"Quebec's largest mistake was, of course, Bill 101" ... I thought it was the almost won referendum that drove this exile, not Bill 101.
My impression is that if you lowered the income tax in Quebec (much higher then Ontario), most probably more professionals would be willing to work there, english or french or any other language.
I agree with your statement of "Quebec being full of people who believe that the economy should go through the government".
I moved to Montreal from Toronto because of the great urban environment which I found (and still believe to be) superior to Toronto. The rents were cheap and salaries were lower, which made me believe running a startup there would be much easier. From the outside I wondered why everyone from Toronto wasn't moving there to build companies.
But after a year living there I left - 100% due to the hostility to strictly English-speaking people.
I hoped my lack of french-speaking ability would only be a minor hurdle that I could slowly overcome as I grasped the language over the years. But every single store you go into requires that they start speaking in french first (a bylaw). I watched three major street protests while walking downtown against stores who didn't change their globally-recognized retail brand names to french versions.
Plus I felt a large cliquey nature to the Montreal tech scene. I felt like a foreigner in my own country. I was happy to go back to Toronto where multiculturalism is actually fully embraced. Where almost everyone still speaks their native language first, often remaining in cultural divided in neighbourhoods, and despite this mixing at bars and events is never an uncomfortable experience.
Quebec's greatest economic problem is their obsession with cultural homogeneity.
I am a naturalized Canadian. French is my first language, and I studied and lived in Montreal several years before moving to Toronto. I feel that Toronto, and Ontario in general, does a much better job at integrating immigrants and visible minorities, regardless of origin or native language, than Quebec. This is a huge factor if you want to attract talent in a global economy.
I've never worked in Montreal, I'm from Northern Quebec, but I got to do university in Ontario and worked ever since in Ottawa. I got a job offer for a job in Toronto, and I really like the people and how being French-Canadian didn't seem like a barrier at all. Finally I declined for various reasons.
I always thought Quebec's problem were with the it's socialist approach and how taxed Quebecers are, thus professionals flocked away, but your experience has made me realize a different reality. I guess we aren't as welcoming if you're not french ... ?
It's the small things. Imagine having to apologize in every single store that you don't speak french well, even though you start the conversation speaking english or weak french.
Or feeling the hostility of older Quebecers who think I'm just another anglophile who didn't spend the time to learn their language. I heard many people casually complain about the American kids who came to the universities and never tried to speak french.
Before arriving I heard lots of rumours about how Quebec people aren't friendly and I was quick to ignore this as a stereotype. But going to many tech events I found it difficult to network. The image that has stuck in my mind of these occasions is finding many small tightnit groups of people packed together at bars or venues, who seemed to have known each other for years, and seemingly disinterested in the people around them.
I never experienced that in Toronto or SF.
> I always thought Quebec's problem were with the it's socialist approach and how taxed Quebecers are
Bringing up Quebec in Toronto (which came up often moving there) the first thing people talk about is the people's attitudes, not socalism. I've actually never heard people talk about their socialist tendencies outside of the news. The only political stereotype that came up was that the tendency of Quebec people to complain about the government not giving them enough money/support, while simultaneously not contributing as much as Ontario economically.
Out of curiosity, when did you move away from Montréal? I would have agreed with you a few years ago, but things seem to have improved for anglophones as of late.
I've noticed much less awkwardness and resentment when people are faced with non-French speakers in general - both in stores and with regular people. I'm not sure about how things are in the workplace these days, though.
My marginal tax rate in NYC is not too far off from what it would be in Québec. My income as a not-quite-senior software engineer, however, is ~3.5x higher. Taxes would have to go down below zero for a move to make sense financially.
That said, Montréal is a great city and I'm actually considering moving back, despite the dramatic drop in income.
I thought it was the almost won referendum that drove this exile, not Bill 101.
Nope. The almost won referendum was in 1995. The referendum that wasn't close was 1980. Bill 101 was 1977.
The Bank of Montreal announced its move in 1977.
(I'm aware of this because I had several classmates in high school whose families had moved from Quebec. They were extremely clear that they moved because of Bill 101, not because of the referendum.)
My impression is that if you lowered the income tax in Quebec (much higher then Ontario), most probably more professionals would be willing to work there, english or french or any other language.
I agree with your statement of "Quebec being full of people who believe that the economy should go through the government".