The other day I was reading a post over at John’s Sinosplice, and it got me thinking (always a dangerous thing). His Shanghai vs. Beijing post has generated numerous comments discussing the pros and cons of China’s two largest cities. Expats, it seems, love comparing Chinese cities. We will promote and defend our adopted hometowns, dismissing other urban areas as “faceless” or “soulless”. Often, we will also take shots at our own cities, decrying the crowds, dirt and questionable urban planning. I’ve been guilty of this myself, having recently compiled a not-very-researched list of “Top 5s” concerning Chinese cities.
This entry, however, is dedicated to my Chinese readership (I know there are at least a few of you out there). I’m sure you are probably tired of hearing your guests complaining about China’s urban areas, so this one’s for you: I’m going to compare Canada’s two largest cities, Toronto and Montréal.
1) Brief Overview
Toronto: Canada’s largest metropolitan area, with 4,682,897 people (2001 Census). Despite the commonly held belief that it is the country’s capital, that honour belongs to the much smaller city of Ottawa. But if you are thinking in terms of industry, power and money, Toronto might as well be. This place is downtown Canada, the country’s “economic engine”. Most of the country’s movers and shakers necessarily live here, whether they want to or not. The huge towers of Canada’s major banks dominate the downtown scene. Given Toronto’s size and importance, it is the city that most other Canadians love to hate. If you are an English Canadian, most of what you watch or read is probably produced here (or in the United States).
Montréal: Canada’s second largest metropolitan area, with 3,426,350 people (2001 Census). Although its days as Canada’s economic powerhouse are long gone, it remains French Canada’s economic and cultural heart. This is probably why, despite its size, it receives little national attention as a major city. Many Canadians seem to have written the place off, mostly because of that strange and exotic language called French, “Sure it’s a great place to visit, but how could you possibly have a decent life there? They speak French!”. Within Québec, the city is often simply referred to as “la métropole”, or the metropolis. If you are French Canadian, most of what you watch or read is probably produced here (or in the United States).
2) Climate
Neither city really comes out on top in this category. Both are freezing in the winter and often unbearably hot in the summer. In fact, you have a pretty similar situation in most inhabited areas of Canada. Montréal probably gets more snow, but doesn’t need to call in the army when this happens. During the summer, citizens of both cities can be seen clogging highways trying to escape the humid hell of their respective urban furnaces.
Winner: Mother Nature
3) Development and Environment
In terms of development, Toronto and Montréal are quite different. The former is arguably the most American of Canadian cities: despite a pretty lively downtown core, a good chunk of the Toronto experience involves suburban sprawl, clogged highways and faceless highrises. Most friends who tell you they live in Toronto actually don’t live very near the city proper at all. Montréal, on the other hand, has been constrained by geography: the fact that it is an island keeps it pretty concentrated as an urban area. However, if mindless suburbia is what you seek, this can easily be found on the North and South Shores.
Toronto feels bigger, better planned and more spacious: Montréal feels a bit more congested and haphazard, sporting some of the best examples of Québec’s notoriously shoddy transportation infrastructure.
In terms of environment, both cities are tops. Although much fuss is made about the summer smog in Toronto, to anyone arriving from China this is peanuts. The clearest day in Hangzhou would be declared a national smog emergency in either Toronto or Montréal. Wonderful blue skies are a common occurrence, not a miracle. Both cities are nice and green in the summer, and amazingly clean as major cities go. Montréal, however, gets a slight edge due to geographical location : sitting on an island in the middle of the St-Lawrence river, the wonderful vistas from Mount Royal prove it to be more naturally attractive than Toronto.
Winner (planning and efficiency): Toronto
Winner (environment): Montréal
4) Culture
This is a tough one. Toronto is Canada’s, if not the world’s, most multicultural city. Every ethnicity you could possibly think of probably has an enclave somewhere in there. Huge numbers of immigrants have helped Toronto throw off its reputation as a boring, tight-assed Anglo-Saxon city. Great neighbourhoods and diversity abound. The city is also the heart of the country’s cultural industry and media organizations. Walking around Toronto is like taking in the world.
Although I find the term “Paris of North America” rather silly, Montréal really does exude a latin joie-de-vivre. Sidewalks cafés, arrogant well-dressed people, great historical architecture: it’s a place that seems to care more about culture than making money. Make no mistake, though: the Québecois are about as French as the Americans are British. Firmly planted in America, the city nonetheless maintains a very European urban sensibility, evident in the cobble stone streets of Old Montréal. Despite being perceived as a “French” city, Montréal also enjoys a significant diversity, home to people from all over the world. Add this all up and you have one culturally fascinating city.
Winner: Montréal
5) Nightlife
I’m not even going to waste a paragraph on this one.
Winner: Montréal (by far)
6) Wealth and Job Opportunity
This one is no contest. Unless you are fluently bilingual (which most Canadians are not, despite what they may tell you), Toronto is the place you want to be. If you want to rise to the top in Canada, you will be doing it in this city (or Calgary if you are an oil tycoon).
Montréal’s French language requirements scare off most English-speaking Canadians, and its economy over the past several decades has been pretty shaky due to political instability. It has recently been experiencing a renaissance, but will probably maintain its reputation as a city in decline for a little while still.
Winner: Toronto
7) Hockey
This category is also no contest. I was 12 the last time the Montreal Canadiens won the Stanley Cup, in 1993. My dad was still in university the last time the Toronto Maple Leafs won the cup, and let’s just say these days he’s pushing 60. The Canadiens are the Yankees of the NHL, with the most championships in the league. Granted, they have been pretty awful in recently years, but Montréal has been home to many of hockey’s greatest dynasties. How the Hockey Hall of Fame ended up in Toronto, god only knows.
Winner: Montréal
8) People
Montrealers are renowned for fierce pride in their hometown. They see themselves as cosmopolitan, cultured and sophisticated, meaning they smack of arrogance to out-of-towners. Members of all linguistic groups get along rather well, enjoying bars and festivals together. Most English speakers who cannot accept that Québec speaks French have moved to Toronto anyways. Economic problems aside, Montrealers love their city and the cultural blending it represents. Oh yeah, I also forgot to mention the love for 3am closing times and a very liberal alcohol policy.
Torontonians are convinced their city is Canada, and they smack of arrogance to out-of-towners. What is most amazing about the city’s population is its sheer diversity, unequalled in many other places on earth. I think people have lost count as to how many Chinatowns there now are in the area. Torontonians love to sing the praises of their hometown, but they know deep down they will probably never achieve the funky cool status dominated by their Montreal cousins. But this doesn’t bother them much, because they know that, for its size, Toronto is one of the more liveable cities in the world. Peace, order and good government, that’s what it’s all about. And maybe some fun on the weekend.
Unfortunately, both Montrealers and Torontonians share a rather annoying insecurity complex. Despite living in great cities, they are constantly looking for validation from others, especially American media. “Look, they love us, they really love us!” When a major Hollywood production sets up shop in either town, watch as the locals act like school children with sincere star quotes like “(enter city name) is great!” wasting valuable headline space. It is rather pathetic.
Winner: tie (with slight edge to Montrealers)
9) City the average Chinese person would rather live in
Winner: Vancouver
Stupid post.
Currently I am living in Quebec. I moved out of Toronto as the “it’s Toronto bitches” “welcome to Toronto” “get used to it” attitude was getting to me. They think their city is ‘Northern New York’.
Very nice comparison. Good Blog. I don’t know what Mike didn’t liked, his post is stupid indeed.