Thanks all for the insights! I think that I'll try to make it happen, probably around June just to wait covid out a little.
Even if now is probably not the best time to move, it can still be a cool opportunity and I guess that everything out of our comfort zone makes us learn more. Also, with a job in hands at the same firm it's not like I'm taking a lot of risks.

The only drawback is to loose my C permit and start all over again if I move back to CH

Also, I have some friends over there so I won't be 100% alone.

Either I'll love it, either I won't like it and I will just come back to our good old Romandie.

Cheers

You could try to put your C permit on hold initially and see how it goes.

https://mailchi.mp/7b2ffa6d9e17/air-...3?e=f77a4c9e29

Guidance from the Canada-Swiss chamber of commerce on formalities to enter Canada during the pandemic.

Montrealer expat here living in Basel. Obviously I love Switzerland (I want to stay here for a reason!), but if the job market for me was anywhere close there to what it is here, it would be an extremely difficult decision whether I'd wish to stay or go back. Montreal is a fantastic city. It's definitely a big city with 2 million people (4 including the suburbs), but at the same time it's not a sprawling mess like a lot of bigger cities, so it feels smaller than it is. The central part of is quite compact, and public transit is generally very efficient. Cycling is also gaining a lot of traction there (they just massively expanded the "separated" cycle lane network, and bike lanes are now cleared of snow in the winter). I'd still be nervous cycling in the streets there as drivers are really rude and selfish.

Very diverse. Vibrant cultural scene for all genres and styles. An infinity of good eats and nice bars. People are usually quite nice (except when they're driving). Outside of Montreal it gets a bit more intolerant and anti-intellectual, and people can be a bit ruder.

When I lived there last, the cost of living was extremely cheap (among the cheapest in North American large cities), but right now there's a housing crisis and a real estate bubble, so the prices have gone up a lot. Still, if your have a good salary in Switzerland, and you'd get paid the same number but in CAD, you'll have no problem getting by and likely be very comfortable.

About the weather: yeah it gets a lot colder than Geneva in the Winter (down to -35 on the coldest days of the year) and it snows a lot. But basically in Montreal, if it's winter, you know it'll be cold without having to look at the weather and you don't have to ask yourself what to wear or plan on layers; you just wear a big warm coat. I also personally prefer snow over winter rain. The comment above about not having electricity for days or weeks is a bit of an exaggeration...Yes, there was a big power outage that lasted weeks, but that was one time, 23 years ago. That's not a common thing. Summer does get REALLY hot (high 30s on the hottest days with 100% humidity, and temperature doesn't go down at night). So definitely more extremes and less temperate than here.

About the language: a lot of French people (and Parisians in particular) are language snobs, what else is new...I haven't had much trouble getting understood by Belgians or in Suisse romande. Yeah, you'll probably get some good laughs learning some of the common expressions, and occasionally you might have some trouble understanding two Québécois people talking fast together, but it really won't be a problem as long as you try to understand and are open to learn. There are many French people who go study in Montreal, have no problem integrating, and end up staying. It's still the same language, not even a different dialect (our most familiar speaking registers are different from the Frenchs',or the Wallons', or the Valaisans', but the language and its grammar are the exact same, with only some differences in vocabulary). Especially in Montreal, you should have no problem (the accent does get a bit thick in certain remote regions). In downtown Montreal and the western part of the city you'll even have a hard time getting served in French at all.

Regarding the C permit, can't you have it maintained up to 4 years while you're away, if you request it?

Oh and about Covid. Quebec was hit pretty bad in the 1st wave (especially elderly care homes). In the 2nd wave it fared much better than Switzerland. But the restrictions have been more strict than here.

And now there currently is a (ridiculous) 3-day wait period for anyone flying in where you have to stay in a government-chosen hotel at your own fees (it costs between 1K$ and 2K$, as you also pay for the security measures surrounding it) while waiting for a test result, before you can go finish your 14 day quarantine at home...Hopefully things get better and they get rid of that measure before the summer, but you should know that it's there. You'll also need to have a valid work permit before you travel, as the border is otherwise closed to all foreigners. I doubt they'll lift the border closure or the 14-day quarantine as they have had it the entire time and didn't lift it when numbers where low everywhere in Europe and there.

For the current covid entry rules look at the link to the Canada-Swiss CoC a couple of messages back.

One thing I didn’t mention is to check on the current Quebec Health Care. Not saying it is better or worse, just different. Some things that are covered here are not covered there by the basic insurance. It is Universal in the sense that every legal resident is covered. Some treatments have incredibly long waiting lists for procedures.

Again I am not comparing or criticising but raising this as something you probably should check out first.

The health system is funded through taxes. It isn’t free.

Ah man, the Canadian prairies are so nice and warm! I used to love to travel down to Winnipeg in the spring around Easter time because it was always so much warmer and melting while it was still a frozen wasteland in Northern Ontario.

Just googled temperatures right now for fun:

Calgary: +4
Saskatoon: +4
Winnipeg: -2
My hometown Ontario: -8

Nice warm prairies

As a French native who lived in Montreal I find it surprising. I never really had any issues understanding Quebecois. It's true sometimes it's may be hard to understand specific local words but the accent was generally not a barrier. Even my first day in Quebec, just getting off the plane, I had a regular conversation with my landlord, we understood each others just fine.

Also you have to consider that a lot of Disneyland Paris workers are not actual French native speakers. I highly doubt that a true native French would rather speak English than French, it's usually not how it works. French people usually suck at foreign languages, it's not about 'snobism' as other posters said, it's just that for some reason we have a hard time learning new languages, especially if they're not latin. A theory is that it is due to the fact there is a smaller sound space in latin languages, compared to Germanic languages. That's why Spanish and Italians people have the same issue with English and German.

By the way it's the same thing in Switzerland. Few people from Romandie can speak a good German. In comparison, there are a lot more Swiss Germans speaking French. It's not about 'arrogance' or snobism. I find it a bit discouraging when bad intentions are implied by default.

In the end I chose Montreal and will be starting there this fall - looking forward to it. I'll probably miss Switzerland, but as stated, I can always come back with an international experience in my luggage