

[@JacquesPPage]

More than ten years ago there was an experiment made by two journalists posing as uni-lingual, one with the Journal de Montréal and the other with an Anglophone media from Ontario. I don't remember the details and I could not find it on the web, but it made some news at the time. Anyway, the Anglo guy in Chicoutimi, a city of 60,000 at the time with 99% franco population, experienced lots and lots of people not knowing much English but trying very hard to communicate with our Anglo friend. Meanwhile the Franco in Ontario got mostly "I don't speak French" with a "I won't even try" attitude from the people he talked to in French. I don't see why this would have changed much today.

[@MythycalFyre]

I find this interesting as I'm an anglophone in Montreal who's bad at speaking French, although I can read it and understand it fairly well when I hear it. I live in the English part, so I'm surrounded by other anglophones and bilingual people in school and everyday life. I hardly know any Quebec culture since it's French and the few Québécois friends I have aren't enough, since I never see them in their usual cultural context, only at school or with other anglophone friends. So with this English bubble, anytime I go any 40 minute or so drive away from home, I'm basically a foreigner, often only able to talk with the English/bilingual friends I'm going with and the few bilingual people wherever I'm going. The "English" schools, which are really more like half-half schools, seem to be universally bad at teaching French to the point of some students graduating high school and taking French Level 0 or 1 Cegep courses. Of course it's also hard to learn a language if you have no interest in it and never speak it outside of class (or even IN class besides presentations), which is a large part of the issue. It's also very possible to get away with nearly no French where I am until you get to the age when you need a job, so I see the sudden requirement of decent french abilities hitting some fellow students hard. With the increasing number of language laws forcing more French into schools, I find there's more resentment towards it as well. Also, I've had friends that have straight up said they plan to move somewhere else in Canada or the US, just to avoid the problem of learning/using French. It's quite a unique situation.

[@CanadaFree-ce9jn]

Dan, I just got back from Montreal for the first time. Not speaking French was 99% not a problem as money is bilingual. lol Seriously all the people were nice, only had problem at the Mont Royal sidewalk market with one seller who could not understand I was asking about price. I am sure it is different from someone like you who lives there. I felt like I was in another country and was a bit shy about not knowing French. Please remind your critics that French is not the native language of the area known today as Quebec. The French are immigrants to Quebec, just as the Chinese that set up Chinatown.

[@ratoftoska7497]

You're well intentioned. However, cultural dominance only spreads in one direction in Canada. It happens passively ― no effort needed ― while preserving French is an active task. Preserving the only place where you have a RIGHT to live in French is valuable to us; no one else is looking out for our interests. As long as we have garbage soft-nationalist governments like the CAQ, we're just stalling the inevitable. We either separate / become a semi-autonomous region within Canada, or we stay here and slowly die as a people. I fully reject the two wrongs don't make a right adage. I'm sympathetic to you receiving hatred for being an Anglophone, but these situations are not analogous. Anyway, at this rate Trudeau Sr. will get what he wanted and French Canadians will be nothing more than folklore in this country. Unless the predicted election outcomes of PP federally and PSPP provincially create the perfect storm for us to separate, you guys won. Congrats.

[@andre_p]

There’s some truth to your reasoning but the tone is unnecessarily nasty. Dommage.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@andre_p What is nasty? Soft skin won't make you survive through time.

[@jandron94]

Peut etre que la francophonie sauvera le Québec sur le long terme... j'en doute un peu

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@jandron94 Les Français nous aide en rien. Ils n'ont jamais eu envie de se mêler ave nous. Ça préfère utiliser Montréal comme le 21e arrondissement de Paris

[@ratoftoska7497]

@@andre_pJ'ai dit que j'avais de la sympathie pour lui et ses malheurs. J'ai aussi dit que je le trouvais bien intentionné. Que veux-tu de plus? Suis-je supposé censurer mes différences en terme de vision du Canada et du Québec pour ne pas bouleverser les âmes sensibles?

[@lunareclipse1882]

From someone who was born and still live in montreal and from a francophone i will say that the city as is problem from both side of the spectrum like francophone are mostly laughed at by the anglophone or other language speaker behind their back while sometime the anglophone or other language are praised depending on the sector of the city like ive been on both side of the spectrum since i am bilingual even if my maternal and paternal language is french

[@ComicsAreEscapism]

Superbe vidéo. I think that when us, Francophones, move in the ROC, we have it easier because we learn English very early on in school and for many years (I lived in Vancouver for over 3 years). Being bilingual is very important for most of us from the get go.

[@rhythmandacoustics]

As a billingual, working is not the problem, it is making friends who are Quebecers which is difficult. Not just the language but the mentality.

[@laupert9021]

Thank you for another great video. I find the angle of sacrificing the status as the financial capital to preserve the language and culture particularly interesting. I wholeheartedly support the efforts of preserving the language and culture of Quebec, but I’m still not sure if this sacrifice was really necessary or if both could have been preserved by approaching the issue in a different way.

[@ratoftoska7497]

Montreal losing the status of "financial capital" of Canada to Toronto due to language is a myth that is perpetuated by Anglophones with bad intentions. Toronto was already on its way to becoming the financial hub of Canada way before any "spooky language laws" or referendum aspirations came about. It's also a slap in the face of francophones who saw their standard of living grow dramatically after the Quiet Revolution. Remember, even if some corporations left Montreal in the 80s, that money wasn't going into our hands. We have a much better quality of life now, and we don't want some random Anglophones telling us about how we're worst off because of our decisions while the opposite is fact.

