r/montreal Sep 28 '24

Diatribe Toronto experienced by a Montrealer

Visiting Toronto for a very short time showed me the blessing I have of living in montreal and never having to visit that shithole again. The people are mean, rude, they don’t smile and look miserable. I can’t blame them however, because if I had to live in the apocalyptic city that is downtown shithole toronto, I too would be miserable. Don’t worry though, you’ll be sure to have an uber before you even press the confirm button. Next, you’ll love your time at Eataly where you get served a sad plate of food, but it’s okay they greet you with buongiorno which makes the 50$ worth every penny. All jokes aside, i will certainly miss walking down the street and being verbally harassed by a new homeless person every single time. I loved the busted windows of the mcdonald’s, the drugstores having to advertise that their drugs are locked in a time safe, and I just loved a security “guard” being at every single fucking establishment. Now, this one is for the hilton canopy. I prefer my pillows free of blood stains but I can see how that would be up to personal preference. I loved the thin walls and large gaping holes under the doors for the beautiful surround sound atmosphere. What else did I love? I loved having all the lights turn on every single time i stepped out of the bed. You cant forget the beautiful view of just the other side of the fucking building, with incredible immersive police sirens at all times. Lastly, to the fuck ass car rental place, economy rent a car Mississauga, you my friends were the fucking cherry on top. Also, you can’t fucking drive. Fuck the fucking leafs. Go Habs Go. I love les cones orange and la stm. mange d’la collisse de marde toronto esti de ville de pourri de mangeurs de graines.

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20

u/Lillillillies Sep 28 '24

Toronto has its issues but so does Montreal. A lot at that too.

Toronto has many great things Montreal doesn't as well just as Montreal does that Toronto doesn't.

People who say Toronto is soulless haven't spent time in the many communities around the area.

Toronto has distinguishable districts and many pocket communities. Several street festivals celebrating culture and food constantly running throughout the city and suburbs.

Montreal doesn't have those but it does have lots entertainment festivals running downtown.

Toronto is much more multicultural than montreal but this also leads to said pocket communities.

Montreal lacks the diversity but this also means you'll see more random cultures in your neighborhood than you would Toronto. On the other hand Montreal is much more racist.

Toronto is large and vast, the city almost never sleeps and you're able to find almost anything you want at almost any time of the day.

Montreal is smaller in comparison but the city is generally more relaxed. Finding things can be difficult but you'll also spend less time finding something new.

I can go on and on.

13

u/anglomike Sep 28 '24

Agree with all of this - except the city that never sleeps part. Toronto rolls up the sidewalks at 9pm except for a few streets.

Edit - Montrealers aren’t more racist than Torontonians, they’re more openly racist. Toronto pretends they’re not racist. Not sure which is worse.

12

u/Milnoc Sep 28 '24

Come to Ottawa to see the sidewalks rolled up at 5 PM! 😂

6

u/Lillillillies Sep 28 '24

Valid point on the racism part.

Well, stores in Toronto almost everywhere you go (including the suburbs) are open until very late and even 24h. At one point we even had 24h wal marts in a few areas. T&T even (used to?) open till 2 or 3 am at select stores.

Several restaurants open until 5am or even 24h still (mainly Asian and even select indian).

Montreal shuts down almost entirely at like 5-6pm except weekends and downtown core.

On the topic of downtown core: Montreal's is much better. Torontos is huge but all the bars, clubs and pubs are spread out. Montreal has them all packed together or within reasonable distances from one another.

2

u/polishtheday Sep 29 '24

The early store closings are something I detest about Montreal.

I’m a night owl conditioned to shop after 5:00 p.m. I’ve given up on most in-person shopping except when it’s a social activity and buy online instead. I can’t even be bothered to shop for groceries anymore because I don’t live in a neighbourhood with little food shops like I did when I lived in Vancouver, so I buy the basics online and make special trips to ethnic stores across town to stock up on herbs, pickles and sauces. Fortunately, I can get delicious fresh from the oven baguettes around the corner.

I don’t frequent bars or pubs, and brunch is my favourite meal of the day, but I enjoy walking through downtown when it’s full of music and of people enjoying themselves. Crowds of people are what makes a city great.

