As a Montrealer, I hate to admit that Toronto does these 6 things better

Career opportunities for anglophones

A common saying on the Canadian internet is that you live in Montreal to make friends, and you live in Toronto to make money. And if you're an anglophone, especially, this does seem to ring true.

Montreal just doesn't have the same opportunities for career growth in English-language industries. We have a smaller economy in general, and many international English-language businesses are happy to have their Canadian footholds in Vancouver and Toronto.

Plus, there's something to be said about Quebec's language laws and general disinterest in the growth of English-language industries at the provincial level. But even if you're comfortable working in a Francophone or bilingual industry, the career opportunities aren't always there by virtue of the size of the Quebecois economy.

Toronto gets the double-whammy advantage of being a much larger city that is far better positioned for national and international business. So it makes a ton of sense that people study in Montreal in their adventurous years, and then move to Toronto when they want to get serious about their careers.

Sad but true.

The streetcars. OMG, the streetcars

On a way less serious note, I adore the Toronto streetcars. They're a piece of Toronto's history, and I'm so happy that they've invested in the infrastructure to keep them up and running through the downtown core.

Montreal was known for its excellent network of streetcars in the first half of the twentieth century. We even had trolleys specifically for sightseeing and electric trolley buses! But at some point in the 1950s, it was decided that the whole kit and caboodle should be replaced by buses.

Given the state of Montreal roads, our daily traffic jams, and how crowded our metro system is, I can't help but wish we had the trolleys running on their own track down the street again. Not only would it be a nod to our city's history, but it would mean I wouldn't have to choose between walking home from the metro in the winter or standing on a bus sitting in traffic.

The dope aquarium

Literally nobody can argue with me when I say that the Ripley's Aquarium in Toronto is stunning. There's a reason every visitor to the city – including myself – checks it out if they have the time during their visit.

Even the most curmudgeonly adult walks out of that aquarium with a smile on their face and childlike wonder in their heart. It's just enchanting.

Montreal's new aquarium is slated to open in 2027, and I have high hopes for it. Montreal exhibits tend to be smaller than Toronto's, but they're usually gorgeously curated. I'm looking forward to seeing Montreal's take on a permanent aquatic exhibit.

The beaches

Fun fact: the first time I saw Lake Ontario was during my first solo long-haul train ride as a teen. I fell asleep out of boredom somewhere past Ottawa, woke up, saw water to the horizon out the window, and wondered if I'd somehow taken the wrong train out of Dorval.

Luckily, the lady sitting next to me sensed my confused panic and set me straight. I'd seen my fair share of Quebec lakes, but I'd never seen a lake without an edge before.

Montreal's beaches along the St-Lawrence River definitely get the job done. But the Lake Ontario beaches in Toronto are on a totally different level. The crystal-blue waters and expansive beach space make it possible to truly escape the city – all while still being in the city.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good Montreal summer beach party. BUT I'll be honest, I do sort of feel like I'm just in a swimsuit in the middle of downtown, and I don't totally trust how clean that water is.

The diversity of restaurants

There's a reason that Montreal is known for its restaurants. You can't turn a corner without finding excellent nosh here, and in my personal opinion, we have some of the best delis in the world.

But by virtue of its size, Toronto does beat Montreal for the number and variety of restaurants it offers.

Toronto has more than triple the Michelin-rated restaurants that Montreal does, and is home to restaurants boasting a far wider range of international regional cuisine.

The difference in diverse options is most obvious when you're looking for Asian restaurants. Again, Montreal has some excellent Asian food, but we could really take a page out of Toronto's book in terms of the range of dishes, regions, and cultures we boast gastronomically.

A spot on the world stage

Go anywhere in the world and ask someone to name a Canadian city, and they will name Toronto. If they only know the name of one Canadian city, it will be Toronto. Outside of Canada, it's practically a trick question in trivia contests to ask for the capital of Canada – because everyone assumes it's Toronto.

And lowkey for a reason.

The Toronto International Film Festival is one of the most important events in the world for premiering arthouse films. Toronto Fashion Week, from an international standpoint, is the only Canadian Fashion Week that even comes close to mattering in the global fashion conversation. (Even if Montreal Fashion Week has far more compelling collections – is my bias showing?)

Toronto is Canada's largest city by a long shot. It's also the financial capital of the country, and the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) is the third-largest stock exchange on the continent.

Perhaps part of why Montreal remains so cool is because it's still a "hidden gem" on the world stage. It remains small enough to have its own quirky culture, while large enough to be part of the Canadian national conversation.

But as far as the international conversation goes, Toronto is the Canadian city in the room where it happens, and as a result, there is a heck of a lot more opportunity there to shine.

And I think most Montrealers envy that.