Things Montréal Has Given the World Recently*

This is obviously a superficial list. Or not so superficial. But Montreal is responsible in many ways for the items on this list. And for some of them, it apologizes….

1. Vice

2. Jessica Paré

3. Georges St-Pierre

4. Jay Baruchel

5. foie gras on everything and the effect this has on everyone else

6. Student unrest

7. An amazingly corrupt class of everybody

8. Jonathan Goldstein

9. The Bixi

10. any circus that calls itself a “Cirque” unironically…

*Recently is the key word: so no Leonard Cohen, William Shatner, Saul Bellow, etc. No old inventions. No bagels or smoked meat or “Montreal Steak Spice” or even poutine (which Montreal can’t take credit for anyway). No businesses from here unless they are new and have conquered the world (and I can’t think of any). None of that “first in the world” stuff from way back (like first hockey game) – that’s for history museums. This is modern. (And let’s face it, someone like Celine is practically timeless…. meaning of no time).