Regional Jet 700 ER/LR (CRJ700)
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation - Altitude Crossing Restriction Not Met; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Air Traffic Control Issued Advisory / Alert; Flight Crew Became Reoriented
Human Factors; Procedure
We were assigned by Montreal center to descend to 8;000 feet MSL. We were filed and on the HABBS3 STAR. ATC then queried our altitude and descent rate saying we were above profile altitudes on the STAR. I responded with we were assigned a descent to 8;000 feet and are descending to that altitude. He then said we appeared to be about 4;000 feet above profile on the HABBS STAR. I then said; that we hadn't received instructions to descend via the arrival and he instructed me that in Canada they're not required to issue that clearance like we're used to in the US. It wasn't until we were parked and at the gate that we both looked up and then later saw in fine print on the arrival what he'd told us. I've been to Canada plenty of times without issue; but didn't catch that and usually follow STAR altitudes anyway; but was PM this flight and didn't catch it myself.[ATC] simply instructed us to hustle our descent in which by now we were and to maintain 6;000 feet next. Didn't receive any collision avoidance or off airway vectors. We continued the arrival and approach with no further issues.Maybe we could have that Canada doesn't require a 'descend via' clearance to our 10-7 pages or in the notes section of these arrivals to have that print bolded or blown up instead of in a tiny format that's hard to detect. We continued the arrival and approach with no further issues.
CRJ-700 pilot reported they were advised they failed to meet crossing restrictions on the HABBS3 STAR arrival into CYUL.