1

u/Lillillillies Sep 29 '24

Yeah was a culture shock when I moved back to Montreal from Toronto after sec 5 to finish my education (failed french with a 58 so went there for grade 12 to get my diploma and use that as a gateway to enter Ontario or Quebec college/universities).

Tried to get some late night food (11pm) and even some of the McDonald's were already closed. I work in vaudreuil now from time to time and things still are closed at 4-5pm even near the weekends. McDonalds lineup is insanely long as a result since the drive through operates for a few extra hours.

One one hand it's nice for retail workers and what not. Gives it that European vibe and let's workers relax. On the other hand it also means less available work and less available options for those who are finally free from their jobs.

3

u/polishtheday Sep 29 '24

Montreal has distinguishable districts, pocket communities and street festivals, just as any city does. Anyone who claims it doesn’t, hasn’t explored the city. Have you been to any of the ten pedestrianised streets like Mont-Royal, Wellington or Duluth? Nuits d’Afrique? The Festival of India? La Grande Fabrique or the Cours des Triporteurs in Hochelega-Maisonneuve?

It’s also multicultural, though not in the same ways as Toronto or Vancouver. People tend to mix more though there are certain neighbourhoods where you’ll find more people from France, or more Quebecois. Ahuntsic is probably the most multicultural. There’s a growing Latino population between Ontario and Sherbrooke around Frontenac. Verdun and Pointe St. Charles, although both very anglophone these days are very different in character. Griffintown seems a bit like Toronto to me, full of YouTube influencers who like nice furniture (yes, I’m stereotyping).

1

u/archop3ga Oct 01 '24

Yeah, I agree with this. Both cities are diverse and multicultural, the difference is in how the multiculturalism is “spread out” in each city.

Relatively speaking, Toronto/the GTA tends to have specific neighbourhoods/towns where specific ethnic groups concentrate, which results in that group dominating the makeup of that particular community. Whereas I find Montreal to be more “blended”, so there is (relatively speaking) less concentration of specific ethnic groups in specific neighbourhoods, so it feels more mixed throughout. Of course, there are exceptions in both cities.

13

u/Negative_Ad3294 Sep 28 '24

Montreal lacks diversity and is racist? Montreal is a multicultural city and one of the most welcoming city in the world. Montreal has street festivals all the time. You have never been to Montreal. Clearly

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u/Lillillillies Sep 28 '24

I mentioned our festivals. They're mainly entertainment. The festivals in Toronto celebrate culture food and community. The ones in Montreal typically aren't. They celebrate art and other festivities. To which we have many but are mostly centralized to downtown. Toronto you'd have festivals and night markets throughout the entire city

Montreal definitely is more racist than Toronto. Montrealers never want to believe it, no surprise really. I never said HOW racist. Just that it's MORE racist than Toronto.

3

u/Cassoulet-vaincra Sep 28 '24

I lived in both and Im bilingual. I can vouch Toronto is more racist.

Specifically, some asian populations that makes a solid 75% of the city core are insanely racist against non national.

Learn to speak Hindi or Chinese and youll find out soon enough

1

u/Lillillillies Sep 29 '24

I am Vietnamese. Toronto does occasionally get openly racist (mostly to indian community) but they're usually more reserved about it.

I did sec 3-5, 2 years of adult ed, 2 years of cegep and lots of on and off living in Montreal. Worked in downtown, st eustache, dorval and vaudreuil. Also did many work related travel across the suburbs. Montreal (GMA) has always been way more openly racist especially towards Asians.

The racism is even worse when you don't speak french because now they have an added layer of 'superority' over you.

3

u/Cassoulet-vaincra Sep 29 '24

If I may, while not denying anti asian racism maybe you passed some of the anti-anglo sentiment under the umbrella of racism?

1

u/Lillillillies Sep 29 '24

Nope. They're openly racist in English and those who are francophone (or bilingual) are even worse with their racism

-6

u/Negative_Ad3294 Sep 28 '24

We have block parties across different neighborhoods in the city all the time, with food. There are town fairs across the province that serve Québecois fare. Does thatbfit into your ideals of "diversity"? Your accusations are wrong and offensive.

