10 reasons, not including Rob Ford, why Montreal is better than Toronto

[ProposMontréal]

Source: Thrillist

 

 

Sure, sure, sure. This war’s been waged a thousand times, but we found 10 reasons why Montreal trumps the “t-dot” (which is a stupid name, btw) and we didn’t even have to use low-blow examples like Rob Ford, Toronto's "sports" teams, or that shining moment when former mayor Mel Lastman called in the military that time it SNOWED IN THE WINTER.

 

1. Better bagels, poutine, smoked meat, and sandwiches.

Let’s just start by getting this out of the way. Montreal is home to one of the best sandwiches in the world, the best bagels in the world, the greatest poutines, and the best smoked meat. Eat that Toronto.

 

2. You can drink anywhere in Montreal, all the time.

Yes, you can legally drink in public in Montreal as long as you’re eating food. And since Montreal has the best Canadian food in the country, that technicality is pretty much a friendly reminder. Heck, you can’t even drink alcohol on a licensed patio in Toronto after 11p.

 

3. Obtaining alcohol to drink in public is easier.

In Montreal, wine and beer are sold in dépanneurs, the greatest corner stores in the world, until 11p, the time most Torontonians are climbing into bed. Also? The beer here is better in general.

 

4. "Joie de vivre".

People from Toronto don’t even know what this means, partly because it’s French, and partly because Montreal is legitimately one of the happiest places in the world, and Toronto isn't. And on that subject...

 

5. Fun isn’t illegal in Montreal.

This is not hyperbole. Montrealers are often found frolicking joyously in parks whilst flying kites, having civilized outdoor dinner parties wherein alcohol is consumed, or joining a hippie drum circle on the side of the mountain. All of the above are literally illegal in Toronto. Toronto has a problem with fun (for those too lazy to follow that link, it's a Toronto newspaper describing how the city's denizens have to go to Montreal to have anything resembling a good time).

 

6. All the best parties happen in Montreal.

People from around the world come to Montreal for the Jazz Fest, Osheaga, Just For Laughs, Igloofest, etc., or to just take in Montreal’s famously awesome nightlife scene.

 

7. Montreal has a mountain

Sure it ain’t no Mt. Everest, but at least our mountain isn’t made of garbage (Chinguacousy Hill, I’m looking at you), and it means we have way better snow sports.

 

8. The cost of living will cost you almost nothing.

Montrealers live in beautiful, penthouse-sized apartments with large balconies, and it costs them what a Torontonian pays for their monthly subway pass. And talking of the subway...

 

9. Montreal’s award-winning metro system actually makes sense.

Who in the hell designed Toronto’s subway system? The impractical waste of money that is called the TTC basically amounts to a straight line running through a narrow “U” shape. And a monthly pass costs about twice as much as one in Montreal.

 

10. Montreal isn’t a sprawling suburban wasteland.

The Greater Toronto Area is where Torontonians who have given up on life go move into cookie-cutter houses and burden themselves with the worst commute in North America.

[ProposMontréal]

Source: Thrillist

 

Arguing that Toronto is better than Montreal (and vice versa) is as Canadian as the maple syrup stuck in Commander Hadfield’s mustache as it gently curls to accommodate the booming vowel sounds of our national anthem. But with more serious issues raging on in the world, it’s time to put an end to this silly quibble so we can all move on. Without further adieu, here are your 10 definitive reasons why Toronto is totally superior to Montreal.

 

1. The traffic

The traffic in Montreal is notoriously terrible and not helped by the fact that it’s an island filled with over-aggressive drivers who can’t find anywhere to park and have to weave around potholes larger than their vehicles. We’d be angry, too.

 

2. Better festivals

Aside from Cannes, the Toronto International Film Festival is arguably the best of its kind in the world. Caribana is North America's largest street festival. The annual Santa Claus parade is so widely popular, it’s broadcast to countries around the world. Pride Week is the second largest gay pride festival in the world.

 

3. Healthcare

We have doctors. Montreal has a massive shortage of healthcare pros, and has since the '90s.

 

4. Booze selection

The two largest liquor monopolies in Canada are the LCBO in Ontario and the SAQ in Quebec. And while the French love their wine, good luck finding anything at the SAQ that didn’t come from France. In Ontario, there’s better selection, extensive inventory, and a focus on locally-produced vinos, beers, etc.

 

5. Better weather

Winter in Montreal brings colder temperatures, more wind, more ice, and more snow. Have fun eating baguettes in that, Frenchies!

 

6. Sports teams

Both cities have NHL and MLS teams, but Toronto also has the Blue Jays and the Raptors. Yes, they suck, and routinely break our hearts, but at least we have them.

 

7. Ethnic food

Toronto has the best and most diverse ethnic food in the country (sorry to drag you into this Vancouver, but you can suck it too!). From high-end restos to greasy spoons, the options are endless and represent every taste you could ever crave.

