This story originally appeared in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society.
Ah, Montreal. The city of Leonard Cohen and that girl from UQAM. Home to one of the best hockey teams—and the Canadians. You’ve barely set foot in our fair city and already you’re chasing your first poutine, trying to pet a grey squirrel, and flooding your Instagram with shots from your stroll through Old Montreal.
That’s all well and good. But to keep you from getting banned from our little island that smells kinda like smoked meat and piss, here’s a quick guide to help you blend in so well people will wonder if you’ve starred in a play by Michel Tremblay (and that you’ll get that reference if you don’t already).
For readers who care about Montreal
Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.








![The Bulletin: Disco Chinois, Dolly Parton Pinball, and Gambling Laboratories [Issue #170]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fthemain.ghost.io%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2026%2F02%2FCCM-montrealchinois-web-2__1_.jpg&w=256&q=75)







![The Reeds: A Novel [Stamped by Author]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.shopify.com%2Fs%2Ffiles%2F1%2F0601%2F1709%2F0544%2Ffiles%2FIMG_9098.heic%3Fv%3D1730301494&w=1920&q=75)