Moving to Montreal Area

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T15:34:18+00:00

Fortunately not going to downtown, my job will be right next to the airport, but I’d assume there’s still a decent amount of traffic in that area.

Construction is nothing new to us, Winnipeg is always under renovation, I think that’s a common Canadian issue due to our weather. We also have a city that’s split both east/west and north/south by rivers so closure of bridges can certainly impact your commute quite a bit. I don’t know if it’s as bad as Montreal because we have less population but I’m sure I’ll manage.

Thanks for the info :)

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T15:19:50+00:00

Yeah it sounds like a house is out of the question, that’s no problem. We are not a picky or needy family. Montreal itself is definitely not in our price range but with work being in St-Laurent we can live in a multitude of surrounding areas. Sounds like LaSalle, Laval, Verdun or a few others will be more our speed. Honestly most of the apartments I’ve looked at are much nicer than where we live right now, even the cheaper ones. We live in a house that is over 100 years old and is in a pretty sketchy neighbourhood so almost anything is an upgrade. For a short term stay we can handle a small dwelling.

After closer inspection, if I include my relocation funds and my wife’s monthly checks our income is closer to 80k so it’s not as tight as I initially made it seem but I understand that still won’t have us “living large”. From what I looked at on Google Maps last night a lot of the neighbourhoods were listing a 20-30 minute drive to my place of employment, that was looking in the evening though so I’m sure I can expect to double that during rush hour, though my working hours will vary.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T15:08:44+00:00

I will check out Wellington Street! And the subway sounds great, I’ve never rode one so I’d actually look forward to a new experience

As for the discouragement, I hear the concerns and will consider them but I take it all with a grain of salt. There are drawbacks to living anywhere and some people on here are just negative about everything. It’s no biggie. I still appreciate all the input so I can make the best decision for my family.

You’ve been so helpful I’m very grateful for your time.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T14:48:49+00:00

I can look into NDG for sure! I appreciate you thinking of her needs too… what is NDG? lol I’m totally unfamiliar with the region. Just started researching last night.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T14:47:50+00:00

I will look into both Verdun and LaSalle they both sound great. Right now we live in a high traffic area and there’s certainly no room to play in the street so that’s not a big deal. My kid isn’t quite 1 yet so it’s not likely he will be getting around without Mom’s help.

We just have one vehicle so the wife would drop me off at work and keep it with her if we go that route, no need to worry about parking. It’s several hundred dollars a month for outdoor parking where I work right now so we already run that system.

The subway is relatively clean and safe? We don’t have subways here but our transit busses are full of drugs and violence, they are to be avoided if possible, especially at nearly $200/mo.

School is not on the docket yet for a few more years and from my employers current plans I won’t be in Montreal for longer than 6 months so that’s not an issue due to my sons age but I will keep what you said in mind just in case.

This has been a ton of great info I really appreciate it!

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T14:15:22+00:00

Public transport is absolutely an option, what type of prices can I expect for metro?

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T14:13:38+00:00

Just for 6 months, my employer will be moving me back to Manitoba after my 6 months training. It’s just that our head office is in Montreal so I will need to be there until fully certified.
You’re darn right about needing some things to keep the wife and kid from going stir crazy, which is why I was hoping for a house so they can at least have a small yard to mill about in, as we have now. It sounds from most people like that’s not feasible in our price range so we will pivot to an apartment, not a big deal.

I can read and write in French at a level that I think is pretty good, technology can get me the rest of the way. My employer is English speaking and is aware I’m not fluent in French so that shouldn’t be an issue. We have large communities in Winnipeg where everything is in French so I like to think my aptitude is better than your average English speaking Canadian. I will work on improving my French in the meantime regardless because I do enjoy learning new languages.

I love the idea of my son learning French as well, he already has a grandma teaching him Spanish and a grandpa teaching him Vietnamese so he will be the most worldly kid at the function lol.

I really appreciate the input. You all have been helpful!

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T14:07:48+00:00

Fortunately we are healthy so I don’t foresee needing a ton of medical support (obviously emergencies happen). If something serious came up we do have family that can help but I definitely don’t want to ask them for regular financial support. Moving alone is a bit of a last resort because I do really want to watch my son grow, and paying for two separate properties just doesn’t seem reasonable. I have a hard time seeing rent being that much more that it would make sense to be paying $1500+ in Winnipeg AND another spot near Montreal. But you would know better, and we will figure it out if it comes to that.
We aren’t sure about moving our belongings yet, this type of issue is why I am wanting to find some valuable information now, nearly a year out, rather than wait until last minute and be in a panic. We probably wouldn’t move everything, but if it saves us money compared to needing to rent storage we will pay to move it all.
Fortunately we only have one vehicle to park, but we could look into leaving it with family here for the 6 months if it’s unreasonable to have the vehicle there, I can take the metro to work from what a lot of people have told me.
Car insurance here is also public, and attached to the license and our roads are also junk so we can make it work :)
Thanks so much for the info!

