To Parlez or Not Parlez en Montréal
by rmdw
Since moving here, many of my friends have admitted that only now [that they know somebody here] will they feel comfortable visiting Montréal.
Why the hesitation? Because of their lack of French. I do confess that I had such apprehensions myself before moving here.
It is very true that the Province of Québec is predominantly French-speaking. I've been told that in some smaller towns, nobody speaks a word of English.
But this is certainly not true in Montréal. Many people here are fluently bilingual and often speak 3 or more languages!
The key to enjoying yourself here is to try to converse in French, at least a little about. Even just saying the following will make a good impression: "Bonjour. Je ne parle pas francais. Parlez-vous anglais?" - - which means: "Hello. I don't speak French. Do you speak English?" And if you're more comfortable in the language then by all means try to converse more en francais!
International Jazz Festival
by Blatherwick
The Montreal International Jazz Festival (Festival International de Jazz de Montréal) is one of the biggest jazz festivals in the world. It is held annually in the summer season and usually starts at the beginning of July. The jazz festival attracts artists from around the world and is typically attended by hundreds of thousands of people who are attracted by the electric atmosphere. The 25th anniversary in 2004 offered about 500 concerts, of which three-quarters were free of charge, hosted by over 2000 musicians from over 20 countries. Many parts of the city's downtown core around Ste. Catherines Street close to traffic for two weeks. Shows are held in a wide variety of venues, from relatively small jazz clubs to the large halls of Place des Arts. Some of the outdoor shows are held on cordoned-off streets while others are on terraced parks. The place has a great vibe as the attendance at the main stage on Ste. Catherines can attract over a hundred thousand people.
Montreal Tip
by Pinoy
This was taken in October 1986, a picture of young, vibrant and energetic people. I have countless fond memories of Montreal and If I have to list all of those, it will take me forever. Besides I come to Montreal 2 -3 times a year and every time there's always fond memory. However, each of these personally selected pictures reflect my fondest memory of Montreal and worth a thousand words.
French and English
by iam1wthee
The city is divided between anglophones and francophones. However, this division seems to be comming down because many people are able to switch between the two languages easily and seamlessly. I don't think I ran into anyone who did not speak English.
Flags everywhere!
by tiabunna
One of our “first impressions” of Montréal was of the number of flags flying: far more, it seemed, than we were accustomed to seeing at home. It may have been simply because they were different, but they certainly were colourful – the Canadian flag we knew well, but guessing which was the flag for the Province of Québec and which for the city itself was a little more difficult. So I did some homework!
The flag with the red cross is that of the City of Montréal and, although there seems to be some dissent about the origin of the cross (could it be the Cross of St George?) the other emblems are symbolic of the people with backgrounds in France, England, Scotland and Ireland.
The flag for the Province of Québec (photo 2) is known as the Fleurdelisé and dates from 1948. The white cross comes from the ancient French royal flags, while the blue background and white “fleurs-de-lis” apparently are taken from a flag carried by French-Canadian militia and symbols of purity, honouring the Virgin Mary.
And now you know too!
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Tofu for lunch at a Cantonese restaurant.
Roddick Gates
Inside the Biodome
HMV groundfloor - Montreal
