Where do conedians come from?
Legend says that centuries ago, a falling star landed near what would later become Montreal. The star’s energy seeped into the soil, mixing with crushed gravel, snowmelt, and spilled coffee from a nearby dépanneur.
When the first orange cones were planted by unsuspecting workers during Expo 67, the magic took root.
Over time, a society quietly formed beneath the city’s streets – Coneville – a hidden borough powered by fluorescent light and municipal pride. It’s located in a forgotten underground service tunnel near the intersection of Boulevard de Maisonneuve and Rue du Coneway (the humans misspell it as “Conway”).
who are the conedians?
The Conedians (Les Conédiens) are a unique, animated species of anthropomorphic traffic cones who live among us… quietly and in plain sight.
Shaped like ordinary construction cones, they come in all shades of orange and white, but with one key difference: they are alive.
They work. They laugh. They form communities. They dream of a world with well-marked detours and perfectly synchronized pedestrian lights.
They aren’t just cones.
They are guardians of the flow.
Why Do Conedians Disappear in Winter?
The Conedians follow an ancient cycle known as “La Grande Pause”. As the first snow falls, their energy fades.
Being creatures of heat, motion, and sunlight, they hibernate deep underground to avoid the salt, snowplows, and winter tires that threaten their fragile rubbery bodies.
During this time, Coneville transforms into a quiet, lantern-lit refuge. Elder Conedians tell stories, children train in obstacle course tunnels, and every household prepares for the Great Spring Bloom.
How Do Conedians Reappear in Spring?
When the first construction season permit is issued in March, a magical vibration echoes through the asphalt – the “Rumble of Return”. This signal awakens the Conedians.
One by one, they re-emerge through potholes, construction barriers, and misplaced manhole covers, slipping silently into place before dawn.
To humans, they seem like “just cones” that “suddenly appeared overnight.”
To Conedians, it is the Return to Duty.
Life in Coneville
They have elections, festivals, and love stories.
They host the annual Blinkfest, where reflective tapes are judged in a light show.
Their greatest fear? Being repurposed as plant pots by hipsters.
Their heroes? Those who stand through the entire construction season without being knocked over by scooters.
