What is the attitude towards Americans in Montreal?

Question

I have heard that Montreal is not very open to US citizens. I have also heard that Montreal does not tolorate Immigrants very well. Is this true?

Answer 1

Montrealers (and Canadians in general) tend to be polite and respectful people. We do not like people who are rude or who make a scene, such as using their phone in a movie theater or loudly talking in a restaurant.

There is no anti-American sentiment here that I have seen. Once we get to know you, we may make a few jokes with you about the differences in our cultures or the silliness in each of our governments, but no one I know would pick on you in particular for being American.

As for the tolerance for immigrants, the only issues we have here are the same as in the States and other countries. There have been some incidents in the recent past:

- Vandalism of a Jewish school
- A young muslim girl was refused the right to participate in a Tae Kwon Do tournament unless she removed her hijab.
- A member of the Allouettes football team was stopped and given a ticket for having too much tinting on the vehicle windows, and they claimed the ticket was racially motivated...the players in the SUV were black.

The actions of a few bad apples has the effect of making the entire city look bad. My guess is that you might see this thing in any American city too. I would not be too concerned...if you are a tourist, you will most likely be frequenting the old port, festivals, clubs, and restaurants. You are not likely to run into problems there.

Answer 2

Americans In Montreal

Answer 3

Montreal is an international city. It is a city with the most immigrants in Quebec. You will find people of all nationalities. In fact, they even have a radio station that caters to immigrants, Radio Centre-Ville, 102,3 FM.

Remember that Montreal is a bi-lingual city. French is the predominant language, but everybody also speaks English.

There are plenty of festivals in Montreal during the summer, a grand prix race, Jazz Festival, Just for Laughs Festival, NASCAR race in August, International Tango Festival in July, etc.

You will find the nicest people in the world in Montreal. Give it a try. As the television advertisements say, "Come on up !"

Answer 4

As a solidly blue state American who also lives in Montréal (75% of the time Montréal; 25% Boston) let me answer your 2nd question first:

By degree of cosmopolitanism and immigation from different countries Montréal is Canada's 2nd city, after Toronto, and immigrants are generally well accepted and live interspersed throughout the city and suburbs (there are few real single ethnic concentrations. It is like a smaller Los Angeles without ghettos or slums or streetgangs, with French and English, not English and Spanish, as the predominant tongues). However, once one gets more than 100km from Downtown Montreal there is very little of this and such has caused some ignorance. The worldly sophistication and cosmopolitanism of Montréal is politically and socially resented by not all but by many living in the old rural French (called "pur laine") parts of the province.

As for prejudice against Americans yes it exists (I wish I could email SteveN directly; I have before left a post that counters him about this). But it is mostly against American loud boorishness and braggartness (you can always tell the American businessmen in a fine Montréal restaurant!) and their arrogance and ignorance about much of the rest of the world, and, of course, like you find in most of the world today anger at the hypocrisy and danger from the current American federal government (at present Canadians enjoy more freedoms than Americans). It would help also if Americans would at least try more often to begin greetings in French (if only to "Pardonnez-moi, ma français est tres mauvais."), and, if tourists, to visit the wonderful parts of the city beyond the mostly English speaking near east side (which is like only visiting Rocefeller Center in New York), and if we were not so inundated every weekend by American college kids coming to get drunk and laid, and American over 21s, both female and male, just coming to take advantage of the greater libertine-ness here for only the latter.

As for me, my Mass license plates usually prevent much ire (Montréalers love Vermonters, too.)

Answer 5

As a native from Montréal I believe that isn't true. True there are some who dislike Americans but it is only when they are loud, cause bar fights etc. I have anwered many questions from American tourists lost downtown and I always answer them politely. I speak both French and English. I would say try to speak french even if it's only saying "Bonjour". When in another country I always try to greet people in their own language. It pleases them.
On your second point that is totally not true. Immigrants are everywhere. Montreal is a mulicultural city.

Answer 6

Like every other place in Canada (and I suspect the US as well) you will find rude intolerant people. Don't let that sway your decision to visit. Montreal is an amazing city crammed with history and culture. If you are worried about the language barrier, don't. Many people in Montreal speak English, and all you have to do is make an effort to speak in French.

Answer 7

No for both.

Some recent news maybe took too much place last months. Funny how Quebec's people are sometimes so quiet they have this kind of news to wake a little...

But the realty is you won't see any problem as people in Quebec's province are really proud to be considered one of the most tolerant place in the world (integration of immigrants, gays, artists or other generally considered "marginals" people). For opening to US, it's more a general consideration against last years of government politics (Irak, increase in religious right wing, decrease about laicism, gun congtrol, abortion and civil rights, etc.) that bother or worry people here.
But 99.9% of people won't bother you with that :) so enjoy your visit !

Answer 8

Most Americans are fine. The pushy, snotty ones are not liked. I am from the US and go to Montreal every six weeks. I never had a problem. I am also not demanding or disrespectful and do not complain the signs or menus are not in English.

Answer 9

Not true at all. We love Americans and lots of them come usually in the summer. I live in Montreal and have many american friends that came to visit and loved it here.

Answer 10

i'm Canadian and in my opinion the U. S. never incredibly contains ideas till i'm gazing television or speaking approximately going procuring in Plattsburgh or NYC. i've got been to many distinctive states and everybody grew to become into constantly effective and polite. i've got no undesirable ideas approximately individuals. for sure there are issues that Canadians won't inevitably trust the States on and vice versa yet usually as a united states of america, united states of america would not incredibly circulate our minds too plenty different than you adult men are our neighbour. And correct to the 9/11 remark, I bear in ideas being in my front room, gazing the information with my mom and pa, and my mom grew to become into crying over what she observed and my dad has his mouth brilliant open with a seem of organic ask your self on his face. i grew to become into 9 on the time so i did not incredibly comprehend precisely what grew to become into occurring, yet in school we ended up studying approximately it and making enjoying cards to deliver to a pair government development in NYC (it grew to become right into a mutually as in the past so i don't bear in ideas which one precisely) for the families who lost kinfolk interior the attack. and each 365 days after, in consumer-friendly college, on Sept. 11, we'd have a 2nd of silence for people who died. So truthfully i don't comprehend the place you observed that Canadians believed the individuals had it coming, because of fact i comprehend of not a single Canadian who thinks that. that's embedded in our background in simple terms because it incredibly is in yours and we will constantly evaluate it as between the final tragedies of modern-day situations.