Dissecting Intriguing Montreal and How Pinoys Have Come to Embrace it as Home

They took the dancefloor heartily, raring to shake off the cold in their bodies and sweat it out.  Or perhaps, shake off the weariness of working day in and day out to survive a life away from their home country. But no sign of tiredness, regrets, or loneliness were in that party night. Just having some clean fun and finding the occasion to do just that.

Can Filipinos in Montreal be any different from those in other parts of Canada?

Montreal, or may be Quebec for that matter, has always been “something different, something unique” in the minds of Canadians, not only Filipino-Canadians.  Quebec has its own long history of bitter struggle to be recognized for its own being. It was an uphill battle to be different and to be accepted as different.

The capital of Quebec is not Montreal.  Quebec City it is.  But Montreal is a major urban center, possibly the melting pot of all cultures and languages as it largely thrives on the patronage of international students for the quality education it offers like the world-renowned McGill University. In fact, when you are looking for McGill in the area, you are not looking for a campus. You should be looking for a mini city like you are looking for a Vatican city in Rome or the city of Cambridge in London.

Gerry Danzil came to Montreal in 1986 upon the sponsorship of his wife, Linda, who came as a caregiver to Canada. Like many newcomers elsewhere in Canada, the Danzils had their share of adjustment problems but their union had always been solid. Today, 33 years after immigrating, they have come to embrace and love the uniqueness of Quebec.

Kuya Gerry is a very active community leader in Montreal, with the Knights of Rizal on top of the list of organizations that preoccupy his time. One will be amazed at how Kuya Gerry can knock on every door of fellow Pinoys  in the city and convince them to come and support his every endeavour. He does that all for the service and enjoyment of his kababayans.

There is also the couple Boy and Anne Galang.  Kuya Boy and Ate Anne are frequenters of lively and fun times in Pinoy socials in the city. Kuya Boy is a slayer on the dancefloor and Ate Anne is his favorite dancing partner. They came to Montreal in 1998 following Ate Anne’s stint in Hongkong. She came in 1994, also as a caregiver. Kuya Boy works for Le Chateau and had been there for 21 years. Their 34-year old son, Jeff, has also found his home in Montreal, speaks fluent French, and is gainfully employed at Air Canada. Kuya Boy is now an active member of the Knights of Rizal.

The same can be said of another equally indefatigable Pinoy community mover, Dario Boco. Kuya Dario has been in Montreal since 1989. Just like Kuya Gerry, it was his wife who paved the way for his family to discover Canada. Wife Claire came to Canada in 1987 after working in Greece as a caregiver. Kuya Dario works for Multiver Ltd., a glass company, as a lead man. He has been with this company for more than 20 years now. His community service was influenced by Mr. James dela Paz, himself a respected leader and president of their Federation of Filipino Associations of Quebec.

Seemingly, there is space for everybody in Montreal. In terms of population, Montreal is the largest city in Quebec and the second largest city in Canada, next to Toronto. It has a total population of 1.7 million from a 2016 survey. It used to be Canada’s commercial capital until Toronto overtook it in the 70s.

The world still remembers the city’s hosting of the 1976 Summer Olympics.  While it put Montreal on the map and consciousness of the world, it is said that the Olympics left the city with a huge debt that took 30 years to pay off. But the moment of pride could be remembered by seeing peoples from all over the world celebrating Montreal and waving its flag. From there, Quebecers found reason to celebrate their own uniqueness and thrive in their differences.

Montreal though still is a significant point of trade and business in Canada. McClean once voted it as a top city to be in as a university student. In its humble 4.5 square kilometers of land,  the city has four universities that attract both Canadian and international students.

With Montreal’s total population of 1.7 million – 36,000 are of Filipino descent, representing 3% of the population; although not too many compared to more than 400,000 in Toronto alone.

But as they say, “Those who come to Montreal, do not leave Montreal.”

Despite the extreme winter and sweltering summers, there is that aura that keeps people grounded and contented.  Kuya Gerry, Dario, or Boy landed in and never left Montreal ever since.

Parlez vous francais?

