Montreal Winter Weather – How Bad is it Really???

Brrr!!!! Image courtesy of cbc.com

When we originally discussed moving, I feared the Montreal winter weather the most.  How could I not?

The first time I went to Montreal was with my two friend for New Years Eve in 2003.

To sum it up:  I have never been so cold in my entire life!!!

I remember the feeling of the cold air blowing through me as if my jacket was made out of a thin layer of paper.  My friends had to coax me to go out New Years Eve.  I would have  much rather have stayed in the cozy hotel room.  I even remember coming home from that mini-vacation and being knocked out by a cold.  That was 10 years ago and obviously I’m still scarred from my Montreal winter weather experience.

The Cognitive Benefit of Being Bilingual

I’m not going to argue the benefit of being bilingual in Montreal.  For anyone who has lived or visited here, being bilingual in both French and English will definitely make your stay here more enjoyable.

One of the main reasons I wanted to move to Montreal was to improve my almost non-existent French.  For the record I took the required French in Ontario from Grade 1 to Grade 9 and decided to voluntarily take French in Grade 10.  I wish I stuck with it but to be honest I found there was a huge learning curve from Grade 9 to Grade 10, something at the time I wasn’t willing to commit to.  Now I’m reading on the website of the Halton District School Board (the school board for Oakville & Burlington, Ontario)  that core French is only mandatory from Grade 4 to Grade 8 and one credit in high school.

Surviving Montreal Potholes Season

Montreal Pothole – image courtesy of Montreal.about.com

I guess Montreal pothole season came early this year.  This morning on our way to work we smoked our car on a pothole and caused us to get a flat tire.  Luckily the damaged was only a new tire- not a new rim or the readjustment of alignment of the car.

Montreal potholes season usually doesn’t start until the spring but with these mild weather temperatures this week (several consecutive days above freezing) motorists are already feeling the pain here.

What to do if you hit a Montreal Pothole

Being born and raised in Ontario you have a natural instinct to want to make someone pay.  I agree with this mentality since I do believe it’s the city’s responsibility to fix the roads with our tax dollars.  However, things are always different here in Montreal.  From what I have been told from others here it is quite difficult to be  compensated for repair costs.

Movie Night at Montreal Forum Cinema

Last night we finally check out the Montreal Forum Cinema which was once the home of the Montreal Canadiens before they moved to the Bell Centre.  Tony was dying to go since the last time he was there was to watch a hockey game.  The Cineplex (formerly AMC) Montreal Forum Cinema is located at 2313 St. Catherine West and Rue Atwater.  And it’s easy to get by the metro with the Atwater stop located just across the street.

When you first walk into the building you feel like you’re walking onto centre ice.  Centre ice has been recreated a section of the grandstand including with a statue of a fan leaning forward, while original seats are used as benches around the complex.   Next to the grandstand you’ll see a statue of Maurice Richard.