Ontario provincial police have arrived in town to carry out a joint operation with the SPVM to arrest car thieves based in Montreal.
A curious detail in the Radio-Canada link: “Le coup de filet viserait le bas de la pyramide de l’écosystème du crime organisé […] Il ne serait pas question d’appréhender des têtes dirigeantes et des exportateurs illégaux, selon nos sources.”
The city wants to relaunch the New Year festivities that used to take place in Old Montreal. I think I hear an echo of the collapse of JfL in “en plus de consolider la réputation de Montréal comme ville de festivals toute l’année.”
Brigitte Bishop, who’s been the city’s inspector general (BIG) for six years, has stories to tell about attempts to intimidate her, as she prepares to vacate her office for a new BIG, François Lanthier. Bishop just handed in her last annual report about city controls over its contracts.
Seniors at a downtown residence have avoided eviction by a certain landlord whose name often comes up in stories like this.
An east-end story that has popped up periodically has finally found a resolution as the city is compelling rendering firm Sanimax to change things to reduce the stench and limit the encroachment of animal waste around the facility.
I’m glad things will improve around Sanimax. My kids go to school not too far from there and I specifically choose a route that avoids the area where the stench can occur when I drive them to school (one of my sons is very sensitive to smell).
That said, this plant has been there for many, many years. The housing that has developed nearby was built knowing full well that the plant was around the corner. We often make mention of folks that buy homes near concert venues only to complain about the noise afterwards. I see this as a similar type of complaint.
The city says that 92% of restaurants and other food businesses are obeying the ban on single‑use plastic.
We got a lovely set of wooden cutlery… in a plastic bag. I guess it depends on your definition 🙂
City libraries are handing out free eclipse glasses for April 8.
Update: Time Out has an entire list of city libraries but doesn’t mention whether a library card is required. I suppose if you bring proof of your address, you should be able to get a library card?
If we get a clear sky that day, it might be almost as miraculous as the eclipse itself. Fingers crossed!
My local library gave them all out almost immediately.
I heard from someone that you have to show your library card. I don’t know if that’s the case with all libraries.
You need a library card, one per card. Many libraries are already out, but I picked up a pair yesterday.
Whats the likelihood of clear skies, anyway?
Not great. Historically, that time of year is more likely to be overcast. But we could get clear skies, you never know.
La Presse has a dossier Tuesday on the rising rate of attacks on the STM’s workers. Bus drivers and metro cops get it worst.
Drivers are asking for anti‑attack barriers but no mention is made of the plexi panels put in place since the pandemic, so presumably they’re not sturdy enough for the purpose.
Didn’t realize the STM had outsourced staffing to Lapresse 😉
Not sure what you mean, nau.
Radio-Canada is also reporting the story now.
The description says “La Presse has a dossier on…attacks on its workers”, but the article is about attacks on STM employees.
Oh true. I was mentally segueing from the headline I wrote, but it only appears on Twitter, not on the blog itself. Thank you. I will fix.
There seems also to be problems between STM workers :
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/2024-03-20/societe-de-transport-de-montreal/climat-violent-dans-un-garage-d-autobus.php
The father of Alexandre Champagne, a “humoriste et créateur de contenu”, was attacked in the metro on the weekend and nobody helped him.
Update: There has been an arrest.
Reporting on the serious and well-studied subjects of poverty, policing, and crowd behavior without consulting a single expert, sad times.
@MarcG: what does poverty have to do with two people assaulting a senior citizen?
@Tim: In the first video segment they say that the attackers were probably homeless folks and the rest of the video carries this assumption.
Oh snap. I didn’t watch the video segment and only read the article. Your comment on the reporting is quite valid.
Homeless people attacking seniors is a very discouraging sign…
Tim S. 20:35 on 2024-03-19 Permalink
That’s what happens when politicians demand quick action, according to all the cop shows I’ve ever watched.
Ephraim 13:18 on 2024-03-20 Permalink
@Tim S. – Which is spurred by the statistics for “reported crime”. When it comes to car theft, all the insurance companies are insisting on a police report, so the numbers are looking bad. Now, if we can only get the banks to demand a police report for every stolen credit card, every stolen bicycle and every other theft before indemnifying.
In fact, I would like to see a change in how banks are allowed to write off the losses from crime, to spur the reporting. They shouldn’t be allowed to claim the losses on their taxes unless there is a police report filed. And they should be required to disclose the amounts lost in their annual statements. Right now it’s completely hidden and they only report “Provision for credit losses on impaired loans” and Provision for credit losses on performing loans”, nothing about the profitability and losses related to their credit card processing at all! The closest is reporting “write-offs” in the annual report, but that doesn’t have to be fraud, that would include bankruptcy and even negotiated settlements of debt.
Tim S. 17:08 on 2024-03-20 Permalink
I don’t disagree in general, Ephraim, but I’m pretty sure in this case it’s because car thefts and apparent police and governmental impotence are constantly headline news/all over social media.
Ephraim 17:57 on 2024-03-20 Permalink
Yup, crime statistics have made the news. Some people have had their cars stolen repeatedly. What we really need are laws to put the onus on the car manufacturers to harden the car security. PIN to drive, for example. So even if you get in, you get the car started, it won’t engage without the PIN.