Comments on: November 9, 2009: Montreal is a corrupt, crumbling, mob-ridden disgrace

By: Jay

Jay — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 23:20:17 +0000

Thank you for finally publishing this article re. Montreal & corruption. It's about time this is publicly spoken about – even if some may disagree. But, for those of you who dislike this article – at least back up why you dislike it because…(i.e. "The real disgrace is Macleans magazine for publishing such an ignorant and ill informed headline. No wonder no one reads Macleans any more!) …doesn't cut it!

By: Cliff

Cliff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:50:29 +0000

I've been a Vancouverite since 1996 and two of my ex Montreal friends now live in Toronto. I've shown this article to both on separate occasions and all three of us concur: What took so many decades for this to come out in the media. Our reaction was " Yeah and?…so now it's in print". Regardless, I still love it. I still think the police are in bed with the mob. There are too many things that are against the law which are permissible in Montreal. How do I know? I've partaken in some of these illegal harmless acts.

By: Marko

Marko — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:42:40 +0000

Absolutely agree 110%. As a Montrealer I am no longer proud of this broken down mess of city. People stay here because it is cheap and pretentious! Get over it already! This is not Europe and no self respecting European would want to be associated with place. Maybe one day Mother nature will do the city a favor a "SNAP" the island off its unstable pedestal in the river and let it sink like the Titanic.

By: Oliver

Oliver — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:51 +0000

Actually the ruling in regards to Bill 104 was that Quebec would have to reformulate the law within a year (to human rights standards) or the Bill would be completly scrapped. Moreover, the "disaster" you speak of was the product of having treated the majority of the population as second-class citizens. Lastly, although Montreal's government is corrupt, what "legalized acts of racism" are you refering to? Your view on the subject gives the impression that you are either misinformed or uneducated.

By: Dephne

Dephne — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:22:00 +0000

As much as this article is inappropriate, I have to applaud it because everything as correct. I happen to be from Montreal and this is not new to me. People need to stop trying to defend Montreal because this is the real deal. If your not from Montreal, take the time from writing stupidity over the internet and actually read the article. What you see or read is what you actually get.

By: Lanan

Lanan — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:37:34 +0000

How sad that some people see this as an attack on the province of Quebec or Montrealers themselves. It isn't. It's a fact. Montreal has so much potential, or did, but we can't continue to live on what once was or what could be. It's embarrassing to have tourists and friends come up every year only to find the same strip of St. Laurent being worked on Every. Single. Time. And then to see store owners on that strip worn down, day by day, season by season, finally giving up. Restaurants run out of business, if not by the mob then the government. Empty building after empty building in areas that are supposed to be the city's lifeblood, because landlords would rather have them remain stagnant than bring down their rents, because potential business owners have moved elsewhere. Cops who'd rather bust confused tourists for riding bicycles on the sidewalk or locals for walking their dogs off leash than clearly visible drug dealers scattered throughout the park. Roads that are 'a special case' and extra hard to fix, but whose problems magically end once they hit the provincial or national border.

Yes, Montreal is 'special,' independent, whatever. But we've spent so much time trying to maintain our status among both Quebecers and Canadians, we've rested on our laurels while other cities have built up their arts and commerce with money, enthusiasm, cooperation – and thousands of Montrealers who have fled in search of a job that actually pays. They may not get our perks, but having access to great markets and cheap BYOW restos can't pay for your retirement.

The funny thing is everyone thought things were going to change, at least a little. Last summer hundreds of Hells Angels and their cohorts were arrested, taken off the streets. But where are they now? They are out on bail doing exactly what they did before they were arrested, including running their businesses. And Montrealers are willing to work with them. Maybe that's the saddest part of all. People expect corruption and are desperate for work, so finding out your bosses are in jail for fraud and selling drugs has ceased to be a reason to stop working for them.

By: Lana

Lana — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:27:08 +0000

Uh, dud,e why do you think there aren't many big companies out there? How eager would you be to start one up or bid on contracts if you were competing against the Hells Angels?

By: Gregory

Gregory — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 06:42:51 +0000

It seem to me quite clear. The hole thing is corrupt, by essence. Not Montreal, nor the Canadian federation (for who so ever it could hypothetically exist)We usually celebrate those dynamism by mediated euphorisms of the capitalist system in a kind of spectacular, unstopable dum ass child's posture who talk in "spot" and eat our future.
Won't you understand the mafia is only a toy in the new class war against the people. The game globalise itself while you still all talk local.
You Canadians fool….

