Quote:
Originally Posted by YOWetal
I mean maybe I'm naive but most of us speak some French or more even no?
For me it's one city so really what does it matter if Gatineau is a French run place? How often do I interact with a government institution? If downtown Hull was nicer and I worked in Portage I would for sure live there.
For people who like forest estate style living. Chelsea offers really unrivalled choices. Most of the unaffiliated Anglos I know live there.
Now the suburban developments along Highway 5 or in Aylmer I think are more of a drive till you qualify but both places also offer a lot that equivalent choices in Ontario don't. I think a lot of them cheat too and still use Ottawa recreation, libraries and of course retail and restaurants isn't cheating and easily accessible.
I don't know the net migration numbers but there are lots of Francophones say from Montreal who move to Ottawa for the extra opportunities it offers one being English language education so there is a mix for sure. There is also no Glebe or Westboro or even close on that side of the river.
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Not saying there aren't any pros. I just think the cons outweigh the pros for most people.
There are always people who'll try it out (an endless supply in fact, like a revolving door) but eventually I'd wager many of them will move back to Ottawa. Especially if the household doesn't have at least one spouse from Quebec. (It's quite common to buy a starter home in Gatineau, then when it has enough equity in it you sell it and use the money to buy something in Ottawa. Many people did that on my old street. My current street doesn't have starter homes, though.)
Montreal francophones and other Québécois who land in Ottawa also often move to Gatineau once they have kids. Then again, having an anglophone spouse seems to root these people down more firmly on the Ontario side.