A water main broke near the Palais des congrès late Monday afternoon, closing several streets.
Updates from December, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
The ARTM plans to hike transit fares an average 3% in mid 2026.
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Kate
The CSN released its worst employers list Monday, with Amazon at the coveted #1 spot – but with Renaud‑Bray at #3, the STM at #4 and the Quebec government at #5.
I looked for the full list, but while the CSN has a piece announcing the existence of the list, it doesn’t link to it either.
MarcG
I did a little searching and my impression is that the list is a “top 5”.
Nicholas
Presumably this is CSN’s view of the worst unionized employers, as I assume they think non-unionized employers are even worse.
steph
Amazon is a non-unionized employer.
dhomas
Amazon was, very briefly, a unionized employer. The union was “totally not the reason” Amazon pulled out of Quebec. I think this would land them in the top 5 worst employers (or bottom 5?) for a union list.
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Kate
Already an open and closed item for the holiday period.
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Kate
Emergency wards are overwhelmed even though flu hasn’t peaked yet.
MarcG
May I recommend this article by Dr. Lyne Filiatrault: Don’t wait for B.C. public health to protect you this flu season.
Kate
I’m definitely seeing more masks around again lately.
MarcG
I feel sad and disappointed when I see people wearing surgical masks. It’s as if public health was promoting the pull-out method against pregnancy in 2025 because there was a condom shortage in 2020. Here are some excerpts from the FDA’s page on the subject:
“While a surgical mask may be effective in blocking splashes and large-particle droplets, a face mask, by design, it does not filter or block very small particles in the air that may be transmitted by coughs, sneezes, or certain medical procedures. Surgical masks also do not provide complete protection from germs and other contaminants because of the loose fit between the surface of the mask and your face.”
“An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close facial fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. Note that the edges of the respirator are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth.”
bob
Wearing a mask is not supposed to protect you from the world, it is supposed to protect the world from you.
MarcG
bob I think that’s misinformation leftover from 2020. Respirators are engineered to filter the air the wearer breathes in (as well as filtering their exhalation, unless the mask has a valve). When a worker is installing fiberglass with one on, do we think they’re protecting the pink batting from getting sick?
Ricardo
I read that and I think: Aren’t emergency wards always overwhelmed ?
MarcG
Yes they are but it’s worse now (e.g. The Royal Vic ER is often at 100-150% stretcher capacity and it’s currently at 227%). Something else to remember is that hospital staff are human – they get sick and can’t work, too – making it a double-whammy.
Kevin
N95s are better than procedure masks which are better than not wearing a mask at all.
Transmission isn’t an all or nothing affair, and every step you take to protect yourself and others reduces the odds.
MarcG
And the pull out method works about 80% of the time, but I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen it in a box at the entrance to a reproductive health clinic.
jeather
That’s about the same rate as typical use for abstinence. (Perfect use is much better, but it’s very rare.)
MarcG
jeather, I doubt you’ll see this but I’d really like to understand what you’re saying, because it sounds to me like abstinence is only 80% effective against pregnancy – seasonal virgin-birth joke?
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Kate
Maxime Bergeron looks at blunders the city has avoided, including the tower Jean Drapeau wanted to put on top of Mount Royal and the highway that nearly ran right through Old Montreal.
Ian
The Milton Parc soviet-blocks-turned-luxe is such a rollicking tale of idealism quickly turning to greed, it’s such a blessing htat people were able to organize and prevent that project’s fruition.
Kate
It’s time we named something after Blanche Lemco for saving Old Montreal from becoming a wasteland like the spaces under and beside the Met.
Joey
Maybe we could rename a pedestrian street in Old Montreal after her.
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