Community groups held a protest in Longueuil Friday as part of the Le communautaire à boutte movement, demanding better funding from Quebec.
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Kate
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Kate
A Metro piece says city hall is going to create a Nuits Montréal permit allowing some establishments longer opening hours in an effort to sustain the city’s nightlife.
This isn’t exactly new (although the CTV piece says it is). The previous administration played around with plans to allow Quartier Latin businesses to stay open 24/7 – this was announced a couple of separate times and I never saw any follow‑up except a later piece on how the area was facing meager times.
Extended hours have been announced in certain areas or at certain times, like the Nuit blanche or the Grand Prix. And, digging back, I have a blog entry from 2017 in which I mention “Lots of stuff in 2014 about the city experimenting with letting bars stay open till 6 a.m.” That was pre‑Projet, in Coderre’s time.
I think this is one of those things that can sound like a good idea, but it has a natural limit. How many people really want to stay up past 3 and, more relevantly, how many people want to keep working after 3? Citing Sergio da Silva of Turbo Haüs from 2024: “By three in the morning, people have already done what they’re going to be doing. They’re either a little too high, or a little too drunk, and it’s just time to get everybody home and be done with it.”
The city needs a few more reliable 24/7 restaurants and cafés, yes. We used to have more of them than we do now. There are shift workers who need to eat at odd hours, if nothing else. But entertainment districts constantly on the go?
Nicholas
Maybe the way to go is to have them sparsely spread out rather than concentrated, so everyone has the option but you’re not bar hopping? Then again there was that Gazette piece two years ago on 24/7 restaurants and they mostly can’t make it work, due to lack of customers and staff. I’m a night owl but still I wouldn’t go out much that late.
Kate
Then the problem becomes the one loud bar in a neighbourhood otherwise quiet at night. The Miss Villeray bar on the street of the same name was a popular spot for awhile, and eventually posted signs outside requesting that patrons not bring noise away from the bar terrasse. I’ve seen other signs of that kind posted near bars located in residential areas. It’s a tricky balance.
Nicholas
I’ve seen neighbourhood spots where the terrasse closes at a certain hour, say 10 or 11. The main problem would probably be smokers talking and then people when leaving. Maybe you allow them only on otherwise loud streets, like Crémazie, or in industrial areas. But also if bars can close at 3 now then that’ll be disruptive if in a neighbourhood, and closing at 5 or 6 might even be less because some will have already woken up. But I agree it’s a tricky balance.
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Kate
Edited:
City blue collar workers are to hold a three‑day strike mid‑April. They want more money, their present deal not keeping pace with inflation.
Blork
To be precise, THE CITY’S blue collar workers are going on strike.
Kate
Who else employs blue collar workers about whom this blog would be concerned?
Blork
Universities, school boards, STM, shopping malls, office towers, hospitals, etc. etc. etc.
Chris
OK, I can’t help it: “the city”? Which city? There are, what, 16 on the island?
Blork
🙂
Kate
Chris, what’s the name of this blog?
Chris
Kate, you do realise I was poking fun at Blork’s pedantry with even more pedantry, right?
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Kate
About a year ago, a woman who held two Second Cup franchises at the Jewish General was recorded making antisemitic threats at a pro‑Palestinian protest. Mai Abdulhadi underwent a re‑education program, so charges have been dropped – but some are not happy with this. In any case, she certainly will not be running any businesses in the Jewish again.
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Kate
Le Devoir strongly implies here that the city paid too much for some land in St‑Michel meant for building social housing, but a lot of things doubled in price between 2020 and 2024.
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Kate
Weekend notes from Le Devoir, CityCrunch, Journal de Montréal, CultMTL.The driving issues to look out for.
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