fencing in montreal

[graphixaddict]

I was just wondering if there are any coaches, salles, sport fencing venues, in the montreal area, i would need a english speaking coach, I live in plattsburgh NY which is about an hour form montreal. If anyone knows of anything closer to my locations please let me know.
Thanks,
Graphix

[pammie003]

I would try checking out the universities there. McGill is the english university and Universite de Montreal is the French one. Unis often allow members of the community to join at the club level.

[The0ne]

I have been to two clubs up there. . . However i dont have alot of information on them.
One is coached by John Harvey, who is a really good coach, but the fencing at the club when i've been there is a little weak.
Another club is coached by Gilbert Gelinas, that club is in blainsville, sometimes he gets some really strong fencers up there

Thats all I know,
The0ne

[Lemberg]

Hey graphixaddict, montreal has perhaps the strongest fencing in the whole Canada in all three weapons. Most of the national team athletes and a lot of "high performance" athletes train there and all the coaches speak English , so what I'd do is visit Quebec Provincial Federation's website you should be able to find link at www.fencing.ca
Good luck

[graphixaddict]

yea, i looked at that site, the club page is in french and i have had some trouble figuring out which of those clubs is nearest to me, does anyone know by chance which of those clubs is nearest to me? I am in NY, USA about 40 mins from the border. Or does anyone have a recomendation for a montreal club?
Thanks
Graphix

[veeco]

Bois de Boulogne and Estoc are some of the strongest Epee clubs in north america. They are in Quebec, but I don't know how far from the border they are...

I don't know about Estoc, but I am pretty sure that most people at Bois de Boulogne speak English

[pkt]

graphixaddict,

In the cff site, this is the link to the Fédération d'Escrime du Québec
http://fencing.ca/dir/prov/dir_feq.htm
which gives you the contact info for the FEQ.

In spite of the exhortations of the Quebec government to treat tourists nicely and courteously, the majority of Quebecoises outside of West Montreal prefer not to converse in anything other than French. You have just experienced first hand that French imperative to 'protect' their culture to the exclusion of others...
[See the discussion on this aspect of the French culture in another thread. Mulligan, are you reading this?]

Call or email the President of the FEQ, M. Paul Beaudry, he can speak English. [You can mention in passing that I have a foto of his naked posterior from Cuba!! See what his reaction is.]

Enjoy your stay in or visits to Montre'al, it's a lovely city.

PK