A recent report from the Observatoire Grand Montréal says the city population is in decline as the population ages and immigration is curtailed.
More on this Tuesday: it’s not just that the population will shrink, but that it will also age, putting more of a burden on its younger, working‑age people.
Charles Milliard wants Quebec to emulate Doug Ford’s Ontario. Enough said?
Charles Milliard: how else can I prove to you I have no idea what I’m doing right now?
Politics must be a lot harder than it looks given how often seemingly intelligent people wind up saying stuff like this…
Well, I only scanned the article but it seems like he’s mostly referring to things like making inter-provincial trade easier, standing up to Trump, and saying yes to Federal assistance in industry development. I’m not going to complain about those things.
Isn’t that the point? The hard part of doing politics is being able to say “we should borrow ideas and approaches from Doug Ford’s government” without everyone hearing “I want Quebec to emulate Doug Ford’s Ontario”… easier said than done…
Writing headlines – like writing brief blog summaries – lends itself to oversimplification.
I dunno… ‘breaking down interprovincial trade barriers’ is a fancy way of saying ‘restricting workers’ rights’, and workers’ don’t have many rights to begin with, even here. It’s a euphemism for ‘get rid of anything standing in the way of the corporate steamroller.’
Ford has taken a hatchet to Ontario’s environmental regulations, is a big fossil fuel booster, rejects EVs for purely ideological reasons, has zero respect for the press or for the rights of cities, and is pushing for nuclear power, despite far cheaper and more effective alternatives.
He’s a rightwing populist, fundamentally no different than Danielle Smith, Scott Moe, or Pierre Poilievre. They are all cut from the same cloth, and they all will say and do whatever a small minority of elites tell them to, using language designed to appeal to everyone’s basest instincts.
Do we need more of that in Quebec?
“‘breaking down interprovincial trade barriers’ is a fancy way of saying ‘restricting workers’ rights’, and workers’ don’t have many rights to begin with, even here. It’s a euphemism for ‘get rid of anything standing in the way of the corporate steamroller.’”
Well, no, it’s more like “why was it so easy to sell goods to the U.S. but not right across the provincial border? Now that the U.S. is being the way they are it makes sense to do more trade horizontally.
Most of those interprovincial trade barriers are based on things like the big domestic breweries needing to have a footprint in each province for union reasons, or to protect some agricultural producers, but that’s very 1950s thinking. It makes it difficult (for example) for a small independent brewery in Quebec to sell into Ontario or other provinces, or for Quebec cheese makers to sell to other provinces.
…it makes no sense that in Ontario you can find tons and tons of U.S. products, but so much stuff trying to come in from Quebec or BC has barriers on it.
I agree with Blork, including about how the headline is about emulating Ford but the article is about a speech to Toronto business people talking about how much he likes Ontario business. And while he could go into Ontario and say “I think the person I hope to be working with for 3 years sucks,” you can see why he might not do that.
Every story about inter-provincial trade I’ve ever read features some craft brewer going on about how they can’t sell their beer in Alberta or whatever. If only we got rid of these silly laws, the economy could benefit by (X) billions of dollars.
Now, I’m no economist, but I do enjoy the occasional micro-brew. There’s some from my last trip to Ontario in my fridge even now. Thing is, if it becomes legal to sell BC beer here or whatever, that’s nice, but not I’m going to drink much more of it. Whatever I buy from BC will replace what I now buy from Quebec. So, unless I and many others turn into a raging alcoholic (consuming only expensive niche products, mind you), I don’t see where these billions of dollars will come from.
All of which is to say that, yeah, I agree with Taylor that I suspect inter-provincial trade barriers is code for “race to the bottom of worker, consumer and environmental protections.”
The microbrewery example is always brought up because it’s easy to remember. It’s actually more about aligning various regulations and standards, etc. A bad (and fictional) example is something like this: Ontario insists that eggs be packaged by the tens while Quebec insists that eggs be packaged by the dozen. So Quebec farmers can’t sell eggs into Ontario unless they go through the expensive process of adding a “by the tens” packaging line. Obviously that’s made up, but my understanding is there are many real-life examples like that.
