Hanes: Good Samaritans show up Montreal's failure to keep streets clean |
Few have been spared the ravages of Montreal’s disastrous potholes this spring.
Not Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada, who took to social media to share the double blowout her tires suffered on her way home from City Hall in February.
Not radio host Patrick Lagacé, who wrote a rant about getting four flats in six months.
Not the 8,000 motorists on the Island of Montreal who have called CAA-Québec for roadside assistance due to punctured tires between January and early April.
Not even a pedestrian who stepped in a pothole and broke her ankle after an Angine de Poitrine concert (in what has to be peak Montreal 2026).
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So when Saad Tekiout, a landscaper with an altruistic streak, started asking Montrealers where the worst potholes were and patching them himself at a cost of $50 a pop, he instantly became a darling of the media and an appreciative public alike, generating headlines and earning pats on the back.
Tekiout’s gesture “for love of my city” has since inspired at least one copycat vigilante.
But the only folks that aren’t impressed by their exploits are city officials. The mayor politely asked Tekiout to stop. And Montreal’s legal department warned his actions are illegal.
OK, fine. The city is responsible for maintaining road infrastructure and could be held liable for shoddy work.
But Montreal crews........