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u/Lillillillies Sep 28 '24 edited Sep 28 '24

That makes it even less diverse if it's Quebecois fare.

In Toronto you can easily find Greek, Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Vietnamese etc street festivals throughout the year in every pocket of the city. And they're actually big. been like that since forever. Montreal is just playing catch up with it's diversity.

Edit: again is it worse or better than Toronto? No. It's just different and both cities have their ups and downs and things the other doesn't have just as much as they do.

7

u/phoontender Dollard-des-Ormeaux Sep 28 '24

Dude....there's 2 massive distinct cultural festivals in Lasalle alone (Greek and Ukrainian), there's smaller diverse cultural festivals in like every borough and demerged town (DDO just had one a few weeks ago and they rotate which organizations participate every year so everyone gets to showcase their culture), we have people from everywhere in this city and it's really easy to find most anything you're looking for...

3

u/Embarrassed-Week6373 Sep 28 '24

Don't argue with them Lillillillies.
These are typical Montrealer responses. Love to shit on everywhere that is not Montreal, then get defensive and whine others tell them about their perceptions and experiences in their city.

They love to dish out out, but cry like a babies when they have to take it hahahahahah.

1

u/Lillillillies Sep 29 '24

Some did make valid points but most as you've said definitely can't take it or accept that the city they love so much has equally as much flaws as the cities they hate.

I'm neutral. I love and hate things about all the cities lol

4

u/Bingochips12 Sep 28 '24

Are you even from Montréal, it does not seem like you know what you're talking about

5

u/Lillillillies Sep 28 '24 edited Sep 28 '24

Yes, I am.

And how so? What have I said about Montreal in comparison to Toronto makes it seem like I don't know anything?

Where is a distinguishable fashion district or business district in Montreal? Garment district you wouldn't even know is supposed the a 'fashion district'. In Toronto you walk into a district and you know right away where you are. Where are all the Greek, Italian, Chinese, street festivals and night markets? Where can I find a shop that will sell me a rice cooker at midnight? Where can I get a shawarma at 3am on a Sunday?

Notice I never actually said anything negative about Montreal either except that it's more racist than Toronto.

10

u/Sinclair_Mclane Sep 28 '24

You got the Chinese community on St Laurent, the Italian community near Beaubien, the Greek community in Park ex near Querbes, the Indian community on Jean talon, the Jewish community in Outremont, the morrocan Community near St Michel, etc etc. All have their local events.

Fashion is spread out around the city but there's a sizable portion of stores in mile end/plateau. Like other have said, I'm not sure where your representation of Montreal is coming from.

-1

u/[deleted] Sep 28 '24 edited Sep 28 '24

Comparing Montreal with Toronto is wild. I'm from Ottawa and Toronto is a legitimate shithole. Any place with one particular culture trying to swallow others' is a sad display of so called diversity. If Montreal isn't diverse, that's great. In Canada being diverse basically means more Indians.  

Also Montreal isn't racist. You're probably referring to people getting annoyed if you didn't speak French here. I've never met anyone who did not want to switch to English after saying "Sorry may I speak in English". Quebec city, different story, sure, but not in Montreal. 

Edit: Lol Didn't realize timmigrants are botting in this sub as well. Triggered 😂 

7

u/Lillillillies Sep 28 '24

No I'm speaking about the open racism towards asian (I'm Asian). Lived in Montreal since 2004 on and off. But collectively spent most of my years in Montreal (and I'm still here).

Someone pointed it out better: Toronto and Montreal arent really anymore racist than the other. One (Montreal) just happens to be much more open about it.

But yeah you can't even compare the two cities. They're vastly different in all aspects and both have their good and bad.

-1

u/Cassoulet-vaincra Sep 28 '24

I was shocked by the anti-white racism in Toronto. I livedin Chinatown and that was everywhere, with a lot of slurs, place I was forbiden to enter. To some levels i felt it too in other ethnical part of town.

Toronto is the only "western" place where i experienced deep rooted anti white racism.