But wasn’t it difficult that they were not speaking French?

It does seem to be a real issue today that if you do not speak French, you have a lesser chance of landing a job in Quebec, or maybe even surviving. They said they tried to learn a bit of French but maybe, were just fortunate enough to have found jobs that did not require them to speak French. And they say, there are still jobs that will not require one to be bilingual;  we just have to find them.

On this note, Kuya Joseph Gonzales who is also a very active mover of the Filipino Montreal community (please read his own story in the Inset article: Joseph Gonzales: Choosing to Stay, Opting to Stay Strong) recalls –

“I will never forget how on May 2, 2001, on my fourth day in Montreal, as I was on my way to my very first job interview in Montreal, I politely asked in English the lady driver of bus 115 going to the West Island to let me off at New Brunswick Avenue.  She answered me in French.  When I told her that I did not speak French, she began to give me a long lecture that was punctuated with, “Why don’t you learn French?  It is free!”  I looked at her and told her that it was only my fourth day in the country and that it was my intention to learn the language.  I left her after paying my fare”.

He further noted that “French being the official language in Quebec may be a useful tool in order to get jobs.  There are jobs where the ability to speak the language is not a requirement, but they are not many and they are usually the jobs that pay less.   I spent the first 2 years of my life in Montreal learning French.  I decided to learn French for fear that I would not be able to help my future child if I did not have the ability to speak, read and write the language.   I landed my teaching job because of my ability to speak French.”

In reality today, Montreal, among other Quebec areas, is widely considered a more “open” city in terms of welcoming non-French speaking nationals as international students abound in this place. Here, locals greet you two ways, for example: Bon jour, good morning! If you answer in English, then they will proceed to speak to you in English. However, some who had been to places more remote, claim that there are still Quebecers who will only speak to you in French.

Pinoy Organizations in Montreal

An account reports that there are more than 1,000 Filipino organizations in Canada.  Similar  to many other major cities in this country, Filipino groups and social clubs abound in Montreal. This stems from the reality that people have different interests, lifestyles, and even political preferences and affiliations. Among those in Montreal – from whom this author had met some officers aside from the Federation – are the Filipino Association of Montreal and the Suburbs (FAMAS), the Knights of Rizal, the Council of Canadian-Filipino Association of Quebec,  and the Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship Society of Quebec.

Kuya Joseph Gonzales relates, “The first organization I joined in Montreal was the Quebec Association of Canadian-Filipino Teachers (QACFT).  I joined the organization because I saw the need to empower certain sectors of the Filipino community through education.  As soon as Filipino community leaders in Montreal got to know me, invitations to join other groups came one after another.

Among the other organizations he joined were the Philippine Benevolent and Scholarship Society of Quebec (PBSSQ) and the Federation of Filipino-Canadian Associations of Quebec (FFCAQ). PBSSQ is an organization that supports deserving students who are in their final year of elementary, high school, CEGEP or university.

He said it was only in 2013 when he joined the Filipino Association of Montreal and Suburbs (FAMAS). He admitted that before that time, he did not want what he was hearing about FAMAS, until a good friend Nida Quiparas convinced him otherwise.

Kuya Joseph must be referring to that unfortunate period when Pinoys in Montreal felt that they were very disunited. The age-old problems of bickering and factionalism among themselves muddle the chance to achieve more as one people.

“Although, by nature, Filipinos are friendly, the crab mentality is endemic in some sectors and generations.  There are still those who will never be happy for the success of others.  The community, which should be united, is divided into factions and sub-factions.   And those who are not in the factions or the sub-factions are deemed as “from the other side,” Joseph observes.

However, he advises, “Such people do not deserve any stressing over.  They will do what they do and think what they think no matter what you do.  One may not confront them either.  It is the Filipino mentality!  When one is  able to speak his mind, he is proud.  You just take them with a grain of salt.  Not all Filipinos are like them anyway.  There are those who would appreciate all the good that you do for the community.  There are still those who are genuinely good, and they are the reason I keep on believing that the Filipinos are not hopeless.”