From a report last year by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives:
“The idea that there are vast, hidden interprovincial trade barriers holding back the Canadian economy has seized the political, media and public imagination. In reality, the alleged costs of interprovincial trade irritants have been vastly overstated, as virtually all goods, services and investment flows freely across provincial borders. In that sense, recent laws and executive decisions aimed at increasing internal trade should be seen as the “premiers’ new clothes.” […] While these efforts will have little effect on Canada’s internal economy, there are downsides to the public interest [as they] will further reduce governments’ capacity to protect the environment, spur domestic economies, promote workplace health and safety, and stop predatory behaviours against consumers.”
Lots of good examples and analysis in the report.
The Permanent People’s Tribunal has opened a week‑long investigation here into missing Indigenous children and unmarked burials. But as noted in the Radio‑Canada deck, the tribunal’s rulings are not legally binding. A full ruling is expected at the end of September.
The city’s official list of pedestrianized streets for summer 2026.
Here’s a version from CTV with a grille, but no map. Item from La Presse, but still no map.
Isn’t St-Paul Street usually pedestrianized? But it never seems to be listed.
Some media note that rue Villeray is a new one, but it’s only being pedestrianized as an alternative to de Castelnau, part of which had been closed to traffic for several summers but which needs to be dug up this year.
Before I make one, I wonder if there’s a visual map of these locations.
Looking, but haven’t seen one.
The Gazette has one here:
https://montrealgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/pedestrianized-streets-2026.svg
Was just about to post that, LJ. Thanks!
@Mozai The Gazette has one here: https://montrealgazette.com/news/car-free-pedestrianized-streets-montreal-summer/. There also a shapefile you can download to make your own: https://donnees.montreal.ca/dataset/rues-pietonnes/resource/425d94e5-19e9-450a-89ef-4548ed409dcd.
St-Paul is already pedestrianized from Marché Bonsecours until St-Laurent and essentially becomes a shared street until McGill. You could also add place Jacques-Cartier which, for some inexplicable reason, is open to cars throughout the winter. I also noticed signs saying that Place d’Youville is going to be closed to cars over the summer.
Mont-Royal has been blocked off and they’re setting up. My favourite though is Duluth. Why the city allows cars on that street most of the year makes no sense to me!
I guess St-Denis in the Latin Quarter isn’t being pedestrianized this year?
@CE — Sadly the Latin Quarter won’t be pedestrianized for the next two or three years due to the construction on Berri. The rationale is that St-Denis is needed for emergency access to the CHUM now that Berri is completely blocked. I think that also means the circus festival and other events held on the pedestrian strip will be displaced. The city gave the SDC a bunch of money this year so maybe there will be some interesting public terrasses or other installations.
These annual media reports never seem to include St-Paul, for some reason, even though the SMF administration cancelled plans to keep it pedestrianized year-round, so it’s definitely one of the summertime-only pedestrian streets.
There’s also Ste-Catherine in the Quartier des spectacles but thankfully that was permanently pedestrianized before SMF came into power. It had been “temporarily” pedestrianized year-round since 2020.
La Presse has a short photo essay around the 150th anniversary of Mount Royal Park.
Serge Audette was found guilty Monday of a murder committed 30 years ago, when he killed his neighbour Patricia Ferguson in Pointe‑aux‑Trembles.
Updating to add Daniel Renaud’s interview with Sabrina Ferguson.
A great example of how effective and powerful good journalism/filmmaking can be. According to the article, the doc raised the question of how a violent sex offender was the last person to see Ferguson alive (and how the police didn’t look into him properly?). Ferguson also had an 11 mo girl at the time and her daughter always thought she had been abandoned. Now she knows the truth.
Good point, Meezly. It must be so strange for her daughter, who wouldn’t even remember her mother yet could have been haunted by the thought she might have been abandoned. It is better to know.
The Snowbirds are to do another flyover Monday evening around 18:15, before the Canadiens match at the Bell Centre.
“Dear Ron MacLean. Dear Coach’s Corner. I’m writing in order for someone to explain to my niece the distinction between these mandatory pre-game group rites of submission and the rallies at Nuremburg. Specifically the function the ritual serves in conjunction with what everybody knows is in the end a kid’s game“
OK, MarcG, I’ll take this at face value. If I shouldn’t, forgive me.
