The Most Hilarious, Heartwarming & Heartbreaking Montreal Stories Of 2019

Havoc On The Roads 

If there's one thing our readers weren't shy about sharing with us this year was their traffic woes.

We reported on everything from a new bridge finally opening to the countless cars that caught fire on the Décarie Expressway. And who can forget that time a construction worker carelessly painted over road debris?

Of course, human error isn't the only cause of traffic chaos — our city's inclement weather has a lot to do with it.

In the winter, people forget how to drive in the snow and ice. In the spring, snow and ice melts and floods entire sections of the highway. You should've all figured that out by now!

Barnyard Blog

The mean streets of Montreal must be shared by angry motorists, careless cyclists, jaywalking pedestrians, and sometimes, even alligators.

That's right — 2019 marked the arrival of what we in the offices like to call Barnyard Blog. Thanks to our readers and their love of animals, we reported on all kinds of kooky animal stories in Montreal this year.

One of our favourites was from September when a reader spotted a fabulous crested duck sporting a killer hairdo on the metro.

Sometimes though, Montreal animal encounters are downright gross like in July, when the time a bed bug was spotted on an STM bus.

Other times, we report on sad news like the loss of a metro rat who was found taking up a seat, dead as disco during rush hour. Montreal's wayward rodents even go to school, apparently.

Everyday Heroes 

Sometimes, locals stumble upon incredible everyday heroes who make our city a better place to live. Whether it's singing a song about samosas or painting a cabin on top of an old factory pink, Montreal has a myriad of colourful and inspirational individuals.

One of our favourite moments was this August, when we were sent footage of a local Montrealer practicing their karate skills on an orange cone.

I think Montreal's Karate Kid fully encapsulated how we all feel about the countless orange cones littering our roads.

Montreal's construction equipment made another appearance in November when an MTL Blog reader spotted an unnamed man working out on top of a downtown crane.

Last but certainly not least, one of our favourite local heroes of 2019 was STM bus driver Michel Robertson who gave out candy on Halloween.

Classic Montreal 

Naked Bike Ride Montreal

What comes to mind when you think of a classic Montreal moment? A bunch of naked people riding BIXIs in the rain, perhaps?

Oh, what about that time in February when a bus driver left a bunch of passengers waiting so he could get some Tim's?

If you thought the potholes on your street were bad, be lucky you didn't live in Montreal North this March. A school bus got itself sucked into a giant pothole (which was technically a sinkhole but hey, what's the difference really?)

I mean, the roads are terrible and the parking is limited, but sometimes, Montrealers get to see some poetic redemption like in August when a city parking authority car got a parking ticket.

WTF Moments 

One of the sillier WTF moments of 2019 was when an MTL Blog reader spotted Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just walking around Villeray which was weirdly captivating.

While that's weird, its nothing compared to what one Montrealer spotted on the metro in November. In a mystery that isn't worth solving, a discarded full condom was left on a metal pole in Lionel-Groulx.

Sometimes though, people get a little hot under the collar. In June, a fight broke out and one individual attacked another in the most Montreal way possible — with a construction sign. One month later, a July heatwave was the likely cause of this fight in Montreal's metro.

Natural(ish) Disasters 

Water infiltration in the metro.

While not strictly natural, one of the most prolific disasters occurred this November when Square-Victoria-OACI metro was completely flooded, shutting down the Orange Line between Lionel-Groulx and Berri-UQAM.

As for natural disasters, one of the largest floods in the history of Montreal happened this April and MTL Blog readers sent us some stunning photos and videos from the scene.

Scooterpocalypse 

Summer 2019 in Montreal might be remembered as the summer of active mobility projects. Uber JUMP bikes and Lime scooters entered the city with fervour and the latter quickly became a nuisance for many.

Lime scooters became a classic symbol of Montreal's tendency to flout the rules and throw caution to the wind. Littering the streets of downtown and the surrounding areas, those pesky scooters were the bane of many a Montrealer this summer.

Hollywood North 

While we try not to get too TMZ about it, spotting a celebrity in Montreal is an exciting thing. We're even more excited when MTL Blog readers play paparazzi and catch some of Hollywood's hottest celebs living their best lives in Montreal.

Celebs like Shawn Mendes, Camila Cabello, Kim Kardashian, Kevin Hart, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Pfieffer, and even Oprah were all spotted in our city enjoying everything it has to offer.

Expect to see plenty more celebs in Hollywood North in 2020!

There you have it, Montreal! It's been quite a year and honestly, we wouldn't be able to do our jobs without you.

As always, please keep sending in your photos, videos, and interesting stories to us and contribute to the story of our great city.

Here's to 2020 — let's make it a good one.

There are stories everywhere. If you spot a newsworthy event in Montreal, send us a message, photo, or video @MTLBlog on Twitter and Instagram.