The Rise and Fall of English Montreal

Overview

The film includes interviews with English-speaking professionals and students that are preparing to leave Montreal, joining an exodus of 300,000 anglophones that left the province in the last two decades.

This exodus is reflected in over 100 English-speaking schools that have closed in recent years. The students at McGill University and Concordia University cite better work opportunities outside of the province as a reason for leaving. Frequently the lack of a Francophone background is cited as an obstacle for anglophones, even for those that are bilingual.

Weintraub also looks at the role that the Office québécois de la langue française plays in making anglophone businesses comply with language laws, calling for the use of French language signage instead of English.

The film juxtaposes a worried minority's present position with their past in Montreal, where English-speakers once outnumbered francophones, where the mayor was English-speaking and it was difficult to be served in French in downtown department stores.

The film also addresses key moments of significance to the Anglo community in Montreal, such as the demolition of the Van Horne Mansion in 1973. Weintraub also displays the significant role that Anglo business has played in cultivating Montreal's overseas image as a "North American Paris."

As the Anglo youth leave Montreal and the elderly stay behind, the film poses questions about the future and sustainability of the Anglo community in Montreal and the province itself.