Have you written about your thoughts about Montréal elsewhere?
I spent four days there after visiting Vancouver and Toronto this past June and July (I have lived in both). Montréal is different in many respects. Historical and cultural differences are reflected in the architecture, planning, and daily life of its citizens. The traditional, medium density row housing with narrow streets suite pedestrians and a slower, more leisurely pace. Housing is significantly cheaper than in the major English speaking Canadian cities. And, of course, the cost of buying or renting accommodation has a huge flow on effect. It changes everything.
My reading of the three cities was that Montreal is is the cultural centre, Toronto is the business centre, and Vancouver is more of an outdoor, adventure tourism centre. Of course, that’s an unfair oversimplification. But the differences seemed significant.
That’s an excellent piece you wrote on Discourse (which I will have to investigate).
After much time away (I moved from Toronto to Dunedin, New Zealand in 1993), I now have a more distanced view of Canadian cities (I also lived in Rochester, NY during my Wonder Bread years (helps build strong bodies 12 ways), which formed my now-outdated view of suburban living).
In our efforts to revisit, rediscover, and remake cities and towns the way we imagined they once were (in our Happy Days film-and-television-inspired view of the past), we’ve managed to create a lot of faux tourist towns that are no more substantial or real than old half-remembered sitcoms and Hollywood B films.
After growing up with too many bowls of Fruit Loops, 1-2-3 Jello, and TV Dinners, we yearn for authenticity and a real experience outside the box that is the indoor mall, the TV set, and the movie theatre. The narratives that we grew up on were entertaining but never filled the gaping hole where we thought we would find real, genuine, human experiences. But maybe I just have to get with the program, buy an Oculus headset, and go full-immersion like everybody else.
Sugar shacks are exactly like that in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, too.
As far as the food goes, American diner and sugar shack menus share a common origin: food that 19th century manual laborers would eat and could afford. Common year-round farm food, basically.
For sugar shacks there's an added compensation: since the sugaring season is at the beginning of the growing season, all the food would be stuff preserved from the previous year: ham, sausages, bacon, potatoes, dried peas, etc.
Have you written about your thoughts about Montréal elsewhere?
I spent four days there after visiting Vancouver and Toronto this past June and July (I have lived in both). Montréal is different in many respects. Historical and cultural differences are reflected in the architecture, planning, and daily life of its citizens. The traditional, medium density row housing with narrow streets suite pedestrians and a slower, more leisurely pace. Housing is significantly cheaper than in the major English speaking Canadian cities. And, of course, the cost of buying or renting accommodation has a huge flow on effect. It changes everything.
My reading of the three cities was that Montreal is is the cultural centre, Toronto is the business centre, and Vancouver is more of an outdoor, adventure tourism centre. Of course, that’s an unfair oversimplification. But the differences seemed significant.
Yes, here! https://www.discoursemagazine.com/p/montreal-shows-what-a-city-can-be
That’s an excellent piece you wrote on Discourse (which I will have to investigate).
After much time away (I moved from Toronto to Dunedin, New Zealand in 1993), I now have a more distanced view of Canadian cities (I also lived in Rochester, NY during my Wonder Bread years (helps build strong bodies 12 ways), which formed my now-outdated view of suburban living).
In our efforts to revisit, rediscover, and remake cities and towns the way we imagined they once were (in our Happy Days film-and-television-inspired view of the past), we’ve managed to create a lot of faux tourist towns that are no more substantial or real than old half-remembered sitcoms and Hollywood B films.
After growing up with too many bowls of Fruit Loops, 1-2-3 Jello, and TV Dinners, we yearn for authenticity and a real experience outside the box that is the indoor mall, the TV set, and the movie theatre. The narratives that we grew up on were entertaining but never filled the gaping hole where we thought we would find real, genuine, human experiences. But maybe I just have to get with the program, buy an Oculus headset, and go full-immersion like everybody else.
The savoury pie that you had?
It may have been this: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/261983/tourtiere-french-canadian-meat-pie/
Probably! Or something pretty similar.
Sugar shacks are exactly like that in Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, too.
As far as the food goes, American diner and sugar shack menus share a common origin: food that 19th century manual laborers would eat and could afford. Common year-round farm food, basically.
For sugar shacks there's an added compensation: since the sugaring season is at the beginning of the growing season, all the food would be stuff preserved from the previous year: ham, sausages, bacon, potatoes, dried peas, etc.
Maple taffy is clearly a tourist snare and also one of the best desserts ever invented.
We tried to make our own one year after visiting Quebec with limited success.
Absolutely love Montreal and maple syrup. Will definitely keep this in mind if I ever make it there again.