Inside the city’s casse-croûte kingdom, ‘accidentally’ working for Montreal’s mafia, what Toronto can learn from our nightlife, and more (Issue 9)

This week we’ve served six-course dinners at punk houses, DJ sets at a Japanese restaurant speakeasy, and places to splurge on edibles (no, not Igloofest), while our news roundup highlights the city’s food scene, cannolis as code for assassination targets, and all kinds of other tasty curiosities.

Eat it and cry.

Friends or family visiting from out of town? Or just looking for a good time? We’ve got you covered.

A weekly summary of the latest local news, from food and entertainment to current affairs.

What can Toronto’s nightlife do to rival Montreal’s?

Sure, our bars stay open an hour later and we’re much more liberal with our last call, but Toronto has more to learn than that of Montreal’s scene. In this piece, we see what makes up our city’s diverse and experimental nightlife, from the other side of the coke-coated looking glass. (blogTO)

What Toronto can learn from Montreal’s nightlife

Over the past two years, we’ve seen a resurgence in Toronto’s nightlife as a new generation of organizers, clubs and collectives move to…

Montreal’s mafia targets are called cannolis, and killing them ‘eats’ them

In a new story from Adam Leith Gollner comes this ‘Fargo-esque’ wild ride of a story about a few guys who ended up in the world of the Calabrian mafia in Montreal. Find out what led them from their daily lives to be arrested for burning corpses in their garden in a bonfire. (Vanity Fair)

The Montreal Mafia Murders: Blood, Gore, Cannolis and Hockey Bags

A ‘Fargo’-like story about hapless hitmen, mafia moles and two naive pawns lured into their web.

We knew it was bad, but we didn’t know it was THAT bad

A new report shows that construction forced the closure of 94% of downtown Montreal streets, along with other damning findings, including that 27% of 604 construction signs served no purpose in one day. They were just… there. So what’s going on? (Montreal Gazette)

The construction work forced the closure of 94% of streets in downtown Montreal, the report said

“This doesn’t make sense,” said the head of the Chamber of Commerce, who believes the construction chaos is damaging Montreal’s brand.

One of the last great food cities: Montreal’s casse-croûte kingdom

Originally published in 2016, but still a good one: Our city is said to have the largest number of restaurants per capita of any North American city (needed these days), but diners’ long and cherished history lives on with just a handful closed during the pandemic. This is why this culture persists. (saving)

A look into Montreal’s unbeatable food scene

At a time when North American cities are seeing more classic diners close every day, Montreal’s casse-croûtes are flourishing.

Away, infamous Mile End landlords!

No one is shedding a tear over what many hope is Shiller Lavy Realties’ departure from the Mile End: After a controversial decade of astronomical rent increases that forced the departure of several beloved local businesses, they’ve ditched five of their buildings in St. -Viateur St. for sale. (Montreal Gazette)

Real estate investors Shiller Lavy is selling five buildings in Mile End

“These are not people who liked the neighborhood the way it was,” said Mile End councilor Marie Sterlin.

Is $6.3 million as good as $10 million?

A recent investigative report featured on the cover of the Journal de Montréal is under fire as former Habs star PK Subban is accused of deliberately misleading the public about the $10 million donation he announced in September 2015, while he $3.7 million short of target. Is it deserved? (Cult-MTL)

Journal de Montréal Shames PK Subban for Raising Only $6.3 Million for Children’s Hospital

PK Subban is being shamed by the Journal de Montréal for not keeping his $10 million promise to the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

The REM could completely change L’Île-des-Sœurs as we know it

Very residential and private, L’Île-des-Sœurs is a part of Montreal that no one really talks about – for now. With a new REM de l’Ouest station arriving this spring, the island is set to see a huge influx of housing and even a hotel. Here’s what that will look like, for better or for worse. (La Presse)

Urban planning | Quelle compaction for L’Île-des-Sœurs ?

After using the REM service in the east, the area around the garages is a densifier. It is worth visiting the L’Île-des-Sœurs island campsite: a new district with more than 1360 accommodations, plus a 16-storey hotel. Mais des burgers craignent…

Simply put, the STM’s Blue Line is moving into the 21st century

A massive injection into the aging Blue Line will deliver a new communications-based train control system that, among other things, promises to help improve train reliability. And mayor Valérie Plante wants everyone to know that the $565 million investment is just that. (Montreal Gazette)

Montreal metro Blue Line to get a new brain

The $565 million train control system will enable better communication between trains and with the STM’s control center.

The life of temporary workers without permanent residence permits

It’s a major blind spot in Quebec policy, because “temporary workers” who spend most of their working lives here cannot get permanent residency because they see families growing older abroad. But a large part of our society and economy depends on the work we do. they do, from healthcare to agriculture. (Le Devoir)

The great immigration virus

The temporary times are not only of this time, but also of the permanent immigrants.

A major impact of the labor shortage: the literacy rate is declining

Language is important in Quebec, well, *for* Quebec. As for those who live here, they are responding to the labor shortage by leaving school early, causing a widening literacy gap in the province. It’s not good for education, child development, or a college town like ours. (Montreal Gazette)

The literacy gap is widening between the Montreal region and Quebec regions, the study concludes

The research shows that labor shortages have led to young people being more likely to leave school and enter the labor market.

You have to keep it overvalued

According to an independent market analyst from Great Britain, Montreal is the second most overrated city in the world. People say it doesn’t live up to expectations, and the most disappointing attraction is the Biodôme… Anyway! At least we’re not Toronto, which is number one. (City News)

And there you have it, folks. We’ll be back next week with more curiosities, local stories and events. Stay informed!

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