Thousands marched Saturday in the union‑led demonstration that included students and community groups.
A mock guillotine carried by some participants is causing a bit of a fuss… and has even sparked a police investigation.
Updates from May, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
-
Kate
-
Kate
A proposed bike path on St‑Laurent in Ahuntsic is unlikely to happen; this piece lists other bike path plans that are likely to die on the drawing board under an Ensemble administration.
-
Kate
A masked group robbed the Mamie Clafoutis bakery on St‑Denis on Friday morning, in protest of an automated payment system the bakery is experimenting with – a 24/7 store with no cashiers, which they’re calling BASIQ.
Mozai
I was a regular but after the renovation they wouldn’t take money. The staff weren’t apologetic nor snobby, just a neutral “that’s not a thing anymore.” I checked in about a year later and still wouldn’t take money. The place used to be crowded and now it isn’t, but it’s still there so they must be able to pay rent.
Kevin
Those who fail to learn history are doomed to repeat it.
In all seriousness, what did they think would happen if they opened a store relying on the honour system to make payments?Kate
Is it even legal not to accept legal tender?
Chris
Kate: it is.
R T
Multiple shops in the United States are using automated technology without widespread shoplifting, even in cities where you’d expect to see it, but many of them rely on turnstiles and cameras, rather than trusting you to scan things on your phone.
Some of those shops have non-cashiers on site to help customers and deal with other tasks—but so did Mamie Clafoutis at the time of the theft:
“Selon ce que ses employés ont pu observer, M. Delourmel explique que deux membres du groupe bloquaient les portes pendant qu’un troisième criait des slogans. C’est un pâtissier qui a finalement mis fin à l’intrusion, en moins de deux minutes.”jeather
I know a few other places that only accept credit or debit.
I admit I don’t care because I think Mamie Clafoutis is overrated at best, not sure I ever had anything from there I thought even hit adequate.
Joey
Unlike the vigilanteism at the Maxi store (which, as we saw, only early affects Loblaw’s bottom line, and at $5K is basically meaningless), you really need to twist yourself into a pretzel to plausibly justify this – you may disapprove of their going cashless or turning your bakery into a giant vending machine but you have the option of simply… not shopping there.
Nicholas
There just seems to be a lot of sympathy lately for theft and it’s in the same category as the other anti-social behaviour like smoking on the metro. It’s ok being you’re doing it for a cause or to stick it to the man.
Often ignored in these situations is the employee, and it often sucks for them. I’ve had to call cops on people who got violent or made threats and it’s not fun. Even if there’s no physical altercation, this stuff is not something to be cheered.
Blork
I confess this seems like another example of the dumbness of people living in the mirror world where thought and nuance don’t exist. They’re basically living a meme without any sense of what it really means. They hear about vigilante food store theft on social media, they cheer because it jabs them in the righteous indignation part of their lizard brains, and they jump at the chance to do it for themselves without giving any thought to what or the why of it.
MarcG
Re-posting part of the anonymous statement:
“En collaboration avec Leav, une start-up spécialisée dans les technologies de commerce de détail, Mamie Clafoutis se targue d’être « la pionnière d’une nouvelle ère de magasins intelligents automatisés. » Cela signe l’arrivée d’un modèle similaire à celui de Amazon Go, lequel a déjà infecté d’autres villes, en plus d’être salué par les médias comme une nouvelle innovation. Vous enregistrer au moyen de la reconnaissance faciale sur leur application peut vous offrir le « privilège » d’acheter du pain 24h/24, 7 jours sur 7, dans leurs boulangeries automatisées et sans caisse.
Toujours activé et ne nécessitant aucun employé·e, le système de Scan & Go de Mamie Clafoutis vous pousse à participer à votre propre surveillance. Nous n’accepterons pas ce mécanisme de contrôle et d’enfermement au prétexte de quelques instants de confort. Il doit être coupé à la racine, avant que ce mode de vie technophile se répande non pas seulement dans chaque boulangerie, chaque marché, mais aussi dans chaque moment d’échange de temps, d’attention, et de consentement dans nos vies…
Ces actions ne sont pas des exploits héroïques, au contraire elles sont simples, accessibles à quiconque souhaite s’y mettre, et il nous appartient de les reproduire encore et encore. Notre subsistance n’est pas un produit à scanner. Nous souhaitons inspirer celles et ceux qui se sentent écrasé·e·s par la botte du capital à prendre tout ce que leurs mains, leurs sacs et leurs esprits peuvent transporter.”
Nicholas
Idk man if you don’t want to shop somewhere then don’t. I ain’t downloading an app to shop, but also ain’t stealing bread as a political point. Just go protest, we know how to do that in Quebec.
Blork
One evening last year I was in Quebec City, west end (near Laval U.), and I was in need of a depanneur. I couldn’t find one, but Google pointed me to a 24-hour market called “Aisle24” on the ground floor of a condo building nearby, so off I went. When I got there it was all locked up. After a minute of poking around I realized it’s an “automated self-service” store. In order to use it you need to download an app (QR code was on the door) and register. You need that in order to even get the door to open. Then you shop, pay, and leave, all under the watchful eye of multiple cameras.
I did not download the app. (I found an Avril store across the street that was still open.)
I was a bit surprised to find it there, since it seems like something right out of Japan. But the building it was in is a new condo complex that seems to be oriented towards students and other non-permanent residents, with a bunch of common spaces and whatnot. (I could see in some windows, and it looked like a student residence with a large common kitchen and an open dining and social area. Lots of people sitting around doing homework and eating UberEats and whatnot.) So I suppose for a 20-year-old looking for a microwaveable dinner to eat in the common dining area it probably doesn’t seem like such an odd thing. Certainly doesn’t seem like something to get all “social justice warrior” over.
