Bike-sharing continues to rise in popularity in Quebec, as Bixi expands into additional towns. Quebec City also has its own system, àvélo.
In general, cycling has been on the rise, a Vélo‑Québec report showing that growing numbers of Quebec residents use a bike for serious commuting and travel, and not just for kicks.
CBC looks into a group that matches people up, not for romance or sex, but for cohousing. Idealistically, they’re hoping to create arrangements cosier than simple rent‑sharing.
Oh here we go. No sooner has Mark Carney announced a project to spend billions of dollars training Canadian youth in construction trades than our new premier states that it’s a provincial jurisdiction, meaning that it won’t happen here, the money will be siphoned into arcane Quebec priorities, or the project will be so encrusted with Quebec bureaucratic knobjobbery that the whole thing will fall down of its own weight.
What’s the issue (besides Ottawa once again announcing national programs in extremely well established areas of provincial jurisdiction)? Frechette seems to be pretty open to actually taking the money and spending it via existing Quebec programs. Would it be better for the feds to try and set up something in parallel?
Frechette, like every other premier, is open to taking the money and spending it on whatever the hell she wants.
On the other hand, Canada just won the vote to host the new Defence Bank, so if we’re lucky we’ll get all those war profiteering jobs right here in Montreal! /sarcasm https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/2026-04-29/future-banque-de-la-defense/le-canada-obtient-le-siege-social.php
The Montreal General is reported to be planning to install an AI in its bathrooms which will remind workers to wash their hands.
Won’t be long before it becomes a background noise that is just as easily ignored as any other reminder-without-consequence.
I was pretty cynical about this until I read that it seems to have worked really well in Ottawa:
L’outil s’est avéré efficace à l’Hôpital d’Ottawa. Dans une unité d’essai, les soignants ont été près de 19 % plus nombreux à se laver les mains adéquatement après son implantation en 2023, indique le centre hospitalier. En 15 mois, les éclosions ont diminué de plus de 90 %, précise-t-il.
I spoke before reading the article – this is way more than an audio reminder in the bathrooms. Video here https://vimeo.com/1125186766.
The IR scan makes it look like handwashing is being enforced by the Predator lol.
Also I wonder if it’ll evolve to tell you to wash up after touching your phone because according to our training session from infection control cell phones are apparently rife with fecal matter.
And this, friends, is why the AI “bubble” will not burst. First, you can replace an “employees must wash hands” sign with a scanning IR 3D laser used in autonomous mobile robotics mated to a neural network trained on the dynamics of hygeine, and second, you can get the goods on employees who need the reminding. This is not a reminder, it is enforcement, and the enforcement goes well beyond no-brainers like hand washing.
It will evolve to tell you to report to a disciplinary meeting, where you will be fired and replaced with a Roomba.
The city is beginning a study of its Canada geese to work out their local life cycle, beginning with a couple of islands in the Back River.
But, “À long terme, la Ville parie sur le réaménagement de ses parcs pour les rendre moins attrayants pour les volatiles qui apprécient les espaces gazonnés à proximité de cours d’eau.” What’s next, paving them over?
They could let the lawns re-wild themselves – it’s amazing how quickly it happens.
Wild lawns near the riverside might be more attractive to cobra chickens, who presumably hang out in places like that because they’re full of things to eat. Whereas a manicured lawn is probably pretty sterile if not outright toxic.
I think that they mostly eat grass so are drawn to big open patches of it.
You’re right. I thought they might nosh on bugs and worms, but they seem to be thoroughly vegetarian.
I have occasionally seen geese on the canal. I keep a wide berth because despite a certain gracefulness they are terrifying monsters.
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