DH has just asked if I want to move to Montreal for a few months!

[CantSleepWontSleep]

Neither of us have ever been, but one of his colleagues is over there at the moment and says it's nice. There's a strong possibility that a project he's involved in will need someone to go over until March (ish!), and it's likely to be him because our family situation makes us easier to move than his colleagues. We have one DD who is currently 6 months, and I'm not in any rush to go back to work (am self employed so can pick and choose if/when to).

I have absolutely no idea even how to go about making such a decision!

DH is a self-employed contractor, but the job would provide a flat.

Anyone know how the medical system works over there? Will we need fancy medical insurance or wads of cash to pay for it?

What else do I need to think about? What are the pros and cons?

So far I'm thinking that DH is usually abroad 4 days a week, so we would see more of him in the mornings/evenings, which would be nice for me and important for DD, so a definite pro.

I'm assuming that the flat would be close enough to the city to walk everywhere, which I think would be a pro, as we live in the countryside in the middle of nowhere at the moment, so everything is a car journey away. But would I miss the peace and quiet of the countryside if I lived in the city?

Can anyone tell me anything about Montreal - I know pretty much nothing about it.

Is it the sort of place where it's easy to make new friends? I've been working on building up a network of other mums since having DD, and I'd know absolutely no-one out there.

Sorry for long post - hundreds of thoughts and questions going round in my head at the moment!

Wow - I didn't realise that it got that cold out there!
Nor that there were so many MN'ers who have lived/been there.
(Nor that there was a bedside table called Hana!)

Well I've told DH that I'm up for it if the opportunity does arise, and that if no-one mentions it again at work then he should!!!

I'll post again to let you all know when we do hear more, one way or the other, and if it's a yes then I'll def be asking for more advice.

Thanks all .

-40? Not really!

You get -20 or so (daytime) for about a week or two in the winter. Or you did, when I lived there.

Yes, it's really quite snowy. You need good boots or you will fall over. Well, you'll probably still fall over - it's a hilly town, and sometimes there's ice.

But from what I've heard, the last few winters have been quite mild. And of course the buildings are generally set up to cope with the cold.

yesterday's guardian had a reader's guide to Montreal in the travel section - might be worth a look!

The contents were reasonable, not the usual downtown-only stuff you get over here.

Didn't mention Mile End, though, which is a great cheap neighbourhood.

Anyone want to send me a copy of the Guardian article?? Searched guardian online but they don't seem to have it, and all the shops have done their paper returns by now.

That does remind me that I should trawl through my backissues of Conde Nast to see if they've done anything on it though.

No further news from DH's work on it yet, but knowing them it'll be say nothing for a couple of weeks and then expect it all to happen in an instant!

It should be here , but maybe that page hasn't been updated since yesterday?

Should also be here , but isn't.

Ah, got it, it's here .

I'm just getting lots of 'tips' about Montreal on that page NQC - is that right?

Yeah, that's it, just tips. They're pretty good ones.

Anyway, feel free to flag me down if things start actually happening. I'll be a bit flaky in my MN time for the next three weeks, am off to Canada.