[@laupert9021]

​@@ratoftoska7497 Sorry if my comment came off as ignorant or offensive, it was not my intention, but as someone who doesn't have either English or French as a native language, and have lived outside of Canada most of my life, please understand that granular details of Quebec history are not always easy to understand. It doesn't make it any easier that you have other commenters here saying things like "yes, we gave up economical stability to preserve our language and identity". As for the early 1980s recession, it was global and I have no idea if it was any worse in Quebec than other parts of Canada, I wasn't around. In the aftermath however, Canada had one of the highest GP growth rate among OECD countries, and Quebec's was one of the highest in Canada, so any negative effect must have been very temporary and it would in fact seem like standard of living improved for a lot of people. That said, I don't necessarily see outside corporations investing in Quebec as a problem, they still pay taxes and provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of people. I don't know if your hostility is directed against me or non-francophones in general and of course I cannot speak for everyone, but for myself and everyone I know, please remember that we did not come to Quebec because we wanted tear apart Quebec language, culture and identity, we are are here because we want to take part in and contribute to it, and because it's probably the best place to be in Canada. If we wanted to speak English we could have gone literally anywhere else.

[@ratoftoska7497]

@@laupert9021 I don't have any ill will towards you; I'm trying to say this idea of Montreal losing out due is generally propagated by people who have a less than favorable view of us. It's one of the many repeated go to stories we have to hear. Other ones include the idea that we don't speak real French and that French people hate us, or the story of that one guy who knows a guy who got attacked for speaking English in Montreal, etc.

[@fafb9441]

Before making my comment I watched your video a few times and read many of the other comments in preparation for this following dialogue. Thanks for your honest, gentle approach to a subject not often found in this little corner of the KZbin world. The most notable point that you made was showing the Flag of Montreal. Where did that come from? It looks familiar but I never really knew the meaning. It speaks volumes.

[@ugojlachapelle]

It comes from a later time. As much as Montreal was founded by French settlers, the main city was Quebec City. There's a reason why the province was called the Province of Quebec upon its annexation to the British Empire. It was, on one hand, not using the name Canada, which was used to describe the Laurentian Valley, to erase the whole French hold on it and, the other, to use the reference of its biggest city, Quebec at the time. Montreal, as a city, is more the work of those four groups than the original Ville Marie settlement ever was. The language issues in Montreal are a huge mess difficult to explain in a single video and includes LOADS of layers on many sides that lead up to how things are today.

[@jpbsv]

Quebec: the land where English speakers are not considered EXCEPT when our taxes are due.

[@m.boivin8671]

Who subsidizes all the English-language institutions in education and health, disproportionate to the number of English speakers in the province?

[@jpbsv]

@m.boivin8671 who pays for a lifetime of services they never receive??

[@Javo_Non]

As a mexican in Montreal, interacting everyday mostly with trilingual immigrants, I find your take on this quite alien. I wont put this as a true generalization, but in my personal experience ive found that anglophones tend to expect to be treated specially and comfortably in their own language. Ive felt more than welcome here and more equal to others than in other places, specially because theres not only one dominant language/culture (what differs greatly from the rest of Quebec). Also I can tell that youve interiorized completely the idea of nation-state which is literally a lie. Ive felt the same the first time I got to a place in Mexico where spanish wasnt the dominant language, and we didnt even share the cultural traits that I believed were the mexican basis.

[@laupert9021]

I think what you are feeling is similar to what any immigrant will feel coming to a new place with a different language and culture. Maybe we expect the journey to be easier because we’re in a country with an English speaking majority, but Canada is in no way unique in having more than one official language. Do these issues exist in other multilingual countries like Belgium and Switzerland as well?

[@algonquin91]

These issues certainly do exist in other multilingual countries!

[@algonquin91]

@@EthanLomas I live in Germany in an area near Belgium; it is not necessarily that linguistic communities in Belgium or Switzerland „hate“ each other, it is simply that many do not have proficiency in the other‘s language(s) and are often culturally, historically, and/or geographically separated. Belgium has 3 language communities plus a significant immigrant population; Switzerland has 4 and also an immigrant population. In both instances the priorities are some basic knowledge of 1 or 2 of the other official languages and for immigrants, local linguistic integration; the predominance of English as a world language has also taken precedence and detracted from additional learning of languages. Switzerland‘s largest linguistic community is German, however Swiss-German has many different dialects and they all differ from the standard German used in writing, which complicates matters for members of the other linguistic communities who may learn German but not understand much of what is spoken. Likewise, Italian and Romansh in Switzerland and German in Belgium are spoken in much smaller numbers and in geographically-specific areas which might make them seem abstract for members of the larger linguistic communities. Only in small countries like Luxembourg, Andorra or the territory of Gibraltar does true universal multilingualism exist because it is a necessity and the school system is bi-trilingually structured. This no space for geographical isolation of specific linguistic communities. In other countries like India or Indonesia, one or two predominate languages like Hindi, Indonesian, and English are set as a lingua franca for all to learn next to their own language.

[@ratoftoska7497]

Belgium is mainly split in two (except for 2 small regions). One part is French, one part is Dutch (Flemish). When people use Belgium as an example for Québec to follow ― "look, why can't Anglos and Francos get along like Europeans do" ― you know they're full of crap because it's even worse there. People stay on their side and live in their language.

[@andre_p]

@@EthanLomas Not just the language. It’s a complicated story with roots in economic and political domination of one group vs the other. In that regard Belgium shares the very same history as Canada’s, except in reverse: for a very long time francophone Belgians dominated politics and economy in Belgium, while flemish Belgians toiled in mines, fields and factories. Economics changed all that in the 1960s. Now Flanders is much richer than Wallony (the 2 parts of Belgium, separated by the linguistic barrier) and it’s now them that dictate the economic and political narrative in the country and are pushing for independance.

