Founded on May 17, 1642 (some of us may have been a tad too young to remember) and originally named Ville-Marie (City of Mary), Montreal is the most populated city in the province of Quebec and the second largest (after Toronto) in all of Canada. With such an incredibly distinct history and culture to go along with it, one can surely know you are from Montreal if…
1. You Believe Poutine To Be Stuff Dreams Are Made Of
Consisting of nothing more than French fries, cheese curds (Google it), and delicious brown gravy, poutine is the ultimate comfort food whether you just flunked an exam, broke up with your boyfriend, or received four consecutive parking tickets. Full of artery cloggin’ goodness, once you try your first authentic Montreal poutine, there’s no going back.
2. You Wholeheartedly Think The Montreal Canadiens Are The Best Team In The NHL When Reality Says Otherwise
Despite their lackluster record within the past couple of years (decades?) you still believe that the Habs are the best team to lace up a pair of skates (despite, you know, them not winning a single champion since 1993). Who’s counting anyway, right?
3. You Believe Tam Tams To Be The Second Coming Of Jesus
Basically, Tam Tams is the informal name for a festival that occurs on every Sunday, between the months of April and September, on the mountain of Mont-Royal. Locals gather around to play in a drum circle while onlookers usually just go there to relax and unwind after a night of partying the day before as well as to smoke and drink with no repercussions.
4. You Have Been To Les Foufounes Électriques At Least Once
Literally translating to “The Electric Buttocks” in Quebec French, Foufounes Électriques opened its doors in 1983 and subsequently became the hub for underground music, art, and culture in the heart of downtown Montreal. Known simply as “foufs” to the locals, this two-floor bar/club is also the city’s earliest alternative rock venue.
5. You Actually Have A Good Taste In Beer
With literally hundreds of Montreal and provincial craft microbreweries to discover and choose from (such as world famous Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel), there is no doubt a beer for everyone. Hell, even amateurs who claim to not even enjoy beer will, get this, enjoy beer. If that isn’t impressive, nothing is.
6. You Admire The Street Art Throughout The City
As one may realize by now, Montreal is renowned for numerous reason, one being for all the famous street art scattered throughout the city. Seriously people, you can’t even walk one block without having to stop and admire your surroundings. Further, Montreal even hosts an annual Mural Fest for famous artists to showcase their artistic talents.
7. You Realize Late Night Snacks Are A Blessing In Disguise
Montreal nightlife tends to go hand-in-hand with hundreds of bars and restaurants staying open until, on average, 3 a.m. There is no better (and greasier) feeling than leaving your favorite bar or club reeking like fourteen gallons of liquor only to stumble into your favorite restaurant and chow down and (hopefully not) pass out into your plate of leftover fries. Good times!
8. You Consider Anything Over 4°C To Be Warm And A Reason To Celebrate
If you’re actually wondering what 4 degrees Celsius feels like, just open your refrigerator door and stand in front of it for about thirty minutes, you’ll get the idea. If that isn’t enough, there are some weirdos that believe it is perfectly normal to be parading outdoors in shorts at that time. Also, Igloofest is real.
9. You Most Likely Live In A Café
Montreal is actually prominent for having some of the best cafés in the world (I may or may not have just made that up) and chances are, you will find at least one on every street corner. Upon walking in, you’ll find the establishment littered with students, business folk, and people pretending to be doing something important but in reality just looking up cat videos. Praise free WiFi!
10. You Understand That Montreal Is The Place To Be During The Summer
Unlike the cafés, I seriously mean it when I say Montreal is world famous for their summer festivals and any real Montrealer will know this. That is, there seems to be at least one festival catered for someone. Be it Osheaga, Jazz Fest, Just For Laughs, Heavy MTL, Ile Soniq, and even the aforementioned Mural Fest, you are bound to discover at least one that you enjoy.
By now it should be quite obvious that Montreal has plenty to offer, you just have to know what’s right for you. Have you ever been to Montreal and, if so, what are some of your fondest memories? Don’t be shy, let us know in the comments below!
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