Opinion: After 50-plus years away, the magic of Montreal nonetheless holds

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A 12 months in the past, upon my return to Montreal after residing within the U.S. for greater than 50 years, I wrote about my love affair with this metropolis. I’m again to report the magic nonetheless holds.

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As soon as the temperature hit –30 C in February, I confess to escaping to my farm in Benin, West Africa — however I missed the heartwarming camaraderie I discovered on the streets after the coldest moments right here, when everybody rushed out onto sunny streets to greet each other. On my return in April, I fortunately rediscovered the pleasant metropolis I now name residence.

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My granddaughter, visiting from the U.S., remarked on how secure and clear Montreal feels. She cherished all of the native Quebec meals at Jean-Talon Market. I concur. I’ve additionally discovered the perfect “butcher, baker and candlestick maker,” plus a hairdresser, dry cleaner, fruit and vegetable monger, shoemaker, my favorite bookstore, gown store, submit workplace, restaurant, and film framer, even an skilled, inexpensive vintage restorer. Life is fortunately organized and for essentially the most half cheaper than different locations I’ve lived, apart from the telecommunications firms that overcharge for poor service.

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The bulbs I planted exterior my house are blooming like loopy. A boxwood hedge strains the flower mattress exterior my lounge window the place I planted daffodils, allium, peonies and Russian sage, plus a couple of hollyhock seeds taken from a neighbour’s backyard. All sprout healthily, birds chirp constantly, my world feels at peace, as I stroll round my neighbourhood admiring all of the well-maintained parks and flowers planted at nearly each avenue nook. They make my coronary heart sing.

Cheap watercolour portray and train courses at a local people centre, cross-country snowboarding in Parc Lafontaine, birdwatching on Westmount summit, and the perfect bread in Montreal maintain me busy and joyful. I now prepare flowers at Christ Church Cathedral, train English to immigrants and attend as many free outside occasions as doable through the summer time months. This metropolis is bursting with alternative.

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Mates I made at McGill College a few years in the past have welcomed me again and I’ve made many extra.

My blood stress is decrease, my good ldl cholesterol rising, my diabetes nicely below management and the physician positively ecstatic as he gave me the excellent news. Though I gained’t have a private physician for at the least two years, once I do want care, I can discover it. I’m impressed with the vitality and optimism of well being care staff right here, doing the whole lot doable to make an overburdened, creaky system work in addition to it does.

So why aren’t Canadians shouting from the rooftops concerning the good life right here? The place else would you discover Centraide billboards urging us to assist relieve poverty: “Sans le poids de la pauvreté et de l’exclusion c’est fou comme on peut s’elever,” exhibiting a younger little one leaping excessive into the air. A financial institution commercial tells us: “It took braveness to immigrate. Now allow us to aid you obtain your desires.”

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In a really damaged world, this nation seems like one of many few remaining havens of sanity. Complacency is the precise reverse of what we have to overcome the troubles of the world round us. With power, braveness and outspokenness I’m satisfied that you just, sure YOU, modest Canadians that you’re, might help paved the way to one thing higher.

On the very least, allow us to all take delight that we reside in what’s for my part the perfect metropolis in the perfect nation on the earth. Maybe I’ve lived too lengthy south of the border, liable to exaggeration and hyperbole, however Montreal maintains its magical maintain over me. It can on you too, if you happen to let it.

Julie Dreyer Wang, a author and panorama designer, runs Bio-Benin, an NGO that gives job coaching to younger Africans in natural farming, restaurant cooking and beer making. She holds British, Canadian and U.S. citizenship.