So I'm on a deserted island for about 3 years, with nothing but coconuts and fish to eat. All of a sudden a sealed bag of fresh Montreal Bagels washes ashore along with a broken bag of stale soggy New York bagels...I will eat the New York Bagels.
More like bread, less like bagels. These are probably the best bagels in Montreal, but there is no way in hell you can compare a Montreal bagel to a New York bagel. The bagels in NY have a lightly crisp outer shell with a chewy pullable interior, not as dense as these. They're also bigger and have a fluffy element to them.
I won't argue with the history, the smells, the oven or the fact that hand pulled bagels are awesome, but I don't think these bagels are amazing. I'm sorry. It still shouldn't stop you from coming here at least once.