[@andre_p]

@@ratoftoska7497 True. Belgian francophones find the flemish language impossible to learn and flemish Belgians now have the upper hand economically and politically and will flatly refuse to speak French even though they understand it. They feel that Flanders subsidizes Wallony and want to separate. I’ve been to Belgium many times and I think that the feeling of resentment and alienation of the two linguistic communities is stronger than in Québec. At the easternmost part of the country (Belgium) is a thriving german language community. My father-in-law was one of them. My mother-in-law was from Flanders. They settled in Wallony and raised their children in French.

[@FortYeah]

About having to sacrifice its economical position for preserving Montreal's French identity, Wavearts somewhere else int the comment section explains very well why this is not really what happened. I would add that the Anglo exodus had more to do with the fear provoked by the PQ whose existence is driven by making Quebec an independent country. That alone explains a lot what happened in Montreal between 1976 and 1980. But I feel like a major topic is forgotten when we talk about this today. Aside from the horrible communication skills of Legault - hard to know if he does it on purpose to look like a strong man (a shame if it's the case) or he is just ignorant- and the gaslighting the Gazette does on the subject - like when they say you won't be able to be treated in English at the hospital -, we tend to forget that all the new legislation about French and English is aimed at newcomers that come in unprecedented numbers, which truly shifts the balance between the use French and English in Montreal. And just like Montreal would be now more like Toronto if it wasn't of Bill 101 adopted in 1977, which forced the children of newcomers to go in French schools, the new context requires new laws so that French doesn't regress more that it does. Of course there will always be a tension in Montreal due to the history of the region but we have to keep in mind that the Anglo community has too historic rights and this not what is at stake here. But thanks for your testimony, hope that the plus will still be higher than the minus when it comes to living in Montreal.

[@acerob1830]

You can get a translator app on your phone - which even speaks out the words for you. Just a thought.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

I think you got it right this time. We have given away the economical stability of this society for cultural identity. We will have to do it once more. Montréal is the place for french culture in America to open itself to the world. That's why it hurts so much and gets us so annoyed when anglos fights to make it convenient and easy to live in english here. For me it was never about fighting english individuals. I fight systems and I am at war with Canada. I was born in a french family and brought up by my english canadian aunt. I thought I was canadian until I left. Again you understand that dynamic We are so dissolutioned when we leave Québec, as much as you were coming here. This country could of been bilingual, but the dominion wasn't created for two nations to share space (not forgetting all the first nations) And I won't except that Montréal falls and becomes another Toronto. I won't accept this false equivalency of the anglos that whine that why o why can't I just live in English considering this is Canada. It never was Canada. It will never be Canada Welcome home my friend You are in Québec. Bienvenue Enlève tranquillement ta tête carré et devient un peu plus une grenouille. Un peu plus chaque jour. Vive le Canada libre du Québec! Vive le Français en Amérique!

[@mathewvanostin7118]

A bit too much dramatic. But to oversimply French canadian only have Montreal as a true french big city Quebec is a medium city Ottawa only gatineau&outaouais on the quebec side is french. The more you move into the ontarian part of ottawa. The more its english. And if you dont speak well english in ottawa youre pretty much second class citizen. Ottawa is a english city that pretend to be bilingual for national cohesion And Moncton in new Brunswich is total joke its an english city that tries desperatly to keep french alive by bringing in french african&french european 😂 English have a big audacity to ask montreal to be english. When they have such a wide variety of like 30 english city from victoria bc to halifax to choose from 😂

[@terryomalley1974]

You're dead wring, mon ami. I was born in Montreal in 1964 and lived there until I was 14 (1978). My family has lived in Montreal since my ancestors emigrated to CANADA in the 1830's. You, as a francophone, may put your province ahead of the nation of which it is a part. But, as a native Montreal anglophone, I will always consider Montreal to be a key, important city in CANADA. 🇨🇦 🍁

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@terryomalley1974 The nation is Québec! Just so you know. Peace

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@terryomalley1974 Always imposing your english view on us. You might consider Montréal part of Canada. But it ain't. You can tell me I am canadian. But I ain't. You telling me what it is, doesn't change anything to the fact that this city will never be at peace until it's taken out of anglo canadian hands. And if you are one of those native anglo montrealer that never learned french properly. I have no interest in your kind. I just hope it ain't your case.

[@terryomalley1974]

@@Sogger2Agahim Wrong. The nation is Canada. Quebec is just a province.

[@OdinWannaBe]

I like you Dan, you have high emotional intelligence. Continue tes vidéos sur le Québec. PS: keep theses controversial video title, the best way to capture attention.

[@noseboop4354]

Les titres contreversés c'est rien que du clickbait, y a rien d'intelligent là dedans.

[@andre_p]

@@noseboop4354 Pas du clickbait dans ce cas-ci. On peut dire ou écrire qqchose de controversé parce que c’est ce qu’on ressent sincèrement, ou encore qu’on ne se rend pas compte que d’autres peuvent interpréter ça différemment.Dan est sincère et honnête.

[@OdinWannaBe]

@@noseboop4354 ca marche, point final, get with the time or stay behind.

[@OdinWannaBe]

@@andre_p Ce titre va attirer un public et leur donner une vision différente.

[@e815usa]

I'm still curious to know if having a French descendant surname, and being bilingual, will help you career-wise or not. For example, if I'm from Italian descent but can speak both English and French, does it hurt me career-wise and social-wise that my surname isn't of French descent?