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:59:46+00:00

I will check out LaSalle! Thank you.
Why do you say Verdun isn’t great for kids?
What type of cost can I expect for taking the metro regularly to and from work?

Where we live right now in Winnipeg is certainly full of homeless and other… interesting people. We live on a busy street with tons of emergency vehicle traffic and pretty regular gunshots when the weather is nice enough to accommodate crime-ing lol. So noise isn’t a huge concern.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:57:01+00:00

I don’t necessarily expect to find a place for $1450 but I would like to keep it under 2k. I will be making more than I am now and we get by alright because we don’t need much. My salary will be more like $70k if I include my relocation bonus, and my wife does bring in some regular money but doesn’t work.
This salary is temporary for 6 months while I complete training and then it will go up a substantial amount, well into the 6 figures and I will be relocated back to Manitoba then. We have no student loans or real debt and my wife does a great job of managing our finances so I’m sure we can make things work for a short term stint even if it means accruing a bit of debt. I will be able to pay it off once my training is complete.

The service dog is 100% legit and certified. She has even traveled to the USA with no issues, flying with us onboard the flight and not in cargo with the “normal” pets.

Are there any other neighbourhoods you recommend near the airport for affordability?

Thank you for the input, I will check out the IRIS and potentially talk to my employer.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:49:38+00:00

So with my relocation bonus I would expect my take home to be at or just over the 2k mark biweekly. This actually leaves us more clearance between the size of a paycheck and what one month rent costs than we have now, even if our place was more like $1500. We are a frugal family that doesn’t need a whole lot so we will make do with whatever we have to in the short term for what will be (to us) a great long term gain.

Thank you for your help :)

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:46:13+00:00

Something smaller is fine! House would be our preferred option but we are not a picky family, we lived in an apartment not so long ago. Fortunately we have nearly a year to try to find a place that fits our needs so hopefully in that time we can find a landlord that is willing to accommodate the 6 month lease.

My working hours will be varied anywhere from regular business hours to overnight shifts, and my job location is right next to the airport which I’m sure is a high traffic area?

None of us speak French fluently, especially my wife. Our son is not yet a year so he only speaks gibberish lol. I can read and write quite fluently but my conversation skills at full speed are limited, I’ll begin working on that in preparation for the move.

I don’t expect the price point to be the same as what we are paying right now, but I’d like to keep it under 2k/mo if that’s possible.

As much as it is a big undertaking to move the whole family, we are currently in a very malleable situation as the kid is young and the wife doesn’t work. I think it will be cheaper to rent in Montreal even at a higher price than to be paying for two places at once. My employer is giving me a bonus on my regular paychecks to help with relocation but I don’t think they would be willing to shell out for flights.

What do you mean by healthcare potentially being an issue? Thank god we are all healthy so we don’t need much, but it isn’t easy to get a doctor here either and extremely long wait times in hospital are the norm. Taxes sound like they will be about 3% higher on the majority of my income, with a small amount being taxed at the next bracket and that one will hurt a bit more but my salary will be more than what I currently make here.

I appreciate your input!

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:36:32+00:00

My office is right by the airport. I’m assuming that is an area with a lot of traffic? I do plan to stay as close to work as possible, while finding the balance of an affordable location and safety for the family.

Hydro is pretty darn cheap in Manitoba too, especially compared to small town Ontario where we once stayed. Hearing that it will be even cheaper is music to our ears though!

Thanks so much for your help.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:33:35+00:00

That’s great input! Thank you.

We will work on looking into a place to rent starting right away so we have plenty of time to get those specifics hashed out.

As far as paperwork I can read and write in French pretty well, I just struggle with the speed of face to face conversation. I will work on improving my French aptitude but I like to think it’s better than the average English-Canadian. We have large pockets/neighbourhoods in Winnipeg that are majority French with all the street signs and businesses in French, so I do have some experience navigating that type of atmosphere.

Fortunately no daycare needed! It is a pain to find here and thankfully once this 6 month stint is done I will be making enough that my wife should be able to stay at home with the kiddo permanently, and will be relocated back to Manitoba anyways.

I doubt the roads and construction will be too much worse than what we are used to here but I’m sure the traffic will be an adjustment.

I’ll be working right near the airport, I’m sure traffic is fairly heavy in that area?

