This was the gateway.

In 1989, I had just arrived in Montreal from Chandler and was staying with my aunt on the Plateau. Each morning, I’d take the bus down to Papineau Metro — my access point to the entire city.

It was the start of my school commute to Atwater, but more than that, it was the first place where the Montreal Metro became part of my life.

Years later, I moved back to this neighborhood — and Papineau became my home station.

It’s more than a stop. It’s my first real memory of Montreal.