According to various sources, the Russian diaspora here numbers between 60,000 to 80,000 people, so Russian speech can often be heard on the streets. The city has many businesses, such as driving schools and hair salons, run by Russian-speaking Canadians. In Montreal, there are almost twenty stores where one can buy familiar products for Russians: candies from the "Krasny Oktyabr" factory, gingerbread, pickles, and buckwheat. Many of these products are produced in America by immigrants from the former USSR. Several Russian-language newspapers are published in the city, and there are Russian-language television and radio channels. On New Year's, local French-language television features a program where a Russian chef shares a recipe for traditional kulebyaka. In the province of Quebec, which has a population of 8 million, there are six Orthodox parishes, half of which are located in Montreal.

Here is a small story about the life of immigrants in Canada from former compatriots: "Canada has a progressive tax scale that smooths out income differences: with an income of 25,000, no income tax is levied, while with a salary over 100,000, almost half is withheld. All amounts are in Canadian dollars (the Canadian dollar is approximately equal to 0.80 American). Prices for food and clothing are slightly higher than in the USA. In my estimates, an average family of four spends between 1,000 to 2,000 a month on groceries. The cost of renting housing varies greatly depending on the city. In Ottawa, a three-room apartment (with two bedrooms) can be rented for 1,200 to 1,500; more spacious apartments or houses start from 1,500 and above. In apartment buildings, heating, gas, and electricity may be included in the rent. In townhouses and single-family homes, these expenses amount to 100 to 200 dollars a month. Homeowners also have additional expenses: home insurance, property tax, repairs, and others."