Right you are. But in Montreal or Quebec City, it is assumed that each business owner there know English as it’s a tourist hot zone. You’ll know it when you have to ask any Denny’s waiter if they speak English and they’ll reply. But once you’re out of the city limits, it’s ALL French.
Yeah. They speak French in Quebec. In Montreal the percentage of non-French is lower than in the outlying cities. Even just immediately over the border from Vermont it becomes all French. Montreal is actually less French than other places in Quebec.
In my experience most people speak English as well, except I have encountered young people working at fast food places who did not really understand English in Laval.
I never ever ran in to any of the storied animosity or rudeness to English speakers. I begin every interaction with French greeting and continue in French. They will switch to English when realizing my French is not so good with no rudeness or any attitude.
I’m curious how Denny’s in Canada get away with having the apostrophe in the name. Tim Hortons had to remove it to comply with language laws.