The REM was down Wednesday morning for awhile between TMR and Deux‑Montagnes, but it’s back now.
Updates from December, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
Not only are the emergency wards overwhelmed with flu cases, so is Urgences‑santé.
We’re encouraged to avoid ERs.
jeather
First of all, no one goes to the ER for fun. Second of all, when the only urgent care many people can access is the ER, that’s where they will go for things that need to be seen, but could be done by a GP if you had one with appointment times.
Andrew Aitken
“Call 811 before going to the ER” good luck with that
MarcG
A response to the “stay home” messaging from an ER doc in Toronto:
If you believe you have a medical emergency, if you believe you or a family needs the ER – then come. That is what we are there for. I’ve never told a patient their visit was unnecessary and I’ve never given a patient a hard time about coming. That is not what we do.” (the full post on Elon’s botfarm)
JP
Interesting quote Marc. About 10 years ago in the summer I went to a local walk-in clinic that I didn’t realize was for “urgence”. I went because I had a really bad rash. The receptionist processed me with out any resistance but boy did the doctor chastise me. It wasn’t until I got assertive and said I did not have a family doctor that he backed off.
Chris
MarcG, if you hate X so much, why not use xcancel.com links?
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Kate
Three young men were arrested early on Monday apparently about to firebomb a Crescent Street bar.
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Kate
A TVA survey of murders in Quebec shows that there have been fewer homicides this year than the recent average, but police have kept busy working on older cases.
From a total of 85 cases across the province, a quarter were done by family members. Twenty‑four of the 30 homicides in Montreal happened because of fights, often over trivial matters, while killings related to organized crime are down.
At least eight of the Montreal incidents involved a homeless person.
TVA compares this year’s total to a recent high in 2022, when 110 people were killed in Quebec.
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Kate
Three thousand reports of illegal taxis at the airport have been made in less than a year.
Chris
Hilarious. So if you do this with an “app”, a corporation, and limitless VC funds, it’s fine. But if you just do it on your own, no bueno!
Ian
Considering that most “disruptive” business models seem to be predicated on union busting and/ or tax evasion, that tracks.
Joey
Not anymore, Chris – rideshare drivers are supposed to be registered with the SAAQ: https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/transportation-passengers/remunerated-passenger-transportation-automobile/drivers
Based on the huge number of cars with yellow permits in the back window, it sounds like registration is pretty common.
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Kate
Enlivening statement from Sergio Da Silva on why he ran for office, and how he feels about the outcome.
Tim S.
Good for him!
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Kate
Advance weekend notes from CTV.Media are dreading traffic crunch at the airport.
Nicholas
ADM put out a CYA press release to tell people to show up super early to the airport and the media stenographers put out an easy story. (Don’t worry, Kate, your sarcasm is clearly dripping.) Everything was, and is going to be, fine.
Joey
That La Presse story is hardly stenography.
Nicholas
Eh, barely. I saw multiple reports that were literally just quoting and rewriting the press release, but this story they sent two people out there to do some streeters: get one person who was running late, and then another who planned extra time because they expected this, typical contrast. Then describe things in the press release: big future plans (new parking deck, REM, more lanes), what’s been done already (new parking deck). And they sprinkle in quotes from their interview with the ADM and Tourism Montreal flacks, probably from the third reporter. That’s three (3) journalists on a story that provides less useful information than the boring press release. (Sorry if the link doesn’t work, ADM uses the blob protocol.) Is this a good use of limited journalistic resources?
Kevin
A journalistic issue this time of year: loads of people are not working and very difficult to reach.
And getting to the airport, especially for those evening flights to Europe, was very busy this summer and likely will be this week too.
Ian
Via the Onion:
Dad Suggests Arriving At Airport 14 Hours EarlyJohn B
I flew out on Saturday, there was about 15 minutes delay in traffic at the airport, but my driver said that the day before he had been stuck for an hour. The “leave early” reports have some merit, even if they’re not well researched.
DavidH
I know that The Onion piece Ian posted is supposed to be a joke. But I know of two people who told me this year that they now book into an airport hotel the previous night so as not to worry about transport. Both weathered travellers, one a gen-X ex-pat, the other a late 20s woman. 14 hour early is the new sweet spot for some.
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Kate
The REM is bringing Christmas shoppers downtown and retailers are happy.
EmilyG
Now that the REM station that’s only one bus away from me is open, I might like to try going places on the REM during the holidays. Maybe not before Christmas or on Boxing Day, but maybe in the days after that, when things are a bit less crowded.
EmilyG
Though it seems the REM will be shut down on the 27th and 28th.
source: https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/open-and-closed-for-xmas
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Kate
A recurring news story here is about people living near the airport wanting less noise at night, even though everyone knows we live in a 24‑hour world. CBC, which has been increasing its video reports rather than posting text – you have to view a commercial first – has a video about a proposal for no flights between 1 am and 6 am.
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Kate
The city no longer has a councillor specifically dedicated to reconciliation with Indigenous people. St‑Michel’s Josué Corvil rolls it in with culture, diversity and inclusion, an offhand treatment deplored by Nakuset of the Native Women’s Shelter.
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Kate
A water main broke near the Palais des congrès late Monday afternoon, closing several streets.
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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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