history and hockey
In her last post, Kathryn highlighted the ongoing rivalry between Montreal and Toronto and got me thinking about its origins. There's no such rivalry between Montreal and other Canadian cities (when I mention that I'm living in Vancouver, Montrealers usually launch into praise for Vancouver and its beauty). What is it about Montreal and Toronto? I think that the answer lies in history and hockey.
For starters, there the bitterness that lingers from the exodus of Anglos from Quebec (mainly Montreal) to Ontario (mainly Toronto) as a result of the referenda and language/employment issues. Montrealers feel threatened by Toronto for stealing their friends away and Torontonians feel threatened by Montreal because they think they're competing with it for the status of eastern Canada's best city.
Then there is hockey. Never underestimate the power of hockey in Canada. I'd argue that the ongoing rivalry between the Habs and the Leafs not only mirrors the rivalry between the cities, but also helps account for it. Hockey fans in Montreal are trained from a very young age to despise Toronto and vice versa. Hating Toronto becomes natural for a Montreal Canadiens fan, even if they've never visited the city. The idea of a Montrealer living in Toronto and liking it seems hard to believe, hence all the questions faced by my sister.
A classic book in Quebec, The Hockey Sweater , exemplifies the rivalry. It was turned into a short film by the NFB in 1980:
