Some of us would've said even just a few years ago that Toronto hadn't yet passed Montreal as Canada's prominent city. Montreal is the closest thing Canada has to a London or a Paris - meaty history, gorgeous buildings, and strong sense of identity confined to the city limits. There was something missing in Toronto, something that felt so generic, suburban. But over the past... I'd estimate 5-6 years... virtually everyone I know who hated or was bored by Toronto now enjoys it. Something has switched, some sort of critical mass has been reached. I haven't yet experienced that for myself - haven't been to Toronto since like 2012 - but I can't stress enough it's literally everyone I know. Even my mother (loves NYC, hates Florida, hates Dubai, loves Lisbon, etc.) used to complain about having layovers in Toronto, but she's actually gone there to see a few shows recently.
Devastatingly, I've also heard a couple of negative reviews of Montreal in recent years from friends. I don't think I could ever lose my first impression of Montreal, that sense of wonder at discovering Canada had something cool, but it seems less possible for anglophones to get that impression these days.
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Note to self: "The plural of anecdote is not evidence."
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