You are, if I’m not mistaken, of the opinion that COVID was a social disaster, in that people didn’t/don’t care enough about each other to take basic precautions to mitigate harm. Might I therefore suggest, that events and rituals that bring people together, create joy in being part of something beyond oneself, could create bonds of empathy and lead to people caring more about each other?
Or is it better if we all bowl alone?
The song is a criticism of the military piggybacking on sports events, maybe I didn’t post enough of the lyrics.
Also brings to mind the interview with the guy who was burned badly at the Ferrari dealership linked below – he mentions how sparklers on his birthday cake reminded him of the incident and caused a sleepless night – imagine the effect war planes overhead has on some of us.
Ah well, disagreement is not treason.
But it’d be a different world if the orchestra I went to on Saturday, or the last Sugar Sammy show I saw, started with O Canada.
Hey thanks for this it explains the very loud noise I just heard.
Maybe they fly the planes so that the steady stream of car and bank advertisements seem less violent. (Just heard them fly over)
I thought it was nice of the Snowbirds to do a flyover right after I retired the first batter while pitching in a softball game yesterday…
Flyovers for sporting events that are held indoors makes even less sense to me.
Considering how much we as a society spend on high-tech military equipment, I enjoy getting to see it every once in a while.
I’m curious what bank and car advertisements can be considered “violent.” Unless you consider annoying and repetitive as a form of violence (I kind of like the very intense ones that the National Bank is running during the games on TVA).
I play La Presse’s five-letter game, which involves watching a 15‑second commercial each time. Most are commercials for Honda, tightly edited. In some, there’s a few seconds of the car coming right at the camera. Every time, I flinch. Is that a violent image? As a pedestrian, I’m not sure I’d call it violent, exactly, but it’s jolting.
A parade to celebrate the triumph of the Victoire will be held downtown Saturday, but details of the route are not yet out.
A Radio-Canada journalist said 11am at the Place des festivals, with the cup going along pedestrian Sainte-Catherine for a few blocks.
Thank you, SMD.
There’s to be a jet flyover Sunday afternoon at 3:45 during the national anthem at the Grand Prix. Maps shown on item.
(They sing the national anthem at the Grand Prix?!)
Yes, every GP gets their national anthem played, sometimes acapella, instrumental, experimental. The Spanish GP actually plays both the Spanish anthem, The Royal March (which has no official lyrics!), as well as the Catalonian national anthem, The Reapers.
Everything is all timed out, you can basically set your watch to the events.
Flybys are common, if not e rigueur for most large outdoor events. Somehow I think they don’t do flyovers at the Centre Bell, or the Olympic Stadium. Though that last one might be to avoid the jet blast from blowing the structure down.
I know someone who worked for the Als for years and he said you know how much precision it takes to ensure the singer gets to the exact end point of the anthem just as the jets fly overhead? And when you think about it, almost all sporting events start at the exact planned time, and there’s a lot going into that.
You’re right. I did a very small bit of theatre work when I was a teenager, and learned that even timing a simple stage performance is a feat. Arranging the arrival of jets would be a challenge.
Enjoy ‘em while you can. The Snowbirds will be grounded after the 2026 season while the planes are replaced, which could take four years or more.
Interestingly, the replacements will be Swiss-made acrobatic propeller planes, the Pilatus PC-21. At least they’ll be quieter. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/snowbirds-grounded-2030s-9.7204210
Those planes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilatus_PC-21
@Bert not much point of a flyover if there’s a roof…
@Nicholas helpful to think of these events as live TV productions, gotta be right on time…
They will be flying over the roofed Bell Center tonight at 6:15 for Game 3.
There will be a lot of people out in the street before the game, though.
Mount Royal Park marks 150 years this month.
The anniversary of the inauguration is today! May 24th. Is the park doing anything to celebrate it? I haven’t found any events listed.
Even if they had plans, at 12° and rainy, it wouldn’t be the most pleasant day out.
A rainy Sunday will be interesting for the big race, as noted on this UK Formula 1 site (and check out that crazy headline font).
Radio-Canada reminds us that it was also a rainy race day in 2024.
I didn’t realize that you can code a font to display differently if it followed specific other characters, neato.
