A young man was killed Saturday evening in Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve, near the boisé Steinberg. No arrests so far; 16th homicide of the year.
Updates from June, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
In 2021, Projet Montréal promised to create 15 new sports grounds which have never been built, the administration saying they’d rather maintain existing facilities in good condition. Green space not already devoted to specific activities is at a premium and everybody wants a piece.
Ian
Talk is cheap, the Mont Royal piste takes priority, after all.
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Kate
With the partial transit strike looming, Bixi is promising additional drop‑off stations downtown for the expected surge in cycle commuting.
MarcG
It’s going to put extra pressure on Communauto as well…
EmilyG
I imagine that some of the people who usually take the bus/metro will be driving their cars, and that’ll lead to increased traffic. So, not a fun time for drivers either.
CE
I remember a transit strike about 15 years ago and it caused a huge surge in car traffic. I guess anyone who had a car but usually commuted on the bus/metro decided to drive. Traffic downtown was absolute gridlock and the air was terrible. I wonder with so many people now able to work from home if we’ll see the same thing happen or if a big chunk of commuters who can work from home will just not come into the city.
Blork
I think there will be a surge in car traffic, but not as big as in the past, simply because more people have the option of WFH. But I think we’re inclined to overestimate how many workers do WFH, so there will still be a surge in car traffic.
Ian
Students don’t get to go to school or do exams online. Uber is making a killing.
dhomas
I might have mentioned this on here before, but I no longer use Uber as a matter of principle. Their surge pricing is almost understandable, though obviously scummy. But what really gets my goat is 2 things: 1) they treat their employees poorly (since they’re not really employees); and 2) they funnel money out of Quebec to California, then to tax havens. Not only do they not add to the local economy, but they actively harm it.
My preferred alternative is Teo Taxi. They are a “real” taxi company with employees. They have most of the benefits of Uber with a pretty intuitive app and mobile payment, plus GPS location for the vehicles. They can also take the taxi lanes, which are very helpful to get to the airport (Uber drivers are not technically allowed to use these, though I have seen some do it anyway). The only downside I can see is that it only works in Quebec, whereas someone with the Uber app can use it in any city Uber operates. But at least this way, the money stays in Quebec (even though it goes to PKP, not my favourite person).
Ian
I haven’t ever seen a Teo outside of downtown, but I did see a LOT more medallion cabs out on the road the last few days.
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Kate
There wasn’t any single dominant story this week in editorial cartoons. Godin sees the consequences of the resurgence of interest in oil pipelines; Côté and Chapleau both pondered the SAAQClic scandal. Inevitably, Trump and tariffs continued to plague us and Ygreck won’t be vacationing in the U.S. anytime soon.
The Place des Montréalaises was good for a laugh; more seriously, Chloé gives us the Rozon trial in one drawing.
Later in the week, the public bust‑up of Trump and Musk offered comic possibilities.
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Kate
Mont-Royal is now pedestrianized for the summer, and a vegetable garden has been planted between Fabre and Garnier.
It’s a nice idea, but what with dogs, cigarette butts and other urban incivilities, I’m not sure I’d want to eat anything grown right there.
Meezly
Haven’t seen this one, but ideally, public veggie gardens should be gated.
Uatu
Reminds me of when the city planted edible plants downtown right next to parking lots. Who knows what was in those strawberries.
Nicholas
That’s been there for a few years. I’ve never really seen vegetables there, as people seem likely to pick them as they appear. I’ve seen more success with herb gardens, and it’s nice to be able to get a sprig rather than a whole bunch. In the end it’s mostly for the atmosphere; we have lots of farmland around Montreal.
jeather
I have understood that mushrooms are quite good at cleaning up stuff in the ground, though most people probably wouldn’t want to serve them in beef wellington.
Ian
One of my friends is doing a degree in removing heavy metals from soil with mushroom farming and it’s pretty impressive. Not going to help in this situation, I’m afraid
I imagine most of the produce will be eaten by local wildlife, be it squirrels and raccoons or humans
Kate
removing heavy metals from soil with mushroom farming
Ian, can you explain in like 2 sentences what happens after the mushrooms extract the heavy metals? Now you’ve got mushrooms full of heavy metals, and they have to be dealt with, and it seems to me all you can really do is put them somewhere else where the metals will seep back into the ground…?
MarcG
This article breaks it down (I’m funny) pretty succintly into 3 different types – scroll down a bit to the “Decomposer Fungi” heading. I don’t think that the mushrooms are for consumption but I could be wrong.
MarcG
To actually meet the request of a short explanation: Some mushrooms and other plants can actually convert the toxic compounds into non-toxic stuff.
Tee Owe
Professor Picky Pedant here – heavy metals are not compounds and can’t be broken down – but for sure mushrooms and plants can do wonderful things to actual compounds
jeather
I believe mushrooms take up the heavy metals into themselves and compound them with large organic molecules.
jeather
The mushrooms are for consumption by people you really hate.
Ian
All mushrooms are edible – some, only once.
jeather
It truly haunts me that apparently a death cap mushroom is exceptionally delicious.
MarcG
Interesting to note for people who measure the severity of a problem by the acute phase only (I realize I’m treading on thin water with my idée fixe, my apologies to the queen): The initial symptoms after eating it can be mild gastro-type stuff which can then disappear and you feel fine for a few days… until you die a week or two later.
Ian
Sounds suspicioulsy like gyromitra esculenta, often mistaken for morels. If parboiled and eaten in small amounts it might not kill you.
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Kate
Andy Riga recounts the city’s long history of transit strikes with some interesting photos from various stoppages of the past.
Riga doesn’t mention the strike during Expo 67. That link goes to a CBC audio report from the stoppage, which shut down transit for almost the whole of September late in the fair’s run. Worth listening to for somewhat different mores of the time.
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Kate
Archaeologists are making their final dig in the ruelle Chagouamigon in Old Montreal before work begins to redo St‑Paul Street.
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Kate
Noise from the seemingly endless work on the La Fontaine tunnel is stressing nearby residents, even at night. The work is expected to take till 2027.
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