Montreal Gazette
OUT TO STOP RABIES
Close to a popular pedestrian path cutting through Michel Chartrand Park in Longueuil, wildlife technicians Guillaume Lemieux and Simon Bellefleur stride through the underbrush of the sun-dappled forest to retrieve a cage baited with marshmallows the...
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PLAYING ON THE SKELETON KEYS
Spooky season is upon us and, as usual, a host of family-friendly activities are being held all over the city and beyond. From mystical canal cruises to candy hunts, there's something for everyone. Here's a list of events to celebrate Halloween with...
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Premier sworn in with lean PQ cabinet
The incoming premier of Quebec, Paul St-pierre Plamondon, has presented his cabinet team, opting for a mix of veterans and new faces that he hopes will keep his minority government in the good books of the people and opposition parties for a...
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CIRQUE PLANTS ITS SEEDS
Olga Kozionova helps Cirque du Soleil announce its new show, Finding Utopia, at a press event yesterday. The surrealist production will debut at the Old Port next spring and will involve a farmer's field. `You'll step into (the tent) to find yourself...
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A MAJOR EVACUATION
Firefighters respond to a five-alarm blaze in an apartment building on St-michel Blvd. that broke out yesterday afternoon. They used ladders to help evacuate upper floors, and three people were taken to hospital for smoke inhalation, Abby Mclaughlin...
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AI IS AN `ALIEN BEING'
British-canadian Nobel laureate Geoffrey Hinton, often revered as the “Godfather of AI,” said AI is one of “three big revolutions where people ceased to be so important,” the others being Copernicanism — the understanding that planets revolve around...
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FIXING MONTREAL
In late March of this year, Julien Montreuil made his way to a park in Montreal's east end where the mayor was set to announce new funding for L'anonyme, the homeless organization Montreuil runs. The money was intended to hire four employees who would...
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PARTI QUÉBÉCOIS'S 59 MNAS MOVE IN
Pascal Bérubé, left, and PQ Leader Paul St-pierre Plamondon return to the National Assembly yesterday for their swearing-in ceremony. They were among the party's seven MNAS in the previous legislature.
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Ineligible for RAMQ coverage, man faces devastating debt
Emergency spinal surgery could leave a man in Montreal who isn't eligible for Quebec health insurance facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt. While Alvin Reyes has a permit to work in the province — where he has resided for three years — the...
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SNIFFING OUT TROUBLE
Canada Border Services Agency detector dog Jack zeroes in on his target during an exercise at Montreal–trudeau International Airport. Abby Mclaughlin spends a morning with CBSA officers at YUL to see what happens when a traveller or piece of luggage...
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FOLLOW THE FOOT TRAFFIC
Orange cones are everywhere in the city, including at the Montreal marathon on the weekend. Around 21,500 runners took part in Sunday's half and full marathons, with 35,000 participants and an estimated 140,000 spectators in total turning out across...
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POWER STRUGGLE OVER DATA CENTRES IN QUEBEC
An empty field in Beauharnois is where Google announced in 2021 it would build a facility to fuel AI. The unfinished project highlights the pressure Hydro-québec is facing as electricity demand from data centres is skyrocketing, Abby Mclaughlin reports.
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COMMUNAUTO CRASH
Five underage suspects were in custody while a sixth remained at large in the wake of a police operation in Montreal's St-henri district Thursday morning that ended with a car crashing into a dépanneur. Montreal police said they received a 911 call...
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RACCOON ON THE LAM
A Montreal man's raccoon companion is on the run from the law. Officers from Quebec's Environment Ministry served Louka Berman with a search warrant last week, alleging he was keeping a live raccoon in his Plateau apartment without a permit. While the...
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PQ is back in government — but on a tight leash
The lessons from the not-so-distant past may have been lingering in the back of voters' minds Monday when Quebecers elected the Parti Québécois to a minority government. Flashback to 1994. A week before the election that brought the PQ to power under...
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REM adds spots at Fairview, but some are far away
Responding to higher-than-expected demand, the Réseau express métropolitain has announced it has added new parking zones around the Fairview—pointe-claire station. The parking spots are located farther away from the station. The first area is...
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WHEN IS IT OK FOR LEADERS TO SHED TEARS IN PUBLIC?
To cry, or not to cry? In the realm of politics, that is the question. And the answer, says one University of Toronto expert, largely depends on your sex. “If you're a woman in the public sphere, you cannot win in terms of the expression of emotion,”...