[@philippes1987]

Hi, surnames will not mean a thing. Your ability to speak French and English is the asset career and social wise. And we have great Italian community in Montreal.

[@andre_p]

Not at all, especially in Montreal. You won’t be alone, believe me.

[@alvarovasquez3687]

Lol Ofc not

[@canchero724]

You'll still not fit in a 100% as you'll be speaking European French and not Québécois.

[@alvarovasquez3687]

@@canchero724 it’s not true

[@algonquin91]

From a career-perspective, being a Francophone in a predominantly English-speaking province is actually a huge advantage because many employers across many sectors are seeking out bilingual applicants. (Same goes for federal employees). Some provinces like Ontario also have ministries dedicated to promoting their Francophone communities and institutions. I am most familiar with Ontario and will use it as an example: the province now has several French-speaking and bilingual universities (in Toronto, Hearst, Sudbury, and Ottawa), provincial political candidates/elected officials who are bilingual are preferred, and French-signage and announcements are being made more and more available, even in areas such as the GTA where arguably more people speak Punjabi or Tagalog than French. Whilst it is in many instances unlikely a monolingual Francophone can approach a random person in an English-majority province in French and be confident that they will be understood, they would experience many advantages if they had even minimal English proficiency. As the majority of people in a place like Toronto are born outside the country, no one will snub you for having an accent or making mistakes as that is extremely common (and considered RUDE).

[@PatrioteQuebecois]

Neither will people mock you for having an accent when you try to speak French. We have been discriminated and barred from certain jobs for almost 2 centuries. We are certainely not going to make the same to immigrants who choose our country to live in French.

[@algonquin91]

@@PatrioteQuebecois I‘m talking about the job market in the 21st century. So many professions from teaching, to government employees, business and sales, customer service all prioritize bilingual candidates. I know many anecdotes of Franco-Ontarians being sought out by employers (such as students still in university) precisely because they can speak French fluently. Same goes for candidates applying to many federal jobs like in Global Affairs Canada. Bilingual candidates are always preferred and can negotiate higher salaries because their skills are so in demand. Most Anglophones don‘t possess strong fluency in French like Francophones do in English and the bilingualism of Allophones does not receive as much recognition.

[@terryomalley1974]

Very true!

[@snazzydray]

Thank you for this video.

[@platonfoucault1087]

Lol. You have to acknowledge that the only officialy bilingual province in Canada is New Brunswick, not Quebec. And for sure, you will not be treated as well in French in New Brunswick as you will be in english in Montreal. In fact, you surely wont be able to get a job over there but in Montreal we do have a lot of people who do no speak a single word of French with big jobs lol. Remember the Air Canada president....Furthermore, emergency services are bilingual everywhere in QC almost whereas New Brunswick decided/had to cut french paramedics service for lack of personal....Worst, they are many hospitals in Montreal where you just cannot be treated in french...I surely doubt this would happen to an anglophone outside Quebec, to be forced to be treated in french lets say :-)

[@PatrioteQuebecois]

The issue of having the symbols of flowers on the Montreal flag is settled. The coat of arms from which it was made date from the height of the British Empire in 1833 even before the annexations of 1840 and 1867, the BNAA. It represents the dominants of that time. I don't want to change the flag either. The flag of New Orleans in Louisiana has French and Spanish symbols and none dominate the city. I event prefer the flag of the Patriots (Red for the English, White for us and Green for the Irish) to the fleur-de-lisée as a flag of Québec. Flag should generally not change and rather pass through time. When we will achieve Quebec independence, we will keep the current Montreal Flag for sure.

[@davidlefranc6240]

Thank you for this really fair video!

[@Bubble-GuyEh]

you can also hear people speaking 'franglais' where people are speaking french nd english in the same sentence. we don't even think about it , it jus comes out. 😎

[@philippes1987]

@thoughtsontravelandlife, Dan you are sparking interesting convos about our MTL culture. See the comments. I wish you a great evening!

[@diesel4338]

I live in Montreal i learn english alone by listening movie in english with french subtitles

[@tommyflorida9204]

What about the allophones, speaking neither French nor English at home. Will they ever be equal as non white?

[@terryomalley1974]

The official languages of Canada are English and French. Immigrants chose to come to Canada; therefore, the obligation is upon them to learn English, French, or both in order to function in Canada.

[@harekrishna2755]

The major difference is that a frenchman in english Canada is seen as an outsider and an englishman in Québec is seen as an elitist.

[@Nowhere-to-go52]

Go live downtown or in Westmount, you will be fine with just English. Vérifie l'histoire des français au Québec avant les annees 1950. Et l'histoire des patriotes. Et on verra qui est 2e classe. Tant mieux si tu apprends le français. Mais tu peux aller etre anglophone avec tes amis au centre ville, a Westmount et dans le west island. Not beeing mean. Just realistic.

[@glaframb]

To be honest Canada and the Americas history start when the first nations cross the frozen Bering Straight from Asia around 20 000 years old ago and expend everywhere in the Americas From the Beothuk in today Newfoundland to the Selknam In terra des fuego . The Beothuk are Extinct by the sickness and famine while the Selknam was killed by the Europeans settlers.