Typographically they’re called ligatures, and yes you can. But the ones in that headline are unconventional. Typically it will be fi, fl, ffi, ffl and sometimes st and ct, although there’s no strict rule.
The Gazette has part 2 of a piece on how the CAQ has attacked tenants’ rights in their time in office.
The Canadiens are an ongoing theme, Chapleau looping in Christine Fréchette, and Côté providing a sketch that tells a story; Ygreck loops in the race as well.
Fréchette was also the inspiration for a call‑and‑response between Côté and Chapleau this week.
Godin throws shade on the Grand Prix but sees two victories for women.
Quebec’s cartoonists are distrustful of Newfoundland’s motives as the Churchill Falls deal with Quebec is renegotiated. Trump’s motives for forcing change on Cuba are equally unpopular while Chapleau sees Danielle Smith trying to keep the lid on a pot she put on the stove herself.
Côté draws a two-parter critiquing Quebec’s handling of the PEQ immigration program. He also has a good social observation satire this week, while Ygreck illustrates inflation.
Sex workers held a demonstration downtown Saturday, seeking safe and legal work conditions.
If you stopped reading after “Sex workers held a demonstration downtown Saturday…” you’d have a very different notion of what the story is about. 🙂
It’s been in the news that strippers and other sex workers would hold a strike this weekend, so I assumed readers would understand the statement in that context.
Should build a legal brothel on Ile St Helene… we already have all the other amusements out there.
Some time ago I was in a friend’s car, driving around aimlessly. We were over on the island when a car full of young men flagged us down and asked where the big strip club was. They didn’t want to believe that there wasn’t one on the island. (It turned out the club they named was in St‑Jean‑sur‑Richelieu, so they were definitely lost.)
A landlord who evicted tenants on false pretenses has been ordered to pay them $62,000.
Made a million in increased value in the home, landlord still came out well ahead. It’s a good start but unless judgements like this — not just to landlords but various companies that break the law — are actually painful financially the cost of a lawsuit or two will just be built in to their costs.
This story is confusing. They were evicted in 2022. “Then, in October 2023, she saw that the house was being torn down.” Then “In May 2025, the home was listed for sale for $1,275,000 and was sold for $1,215,000.”
But if the home was torn down in 2023 how was it sold for $1.2M in 2025. Did they build a new house and then sell that? Or was it just the lot that sold?
I wish these journalists would pay a bit more attention when putting these stories together.
Maybe no journalist was involved and it’s just AI slop.
Presumably something new was built on the lot, that seemed implied. The tenants were chucked out for this profitable redevelopment, on the false claim that a relative of the owner was going to move in. All the other details, like the tenant being ill, are beside the point.
A journalist would have linked to the decision. (Jk they mostly would not.)
Anyway it’s a train wreck of a case. The landlord demanded an illegal security deposit, tried to evict the tenant for his stepson too late into the lease renewal period, tried again later early enough but stepchildren aren’t close enough to allow family lease evictions, the stepson was never going to permanently occupy the place because he just wanted to live there while doing a reno on his larger place, then the owner applied for demolition less than a year after saying this would be a permanent occupation, demolished and built a new house reusing just the foundation with his related construction company that did not have an RBQ licence, sold the clearly new home without charging sales taxes, among other issues. The one sympathetic thing was that all the new people complained of urine smell, likely from the dogs, but the judge awarded them no damages because they didn’t get any proof and he mostly didn’t trust them.
He bought the property for $255,000 at some point and sold it for a million more, but it’s unclear the cost of demolition and construction. Hopefully this guy will get a nice penalty from the tax agencies.
Thanks for the link, Nicholas. The info is clear in the decision. Indeed, the house was demolished and a new one built, which was then sold.
And yeah, he bought it for $255k, sometime before 2016, then sold it for $1.2M after demolishing and rebuilding, so he’s probably only up by $200 or $300k, in which case the $62k payment to the former tenant is a pretty good ouch. ($100k or $200k profit after 10+ years, when you subtract a decade’s worth of taxes, plus all the bother and expenses of demolition and building… not a great return on investment.)
Don’t forget the approximately 100k in rent he took in over that period.
Reply