Marc
Regarding “Legal Tender,” probably one of the most misunderstood phrases out there: it simply means that the government (under the auspices of the Bank of Canada), or a federally chartered bank (eg. TD) guarantees to honour it. That’s all. As outlined in the federal Currency Act, the method of payment to settle a debt can be anything so long as both parties agree. The Act also outlines limits on the use of currency. For example, you may not pay for a basket of goods at the checkout in a store by handing the clerk a bag of loose nickels and dimes.
Chris
Another thought: in the context of trying to reduce dependency on the USA and its companies: all the App Stores are American and Visa & Mastercard are American. If we are not careful, our country could end up a place where you can’t even buy anything at all without foreigners’ permission.
dhomas
I’m a little conflicted on this one. On the one hand, I think if you don’t like it, just don’t shop there. If it’s unpopular, it will close and the business model will fail. Hopefully, other companies trying the same model will think twice.
On the other hand, it normalizes constant surveillance. People who don’t realize how important that is might still shop there and appreciate the convenience they have traded their privacy for.
The police and government will 100% use these systems in the future and will likely enable AI face recognition on them.
One would hope the government, who is supposed to act in the best interest of its citizens, would intervene to regulate these types of systems so not every part of our lives is spent under the watchful eye of cameras. However, those in power likely want these types of systems to proliferate as they see how useful they can be to them.mare
I also think that if you don’t want the surveillance it’s easy, just don’t shop there.
On the other hand it might be a beginning of the normalization of this kind of technology.
We saw it with self-checkout terminals — although they still need at least one cashier to help because they easily malfunction, for example when your 10 gram makeup pencil isn’t registered by the scale, or for alcohol purchases. In the beginning they were completely ignored by people but now they’re almost everywhere and in some shops they don’t even have a normal cashier anymore. (I personally hate them because of the cacophony of voices, but I’m very sensitive to spoken language. The translation engine in my brain is very active, want to hear everything and gets easily overwhelmed.)
It seems inevitable that, in a few years, we will have these smart stores everywhere, combined with doors that won’t open and won’t let you leave when the AI tech thinks you haven’t paid for something. They are cheap to run because wages are a large percentage of the cost of retail. Another category of low income jobs eliminated by AI. They could theoretically also offer lower prices, which would make them less controversial, but I doubt that will happen. More profit is too enticing, grocery tycoons like to complain about their low margins.
Bert
In store security camera footage seems to be available.
https://www.reddit.com/r/montreal/comments/1t2lauq/vol_%C3%A0_l%C3%A9talage_chez_mamie_clafoutis/
-
Kate
It would be nearly impossible to live here and not know that the Canadiens lost the Friday night match against the Lightning, pushing the series to a seventh game on Sunday. Tickets for a viewing party at the Bell Centre go on sale Saturday at 10 am; Sunday’s game starts at 6 pm.
Nicholas
I used to spend a lot of time around people who like hockey and thought like you, but a friend said no you just ignore it it’s very easy, she hadn’t heard about hockey in years. And now that I don’t spend time around those people it is very easy to ignore, even though I still spend time with some new people who like hockey.
I was talking the other day to someone about the transit strikes last year and he was barely aware of it. He doesn’t even own a car! Maybe people who spend a lot of time on a blog about news are a little skewed.
Kate
Even doing this blog, I’m fairly oblivious to most local sports stuff. I can’t make myself give a damn about the Alouettes or CF Montreal, or the Roses or the Victoire, let alone the various tennis stars.
But the Canadiens are so woven into the fabric of this city – even now, after 30 years without a Cup – that I’d have to be living somewhere else entirely not to pick up on it.
As for last year’s transit strikes, they hardly affected me either, even with no car. Transit strikes used to be real, no service for days or weeks, thumbing rides to get to or from school or work. Now they’ve been so defanged by Essential Services, and now that I work entirely from home, I really only know about them because of doing the blog.
It’s one reason I keep blogging. I feel a need to know wtf is going on. And while I’m finding out, I might as well let others know.
Daisy
I just found that out just now by reading this here. I guess I am in the “nearly impossible” category. I don’t follow hockey or know anyone who does, nor am I on social media. I only figured out that the Canadiens were in the playoffs in the first place because of the “Go Habs Go” on the buses and the metro announcements at the stations near the Bell Centre.
Nicholas
Go Habs Go happens basically year-round, as do Habs flags on cars, so while I know a team is there it could be the team is doing well or lost.
I remember it was June 30 one year. Playoffs were over, the summer sports were in full swing, school was out. And these two people I knew were still talking hockey. I said couldn’t we get a break, training camp starts in like a month! Oh, the draft was today and free agency was tomorrow. It’s pervasive in some circles and completely off the radar in others. “Why are people honking everywhere?” “Must be a sportsball.”
R T
My vague awareness of the playoffs came mostly from people in Habs jerseys travelling the “wrong way” (towards downtown) in the afternoon/early evening.
Joey
@Nicholas Something like 800,000+ people attended the NFL *draft* in Pittsburgh last week…
JP
I only stay in the loop because I’m often downtown and if there’s a home game, I want to avoid the influx of people on the orange lines or the REM, so I try to come home before the game ends. Literally the only reason I look up the schedule.
-
Kate
Thirteen people were arrested Friday in a May Day demo at Square Victoria.
The more formal union march starts Saturday at 1 pm at the Cartier monument.
Reply