[@omegadeltazero]

It should not have to be this way. This city an province would benefit so much for being bilingual yet we obsess over culture. I've lived here my entire life and picked up the french language et même si je faire ca c'est pas assez. We're reaching a point where this province is forcing people to receive healthcare in English through an english eligibility certificate... what is this ? Although i understand some of the preservation talking points we are heading in a dangerous direction in this province. We are losing teachers, healthcare professionals among other things as a result and no one seems to smell the raging fire that is destroying essential sectors of our province. Its a real shame 💀

[@PatrioteQuebecois]

You may say that you don't want Montreal to become like Toronto, but you have to separate what you want from what you really have as an effect. I'm leaving for Germany very soon. I have been learning the language by myself for many months and, trust me, I will speak German every single time with everyone since this is not my country and not my culture. I have never ever had in mind that Germany belonged to me or that they should live like me in my country. To become the best immigrant you have to think like an immigrant. It is normal that after 5 years living in our country, you at least speak the language enough to have close Quebecker friends and get out of the anglo bubble. I do as much summoning to other Quebeckers to do efforts to integrate as much as possible the well intentionned immigrants and that may include you!

[@terryomalley1974]

But Dan is not an immigrant. He is a Canadian citizen and, like it or not, Quebec is still part of Canada.

[@PatrioteQuebecois]

@@terryomalley1974 ahahah lol! Then he is a colonist. He settles in a country, Québec, conquered and annexed by a bigger power, Britain, in order to change the demographics. This is highly resented. Colonisation is real in 2024.

[@terryomalley1974]

@PatrioteQuebecois But, Quebec is not a country. Canada is a country abd Quebec is a part of it. So, nobody is colonizing anybody.

[@Allthingsarepossible24]

Curious about if you have any thoughts about this division from non-euro centric point of view. French is not an Indigenous language to Canada. Neither is English.

[@hirsch4155]

Never understood why Ireland became independent from UK but Quebec didn’t .

[@MattFrame]

Quebecers voted no twice.

[@ratoftoska7497]

@@hirsch4155 Because we were naive and the Irish (actual Irish people) had more balls than we did.

[@sylvainb2366]

@@MattFrame We agree that the second no is not a true one.

[@9grand]

Because the federal government did everything to prevent independence.

[@MattFrame]

@@sylvainb2366 Who is "we," LOL? The Quebec people and even the provincial government have accepted that the first and second votes were both No. That's why Quebec is still part of Canada.

[@jamesm6082]

What happened was the worlds top money centers/banks whether English, French, Dutch, Spanish consolidated their operations after the second world war. Montreal was the center of Canada, at one point in history 75% of Canada's wealth was in this city. Montreal was on its way of becoming the Manhattan of the north. Did you know that Mount Royal Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted the same person who designed Central Park in New York city? The population in Quebec was predominantly French though. It was the powers that be that decided to keep Quebec as a French speaking region to accommodate future immigration from French colonies. It was business decision. The government/banks don't really care about it's citizens, their only concern is $. As with all governments it's all about dividing the masses keeping them unstable and getting them to look the other way. We are all brothers and sisters let as never forget that. As a Anglo Montrealer we have to get past this and move forward. Politicians are puppets and they get their instructions from above, they need to keep this region French speaking because there is always a chance of it becoming Louisiana. Peace

[@larryking4519]

Bro, It is important to understand that people who come to live in an environment other than their language, will always find it difficult especially if they do not take the time to learn the basics, I have already heard people say IDGAF about French, so there is no point complaining, in your case you speak French you took the time to learn, so maybe you should change your speech and let those who do not give a damn get bogged down a little more

[@redMaple_QC]

Then Anglos were not here forever. They came as conquerors and subjugated the French population for a few centuries. When we got fed up, or had the means to change the status quo (Revolution Tranquille) we were labeled as radicals, racists, xenophobes, and that we wouldn't be able to manage our own society. Because, you know, only the English have the discipline to properly manage a government. That is not unique to Quebec. The English had the same attitude all over their empire. Your analysis of the exodus is very one sided. Quebec didn't sacrificed its economic outlook to preserve French. We put in places laws to protect French and the English establishment that controlled certain parts of the economy used that control to "punish" Quebec. It was a form of blackmail.

[@freddie5ive]

naaaaaa

[@klarissaclairiton9010]

The French came as conquerors too, subjugating the natives. The French signed the Treaty of Paris. The British began to administrate Montreal as early as 1763 under Jeffrey Amherst.

[@toughcookie128]

​@@klarissaclairiton9010wrong. Go back to your history books. Our ancestors lived in harmony with the natives. The brits put them in reserves and gave them contaminated blankets.

[@terryomalley1974]

False. Quebec's draconian language laws since the 1970's drove most head offices out of Montreal, because English is the language of global business, not French. Dan is correct, Quebec nationalists did give precedence to cultural vanity over a strong economy, which accounts for why Quebec remains dependent on $13-billion in federal equalization payments (mainly derived from taxes paid by Alberta and Ontario residents) every year. That's a fact! Without tge English provinces, Quebec's economy would be worse than the Maritimes.

[@heronimousbrapson863]

​@@toughcookie128 You have a profound misunderstanding of the French relationship with the native population. While some French colonists did get along with the native peoples, this was not universally true. Some native groups were, in fact, allied with the English against the French, as other native groups that were their enemies were allied with the French.

[@opseeker]

Coming to Quebec from France was quite a shock as I expected to be welcomed but instead felt looked down upon. Cultural and linguistic gatekeeping is very common in France, but I didn't expect to find it in Quebec, nor to suffer from it.

[@Javo_Non]

Linguistic elitism autoreplicates in every community it is thrown upon.

[@ezz151]

I am wondering if there are tensions going on between English and French speaking Canadians, that would lead to a civil war ?

