15 Reasons Why I Wish I Grew Up Somewhere Other Than Montreal

You can’t deny that Montreal is a great city, but there are a couple of things that we all love to hate about it. Growing up here has been a bliss, but I could still come up with a number of disappointing aspects that have ruined my positive impression of this city. Here are my 15 reasons why I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal.

1.Having your French ignored

As someone who’s English has always been better than their French, I must admit that it’s terribly frustrating to have people deliberately respond to you in English when you’re trying to speak French. This makes practicing the language practically impossible and also makes you feel like an absolutely loser.

 

One thing I hated about growing up in Montreal

2.Endless construction

Seriously, this isn’t even funny. Montreal has been under construction for as a long as I can remember. The only difference is that the construction sites move around but they never actually disappear. Now just imagine trying to get anywhere with all of that traffic – impossible.

This is why I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal

3.Poutine is way too overhyped

I understand that a lot of people love poutine and I personally don’t mind it myself, but there’s no need to constantly go on about it. Yes, it’s a staple of Canadian cuisine, we get it. No, we don’t want to hear about it every day and have it served at pretty much every single restaurant.

One of the main reasons why I hated growing up in Montreal

4.The tube is unreliable

The tube (or should I say, metro) in Montreal is ridiculously unreliable because it keeps breaking down. It’s not exactly fun when you’re late to an important event because the tube just isn’t working, seemingly for no reason.

I hated this growing up in Montreal

5.Snow removal service isn’t great

Who could’ve guessed that a city that constantly experiences sub-zero temperatures and lots of snow is unable to sort out its snow removal! Obviously this isn’t true for all parts of Montreal, but it does apply to small side streets and distant suburbs. That’s definitely one of the top reasons why Montreal winters suck.

You too would have hated this growing up in Montreal

6.Slow walkers in downtown

Truth be told, I’ve experienced this problem in the UK as well, but it doesn’t make it any less frustrating. Growing up in Montreal I distinctly remember constantly getting stuck behind slow walkers in the central part of town. It’s especially irritating when you have places to be…

One of the top 15 reasons I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal

7.Rude tourists

This is especially upsetting in a country known for its politeness. The amount of tourists that swarm Montreal in the summertime is already ridiculous, and it only gets worse – the majority of them tend to be very impolite (at least from personal experience).

One of the worst things about growing up in Montreal

8.Horrible roads

Surely this shouldn’t be the case, considering that the city is constantly under construction! But unfortunately, Montreal still suffers from horrible roads. Frankly, it’s rather embarrassing.

Easily one of the worst things about growing up in Montreal

9.Underwelming underground city

Doesn’t “underground city” sound like a cool, hidden part of town that’s full of fun things that you could explore? Well, it’s definitely quite the opposite. Montreal’s famed underground city is simply a huge shopping mall. It’s convenient, but not nearly as much fun as it should be.

Here’s one of the reasons why I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal

10.Too many protests

Sure, protesting against something you disagree with and trying to express your opinion is great. However, if you live in a city that keeps on hosting protests, it can get a bit frustrating. Especially if you’ve got things to do and you want to be able to move around freely.

This is why growing up in Montreal isn’t as great

11.Really high taxes

When I was a child, the problem of high taxes would have been more of a concern for my parents. Nonetheless, it’s definitely not one of Montreal’s strongest points. It would have been fine had the money actually been reinvested into the city, which it doesn’t seem to be.

One of the worst things about growing up in Montreal

12.Uncertain weather

There’s nothing wrong with changing seasons, but sometimes the weather in Montreal can be quite unpredictable. It can go from sun to rain in minutes, making it practically impossible to plan a day out.

This is one of the worst parts about growing up in Montreal

13.Hot water shortages

Most of the water system in Montreal is over 100 years old, which inevitably leads to leaks and breakages. Unfortunately, not much has been done to fix this issue. You can often end up without hot water and that can be absolutely terrifying during our cold winters.

This is why I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal

14.The windchill is real

One thing that you have to remember about Montreal is that none of the temperature forecasts are correct, which is why newscasters will always mention the windchill adjustment. Trust me, ignoring the windchill is never a good idea.

One thing I hated about growing up in Montreal

15.Aggressive cyclists

This is more of an issue if you drive, but it can also be quite daunting if you’re a pedestrian. Just don’t assume that the cyclists will politely wait for their turn or actually look where they’re going. It’s best to always be on your guard when you’re around them.

This is why I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal

Did you relate to any of the reasons why I wish I grew up somewhere other than Montreal? What’s your least favourite thing about this city? Let us know below!

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