Boarding schools in Ottawa

[Canadawet]

DH wants to move to Canada, he has been offered a job in Montreal in the province of Quebec. In order to
Protect the French language, foreigners cannot send their DCs to English schools, only French, which is going to be problematic methinks. One mad idea would be to send them boarding in nearby Ontario. Ottawa is only 2 hours away from Montreal. Anyone with similar experience? A bit of a long shot I know.

Double check the rules as private schools in Quebec should have some exemptions from the language laws.

Montreal to Ottawa is 2-2.5 hours. It's doable but the trek between the two can be a long hard slog in the winter months.

Google (English Private Schools Montreal) Queen of Angels located on the edge between Lachine and Dorval is not listed on that search but caters to international students. It has been renamed but is a private bilingual primary school.
Sacred Heart is another. There are a few, what you may find tricky is that they must advertise primarily in French.
Lower Canada College co-ed bilingual is another
depends on where you choose to live.
Once you contact one they will most likely provide you with other contacts.

Wrong. If you are on a work visa you can get a Certificate of Eligibility which means education in English, non private or otherwise.

As pasture says QAA, Sacred Heart and LCC are private anglo schools.
But if you have the certificate you're eligible for free education in English.

how old are the children? If still primary age, might be worth trying them in a French school anyway and see how they adapt - the school might give them lots of support at first. If they end up wanting to stay in Canada, being bilingual will give them great advantages to getting jobs there (anything federal government related, for example). And even if they come back here, then a second language is helpful regardless. Obviously if they are getting near exam ages or whatever, that's less practical!

Are you sure there isn't some kind of clause about being able to send them to an English school if they are already fluent? There used to be, anyway... I am ancient so it may have changed

Thanks all, I have 2 DCs in secondary school, 1 still at primary school. Hopefully the employer to be will be able to help us navigate this tricky situation. I suppose it is worth contacting the schools by phone concerning this certificate of eligibility. I agree that being bilingual could be worth the pain. I am annoyed because DS1 is in a top private London day school with a scholarship and DD1 is in a top London faith school, and believe me it was hard work getting them in there and I might be snob here but I somehow doubt the quality of their education will be matched in Canada. But there are some positives as well.

Younger DC in primary I would send to French elementary in Quebec. They will pick it up incredibly quickly. My DD goes to a bilingual school, I speak some of the second language but am by no means fluent. She got the hang of it far faster than I have being surrounded by it at school. Older ones I would double check the rules about immigrant families fluent in English. Otherwise boarding on the U.S. Side of the border could be another option? Not sure where you've got the idea that Canadian schools can't match London

Wow, last time I looked Canada was 4th in the world for education. UK 7th....

Canadian schools will be different but doesn't mean they won't be the same quality. Children don't have to specialise as early as in the UK. The public exams aren't as early or as all-encompassing as here. Education works on a provincial level, so I don't know the specifics about Quebec, but each province has its own rules, and there are plenty of options for those of high ability (including international qualifications like IB for those who might want to come back to the UK). The age ranges and what is covered at each age is somewhat different, as school often starts a year or two later than here.

I am an insufferable snob, LCC looks like a normal UK independent school, now it is just a question of getting this certificate of eligibility...I am warning up to the idea, if they can get in. Thanks a lot for all the reassuring inputs.