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Montreal, Quebec

Lucky me, blogging from downton Montreal, where I have been working with a joint working group of First Nations and Inuit organizations and government.

I love this city, which is not something you hear every native born Torontonian say. This place is a treasure, a unique incubator of culture and difference that adds heaps of energy to this otherwise homogenous continent. It allows North America to hang around with Europe and African and Asia at all the parties for the cool continents. Without Montreal (and Quebec), NA is the neighbourhood geek with too much money and too much time on its hands.

As I type I am listening to the afternoon CBC show, and someone is talking about a major art event and assuring people that all Montreal Canadiens goals will be announced so people don’t miss all the action of tonight’s important playoff game. When the Habs are in the playoffs, everything seems to revolve around them.

In fact it is a work hazard, being a facilitator in Canada during the hockey playoffs. One year, back home in BC, I was working with a group in deep conflict, and they decided to go for dinner together and watch the Vancouver Canucks playoff game. Luckily, the Canucks won, putting everyone in a good mood the next day. I shudder to think what would have happened if there had been a loss that night. It kind of puts one’s role in a humbling perspective – to think that a bunch of hard process work can be undone by an overtime goal!

And that’s the mood here right now as the Habs lost an important game in overtime on Tuesday night, in a most bizarre fashion. Tonight, they must win to stay alive in the playoffs.

Luckily my meeting is done, and my flight home leaves early in the morning.