kool maudit
Active Member
so i just got back from toronto, a city that i have an ever-increasing love for and appreciation of. in the downtown core, it is noticeably larger, more worldly and prominent than montreal - yet in the neighborhoods it remains noticeable that is was fairly shabby and poor compared to here in the 1930s. the little houses near bloor and dufferin, along woodbine and dundas - they are not triplexes with spiral staircases. they are clevelandesque...
but that doesn't matter. the thing that toronto is now doing -- for all the talk of inescapable difference - is the thing we were doing back when we were canada's centre. the ghanaian copy shops, the indonesian legal advice centres... it all speaks to a very wonderful and new worldy and immigration-centric metropolitanism. montreal in 1930 was toronto, leaning utility poles and all. the canadian metropolis, as an idea, is a fixed thing, however often it changes location.
my sister's new boyfriend, born and raised on dupont above the annex, was so happy to hear me sing the praises of his hometown. after all, torontonians adore montreal - why should we be so petty and churlish? they come here and like it, and i am happy to be among those who go there and like it too.
mordecai richler's montreal now takes place on bloor and ossington, roncesvalles, even yonge and summerhill which is so lower westmount it kills me.
the streetcars, the wires, the many new arrivals - it is there now. it's here too, but it's preeminent there. it's big there.
if montrealers don't love toronto they don't love themselves. montreal isn't caleche rides and bistro terrasses, montreal is chaos and bricks and a new beginning. now toronto is doing this expertly.
good for them.
but that doesn't matter. the thing that toronto is now doing -- for all the talk of inescapable difference - is the thing we were doing back when we were canada's centre. the ghanaian copy shops, the indonesian legal advice centres... it all speaks to a very wonderful and new worldy and immigration-centric metropolitanism. montreal in 1930 was toronto, leaning utility poles and all. the canadian metropolis, as an idea, is a fixed thing, however often it changes location.
my sister's new boyfriend, born and raised on dupont above the annex, was so happy to hear me sing the praises of his hometown. after all, torontonians adore montreal - why should we be so petty and churlish? they come here and like it, and i am happy to be among those who go there and like it too.
mordecai richler's montreal now takes place on bloor and ossington, roncesvalles, even yonge and summerhill which is so lower westmount it kills me.
the streetcars, the wires, the many new arrivals - it is there now. it's here too, but it's preeminent there. it's big there.
if montrealers don't love toronto they don't love themselves. montreal isn't caleche rides and bistro terrasses, montreal is chaos and bricks and a new beginning. now toronto is doing this expertly.
good for them.