Montreal: From glamorous to a corrupt mess

[HOZ]

Chicago of the 1930's!! We need the Canadian Elliot Ness!!

And you wonder why the Olympic Oval cost a billion!!!

McLeans

Montreal has become a chronically underperforming city burdened by an archaic governmental structure, a bloated public sector (Montreal’s city council has twice as many elected officials as New York City), and what many say is an endemic culture of corruption. More and more of its citizens are taking refuge in the suburbs, while big business continues to flee for Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary. Montreal is saddled with the largest debt of any major Canadian city, and its infrastructure is a leaking, potholed mess. It costs 30 per cent more to build a stretch of road in Quebec than anywhere else in the country, and a recent multi-million-dollar water contract was cancelled after its cost ballooned from $154 million to nearly $356 million.

[BlackArcher101]

But, they can clear the snow! Wait, there's a cost for that?

[SteveToms]

This still have some really awesome strip clubs

[troutman]

Montreal!

Crescent street! Dick irvin! The big o! Poutine! Mitsou!

Peter dallariva! No underwear! Organized crime! Gino vanelli!

[JimmytheT]

Originally Posted by troutman

Montreal!

Crescent street! Dick irvin! The big o! Poutine! Mitsou!

Peter dallariva! No underwear! Organized crime! Gino vanelli!

Be quiet Steve Armitage!

[Ozy_Flame]

I don't really care about any of that. I find the drama entertaining, and Montreal is the most entertaining place in Canada, hands down.

Par for the course.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I don't really care about any of that. I find the drama entertaining, and Montreal is the most entertaining place in Canada, hands down.

Par for the course.

Entertainment aint cheap.

[PyramidsofMars]

I never understood the fuss over Montreal.

Then again, I always liked Toronto and still do. So obviously I'm just insane.

Vancouver, Montreal, and Edmonton: places I will never live.

[Resolute 14]

There are nice parts of Vancouver, but they tend to be occupied by guys with purse dogs. I'd never live in those three cities either, but Vancouver's real problem, aside from Canuck fans, is the weather. Great place to visit though. I'd head back west long before I explored Montreal.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

but Vancouver's real problem, aside from Canuck fans, is the weather.

I'd say Vancouver's real problem is the insane housing prices.

[Jordan!]

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

I'd say Calgary's real problem is the insane housing prices.

Fixed

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by PyramidsofMars

I never understood the fuss over Montreal.

Then again, I always liked Toronto and still do. So obviously I'm just insane.

Vancouver, Montreal, and Edmonton: places I will never live.

I really love Montreal, I've never found a shortage of awesome and different types of food, entertainment, music and unbelievably hot woman.

Every time I've gone to Vancouver I've never thought that it measured up to the culture in Montreal.

I also think that the city really has to do something about the East end of Downtown, its becoming a problem that threatens to engulf that cities reputation.

Whenever I talk to people that haven't been to Vancouver the first thing that comes up is the rampant homeless and drug problems there. It might not necessarily be true, but its a reputation that Vancouver is gaining.

Out of curiosity because I don't know and I'm just asking, how is Vancouver dealing with that area for the Olympics? Did they do a Ralph Klein firebombing of the worst places?

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by Bouw N Arrow

Fixed

I thought Calgary's problem, at least for you, was the insane cooler prices?

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by PyramidsofMars

I never understood the fuss over Montreal.

Then again, I always liked Toronto and still do. So obviously I'm just insane.

Vancouver, Montreal, and Edmonton: places I will never live.

Toronto's the best city in the east. I hate the Leafs, too, but it hasn't stopped me from loving this city. Culturally, the place is the most diverse spot you'll likely ever visit in North America.

[Shazam]

LA and NY are more diverse. But I'd say Toronto's right up there.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Shazam

LA and NY are more diverse. But I'd say Toronto's right up there.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, Toronto has the second-highest percentage of constant foreign-born population among world cities, after Miami, Florida. While Miami's foreign-born population consists mostly of Cubans and other Latin Americans, no single nationality or culture dominates Toronto's immigrant population, placing it among the most diverse cities in the world.[69]

Half the people in the City of Toronto are now foreign-born, according to 2006 Canadian census figures released yesterday, making it more diverse than Miami, Los Angeles or New York City.

LA doesn't come close, IMO, although I don't have any stats to back it up. That city has always seemed to me to be dominated by a select few ethnicities. You have to take some time to live in Toronto to really appreciate it.

[Shazam]

I'd say that's because there's so many second and more gen of us coloured folks in those other cities.

[PyramidsofMars]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Toronto's the best city in the east. I hate the Leafs, too, but it hasn't stopped me from loving this city. Culturally, the place is the most diverse spot you'll likely ever visit in North America.

Agreed, do not like the Leafs, love the city of Toronto. More than the diversity, it's got everything you could possibly want in a city, except perhaps consistently great architecutre (though I like the hodgepodge feel of the city) and a couple of other things. And what it doesn't have is not too long a drive away in NYC.

[Daradon]

As I've mentioned before, Montreal is a great city to visit and party in, but I'd never wanna live there. It's not just the governments that are corrupt (or at the very least bloated and over expensive) it's the fact that there is a lot of organized crime and even mob influence there that is all tied into that.

As far as Toronto being culturally diversive it is, but I don't think it's quite as much as Montreal. I know that's one of Toronto's slogans and all, but I've heard more travelers and more Americans mention the diversity of Montreal over Toronto, and not just because of the French language thing.

I will say that both cities are very ethnically diverse.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Montreal's xenophobia is a little much for me. Fantastic city to visit with great food and beautiful women, but being an anglophone, definitely not my kind of place.

Ottawa is similar in that respect and it's a little annoying that Francophones that no little to no English can get bilingual jobs while Anglophones who are reversed in expertise don't stand a chance at the same jobs. Ottawa is also extremely lacking in night life if that's what you're interested in and is probably second to only Edmonton when talking about big cities.

Vancouver is the best place to be in the summers but their other seasons are brutal for rain. It's not a hard rain, but just a constant light rain that never stops. Ugh. Housing prices are ridiculous but they're ridiculous everywhere in Canada now with Ottawa being the most affordable.

Toronto is the best for the true multiculturalism I think. Unless you go up to Richmond Hill (Chinese), Markham (Chinese), or Brampton (East Indian), downtown Toronto truly has a rich mix of different cultures. Toronto also has by far the largest variety of cultural cuisines in the country for people to sample and numerous small pockets of cultural communities to explore... from Greek Festival to Caribbana... definitely the biggest number of different cultural events for people to check out. And on the topic of events, Toronto is absolutely fantastic in the summer for those who like little festivals as different ones occur throughout the summer.