[@alvarovasquez3687]

Non lol we’re Canadians

[@Sogger2Agahim]

hahaha! this aint thhe 70's. there is clearly two nations here. Indepedance of québec won't be made with guns, but at the ballot box. We aren't like the USA, USA, USA

[@PatrioteQuebecois]

Pierre Trudeau's laws on War measures allowed the police to search my grandfather's place in October 1970. War is not the solution. It starts sometimes and you never know when it ends. We are not going to disappear this time.

[@melissacourchesne2121]

Non, non on est pas aux États-Unis...😂

[@agrume2007]

À titre d'immigrant, je suis persuadé que si tu fais tous les efforts nécessaires pour maîtriser le français comme il faut, personne ne te fera sentir mal juste parce que tu es un anglophone. Les attentes des Québécois ne sont point exagérées: ceux qui choisissent de vivre ici doivent être capable de communiquer en français. Nul ne vous enlève ni votre langue maternelle ni votre culture. Personne ne vous oblige non plus à rester ici: le Canada est vaste. Mais si vous optez pour le Québec comme votre maison, ayez l'ogligeance d'apprendre le français de manière à pouvoir communiquer avec les Québécois dans leur langue, au travail comme dans la vie privée. Ce n'est quand même pas la mer à boire. Par ailleurs, je crois que tu dois te sentir bien à Montréal : tu es gentil, ouvert, tu fais des vidéos formidables. Tu aimes Montréal et Montréal t'aime en retour, je suis certain. )

[@OldSchoolZ-wy2yx]

On t'invite chez nous, alors vient pas chier sur mon perron. Câlicement simple. Respecte nous, nos valeurs, notre culture, notre province, pis on t'aimera autant qu'un autre.

[@Emilyz1337]

Everyone needs to understand French needs to actively be protected or it will die. It's so hippocritical to show up in a new place and expect to be accepted and supported while completely ignoring that place's needs and customs. It's not personal and we love anyone actively trying to learn French, but people choosing to live here while rejecting the culture and imposing English on us is another contribution to the language dying. Embrace the people you want to be embraced by, you don't move to France or Egypt and demand everyone adapts to you.

[@lot3oo]

Seriously, all of those language issues are just the result of having 2 nations in 1 country. People come to "Canada" and if they make the mistake of coming to Québec, they then realize it's not what they thought. They are forced to learn french and "integrate" into a place that is NOT the place they were supposed to move into. They wanted to become Canadian (speak english), not Québécois. So this whole setup is just machine that systematically creates resentment, scorn and conflict towards Québec. All of this comes from the fact that these 2 nations share the same immigration system and the same image internationally. The 95 referendum really was a huge failure, not just for Quebec but for Canada as a whole, that still perpetuates this situation. Anyways, the portion of the population that understands this is slowly dying out so what's the point. The last call was back then, we voted for a slow and painful disappearance that will haunt generations with pathetic language conflicts until we finally forget who we are and give in willingly.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

Je ne crois pas que ce soit terminé. Je vais rendre la vie dure au Anglais à Montréal avant de nous laisser disparaître. On ne va pas mourir en silence. Le référendum de 95 avec Lucien "Déficit Zéro" Bouchard Quelle honte d'avoir mis ce conservateur à la tête du mouvement.!

[@heronimousbrapson863]

The reality is that Quebec could not survive economically independent from Canada. Although Quebec may see itself as a separate nation, French-speaking populations outside of Quebec are being assimilated into the surrounding English-speaking communities. This is likely what will happen in most of the major urban areas of Quebec eventually as well.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@heronimousbrapson863 You don'T seem to know how the canadian economy works! 80% is North-South! The economy would be exactly the same :) Your view on my country is exactly why we will leave. You want to anglicise everything because anglos have no taste. They want everything to have the same stale flavour.

[@French_Canadian_Pea_Soup]

​@@heronimousbrapson863C'est faux. Vous devriez lire le budget de l'an 1 fait par le PQ. C'est des mensonges comme celui-ci qui font douter les Québécois.

[@debbiemassey7711]

@@French_Canadian_Pea_Soupno, you want to go your way, fine. Give back Rupert’s land, pay your portion of the national debt, start up your own federal services, take on your share of the national debt, create your own navel gazing historical reality…🤣

[@jblove2]

All anglophones in MTL speak French, even if they are unilingual. Just they speak French badly as the English language contains ~60 % French-Latin words. As a Québécois first language French speaker, the fight against the English language, not the Anglophone is just political.

[@act_sion]

Many Anglos also refuse to be served in french in a French speaking society.

[@wrestlingterrier8366]

Quebecois nationalism at its core, does not want a "bilingual" Montreal, the way bilingualism was understood in Montreal historically. In other words, native Anglophones in Montreal are a tolerated minority at best but not really accepted. Some Anglophones made sure their children became Quebecois by sending them to French speaking schools in Montreal. I know a few of them and despite being bilingual they do not consider themselves Anglophone as such but Quebecois. Sure, they are bilingual but their Quebecois French is flawless and their friends are mostly Francophones. They consider themselves Quebecois despite their parents being Anglophones of diverse background. But that's not the case for many other Anglophones in Montreal. The way I see it, a Montreal without its Anglophone population, will never be the same city I grew up in.

[@ratoftoska7497]

The Anglophone community "leaders" have always wanted to keep adding new Anglophones to their rank, no matter their background (Greek, Italian, Jewish, soon Indian, probably). Meanwhile, most Quebeckers don't mind having a small historic minority, but want new arrivals to integrate in French. This creates issues where the government feels like it needs have a firmer stance on language because this balance isn't being respected and will have long term effects on language demographics.