Thus, we can see Joseph exerting his best as the new secretary of FAMAS. He informed that through the efforts of the current directors, the group continues to evolve and improve its services in the community. One such service is its Soup a Sabado, a brainchild of Joseph himself and well-received by the community.

Then there is the PBSSQ which grants financial support to deserving graduating students. PBSSQ was founded by Mrs. Natalie Olarte Pelausa 35 years ago. Generous members of the community sponsor some of these bursaries, according to Joseph. PBSSQ also recognizes community and church leaders with their Community, Benevolence, and Leadership Awards.

The Knights of Rizal (KOR) holds the distinction of being the sole knighthood order in the Philippines and so honored to be granted a legislative charter as a non-sectarian, non-partisan, non-racial civic, patriotic, and cultural organization under Republic Act 646 of June 14, 1951.  Leaders such as Kuya Gerry and Kuya Dario in Montreal continue to put KOR at the top of active and generous groups that endeavour to keep Filipinos in Montreal busy and united.

Coffice in Montreal and Pinoy Catholics

Everyone I talked to for this write-up are one in saying that if it were your first time in Montreal and/or looking for a Filipino friend to connect with or reconnect with, go to the Tim Hortons branch at the corner of Victoria and Van Horne Streets, right at Plamandon subway train station.

Pinoys call it their “coffice”.  This Tim Hortons outlet is not even owned by a Pinoy but it just became a place to talk serious or not-so serious business, unwind stressed minds, pour one’s heart out,  keep up with the news, and meet new kababayans. Totally, a busy Pinoy hub of its own.  Here you see them in all sizes and shapes, in all age groups, gender or political preferences. Pinoys elsewhere in Canada sometimes joke about getting wearisome about talking in English (or may be French for some in Montreal) and so they try to find some place where they can speak Tagalog to their hearts’ content.

The great majority of Montreal Pinoys are still Catholics or Catholic Christians. If you want to worship with or among with your kababayans, St. Kevin Parish at Cotes-des-Neiges Road is where you will usually find a lot of them. The official website of the church even prides that “Saint-Kevin’s is home to the annual novena and feast day celebrations of : Cebu’s Senor Santo Niño, Bicol’s Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia, Saint Anthony of Padua, and Simbang Gabi.”

Christianity is still the most popular religion in Quebec, with Roman Catholicism having the highest adherents, record show. 2011 statistics reported that Roman Catholicism had the largest number of followers to a Christian denomination and religion in Canada. During the same year, 12.81 million Canadians or 38.9% of the population are baptized Catholics.

Currently in Canada, six (6) of the thirteen provinces and territories allow for faith-based school boards to be supported by the government. These are Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories, and Yukon (to grade 9 only). Quebec also has privately-run Catholic schools in downtown Montreal, old Montreal, Mount Royal and other surrounding areas.

Winter in Montreal

Some people call Montreal, the winter city.  Winter can stretch from November to April, taking more than six months at times.

Joseph relates, “Winter in Montreal can be very harsh, but it is nothing to a person who can handle the stress of being uprooted from his country of origin.  The extreme temperature that comes with Montreal winter does not compare with the mental anguish separation from one’s loved ones may present.”

“When I was new in Montreal and did not have the luxury of a car,  with the temp at 40 degrees centigrade below zero, I experienced waiting for a bus that did not show up, at a stop where there was no shed to protect me from the elements.  I got sick the next day.”

“Snow can be fun the first time you experience it, but when you have to deal with it the whole stretch of the season, you just get tired of it.  There is nothing to love about winter, whether for one who has to use public transport or for one who drives his own car.  Walking on snow is not easy,  but driving on it is not easy either,” he added.

As in the Machiavellian philosophy, if you can’t beat them, join them.  Lining up an array of exciting and coolest winter activities is Montrealites’ way of embracing their freezing weather. It is in fact one of the best places to be during winter if we know how to bundle up and learn to ride in the fun.

And the Montreal Pinoys, no matter hailing from a seriously furious tropical country at 40 degrees centrigrade above zero sometimes, are simply showing they are ready to take on any part of the world, come high or hell waters, scorching summers or freezing winters.