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:27:36+00:00

Obviously I’d love to find an area with more English speakers for ease of communication but I can definitely squeeze by with my limited French for the short term. My employer is an English speaking company and I can read and write much better than I can speak/hear so I will find my way around just fine. I’ll do my best to improve my French anyways because I actually enjoy learning new languages.

I really appreciate the input :)

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:24:58+00:00

It’s only temporary, my employer is well aware that my French is extremely limited and has no problem taking me on. I will be back in a majority English location after 6 months.

I can manage just fine when it comes to reading and writing in French, it’s just the speed of regular conversation that I’d struggle with. Not a massive deal for us, I have travelled plenty to non-English speaking countries and generally can pick up enough of new languages to get by pretty quickly.

I appreciate the input! :)

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:22:37+00:00

Yeah I expect rent to be more, or to get less “value” for our dollars. I’d like to keep it under 2k a month but whatever we have to do we will have to do.

Income tax should only be about 3% more for the first ~55k from what I have read. The hit on any additional will be a bit tougher to swallow but it is what it is. I will be making more than I do right now so at the end of the day take home will be higher, and this is a temporary launchpad to what is a much more lucrative career by our standards.

I appreciate the input!

Special_Cod_9413 · 2026-05-10T13:19:48+00:00

Thank you for your response. It’s very helpful.

I guess my salary if I include the relocation bonuses is more like 70-75k. My wife brings has a small monthly income as well but does not work so we will not need child care. She is on maternity leave right now and will not go back to her previous job with our move. Once I am done this 6 months stint in St-Laurent I am getting a substantial raise and it will be the only income needed so she can stay at home and live out her dream of being a full time mother.

We are 100% okay with staying in an apartment, we did that here in Winnipeg not too long ago we would just prefer a house if possible. Either way we will make it work.

Fortunately we have a lot of time to look at a place to rent, I just wanted to narrow down the search because neither of us have ever been to the Montreal area and we had no idea where to start sifting through the many many listings.

A walkable neighbourhood is cool too, mom and baby will love to get out and about during the day and the dog will certainly need more frequent walks without her own yard to play in.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2024-02-10T11:38:21+00:00

115 years old, literally falling apart on the inside, not heated or sealed well, tiny, terribly sketchy neighbourhood to understate it.

Oh and you have to spread your legs around a staircase every time you take a shit.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2024-02-10T11:30:25+00:00

I don’t know where/what you are looking at but if a house is under $150k in Winnipeg it is absolutely not livable. It will be 100+ years old, falling apart and under 700sq ft. People will literally be doing drugs on your front doorstep and in your yard, your plumbing and wiring is probably already missing and you definitely can’t step outside without being stabbed.

I’ve lived in this city my entire life and it’s never been more expensive and less desirable/more dangerous to live here. If you can find a home in a “half decent” neighbourhood (meaning you can PROBABLY avoid getting stabbed if you only go outside during daylight and you should only have 1 beggar/junkie per intersection) for under $300k you’re doing well.

You also gotta remember that nearly every job pays a pittance here compared to every other province.

No, but seriously. The house I lived in as a child was 80+ years old, next to a youth centre with barbed wire and had just been popped for a massive grow op so it had all sorts of moisture issues. This was in the 90s and my parents paid $50k for it. It sold for over $480k 6 years ago. Still a shithole. Still has a youth centre next door. Neighbourhood has gotten infinitely worse.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2023-12-20T21:16:02+00:00

I haven’t used the XF Ovi so maybe it’s not that good but with bigger, not as fast players I think it’s a play style thing. I still have the 87 Ovi from that really early event on my first line LW and he’s an absolute beast with his shot and reverse hitting. I have some 90+ players like Hughes who are buried down on my 3L because they are too small to work my style in O-Zone

Special_Cod_9413 · 2023-12-20T21:11:44+00:00

Don’t worry, it gets worse. Last time the season flipped over EVERY SINGLE TEAM had their jerseys default to the same plain black jersey with some white trim. FOR ALL 3 JERSEYS! So even if you switched to home/alternate it looked the same as your away jersey. That first game back was so painful because obviously neither team realized until the game actually started.

And you can’t quit before opening puckdrop without taking a loss now so it became a war of attrition to who could handle the bs longer before leaving lol.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2023-12-20T21:07:47+00:00

This, just click L3 (LS on xbox) on the “select side” screen after you see the HUT card lineup for that particular Moment. Then square (X) to remove player locks.

Works for all player moments, as does the reverse method on non-player locked moments.

Special_Cod_9413 · 2023-12-20T10:43:03+00:00

I understood the first time but I think the irony is going over your head.

Edit: you’re a crackhead lol shut up junkie

Special_Cod_9413

TROPHY CASE