“I wasn’t surprised by the initial intensity of people’s sadness in Montreal when Leonard died but I wasn’t expecting the reaction to be so sustained to the point where we are today,” says Eddie Singer, 71, a retiree and lifelong Montreal fan of Cohen. But it’s also a source of great pride, especially to the city’s Jewish community. The multi-pronged tribute by the mostly francophone city to its much-loved anglophone poet, singer, songwriter, novelist and artist has some people scratching their heads in wonderment.

Initiatives include two gigantic wall murals a prominent decoration at the city’s airport ballet performances nocturnal projections of his words on a grain silo in the old port a star-studded tribute concert roundtable discussions of his work a dance homage a major museum exhibition a series of musical performances, each focusing on a different Cohen album a public karaoke happening in a local subway station and many other projects. Visitors there this month could easily think the predominantly Catholic city was in the process of canonizing its most famous Jewish native son: Cohen’s image now looms large, literally and figuratively, in his old stomping grounds in ways never seen before in Montreal - or in the rest of Canada. Based on how Montrealers are now venerating Leonard Cohen a year after his death at age 82, it may be only a matter of time before Saint Leonard appears on local city maps. MONTREAL - One of Montreal’s nicknames is City of Saints, due partly to the high number of streets named after canonized figures.

Leonard cohen memorial concert