TVA reports on construction congestion near the bridge, the mayor now promising to use drones to monitor sites.
After her promises to reduce traffic congestion and cones, SMF needs some magic. If drones don’t do the trick, there’s always AI.
Updates from June, 2026 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
TVA posted advice on Wednesday on ways to get to the airport but now there’s another – a new bus route linking the REM’s Des Sources station to YUL, at least until the REM’s A2 branch opens.
Nicholas
First link should go here.
Kate
I was planning to post yesterday’s story, but thanks for the correction!
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Kate
The CAQ’s Quebec constitution bill fizzled as the parliamentary session ended, and – with any luck – will become only a curious footnote in Quebec’s legal history.
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Kate
The family of Valentine Dufresne, killed by a train in March as she made an illegal crossing at a well‑known spot between the Plateau and Rosemont, are suing Canadian Pacific, the city and the federal government for $850,000 on the premise that the crossing is dangerous and not enough has been done to block it.
But it’s well known that every time CP puts up more fencing, someone comes along and cuts holes – and, well, she was taking a chance by crossing illegally. Sad, but FAFO, as they say.
MarcG
The solution isn’t to block it it’s to find a way to make it safe to cross near there since there’s obviously a need.
Kate
I could not agree more.
bob
They could also make the trains more visible and audible, but that would probably entail noise complaints. And people get killed at level crossings despite all the lights and bells and gates. Sometimes there’s little to be done.
Ian
While people do get killed at level crossings, thousands use them without incident every year.
Nobody is asking that we get rid of trains, just to put in level crossings so that people don’t invent ways to cross unsafely.
You might as well argue that since trucks sometimes hit pedestrians despite the presence of crossing lights the solution is not to have crossing lights.
steph
I’ve seen gated level crossings with a gate, operable by calling a number for safety. https://tinyurl.com/3s6bk6u5
Kate
People manage to cross tracks safely in Jarry Park and at Cremazie and Querbes even though Exo trains go faster than the freight trains at the unofficial crossing described in the original post.
It puzzles me how anyone can not see and feel a freight train coming at that unofficial crossing point, but it has happened more than once.
Blork
Steph, I’ve seen those crossings along Boul de Fort-St-Louis in Boucherville but I didn’t know that’s how they worked. Good to know.
I also don’t understand how people can not see or hear a train coming but it happens A LOT as I’ve said here several times before. It’s weird but it happens, and it happens more than you’d think.
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Kate
The plan to do roadwork on rue Villeray this summer is likely to ruin the season for several businesses including Café Vito, which has always flourished by holding outdoor World Cup watch parties. Vito has entreated with the borough to delay the work till after the soccer tournament, but to no effect. Also some audio on CBC.
Very local news, but local to the blog, so…
DeWolf
Oh, so that’s why the pedestrianized portion ends at de Gaspé. I thought it was weird it didn’t extend further west.
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Kate
I don’t usually post sound files, nor have I listened to this yet, but some may find this hour‑long NPR history of the Jazz Festival an interesting listen.
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Kate
Psychologically, what would be the benefit of posting a lot of very convincing AI videos of fake crime incidents in Quebec on Facebook? Convince people we need more law and order? Or just keep people more scared of each other, and generally cowed?
MarcG
It wouldn’t surprise me if it was either a) some random person with no political agenda who knows how to make money from social media, or b) one of Quebec’s far-right groups building support for their ideology through fearmongering, while also generating income to print their stickers, t-shirts, etc.
GC
Yeah, my guess would be a). CBC recently published a story about people overseas (mostly in India/Pakistan/etc.) who are very active in Alberta separatism groups on Facebook. They stir up antagonism. Not because they care one bit whether Alberta is in our out of Canada, but just because they’ve figured out how to work Meta’s monetization program to their own benefit. In that case, they were mostly copying other people’s content and reposting it. But, similar idea to let AI do the all the work.
Kevin
Digtial ad fraud is conservatively estimated at $100 billion per year — although some people say it’s closer to $250 billion.
The problem is that Meta, Google, and the other online giants make money both from people buying the ads, and from the people coming up with garbage to keep those (possibly fake) eyeballs on their sites, so they have absolute no interest in stopping the slop.
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Kate
Popular St‑Henri deli Arthurs Nosh Bar has been reproved by the OQLF over the Yiddish word ‘nosh’ on its front window. What should they put there instead? Grignotines juives?
Sal
Oy vey!
DeWolf
I’d love to see a story about one of the vigilante busybodies who go around filing complaints with the OQLF about things like this.
Ian
Maybe if it was spelled in Yiddish instead of Romanized? Lots of Hassidic businesses in my neighbourhood get away with Yiddish and/ or Hebrew. I bet if an OQLF inspector saw “נאש” (nosh) they wouldn’t know what it said anyway and let it go.
That said… If I call someone at the OQLF a putz or a shmuck, am I speaking Yiddish, or using a loanword in English? I am pretty sure most English speakers would recognize the words “putz”, “schmuck”, or “nosh” even if they don’t know ithsoe words were originally Yiddish, and I suspect that was the intention of the owner. That he’s claiming it’s Yiddish so it doesn’t count is about as authentic as his overpriced “heimishe” menu.
GC
Memories of Pastagate! Or the recent story about the SoLIT Cafe and the mandate to find a more French way to say “nachos”. At least they are not just dumping on English, specifically, for once?
Ian
Well we know they want us to not only speak French at work and at home but also to think in French, not leave the province, and apparently only eat French food.
Now I’m craving matzoh ball soup.
Nicholas
The best part of the nachos story is that nachos is the official term recommended by the government of Quebec. Maybe the inspector who laughed at the proprietor needs to spend more time with the dictionary. Though using chicken in English was bound to get them in trouble.
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Kate
Benoit Dagenais, who worked for the city for 30 years and has been director general since the Plante years, has been let go by Ensemble and replaced by Alain Dufort, who’s done various managerial jobs for the city.
No pressing reason mentioned why Dagenais has been given the push, but Le Devoir’s Jeanne Corriveau notes that, in recent history, directors general don’t survive a change of administration at city hall.
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