Old Montreal's losing its soul and we've got to get it back

"Nine years running bars in the neighbourhood has taught me one thing: we're fumbling what should be our greatest asset."

Kevin Demers

October 20, 2025- Read time: 10 min

Nine years running bars in Old Montreal has taught Kevin Demers one thing: we're fumbling what should be our greatest asset. | Photography by Alexa Kavoukis / @alexa.kavoukis

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I opened The Coldroom in 2016 on a side street in Old Montreal that most people walked past without noticing. That was intentional—I wanted to create something that felt discovered, not advertised. But I didn't anticipate spending the next nine years watching the neighbourhood around me slowly forget what made it special in the first place.

Let me be clear about something upfront: I’m not nostalgic for some imaginary golden age in the past, and this isn’t about shitting on every decision the city's made. Old Montreal, at its best, is a backdrop of cobblestone streets and 18th-century architecture where you can stumble from an award-winning dinner into a bar serving best-in-class cocktails in North America.

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