MONTREAL – Juan Merchan has made a ritual of coming to Leonard Cohen’s grave in since he first arrived to Montreal in 2017.
Merchan, who was born in Columbia, visits the site in Montreal twice a year, for Cohen’s birthday and the anniversary of his death, he said.
He usually stays there for around an hour, though he once stayed for the whole afternoon. Only once did he bring a friend with him, usually spending this meditative moment alone.
“It’s kind of my little ritual of coming and trying to trace back the reasons why I really like what he did,” he said.
This Saturday he was among a steady stream of Montrealers who visited Cohen’s grave and some of his iconic haunts to honour the late singer, ten years after his death.
The musician’s final resting place on the Mount Royal was covered with close to 100 roses. Bouquets and other tributes were laid on the grave.
Above Cohen’s name was a small garland bearing the word “Hallelujah.”
Some visitors stood silently in front of the musician’s grave, while others sat in the vicinity, earbuds in.
Cohen died in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2016. He was returned to his home of Montreal to be laid to rest a few days later beside his parents, grandparents and great-grandparents, at the Congregation Shaar Hashomayim Cemetery, on the northern slope of Mount Royal.
Cohen was one of Canada’s most revered artists, bringing a poet’s sensibility and distinctive baritone to classics like “Hallelujah” and “Suzanne” over a career spanning five decades.
Merchan sat a few feet from Cohen’s resting place on Saturday, reading the musician’s collection of poems and smoking a cigarette.
He said he connects with the passion and introspection of Cohen’s music.
“I think he did touch most of the human sentiments in a way not many artists have done,” he said.
Gabriel Domocos and Maria Damian, who were visiting Cohen’s grave with their 14-month-old son, said it is the humanity of his music that appeals to them.
“It’s a good example of how art can help us relate, despite differences, despite different times — people remain people,” said Domocos.
Damian added that she likes the imperfections of Cohen’s music.
“I just appreciate that he’s not the best singer and he still made really great music that draws you in,” she said.
Fans of Cohen’s work also made the pilgrimage to his house, in the Plateau-Mont-Royal neighbourhood of Montreal. Among them were McGill University students Claire Murrell and Ava Hester.
Murrell is from Barrie, Ont., but her family is from Montreal, and she grew up listening to Cohen’s music. When she moved to Montreal, she wanted to be around the place where Cohen grew up and that inspired his writing.
“It’s music that you can feel in your bones,” she said. “What made him touch me a little deeper was that he wrote about the places that my family was from and I could actually resonate with.”
A few steps from Cohen’s house, his song “Suzanne” drifted out from Bagel Etc., where Cohen is said to have been a regular.
A portrait of the musician hangs in the entrance of the restaurant. Inside, a wall showcases framed photos of Cohen and DVDs of his albums.
The place was full of people and music as waiters squeezed between the tables to serve their customers.
On the counter next to one of the stools is a plaque bearing Cohen’s name. “He always sat at that red stool there,” said an employee.
Murrell and Hester stopped at the restaurant for lunch before making their way up the mountain to lay a rock on Cohen’s grave. Murrell said she was hoping to run into people who might know stories about the musician or share what he meant to them — and, of course, to hear his music.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 7, 2026.
