Fed up with persistent potholes plaguing Montreal streets, local landscaper Saad Tekiout spends about $50 out of pocket per hole to repair them himself. Municipal officials urge residents to leave repairs to trained professionals.

Vigilante’s Hands-On Approach

Tekiout compares his efforts to picking up litter on the street. “It’s like when I’m walking down the street and see cans on the ground. I can say, ‘workers will come pick them up tomorrow,’ or I can put them in the trash myself. It’s the same philosophy,” he explains.

He shares videos on social media demonstrating quick fixes that take less than 10 minutes each. So far, he has patched around 20 potholes and invites viewers to comment with locations needing attention. Tekiout views his work as a civic duty. “Montreal is my city. I love Montreal, I love Canada. And I always want to see Montreal shiny and beautiful,” he states.

City’s Stance and Pothole Statistics

The mayor’s office discourages residents from performing repairs, noting the poor street conditions inherited from the previous administration. Officials prefer citizens report issues via the 311 service instead.

This year, the city has filled 14,845 potholes. From January 1 to recently, the 311 service logged 13,667 pothole reports, up significantly from 3,938 in the same period last year. Multiple reports often target the same pothole.

Legal Risks Highlighted

Municipal lawyer Éric Oliver emphasizes that public roads remain the city’s responsibility. “In principle, the City of Montreal is the entity authorized to award contracts or carry out repairs,” he says. “If a citizen decides to do repairs on property that belongs to the city, it can intervene and say that’s not acceptable.”

Oliver warns of potential issues: “If the repair is poorly done, if it creates more damage than it fixes, municipalities don’t like that.”

Addressing the Pothole Crisis

The problem extends beyond repairs, with a sharp rise in flat tires. Assistance calls for Montreal drivers reached 3,526 cases between early January and late February, averaging 75 per day—a 48 percent increase from the prior year.

In response, the city invests $6 million in pothole repairs, hires 24 additional workers, and establishes two specialized centers for year-round coordination. Two new pothole-filling machines join the fleet next season.

Tekiout persists despite the risks, recently tackling a pothole at Robert Bourassa Boulevard and Cathcart Street. “There was always a problem, but this year it’s worse,” he notes. His videos gain traction online, drawing thousands of comments and requests for help.

Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada acknowledges the initiative but reminds residents it falls outside their duties. Undeterred, Tekiout declares, “I’m not too worried. If the people of Montreal like me, if the people of Montreal support me, I’m doing this.”