Montreal: Being a metropolis is a full-time job

Montreal has always had its believers and its detractors. For some, the city is getting its groove back while others think Montreal is in a lethargic state and nothing less than an electroshock will help it regain the lustre that characterized it in the early 20th century. And while both diagnoses differ hugely, everyone wants to see Quebec’s metropolis shine so that the province’s overall economy can benefit from what makes Montreal tick. Why write about the issue? Because in recent years, economic analyses have often been relegated to a supporting role, well behind political, ethnic, social, legal and other considerations. This text will focus on the economy. We will see that the Montreal region has made advances in spite of the prevailing pessimism, and that many people are brimming with ideas about how to put Montreal back in the driver’s seat of Quebec’s economy.