Covid hospitalizations are on the rise, although ICUs are not under the most pressure. Quebec is still determined to reopen schools January 17. There were 39 Covid deaths in Quebec over the last 24 hours.
Good criticism of Quebec’s floundering from Toula Drimonis.
Here is the official page with a bunch of PDFs explaining how you can ask questions on the city budget, as of tomorrow. Also has links to the budget document and other items.
Enjoy your bagels while you have them. Some Plateau activists are determined to force wood‑burning businesses to end their activities.
I always wonder why this group of activists has never devoted their energy to reducing the number of pollution-spewing cars and trucks that travel through Mile End every day. What’s worse for your health, a bagel shop or thousands of diesel delivery trucks and gas-guzzling SUVs?
Exactly as Taylor Noakes tweeted.
I agree.
Yes, Projet Montreal is well known for not caring at all about traffic and doing nothing to limit cars or promote biking.
WTF?
DeWolf
It’s the same attitude that lets people throw paint at women wearing fur, but ignores people wearing leather jackets.
One of these activists came into my work just to let us know the smoky resto chimney across the street was poisoning us. She’d pulled up in a vintage Vespa and left in a huff when I pointed out she was poisoning me far more than any wood-fire.
For fuck’s sake! There are literally more vehicles in this province than there are human beings (~8.8, after removing EVs, vs ~8.5 million, as of 2019). But yeah, it’s the bagel shops, pizzerias, and portuguese chicken places that are killing us. /rollseyes
“residents of the Plateau-Mont-Royal and Mile End neighbourhoods, where most of the wood and charcoal-burning businesses are concentrated, say they are fed up with waiting.” So fucking move already! Unless you’re over 72 and have lived on the Plateau your whole life, Fairmount Bagel has been there longer than you have been. You chose to live next to a bagel shop. Comme on dit en Québecois, assumes câlisse!!
I’d rather see the city tackle the mess that they create themselves with their winter sand/rock/salt usage. Every spring we’re left with piles of dust, sand and fine particles that get kicked up by every passing bus. I’m certain that breathing in those clouds of disgusting debris has done more damage to my lungs than any of the charcoal/wood burning ovens.
@JoeNotCharles, I wasn’t talking about the government, I was talking about the anti-wood oven activists. As far as I know they are not affiliated with Projet Montréal.
dhomas, don’t discount EVs: they pollute with tire dust, brake dust, etc.
@Chris yes, EVs also pollute, but not in the same way. Also, their environmental impact, though not negligible, is arguably much less than an ICE vehicle. I was mostly comparing “things that combust”, like wood burning ovens and gas in cars.
Two intensity emissions to quantify and their respective closeness to their detrimental effect reception: PM2.5 and GHG. Cars (EV + ICE) and stoves emit them both, but at which intensities?
Breathing PM2.5 is bad for you AT ANY LEVEL so dilution, dilution, dilution (or stay away from constant sources) “WHO guideline stipulates that PM2.5 not exceed 5 μg/m3 annual mean” but it should be ZERO: <2.5μm particles creeps INSIDE your brain! GHGs are not toxic per se but excess atmospheric concentrations destabilized earth climate and are collapsing whole ecosystems (and our 'modern' civilization). So, ya, it's complicated.
They’re just pushing customers down to the south shore. You can get wood oven bagels on tashereau Blvd. and they’re just like the ones downtown. And if you live in the plateau just get a HEPA Air cleaner if the smoke brothers you that much
Considering wood fires are still permitted in Outremont I’m surprised neither of the Mile End bagel joints haven’t just moved to Bernard or Van Horne just the other side of Parc.
That said, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the only reason any politician goes after bagel places before enforcing truck idling laws is that it’s easier to enact so makes for better “green optics” even if it has less effect and actually diminishes quality of life for the majority of residents who actually do want real bagels. Even Alex Norris backed off last time due to public backlash. This article is just manufacturing outrage.
If these NIMBYs don’t like bagel smoke so much maybe this isn’t the neighbourhood for them? The bagel places were here before they were even born.
Just to raise awareness, re: idling laws: https://montreal.ca/en/topics/motor-vehicle-idling
A lot of our police are said to be out sick. So where’s the crime wave?
Found myself wondering: maybe the curfew was invoked this time not so much because of Omicron as because the CAQ was forewarned that police coverage was going to be thin on the ground, and this was one way of reducing street hassling of various kinds?
While arriving close to home (St. Laurent) around midnight yesterday post evening shift at hospital, was followed by 2 police cars, who as I was dropped off, wanted to know why I was outside – found it odd that there were two patrol cars.
>two patrol cars.
it’s always been protocol for cops to work in pairs. It’s part of their new covid protocol for them not to be in the same car. I assume they’re applying the 2 meter rule.
This begs the question – do the police have enough cruisers to be riding around in pairs? No.
MtlWeb, did you have to show them a permit letter from your employer? Or was a work ID enough?
H. John 20:43 on 2022-01-05 Permalink
I liked Michael Levy’s piece for CTV Montreal, “Lack of pandemic preparedness led to a perfect storm in Quebec elementary schools”:
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/opinion-lack-of-pandemic-preparedness-led-to-a-perfect-storm-in-quebec-elementary-schools-1.5727325
Kate 13:32 on 2022-01-06 Permalink
H. John, I know. It’s nearly two years but the government is still in reactive mode.