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WAR `TEARING KYIV APART'
KYIV, UKRAINE • Russian attacks on key infrastructure are “tearing Kyiv apart,” the city's mayor said Friday, as strikes on a bridge linking the capital's east and west brought traffic to a standstill. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused...
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LIGHTS OUT ON MOUNTAIN
The cross atop Mount Royal went dark Tuesday, and the lighting will remain switched off for the next year as the system is modernized and pieces of steel are replaced. The city says the upgrade will allow for dimming in order to reduce light pollution...
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PQ offers boldest vision to fix health care
In the nearly three decades that Paul Brunet has served as a patient-rights advocate — continuing the legacy of his late brother Claude, who was disabled — he's grown fed up with all the promises that political parties tend to make around election time...
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SET TO MAKE A SPLASH
The Pierrefonds-roxboro Aquatic Complex was inaugurated this week at 13705 Pierrefonds Blvd., with its official opening set for the week of Nov. 9. Described by the city as the largest such indoor centre in the West Island, its attractions include an...
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QUICK TOUR OF THE CITY
Brandon Mcnulty of the U.S., centre, descends Mount Royal during the men's elite road race at the UCI Road World Championships on Sunday. He went on to win gold in the competition. Around 1,000 riders from more than 100 countries took part in the...
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GREAT LAKES BIND U.S.-CANADA TRADE IMPERILLED BY TRUMP TARIFFS
The American Century often draws a crowd when the ship pulls into the Port of Duluth-superior to load Minnesota iron ore. Kids cheer when the captain blasts the fog horn. A voice on the loudspeaker retells the story of how the 305-metre-long bulk...
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THE INVISIBLE ANGLOS
Rick Johal is a self-described happy Quebec anglo. Born and raised in Montreal's West Island, he attended Concordia University and now lives in Lennoxville in the Eastern Townships, where his wife's family is from. He's fluently bilingual and has a...
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COZEY BETS ON DOWNTOWN
Montreal's Cozey had already opened stores in Canada's other major cities and dabbled with a couple of pop-ups across the U.S. before opening a store in its hometown. It has even started selling online in Australia. But for two patient years, Cozey...
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Town's mayor seeks elusive bilingual status to serve anglos better
Since she was elected mayor of the dairy farming hamlet of Godmanchester nearly a year ago, Judith Fouquet has only been allowed to send out a single message to her constituents in English. That was this summer when a case of rabies was detected in a...
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SEEING RED AT THE MMFA
Caroline Louis views the installation Uncertain Journey, part of Chiharu Shiota's exhibition The Soul Trembles, during a preview at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts yesterday. The piece features thousands of feet of red twine and metal frames. Shiota's...
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INCLUSIVE INDEPENDENCE
Many young sovereignists are promoting their cause outside traditional politics, whether on stage, online or in spots like OUI Québec's café Club Pays. `Nobody has to pass a test before coming in to prove they're a sovereignist or not,' Alex Valiquette...
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Trump birthright citizenship law costs Canadians chance for baby
Renee and her husband had endured a decade of exhausting efforts to start a family, including multiple fruitless treatments and medical issues that seemed to make pregnancy impossible. Then this April the Toronto couple's ordeal seemed finally to be...
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Conservatives
Big election wins in the Quebec City region could put leader Éric Duhaime — and his party — on the political map, Philip Authier reports.
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CLASS BACK IN SESSION
Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis has his players' attention during the first day of on-ice practices in Brossard yesterday. The team's top lines have a new look, Stu Cowan reports.
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GIVING BACK IN GRATITUDE
People have their own reasons for volunteering: They want to help people or they want to give back, to make a difference or contribute to a cause important to them. For 25-year-old Claudia Martino, it's all of the above. The Concordia University...
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SUNNY START TO SEASON
Mike Matheson, centre, and captain Nick Suzuki, right, lead the rest of the Canadiens prior to the team's annual golf tournament at Laval-sur-le-lac yesterday. Before the event, Montreal revealed head coach Martin St. Louis signed a new four-year...
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ONE PROPERTY, THREE BODIES
Up until last October, a mother, father and two children lived at 572 Kelly-jordan Rd., near Smiths Falls, Ont. Then arrests were made. In the months since, a police search has unearthed three sets of human remains on the site, all related to a series...
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CONSUMPTION SITE DISPUTE
When the Gadbois gymnastics club in St-henri sent its members a memo about the upcoming season this summer, it included the usual reminders about mandatory uniforms and the need for young gymnasts to bring their own water bottles. But the memo ended...
