I've only visited Montreal twice, but both times everyone was super nice. (My baseline is NYC)

I think some people band wagon jumped onto the Simpsons bit about cheese eating surrender monkeys, and some Republicans followed their crowd during the bush era.

For most people I just read it as a "look at me I'm part of the in-group" sad pandering, like when people would repeat "EPIC BACON" or other low grade memes. They just want to feel like part of the group.