Father Emmett Johns' commitment to his city seems to occupy his every waking moment. Even as he fills out his Best of Montreal ballot, his eyes light up at one particular category: Best English Sign. With a determined stroke of his pen he writes "St. Patrick's 1847-1997," referring to the 150th anniversary of Montreal's landmark English Catholic cathedral. "That's a terrific sign," he says, drawing attention to its political dimension. "I understand why young anglophones are leaving Montreal, but it still makes me mad. To me, that sign says, 'We're here, and we ain't gonna leave.'"

It seems fitting that a tireless 69-year-old Catholic priest should be crowned Montrealer Closest to Sainthood. In 1988, Johns gave up a cozy gig in a West Island parish to found Dans la rue, an organization that helps Montreal's street kids. In less than 10 years, Dans la rue has grown from one cleric in an old beat-up Winnebago to a staff of 17 employees and 60 volunteers, a rooming house and--starting this September--a school. Pops, as he is known to the kids he cares for, says Dans la rue is quite simply a miracle. And miracles are, of course, a prerequisite for achieving official sainthood. But Pops says the Dans la rue miracle doesn't count--at least not in his book. "In order to become a saint, the miracles have to happen after you're dead," he explains. But, as we tried to tell him, the very fact that he's less interested in achieving posthumous glory for himself than he is more concerned with Montreal here and now certifies his Sainthood in our books.