I lived in Montreal for a while. I loved it, aside from it's convoluted bureaucratic nonsense. Getting anything accomplished there is 10 times harder than it needs to be.

I get where your mom is coming from. My adoptive mom was the same way. And I did think about taking advantage, but the truth is I didn't need to and really those programs aren't geared toward me as I look white enough to be let in the door without question, if that makes sense.