D'ici le soleil brille pour tous, et on y croit.

By: Bill W

Bill W — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:07:36 +0000

According to your comparison The Economist and its coverage, in June 2009, of Montreal's municipal corruption would have to be in the same category as Fox News! (See http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_i... I'm returning to Europe partly because I can take no more of all the corruption and cronyism (magouille), anglo- or francophone, I've seen here and because so many locals seem to have such naive illusions Canada's "good governance", y compris celle de Montréal et du Québec. Please wake up/Réveillez-vous, s.v.p.

By: hope

hope — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:48:43 +0000

The mob seized control of roadways long before he arrived, however… we have always known– just drive across the border and feel the difference! It's been this way for as long as I can remember (and I was born in 64)… the only explanation could have been that those who were responsible for building and maintaining our infrastructure, or at least the roadways, were only in it for the money, and deliberately used methods and materials that would have a very short shelf-life… then, more ware and tear on the cars too, and many garages are also involved… I'm glad it's finally coming out… though I'm not sure what exactly will be able to be done about it…

By: hope

hope — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:48:24 +0000

I have not read this particular article… but I have lived in Montreal most of my life, except for five years in Vancouver, a beautiful city that also has its problems… Montreal has been struggling since the exodus in about 76, then again in 82 when in both cases all head offices pulled out of quebec to go to TO, forcing the economy to plummet… then we had the Olympic Stadium to pay for during many years of economic depression… the upside, however, was for years rent and real estate were affordable and education cheap, at almost half the cost of other Canadian cities… but I would guess the mob has been here in Montreal, and growing, since pre-prohibition… the head of which from New York (if memory serves me) lives in a suburb of Montreal with his family… they were convicted of trafficking heroin, cocaine, etc and "somehow" wound up here–how far corruption extends…

By: really?

really? — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:52:51 +0000

I'm so over Macleans's sensationalist covers. They can't even give their magazine away anymore. I stopped my subscription years ago and still receive free copies delivered to my door. They keep losing readers and credibility. Nobody cares what they have to say! This cover is just another desperate attempt to sell magazines and drive traffic to their website…

By: guess what

guess what — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:11:37 +0000

hey toronto, keep me laughing, and relish wih your boiled chicken;
and, by the way have you hit your 99 th murder yet…

By: flembot

flembot — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:18:56 +0000

Canada would be so much better without a shameless rag specializing in nothing more than character assasination. One more smut throw from the toronto right wing. Why seperate when we can amputate ontario?

By: Serge Morin

Serge Morin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:16:06 +0000

Answer to Mitch : if Montréal is beyond a disaster an utter disgrace to Canada… imagine how it is with that bandit of Harper as Prime Minister. Wow! Kind of big big disgrace.

By: Serge Morin

Serge Morin — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:07:27 +0000

Ok! Let see how it goes! First : to compare Montréal to a sicilian city is ridiculous. Imagine one second if L'Actualité say a stupid thing like that about any other english city in Canada. I swear, it would be a kind of war, beginning of big conflict. For sure, Montréal has problems but those may be come more from the actual mayor and his management or from owners of construction companies, not from the people or other parties nor the bluecollar's union. This accusation is not serious for a magazine lke your's. Anyway, you do not have the right getting that kind of judgement about us. Every little event in Québec or Montréal under your microscope always turns to a tragedy or a comedia dell'arte.
Second : Louise Harel is not bilingual, for languages, english or anyone else it is not natural to her. But it's not the important thing to be the mayor of Montréal. Montréal is a french city into a french province. Go and ask mayor of Toronto, Vancouver or Saskatoon if they do speak french. Not at all, make sure. If she can drive properly management of Montréal, this is all I ask her. Point barre!!! Mon anglais n'est pas parfait, mais je me débrouille pas trop mal. J'ose croire que vous avez compris mon point de vue.
Merci, Thanks, Grazie, Gracias, Danke schön, Obrigado… et merde!

By: Chester astronomo

Chester astronomo — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 08:33:46 +0000

Oh watch out for them liberals, before you know it you'll be getting free health care and an infrastructure that is actually maintained. Lick a nut you conservative putz.