 

8. Shopping

Toronto has whole neighborhoods, like Yorkville, dedicated to international and Canadian designers, lady-pleasing fashion stores, mass retailers, boutiques, salons, and jewelry stores. In Kensington Market and Parkdale, you can dig for vintage duds, and the Eaton Centre shopping mall draws more than a million visitors a week.

 

9. Street vendors

Just like our diverse selection of restos, we’ve also got tons of options when it comes to grabbing a bite on the street, from hot dog vendors to food trucks. In Montreal food trucks were literally illegal until this Summer.

 

10. Concerts and theatre

Toronto is always a stop for bands on domestic and international tours, bringing some of the biggest names in the world to the city and providing a stage for emerging artists. The city’s theatre culture is thriving as well, with musicals, drama, comedies and Broadway favorites put on by Mirvish, Soulpepper, Canstage, Lower Ossington Theater and more. In Montreal, these things are all severely handicapped by the fact that they -- like all other things -- are in French.

[ProposMontréal]

Avec quels points êtes vous d'accord ou en désaccord Toronto vs Montréal.

[Feanaro]

On va suivre de très près ce sujet parce que le risque de dérapage est intense...

[ProposMontréal]

C'est fait avec humour.

je sais déjà de qui va venir ce dérapage de toute façon!

 

On va suivre de très près ce sujet parce que le risque de dérapage est intense...

[Nameless_1]

J,ai posté ca sur le facebook de ma soeur..... ca va être deleté avant 6am

[yarabundi]

4. Booze selection

The two largest liquor monopolies in Canada are the LCBO in Ontario and the SAQ in Quebec. And while the French love their wine, good luck finding anything at the SAQ that didn’t come from France. In Ontario, there’s better selection, extensive inventory, and a focus on locally-produced vinos, beers, etc.

 

Il ne doit pas être allé dans une succursale de la SAQ très souvent. Cet été, j'ai trouvé du vin argentin, sud-africain, marocain, chilien, néo-zélandais, italien, portugais et...et...ah oui !! aussi du vin français !! Mais bon, c'est censé être une liste juste pour rire.

[FollowTheLeader]

Its funny that these arguments come to the point of talking about which city has the best booze selection. Like we should value a city because of the great choice of liquor it provides. Therefore #4 is irrelevant. I can say that both cities are equally great and each have something better and worse to offer.

Modifié 29 octobre 2013 par FollowTheLeader

[ProposMontréal]

Its funny that these arguments come to the point of talking about which city has the best booze selection. Like we should value a city because of the great choice of liquor it provides. Therefore #4 is irrelevant. I can say that both cities are equally great and each have something better and worse to offer.

 

Je me tue à dire depuis assez longtemps que Montréal doit cesser de se comparer à Toronto qui est rendue 2 fois plus grosse que nous tout comme Québec ne devrait plus se comparer à Montréal qui est 2 fois plus grosse qu'elle. Comparons des pommes avec des pommes. Comparons nous à Stockholm, Oslo, Philadelphia, San Francisco ou Houston. Toronto est au Canada ce que New-York est au USA.

[steve_36]

Je me tue à dire depuis assez longtemps que Montréal doit cesser de se comparer à Toronto qui est rendue 2 fois plus grosse que nous tout comme Québec ne devrait plus se comparer à Montréal qui est 2 fois plus grosse qu'elle. Comparons des pommes avec des pommes. Comparons nous à Stockholm, Oslo, Philadelphia, San Francisco ou Houston. Toronto est au Canada ce que New-York est au USA.

 

Je ne suis pas d'accord avec toi car on peut très bien comparé Montréal avec Toronto ou new York ou n'importe grande quelle grande ville. Bien sur que si notre critère principale pour aimer une ville c'est sa taille alors Montréal ne fera pas le poids devant New York par contre si un des critères principaux est la qualité de vie alors Montréal est dans le coup. Et Toronto n'est pas 2 fois plus grande que Montréal. Toronto est a peine plus grande que Montréal.

 

Pour en revenir aux 2 listes, je crois qu'il y a des éléments important qui manquent pour faire un meilleur choix. Je pense a la dualité linguistique de Montréal qui est un facteur super important (pour moi), et je pense aussi au Vieux-Montréal, 1 atout majeur tant pour les touristes que pour les locaux.

 

Par contre Toronto a un net avantage pour le dynamisme de son développement, par le grand lac qui donne l'impression d'un bord de mer ainsi que l'accès a ce grand lac, loin d'être parfait mais qui est mieux que notre accès au fleuve. Toronto ne semble pas souffrir de tout ce qui est débat linguistique et maintenant débat sur la charte, ce qui lui permet de mettre son énergie ailleurs, et tant mieux pour eux.

 

Montréal n'a rien a envié Toronto pour les restos ethniques, je crois c'est égal a ce niveau et Toronto n'a rien a envié coté métro, je crois que c'est match nul. Il est vrai que le concert and théâtre Toronto a beaucoup de production de Broadway mais Montréal a beaucoup de production locale qu'on ne retrouve pas ailleurs. Et je sais que cela ne compte pas pour les autres car c'est en Français mais pour nous c'est très important.