I always like going to Montreal. Coincidentally, I also briefly worked on a high floor of FCP in Toronto, during the mid 80s in my first job after business school.
Interesting observations about Montreal. It has changed much since Mordecai Richler was alive, one of my favourite and much-missed writers. Still pick up Barneys Version now and again, to re-read it. The place went downhill after he passed away, I'm sure of it. Recall driving along Rue St Denis in a Lincoln Town Car in the mid-80's with the Montreal street life trying to climb in through the open rear windows......that , the Festival Du'homard and the FI grand prix with the superb Gilles Villeneuve in June - great days. This country has changed, and not for the better since the Chretien years. He was the only Liberal PM I grudgingly admired. At least he seemed to genuinely work for the interests of the people - or at least, gave that impression.
It has changed much, and mostly not for the better (too many people and cars sharing an inadequate road infrastructure), but it’s still a wonderful city I would also encourage any Canadian who hasn’t been there to visit. Though born and raised in Edmonton, I was fortunate to live there for fourteen years, getting an MA and PhD, getting married (at Parc Jean-Drapeau) and having two kids, becoming fluent in French in the process. How fortunate I was to have that experience. At its best, Montreal is by far the best city in Canada, with an amazing history, great parks, so many unique neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, public markets, the mountain and the mighty St. Laurence. There’s really nowhere else quite like it.
Montreal is a very different city today than it was when I grew up there late 50's thru the 60's. As you I often visited Montreal from the 80's thru early 2000's as the company had a large regional office there and a major refinery. I loved going there....It's a wonderful city to experience on an expense account, and my trips were always nostalgia tours as well. We originally lived in suburban St Lambert then in Westmount. I was there with my sisters 8 years ago and the old neighborhood still looked beautiful. It really hadn't changed much since we left in late 60's when my Dad's company Alcan transferred 500 people to Toronto. That was the beginning of the dramatic shift of people and capital out of Montreal to Toronto. I ended up at BP Canada years later when they were one of the last corporate moves and they had a few vacancies to fill at their new HQ in First Canadian Place. Yep, 57th floor with a view of Lake Ontario.....thank you Montreal and Quebec😊
Very interesting. Montreal is my home, left it for good in 2018. I dont miss it, really, although I miss some friends, I am back to see family every two months. It was a great place to grow up and live most of my life, as an Anglo. Now that I live in Ontario, I appreciate that Quebec generally has resisted woke, Ontario is fully infested.
I always like going to Montreal. Coincidentally, I also briefly worked on a high floor of FCP in Toronto, during the mid 80s in my first job after business school.
Interesting observations about Montreal. It has changed much since Mordecai Richler was alive, one of my favourite and much-missed writers. Still pick up Barneys Version now and again, to re-read it. The place went downhill after he passed away, I'm sure of it. Recall driving along Rue St Denis in a Lincoln Town Car in the mid-80's with the Montreal street life trying to climb in through the open rear windows......that , the Festival Du'homard and the FI grand prix with the superb Gilles Villeneuve in June - great days. This country has changed, and not for the better since the Chretien years. He was the only Liberal PM I grudgingly admired. At least he seemed to genuinely work for the interests of the people - or at least, gave that impression.
It has changed much, and mostly not for the better (too many people and cars sharing an inadequate road infrastructure), but it’s still a wonderful city I would also encourage any Canadian who hasn’t been there to visit. Though born and raised in Edmonton, I was fortunate to live there for fourteen years, getting an MA and PhD, getting married (at Parc Jean-Drapeau) and having two kids, becoming fluent in French in the process. How fortunate I was to have that experience. At its best, Montreal is by far the best city in Canada, with an amazing history, great parks, so many unique neighborhoods, beautiful architecture, public markets, the mountain and the mighty St. Laurence. There’s really nowhere else quite like it.
Montreal is a very different city today than it was when I grew up there late 50's thru the 60's. As you I often visited Montreal from the 80's thru early 2000's as the company had a large regional office there and a major refinery. I loved going there....It's a wonderful city to experience on an expense account, and my trips were always nostalgia tours as well. We originally lived in suburban St Lambert then in Westmount. I was there with my sisters 8 years ago and the old neighborhood still looked beautiful. It really hadn't changed much since we left in late 60's when my Dad's company Alcan transferred 500 people to Toronto. That was the beginning of the dramatic shift of people and capital out of Montreal to Toronto. I ended up at BP Canada years later when they were one of the last corporate moves and they had a few vacancies to fill at their new HQ in First Canadian Place. Yep, 57th floor with a view of Lake Ontario.....thank you Montreal and Quebec😊
Very interesting. Montreal is my home, left it for good in 2018. I dont miss it, really, although I miss some friends, I am back to see family every two months. It was a great place to grow up and live most of my life, as an Anglo. Now that I live in Ontario, I appreciate that Quebec generally has resisted woke, Ontario is fully infested.