What if Montreal was predominantly English speaking today? (living, bill)

[Trimac20]

I'm talking the entire greater Montreal area, what if say, 80% of Montrealers spoke English as a first language instead of 13% (compared to 67% for French)? How would it change the city?

Do you think that if this trend had continued, Montreal might have maintained it's position as top financial centre in Canada, as well as cultural/arts hub?

Sorry if I offend any Quebecois, but I think it would make Montreal a more important city in North America. It's well known as it is, and I think French culture gives the city it's bohemian flair, but I can imagine a city as big as Toronto is now, with the French culture of New Orleans, just with English. It's not so inconceivable, I think, that the city could maintain many aspects of French culture while being more accessible to the rest of North America, Canada and the States as well as many more tourists.

Not that I'm saying it would've been better - it's a complex situation, but it's interesting to speculate how Montreal would have developed if English, not French, was the predominant tongue throughout the metropolitan area. I guess if most French speakers are also just as fluent in English, it would effectively be the same, although there's still an anti-Anglo sentiment in Montreal which makes Canada seem like a divided country at times.

[architext]

What if Montreal was predominantly English speaking today?

I would be living there now.

[jambo101]

If it was all English it would just be another bland N.American city with not much more difference than Boise Idaho.
As it is it definitely has a large difference thanks to the predominant French culture.
I would say had all the English stayed it may have retained its Number 1 status as the city with the most head offices and thus the corporate and financial headquarters of Canada but the constant threat of Quebec separation and its draconian language laws that permeate all aspects of life most financial and businesses have relocated elsewhere in Canada leaving Montreal much less of an economical giant than it could have been,
Looking on the positive side for every head office that left Montreal a new festival took its place..

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by jambo101

If it was all English it would just be another bland N.American city with not much more difference than Boise Idaho.
As it is it definitely has a large difference thanks to the predominant French culture.
I would say had all the English stayed it may have retained its Number 1 status as the city with the most head offices and thus the corporate and financial headquarters of Canada but the constant threat of Quebec separation and its draconian language laws that permeate all aspects of life most financial and businesses have relocated elsewhere in Canada leaving Montreal much less of an economical giant than it could have been,
Looking on the positive side for every head office that left Montreal a new festival took its place..

Would you call New Orleans a bland N.American city? I think it's retained that culture while still being most English. It did have the Cajun/Creole influence until recently/even today. Montreal would still have that influence, but would remain an Anglo-island. In a sense closer to how it used to be.

I think it's stature would be bigger. Even now it's the hip city in Canada. Toronto was until recently the bland, typical North American city.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

but I can imagine a city as big as Toronto is now, with the French culture of New Orleans, just with English.

There isn't really any French culture left in New Orleans, to be quite honest. What you have there is New Orleans culture, which is certainly unique and interesting, but it isn't anything that could even be called French-derived.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

while being more accessible to the rest of North America, Canada and the States as well as many more tourists.

I would submit that Montreal gets most of its tourists precisely *because* it is a French-speaking big city in North America, and not *in spite* of this fact. Most travellers are drawn to things that are different from what they know, and aren't going to go to a place that is exactly the same.

Montreal already gets about the same number of tourists as Toronto, and many more than most U.S. cities of similar size, all of which are *English*.

Is the fact that a North American city is mainly English-speaking really that big a tourist draw? I've never heard of this...

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Trimac20

Would you call New Orleans a bland N.American city? I think it's retained that culture while still being most English. It did have the Cajun/Creole influence until recently/even today. Montreal would still have that influence, but would remain an Anglo-island. In a sense closer to how it used to be.

I think it's stature would be bigger. Even now it's the hip city in Canada. Toronto was until recently the bland, typical North American city.

There is no guarantee that Montreal as an English-speaking city would develop a unique culture similar to that of New Orleans. Plenty of places in North America have non-English origins but now have English as their main language (including some with French origins like St Louis, Detroit) and they are as mainstream North America as you can get, so it's not a given that Montreal wouldn't just be another Pittsburgh or Cleveland (nothing against these places) but with some French street names.

[BruSan]

Your question as regards Montreal's Financial Centre status can be answered very easily with the exodus of business head offices that occured during every one of the too many sovereignity crisis.

The language bill has assured through what I term a prejudicial, contrary to charter rights and freedoms provisions, piece of bigoted legislation that this head office 'anywhere but there' business situation will continue.

As regards tourism; I believe they've got a unique and interesting cultural situation that they should capitalize on moreso than they are currently. When one thinks of exploring the French Candain culture one thinks of Quebec City or the Eastern Townships. As long as their anti-business language laws are maintained Montreal should focus on tourism as the next best thing.

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I would submit that Montreal gets most of its tourists precisely *because* it is a French-speaking big city in North America, and not *in spite* of this fact. Most travellers are drawn to things that are different from what they know, and aren't going to go to a place that is exactly the same.

Montreal already gets about the same number of tourists as Toronto, and many more than most U.S. cities of similar size, all of which are *English*.

Is the fact that a North American city is mainly English-speaking really that big a tourist draw? I've never heard of this...

Clearly I don't mean any major city where English is spoken in the US will attract tourists. Atlanta is a good case in point.

I'm thinking French culture + English widely spoken/a culture connected more to the English world. If Toronto gets decent tourists from the States (maybe attracted by it being in Canada) I imagine Montreal would get even more if it could maintain it's French heritage.

[Trimac20]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There isn't really any French culture left in New Orleans, to be quite honest. What you have there is New Orleans culture, which is certainly unique and interesting, but it isn't anything that could even be called French-derived.

I assume you've been to NOLA?

Whether through Acadia/Creole/Cajun culture or otherwise, there is plenty of French influence/feel still in the city. Maybe not so much 'pure' French culture as in Quebec City, but it's enough that NOLA feels significantly different from any other city in North America. And what's more, English is widely spoken. No conflict there. No reason why Montreal couldn't be the same.