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INDEX
ALL ACCESS BUSINESS CLASSIFIED COMICS EDITORIAL HOROSCOPES NP IN THE GAZETTE NYT CROSSWORD OBITUARIES OPINION PUZZLES SPORTS TV LISTINGS A7 NP7-8 NP5-6 A9 A6 A10 NP1 NP6 NP5 A6 A10 NP9-10 A8
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CITIZEN OF THE WORLD
Valérie Plante is having the time of her life. Montreal's former mayor is famous for her smile, but less than a year after she stepped down following two terms in office, that smile is coming a little more easily, breezily. It's not because she's been...
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Quebec reacts to U.S. with buy-local plan
Premier Christine Fréchette ramped up her defence of a Quebec economy under attack by U.S. tariffs Tuesday, and called on Quebecers to massively shift their spending from American to homegrown goods. “We are headed for hard times and Quebec will not...
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Fréchette being performative, rivals say
Dismissing accusations that she was attempting to distract from the campaign, Quebec Premier and Coalition Avenir Québec Leader Christine Fréchette confirmed Monday that she would pause election activities for a few hours that evening to respond to the...
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THE HURDLES TO QUEBEC SOVEREIGNTY
Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-pierre Plamondon has pointed to U.S. President Donald Trump and global economic uncertainty to justify delaying any sovereignty referendum until 2029 or 2030. But Trump's trade war with Canada is only one of multiple...
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SALUTE TO A SANDWICH
Feeling nostalgic `for the golden days of Montreal,' filmmaker Ezra Soiferman has paid tribute to the Wilensky Special, a favourite for generations of diners. He tells Bill Brownstein about his short film, and why a vegetarian is in love with...
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DRUG LAB IN GRIFFINTOWN
Montreal police said they were dismantling a clandestine drug lab inside a Griffintown condo building late Wednesday morning, leading to the arrest of a 35-year-old man. The lab was located inside a single condo unit, SPVM spokesperson Jeanpierre...
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With the Quebec election call imminent, public opinion appears to be shifting
Quebec City and Montreal have long had different political leanings. But for this fall, voters in both cities appear to be showing a growing interest in Éric Duhaime's Conservative Party of Quebec. At least, that's what a new Léger poll conducted...
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Hydro could be leverage against U.S.
Premier Christine Fréchette said Monday that Quebec will not be intimidated by threats from U.S. President Donald Trump and has not ruled out cutting electricity exports as a reprisal against tariffs. “We don't give in to threats,” Fréchette said. “We...
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ENCRYPTION REMAINS STICKING POINT TO BILL C-22
Canadian law enforcement leaders are worried Bill C-22 has been defanged, and civil rights advocates say it has gone too far, but the federal government's bid for “lawful access” to Canadians' data for crime solving got a big thumbs-up from the...
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TAKING THE CONTROLS
A cargo vehicle is sitting about 10 metres out from the International Space Station. “Just micro-movements,” says Ed Birchnall, supervisor of mission control and training at the Canadian Space Agency. The cargo has just arrived from Earth, loaded...
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A COTTAGE INDUSTRY
Montreal's Jacob Whiteduck-Lavoie had a home advantage when filming the teen drama series Sterling Point in Canadian cottage country with an international cast.
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A LIFE OF LOVE AND MUSIC
Richard Jones, son of jazz great Oliver Jones, places his father's urn on display yesterday for a public visitation at city hall. The legendary Montreal pianist died last month at the age of 91. His funeral service is scheduled to take place today at 1...
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LESSONS IN COLLEGIALITY
Dozens of teachers and other faculty members at John Abbott College gathered outside the school Tuesday, calling for better treatment from the administration as the start of the school year approaches. Tension between teachers and the administration...
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IN HONOUR OF THE LOST BOY
The Mackle Rd. dog run in Côte-stluc is about as far away from Hollywood as you can get, and that's how Bernie Haim likes it. The 80-year-old doesn't own a dog, but he meets there with his brother Abe (who does own one), son Daniel and neighbourhood...
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THE BOOZE BATTLE OVER HANS ISLAND HOLDS LESSON
Battered by fresh U.S. threats of tariffs and annexation, Canada is turning toward Europe, with speculation among some that we might one day even join the European Union. After all, Canada does share a land border with an EU country. This is the...
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KNOWING HOW TO FIND HELP
When François decided to enter drug addiction treatment when he was living on the street in Montreal five years ago, the biggest obstacle wasn't the over one-hour trek by métro and two buses to reach the rehab centre he had chosen north of the island,...
