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You are right but the op will have limited options as compared to Montreal's choice of schools.
The SirWilfred Laurier School board lists the schools North of Montreal but they do seem scattered over a sizeable area
I say bite the bullet for the commute and live in the West Island, you will have a much easier time going about daily life in English as well as closer proximity to English schools. Try Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield. Commute will probably be an hour but you don't speak French. What's more important, a short commute, or being able to walk into shops, and talk to neighbours, and be understood? You decide.
As Northbound states, the easier way is to live in an english speaking environment. But you could also do like Henry Miller and Samuel Beckett did when they emigrated to Paris; learn the language and therefore be conversant with english and french speakers. Countless others have done this. David Homel a Chicago born writer emigrated here, he writes in english but espoused not only a french-canadian writer but another language and culture as well. There are countless people who navigate this city in two or more tongues on a daily basis. Kathy Reichs is another american writer who is also a renowned forensic anthropologist living in Montreal. She navigates in both the french and english world in her scientific and literary work. Many other examples...
There is even a movie that came out by Kevin Tierney entitled "French Immersion" about this part of Quebec life. I actually worked on that picture last year.
Scenic - Yes, it is true; knowing French would make life MUCH easier. AND, I *AM* willing to try to learn (I've taken many courses in Spanish, but know NO French)...With that said, however, I have no illusion that I will become "conversational" in French in the course of one yr of living there! I will make an effort and I will attempt to use whatever French words/sentences I do learn...
But, Northbound - you do have a point....and hubby and I will have to have a definite discussion about it!! We are also trying to decide (among many other things) whether to do French immersion or French/English schools for our boys....
As far as things go, I want a neighborhood that is safe (I can take the boys by myself to a park or shop; we can play outside, etc) and friendly! I'd like to be close to shops (specifically grocery (we eat organic as much as possible) and other "necessity" shops (don't care if there are clothes shops....I like practical!
Oh, and for what it's worth...yes, hubby will be working a day shift...probably will even have "odd" hours at times (like going to work early/getting off early or late, etc).
I say bite the bullet for the commute and live in the West Island, you will have a much easier time going about daily life in English as well as closer proximity to English schools. Try Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Kirkland, Pointe-Claire, Beaconsfield. Commute will probably be an hour but you don't speak French. What's more important, a short commute, or being able to walk into shops, and talk to neighbours, and be understood? You decide.
I would add that, yeah, it's fun not to be socially isolated, especially if you (the wife) are not working outside the home.
As I mentioned earlier, linguistically living in the suburbs north of Montreal is like living somewhere in western Europe. Lots of people know how to speak English, which means you won't usually enconter an insurmountable language barrier if you want to get your car fixed, your dog vaccinated or your furnace tuned up, but most everyone uses another language (in this case French) socially and they won't totally switch over the language of their and their entourage's social life just for you.
I know people who have lived in places like the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, etc., and they got along just fine with English on a practical level. But socially it was a completely different story. Some of them living in major cities like Amsterdam or Stockholm were lucky in that there are large expat communities there. Most of the time the expats would hang out together in English. But those in smaller cities where the population was exclusively locals found it really hard.
I would like to say thanks for all of the input!!!
And, I have a kind of "off the wall" question....
I like to go to the "gym" (here I go to the Y) and do exercise classes (everything from interval training to step). Is something like that (doing a Y (or similar gym) class) going to be at least marginally manageable for me? (with, currently no French language skills).
Got a Y in Pointe Claire, another in NDG, and gymns seem to be every where ,if you are just doing a gymn routine your lack of French wont be a problem,
Most programs at the Y are run in a somewhat bilingual format depending who's in the class..
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