[@neofils]

lol . Most nationalists are bilinguals. But in Rome do as Romans do. This is called Respect

[@Seb_Sebastian]

They just to have to learn French. That’s all. Anglos or foreigners who stay here for years without learning French have a big lack of respect towards Quebecers. It’s unbearable. If I travel to Toronto or Vancouver or Halifax, I speak English. It’s just a matter of respect. I’ve seen many times Anglos speakers (Canadians,Americans, or foreigners) who were very unrespectful towards French Canadians. For example arguing Quebec is in North America so we should speak English. Or some anglo dude in a bar asking that we switched from French to English because he couldn’t understand our conversation. Lack of respect and scorn.

[@anthroponyme-451]

Je pense que les anglos, à part quelques exceptions, ne s'informent qu'auprès de leurs propres médias, qui, trop souvent, font dans le Québec bashing; ce qui exacerbe les tensions entre les deux solitudes. Si les anglos faisaient au moins l'effort d'écouter ce que PSPP ou MBC ont à dire par exemple, sans passer par leurs médias qui déforment toujours la réalité, peut-être qu'ils comprendraient mieux les nombreux enjeux auxquels fait face la nation québécoise. Nous, nous l'avons la version des fédéralistes; RC nous l'enfonce de force dans la cervelle (avec notre propre argent).

[@JFox29]

Can't we all just get along and sing kum bah yah?!

[@WeShallOvercome_]

Dear People Who Live in Bi/Multilingual Countries, Stop being tribal, learn each other's languages, and then please, for the love humanity, STFU. I can only dream of the opportunity to move somewhere where they speak more than one language, like Quebec , as the opportunity to learn another language would be enriching almost to the point of being spiritual. Thank you et merci beaucoup :)

[@papaflickr]

I always like your vids lf you want to be accepted start by saying Montreal without pronouncing the t , just say Monreal , that's how you pronounce it , In Paris you don't pronounce the S at the end , you just say Pari . I am French from France and l lived there in .Montreal for a couple of years, could not understand the quebecois at first. Just practice saying Montreal without the T and you are on the way to a better life experience 😉

[@Sogger2Agahim]

It's exactly because of this that I doubted that he practiced is english like he said he did in is last video. If you want to show you love the language, stop Calling MonTreal in english and start saying the only real name. Mont-Réa

[@bunhearts8538]

@@Sogger2Agahim Why would he switch to french pronunciation when he's speaking in english?? You're essentially asking him to do the equivalent of saying Nippon when people say Japan or say Deutschland when they speak about Germany. He's speaking english and doesn't feel the need to switch the pronunciation of the word because that's not how you say it in english. He has said Montreal without the t several times before. You are both just nitpicking.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@bunhearts8538 I say Montréal in French when I speak in English. The name of a city is the name of the city, it doesn't really change according to your language. The point was to question him showing how much he practices when he never says the name right once. You say Pa-Ris, doesn't change the fact the name is Pa-Ri. Same with Montréal Never forget he is making a channel to show how much he loves us and is making it public. He's opened to comments.

[@papaflickr]

@@bunhearts8538 that's how you pronounce the name of the city he is in ... I only said that so he does feel more accepted

[@laodorifto6410]

Good

[@wesbrown738]

I recently moved out of Toronto because it's so expensive and moved to Gatineau Quebec, I would love to live in Montreal but as per the issues mentioned in this video I cannot

[@Sogger2Agahim]

You could, but you would be a liability for us for the next 2 years while you learn. No one is stopping you. The sad reality is that the majority of Anglo put their blind folds on and just forget about us. They come here and expect Canada. I just wish we could seperate and stop this fucking circus. It is what it is.

[@gilbertprince7433]

Je suis présentement à Belleville et je ne me sent pas être dans mon pays

[@deanhoskins9011]

Hi Dan,I'll be travelling to Montreal for a 10 day vacation from the UK next week(i have never been to Canada before).I only speak a few words of French and am fearful that this may really spoil my vacation as not being able to converse in French.Do you think I'll have problems or will I be welcomed by the people of Montreal?

[@andre_p]

You can get by and feel welcomed in Montréal while speaking English only. It’s not the language but the UK accent that may cause small problems. We use american pronunciation, so people might ask you to repeat your question 😉

[@alvarovasquez3687]

Hey no worries! You’ll be very welcome! There’s a lot of misconceptions about English speakers in Montreal. Ofc some are real but you’re not moving permanently, you’re a tourist visiting remarkable places and in those places everybody speaks English. Montreal is well visited by tourists. Ofc if you’re in a very local neighbourhood probably you you’ll get some misreading from locals but as in every city. Neighborhoods as “plateau mont-royal, vieux port, petite Italie, mille-end, quartier des spectacles, etc » are places touristes prefer and almost 100% of the people speak English!

[@cherylguerra4629]

Downtown Montreal is still Bilingual. West island is more anglophone. And you speak French with heavy anglophone accent they may swith to English anyways

[@deanhoskins9011]

@@andre_p That's good to hear👍

[@deanhoskins9011]

@@alvarovasquez3687 Thank you for your input.I now look forward to the trip very much👍

[@doccrypto4478]

Imagine being First Nations anywhere in Canada.