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TAP INTO BETTER HEALTH
Patricia Mckinley, centre, and other participants enjoy a tap dance class for older adults at the Cummings Centre last month. Research has shown that dance can help with balance and reduce the risk of falls as one ages. Mckinley, a retired professor of...
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STARING AT THE SUN
Sharissa Morrison takes a break from work to look at the partial solar eclipse through solar glasses at Père-marquette Park yesterday. About a fifth of the sun was obscured by the moon during the afternoon, though clouds blocked much of the show for...
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GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL
Ben collects his choice of backpack of school supplies from Alouettes quarterback Davis Alexander during the Welcome Hall Mission's annual back to school event yesterday, while brothers Eden, right, and Kendji scout their bags. The Cfl-leading...
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PRIDE, NOT PREJUDICE
Fierté Montréal's parade brought a rainbow to René-lévesque Blvd. on Sunday afternoon, going from Robert-bourassa Blvd. in the former LGBTQ+ district to Atateken St. in the Village.
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A WORLD ON FIRE
Toronto and New York choked under orange and white skies. Madrid and Bordeaux had flames licking at their doorsteps. Vast forests, rural communities and ranchlands full of livestock in Western Canada and the U.S. have burned — and all in the month of...
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KEEPING LITTLE ITALY AUTHENTIC
Co-owners Elena Vendittelli Faita and Rudy Vendittelli with a banner above the shop door proudly celebrating Quincaillerie Dante's 70th anniversary. Generations of Montreal home cooks have flocked to the shop to equip their kitchens and learn how to...
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Montreal meal-kit company Goodfood went from pandemic hit to 3-cent stock
At the height of the pandemic, Goodfood could barely expand fast enough. Canadians shunning grocery aisles and unable to dine out paid to have the answer to a nightly question — what is for dinner? — delivered to their doors. As the Montreal meal-kit...
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2 DEAD IN LAVAL CRASH
A vehicle fled an attempted police interception early yesterday, striking a lamppost before hitting the Atlantis Gym building on des Laurentides Blvd., according to authorities. The driver and a passenger died; another passenger remained in critical...
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Cleanup part of plan for beleaguered Chinatown
Montreal's Chinatown is at the heart of a cleaning blitz and a new plan to revitalize the area that was unveiled by the Ville-marie borough Tuesday, prompting cautious optimism from locals. Claude Pinard, chair of the city's executive committee and...
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3 DAYS OF CROWD-PLEASERS
Festivalgoers flocked to Parc Jean-drapeau for the 19th edition of Osheaga over the weekend, taking in dozens of acts ranging from Lorde to Angine de Poitrine.
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`YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN A VAN'
Laurie Michaud's living quarters shift between two Canmore parking lots. “I prefer the recreation centre, it's less dusty and there's no train at night,” said the woman who hails from Riviere-du-loup. “But we have to move the van at 8 in the...
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MUST CANADA FIGHT BACK?
Some 25 years ago, a 12-year-old me was being bullied in high school. I was chubby. I was nerdy. And I was “different” — because back then, being a gay teenager wasn't yet considered “cool.” Those ingredients made me a perfect target for the school's...
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VISIT FROM AN OLD FRIEND
The 95-year-old Italian navy training ship Amerigo Vespucci, known as `the most beautiful ship in the world,' is on a tour of various North American cities and is docked at Montreal's Old Port through the weekend. Leora Schertzer details the historic...
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Grande's legions of fans brave the rain for Eternal Sunshine at first of 3 shows
The pouring rain was not enough to deter the legions of Ariana Grande fans who flocked to the Bell Centre Tuesday evening and stood patiently in line to see the pop superstar play the first of three Montreal shows this week. They were rewarded with...
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GETTING THE WATER RUNNING
Emergency repairs to a major aqueduct beneath Atwater Ave. are on schedule to finish around the end of summer, Montreal officials said Tuesday, but they also warned that more than one million residents must continue conserving water until the weakened...
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Shelters see surge of abandoned pets
Even after a new shelter opened this year in Montreal, local animal rescues say they are still struggling to keep up with the influx of abandoned pets arriving at their doors. Montreal SPCA director Sylvie Bourbonnière says thousands of animals...
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CBSA PLANS REVIEW AFTER $13.2M COCAINE CASE TOSSED
Canada's border agency says it is considering policy changes after a Windsor, Ont., judge dismissed a $13.2-million cocaine-smuggling case over what she called “egregious” violations of a truck driver's Charter rights. The ruling found border officers...
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