By: Mitch 2GS

Mitch 2GS — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:48:57 +0000

If anything, the cover is an UNDERSTATEMENT and doesn't go far enough in describing Montreal or the so-called "nation" of Quebec it resides in. What goes on in Montreal/Quebec in terms of corruption and legalized acts of racism that go against the charter of rights and freedom is akin to a parent who abuses a child, but no one in the neighborhood knows what's going on. And worse, the the police know about it but turn a blind eye (see recent Canadian superior court ruling of Bill 104; let's acknowledge it goes against basic human rights and must be struck down, but oh, it's Quebec, so we can't ask that they follow Canadian law).

Sorry, there's a lot of not-so-nice adjectives missing from the front cover about Montreal. The disaster was the PQ getting into power in 1976 (and the Quebec Liberal PQ in sheep's clothing that sit in there seat ever few years). Montreal is beyond a disaster….it's an utter disgrace to Canada and the rest of the world!

By: Aggie

Aggie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:18:58 +0000

To the editors of Maclean's… Your cover is just a tad bit over the top. Is this a news magazine or a tabloid?

By: kyle

kyle — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:11:00 +0000

Ha! Sure Montreal is corrupt and pushy and weird and infinitely fascinating, but a disaster? Look at the top of the page. Montreal isn't even close to the tired pointless disaster that is Prince Charles and Ol' Whasherface. They're the real disgrace!

By: Louis

Louis — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:35:55 +0000

I think this article is great, because Quebec's premier has been resisting calls for a full investigation of recent no-bid contracts, preferring instead to put a squad in place to verify future contracts. Hopefully, this will help embarrass him into carrying out the proper investigations.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:05:51 +0000

living in MTL, I truly understand all the corruption that's happening but at the same time, the city's been going downhill for 20 years now! The place is filthy, garbage flying in the wind, on the street and nobody does anything to pick it up. People are used to "other people taking care of it". The Blue Collar workers try to do their best but they're not encouraged to do too much. A relaxing day is in store every day… The Union makes sure none of their members do too much. Instead, the Union wants the City to hire more people.

The corruption isn't any different than other cities. Wake up and look at yourselves! The major problem is that construction and other big projects cannot be completed by other than big companies. Not many big companies are out there! It limits the number of submissions.

By: Phil

Phil — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:04:45 +0000

By: IshmaelJones

IshmaelJones — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 18:47:18 +0000

Jason, I agree that the cover is over the top….but it'll definitely help MacLeans sell magazines. None of us here in mtl want to believe that the organized crime element is as imposing as the MacL cover page is. We'd much rather keep that element hidden and unspoken of. At one point though, we have to remove the clothespins from our noses and take a big whiff of what's a-rotten in the state of Montreal.

By: Jason

Jason — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:23:12 +0000

The real disgrace is Macleans magazine for publishing such an ignorant and ill informed headline. No wonder no one reads Macleans any more!

By: Joshua Alguire

Joshua Alguire — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:41:03 +0000

As someone living in Montreal who spent most of their lives in other NA cities, I have to disagree. We pay far more taxes than anywhere else for far less services. Hell, I am impressed when there are visible lines painted on the roads here…
I do agree MacLeans is being childishly dramatic with the title. But I often wonder where all our tax dollars go in Montreal. I assumed it was unions and corruption, so I am curious to read this article. I hope they can provide solid references.

By: MontrealRules

MontrealRules — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:58:43 +0000

If it's corruption, then it's working fine. Montreal looks the best it's looked it twenty years. Keep up the good, corrupt work!!

By: Myself

Myself — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 06:39:16 +0000

I defend Montreal not because this is false (I would have to read it first to know), but because such pessimism doesn't do any good to a city that already has its share of problems. This looks like cheap sensationalism to me.

By: Jpaul

Jpaul — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 05:01:42 +0000

I'm from Montreal and I applaud Macleans for exposing this city for what it stands for! "Corruption"
All of you idiots defending Montreal are probably involved in some type of organized crime yourselves or benefiting from it.

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:03:40 +0000

Sure Montreal has it's problems, but this article seems like junk. It's the kind of thing you would expect from Fox News. I tell you this and I'm from Toronto, lol…

By: Jo B.

Jo B. — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 21:51:32 +0000

Macleans ought to be ashamed of themselves for publishing something so disgustingly exaggerated and warped.

The real disaster here is Macleans, who have no respectable standards to speak of.

By: LORNE

LORNE — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:58:30 +0000

No wonder it has been a Liberal stronghold for many many years, the old story–"when you sleep with dogs——–"