[@sylvierousseau125]

❤

[@RKM514]

Le Canada est une confédération des deux nations le Canada britannique et le Canada français (le Québec) et les provinces. Le Québec est une NATION loin de juste une province. Le Québec est francophone. La langue française est le pilier primaire de l'identité québécoise. Le français n'est pas une option pour être accepté et accueilli au sein de la société québécoise c'est une exigence. La naïveté anglo-canadienne de jouer multiculturel sans même pouvoir maîtriser le biculturalisme/bilinguisme est malhonnête en tabarnak. Un homme ne peut jamais être polygame sans maîtriser monogamie, on ne peut jamais être multilingue sans être bilingue. Moi-je suis anglophone américain immigré gai et polyglot et la raison que les québécois m'ont chaleureusement accueilli c'est parce que je suis francisé(français est ma quatrième langue) et je ne m'identifie pas comme "English (speaker)". Je commerce et travaille en français. Je ne dis jamais "Munchtreeall" je dis Montréal. Your videos keep popping up in my feed and it's always passive agresssive bitching about Québec being too French and about how life is difficult here as an anglophone, Boohoo! Go be Gay in Iran or Saudi Arabia. Learn French, speak French and get over yourself. Per every time a francophone has mocked my accent or said something stupid, 5 anglophones have bitched about Québec and québécois people. Your videos are the best advertisement for why Québec and English Canada need a divorce. You're NOT victims and Québec protecting the French language from cultural genocide isn't "one of two wrongs" it's corrective action for the racism English speakers continue to dish out towards francophones even to this day. It started with "Speak White" and now it's "Speak Woke" bullsh¡t. Si tu n'acceptes pas un Québec français, retourne au Canada anglais ou États-Unis. Le Québec a le droit d'être aussi français que l'Ontario a d'être anglophone. Go be emo and complain about Torontistan becoming a suburb of Islamabad in Toronto. 101 ou 401.

[@zblackness2510]

Just stay in the West Island, you’ll be alright

[@nicolasperrotti1307]

your fellow Canadians need more fellow Canadians like you! very heartfelt truthful & moving! thanks!

[@m.boivin8671]

That Quebec preferred to preserve its language and culture rather than its economy is false, totally false, to explain why its metropolis, Montreal, lost its role as an economic metropolis to Toronto. Before the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, Montreal was the maritime, rail, airport and industrial hub of the entire country. Grain from the Prairies and manufactured products from Ontario destined for Quebec and the Maritimes provinces and Europe were transported by train to the Port of Montreal and from there to the world. The Quiet Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s led to an improvement in the standard of living of Québécois, to a class of entrepreneurs who replaced the anglophone establishment that, out of racism, preferred to leave the province for Toronto, particularly after the election of the PQ in 1976. We can expect the same exodus of anglophones to take place, should the PQ return to power in 2026 and hold another referendum on Quebec sovereignty.

[@Xaglacionn]

Grew up here. Still living here. French is the first language I learned and I haven't had a conversation in French in nearly 10 years outside my house. I had to go to Saguenay to run into someone who would speak French with me. I've begun to lose it to the point I struggle to remember simple words like dinde, voiture, and how to conjugate verbs. You can get by entirely in English. Two of my friends have moved here from Ontario and Alberta. They haven't had to know French. Are we second class citizens? No idea. I just look forward to leaving this loveless province where the people are plagued by such amour propre that they cannot love one another.

[@zigzag00]

Montrealers will be quick to hate on Toronto and Vancouver but none of this would happen if you were a french speaker in those cities, it's the truth 🤷‍♂️ Two true multicultural cities that welcome anyone with open arms 🇨🇦 I hope the province of Quebec learns to accept people who truly want to learn the French culture and language like Dan does 👍

[@zigzag00]

@@Sogger2Agahim Here we go again with the French victimizing themselves 🤦‍♂️ Man Edit: They deleted their comment lmfao further proving my point

[@Sogger2Agahim]

@@zigzag00 Go manage your society and I'll go manage mine. Dan is accepted. What are you even talking about. when I read you type of people, I just want independance a little bit more. Unbelievable. It's worst for frenchies who want to live in their language in the rest of canada. IF you can't accept that. why do you even bother with those debates.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

Your whole point is anglo victimisation. Oh the irony

[@zigzag00]

@@Sogger2Agahim You're back after deleting your comments? Glad you knew you sounded stupid. Amd of course thats what you think my point was, proves my actual point even further. Long live Canada and its 10 provinces and 3 territories 🇨🇦

[@ratoftoska7497]

I love it when random Anglophones try to tell us how welcoming the rest of Canada is to Francophones. P.S. Toronto and Vancouver can be the most multicultural cities in the world if they want, they're still Anglophone cities. Francophones who move to Toronto have to know English. It should be the same for Montreal.

[@synewparadigm]

In Montreal? You should learn Arabic now.

[@Sogger2Agahim]

I'll take a boat load of French Maghreb people before Anglos and French from France. At least they respect where they are and learn without imposing themselves all the time.

[@c.th.5880]

C'est difficile maintenant, mais un jour les québécois vont reconnaitre les efforts que tu mets et vont voir qu'il n'y a pas d'hypocrisie de ta part et vont reconnaitre ta sincérité. Nous avons été tellement déçu, échaudé et manipulé que nous sommes toujours sur nos gardes. N'abandonnes pas !

[@jandron94]

Ce gars me donne toujours l'impression d'être "à côté de ses pompes" sur le plan culturel quand il parle français... C'est pas un méchant bougre et il montre de la bonne volonté mais il ne montre rien de vraiment culturel... Encore dix ans à Montréal et il ne saura pas donner le nom d'un chanteur Québécois... Après tout cette chaîne c'est juste du contenu anglophone "how many languages do you speak ?" plus ou moins instructif sur le goût pour les langues étrangères ci et là (je la regarde pour ça)

[@robertrenaud958]

Life is too short to put up with this. Move. I did a long time ago and have never looked back.