The city wants the state of sidewalks to be prioritized after winter storms.
Updates from January, 2024 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
A man has pleaded guilty to setting 14 forest fires which developed into wildfires last summer. Brian Paré was doing this while posting to Facebook that the fires were being deliberately set by the government. Not directly a Montreal story, but we were affected by the smoke here, along with other parts of the continent.
Michael
What a disgusting human being. There needs to be much harsher sentences given to people that start forest fires.
Kate
Any fires. I’m always appalled at the nonchalance of guys who firebomb businesses where people are sleeping in apartments upstairs.
Ephraim
The sentences don’t matter unless you catch them. We need to prioritize catching them. I bet they didn’t even give a second’s thought as to what the punishment would be.
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Kate
The city has a billion-dollar plan to develop the downtown core including a plan to have the Quartier Latin open 24 hours and be declared the “quartier de la francophonie”. Issues of cleanliness are also on the list. Didn’t see clowns listed yet but there’s an emphasis on dressing the place up.
Ian
Well, I for one appreciate the initiative. That whole area has been left to collapse in itself for too long. Hopefully it doesn’t turn into another gutless QdeS but anything is better than what’s happening now.
carswell
Didn’t see clowns listed yet.
Plante was making noises about “animation” on CBC Radio this afternoon.
PO
Quote from someone with Ensemble:
«… La majorité des Montréalais ne se sent pas en sécurité au centre-ville de Montréal. C’est un problème immense… »
A majority??
Daniel
I’m a long way from anti-capitalist, but it’s interesting to see homelessness, drug use and other social ills described in terms other than being first and foremost a problem for the people living with those diseases and circumstances!
I mean, yes, the “social” in social ills suggests that those things are also problems for other members of society. But it’s weird to read “let’s make this the quartier of the francophonie! and, btw, there are some homeless people and people addicted to drugs that we somehow have to address along the way.”
Basically, I’d be a lot prouder as a Montrealer to live in a city that has addressed the people problems than
to live in a place that has 24-hour businesses.Blork
So if the QL will become the “quartier de la francophonie” does that mean people can speak other languages (even English!) unfettered in other quartiers?
Kate
Blork, today Martineau is doing a big kvetch about how incompetent Mayor Plante is, and complaining that a “quartier de la francophonie” reduces French to a ghetto.
Actually, I had the impression the “quartier de la francophonie” thing was moving towards creating that museum of francophone music in the old St‑Sulpice library, which has been talked about for awhile but nothing done. Also the Franco folies. Does Martineau want francophone culture celebrated, or not? (No link here but the column is in the obvious place. I’m not buying him lunch.)
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Kate
The school bus strike affecting 15,000 kids is reaching the end of its third month without resolution.
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Kate
Michel Lecavalier, a man with a lurid past who’s on the list of sexual delinquents, was arrested in Victoriaville a week ago after he attacked a young woman on the Plateau on New Year’s Day. She luckily escaped without physical damage, while he’s still behind bars.
Ian
Wow, he sounds like a real charmer – yikes. Lucky the young woman got away, what a crazy scene that must have been …
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Kate
In response to my no-news post, Taylor C. Noakes suggests a piece in the Boston Globe that he wrote about Habitat, and how Moshe Safdie’s idea might yet flourish in other places.
Taylor
Could have sworn you’d have gone with the Dinasaurium article; thanks!
Kate
Here’s the Dinasaurium article.
Blork
I probably would have loved the Dinasaurium, although the spelling would have driven me crazy.
I’ve seen all the Jurassic Park movies, not because of the stories or the characters but because of the dinosaurs! I even saw one at a cinema in Italy once, where it was dubbed in Italian (which I do not speak). Best Jurassic Park movie experience ever, because I didn’t have to suffer the bad dialog and stupid story. Just watch the dinosaurs!
Taylor
Thanks Kate, you’re a champion of the independent journalist!
@Blork – I think it’s one of those ideas that likely could have been quite successful if not for the fact that the guy running the operation was so obviously a fraud and a con man
Had this been planned and run by the city or province, as a legit museum (like the Biodome), I’m sure it would have worked and had been awesome. But mildly girating dinosaurs was way too much like infotainment
Especially given the state of early-90s technology – today you might be able to build a more or less fully autonomous brontosaurus
I wouldn’t mind seeing that prowl around the botanical garden
Kate
I recall a strange spot about halfway between here and Quebec City which had large plaster(?) dinosaurs in a sort of private park. A friend was driving there and back on a project we were both on, and we felt compelled to stop and look at these things. We didn’t have to pay, and nobody else was around. I hope this wasn’t a dream because I remember it very clearly.
carswell
I have a memory of a huge green dinosaur on the north side of the 20, Kate. Part of a service station complex at a cloverleaf IIRC.
CE
You weren’t dreaming. It was Restaurant Le Madrid and was also famous for its big blinking sign that “WE SPEAK ENGLISH.” It was torn down a while ago and replaced with a souless fast food chain pit stop called “Madrid 2.0” but they kept the dinosaurs. There were also monster trucks, not sure if they’re still there.
You can see it in its current state here. Michel Rabagliati illustrated it pretty well in Paul à Québec.
Kate
Thank you, CE!
Ian
@Taylor “today you might be able to build a more or less fully autonomous brontosaurus”
Apatosaurus, surely / nerd
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Kate
It’s not that I don’t want to post on Tuesday morning, it’s that there’s no Montreal news. In fact, this might be the first time there’s a fair bit of minor news from other parts of Quebec, while a peaceful silence reigns over the city – not even worthy but dull filler of the kind CBC loves, or a random vehicle arson as so often decorates the TVA site.
Harry
Memories of The Great Antonio and Armand la glace here: https://estmediamontreal.com/souvenirs-de-lest-rosemont-armand-antonio-rosepatriens/
Kate
Thank you!
CE
That “dull filler” on the CBC is getting worse and worse as time passes. I wish they could just admit that a news day is slow and just not fill their page with a bunch of crap that helps make the case for defunding them.
Ian 18:23 on 2024-01-16 Permalink
I was noticing that my neighbourhood isn’t getting the sidewalks plowed or snaded with nearly the regularity they were last year, even on busy streets like Bernard. I feel bad for all the ladies with strollers!
Kate 19:36 on 2024-01-16 Permalink
I guess it varies by borough. Up here in Villeray the sidewalks have been good, no complaints.
Jonathan 11:49 on 2024-01-17 Permalink
I went to the plateau two nights this past week and noticed how slippery and icy they were. Living in Villeray, I did start to appreciate how well de-iced and cleared they have been so far this year!