A few hundred protesters marched in the rain Saturday evening but it was not a major effort, following a day that had already seen a big march under lousy weather conditions.
Ontario union head Sid Ryan has a defence of zero tuition in the National Post.
Radio-Canada has video of brief interviews with people injured, sometimes badly, in the demonstrations.
The Ville-Marie tunnel fully reopened Saturday midday after repairs needed from Tuesday’s big downpour.
I summarized the state of play re Luka Rocco Magnotta on OpenFile this afternoon.
Saturday afternoon’s CLASSE demo was peaceful and lively despite the rain. Brief notes from me on OpenFile.
Possibly useful? List of 7 brunch restos around town. Warning: food photos.
Alors, même que tu m’as averti, je ne pouvais pas m’empêcher de regarder…trop tard poir moi aujourd’hui mais je les garderai pour la semaine prochaine; très utile vraiment!
Jason Prince notes that the flash flood caused earlier this week made the Glen Road buckle down near the MUHC site.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zb4tKrNYhi4 shows that area during the deluge.
I was on the Glen a day later and it was completely repaired by the local city there called Westmount. The neighbouring villages of St-Henri and St-Cunegonde have not been able to manage as well since they were annexed by MTL in 1905 and 1906. “Je me souviendrai des fusions forcées”.
Yes, the “indenpendent” “village” of Westmount, which also happens to be the richest municipality in Quebec.
How convenient there’s already tons of construction going on there for Westmount’s underground skating rink. Good to have money to throw around now that they’re free of the shackles of SW Montreal, they must have been awfully broke during that forced merger period. :D It’s not like Saint-Henri-des-Tanneries was a rich neighbourhood when it got incorporated, likewise with Ste-Cunegonde, now Little Burgundy. FWIW, the MUHC site is in NDG, Saying de Courcelles is a better indicator of location.
For sure the cost of the repair is not going to hurt the taxpayers in Westmount. What impressed me was the speed at which they responded and fixed the problem. I’m used to pilons and detours.
I was a member of the Société historique de Saint-Henri for a number of years and I actually don’t know what their finances were like when they were annexed (and I do know that the population was not the richest) but it seemed to me at the time that a lot of the area’s character and institutions were decimated when Montreal took over. When I looked at what they had (a College for instance) it always made me mad. It was probably the same on the other side of town when the town of Maisonneuve was annexed with Hochelaga Ward of Montreal. (Maisonneuve was bankrupt at the time).
Jonathan, that’s quite the video of the Glen scene.
Ian: you are right. The MUHC is strictly on the Montreal side of the border.
St-Henri: I think in those days a “college” was a collège classique, basically a high school with brothers teaching Latin to boys, but not a college as we mean it now (post-secondary).
Doing some news curator stuff on OpenFile this morning: some news bulletins and some longer reads.
The Globe & Mail looks at the reincarnation of the Ritz-Carlton with a photo essay.
I say without irony that the reopening of the Ritz-Carlton is a major Montreal cultural event, like an exhibition opening at the Museum of Fine Arts, U-2 at the old Hippodrome site, the Jazz Festival, or–for people who like loud, fast, stylish cars–the Formula 1 races. I’ve been reading the coverage about it and this brief essay from Richler-fils is the best piece yet: an atmospheric, anecdotal, literary rave, and a great endorsement of the Torriani’s efforts. This hotel/institution is one of the city’s icons, and if it thrives it’s better for Montreal than a million advertising campaigns. I hope Andrew Torriani’s misgivings about threats from student protesters are unfounded. Speaking of which I realize there are other major on-going cultural events that many would consider more relevant to the average citizen than the re-opening of a posh establishment that devotes itself to the pampering of people for whom at least $425 a night is standard lodging. But I don’t believe mine or anybody else’s enthusiasm for this project cancels a concern for social and economic justice. What’s more, to assert that its mere exisistence is a rebuke to those principles is to endorse a destructive, misguided expression of discontent.
What about the Ritz reopening constitutes the label of ‘major Montreal cultural event’? What ‘concern for social or economic justice’ are you not cancelling? By ‘atmosphetic, anecdotal, literary rave’ are you referring to the compelling description of the ‘perfect seared scallop with puréed spring peas’?
Alright Hamza, I’ll explain further. An entity of considerable renown and duration that had been out of commission is back in operation. Such an entity could be a school, a museum, a monument, a business, etc. Whatever the function and whether public or private, if that entity has presence in a community sufficient to render it symbolic or iconic, such a restoration becomes a critical indicator of that community’s health and an important event. Of course it’s irrelevant if you don’t care, but there are plenty who do.
Social or economic justice: what does the Ritz reopening have to with that? Very little except for its employees and those who have found it to be a useful symbol (see above) of economic injustice (see the opening paragraphs of the Globe & Mail article). The connection is admittedly tenuous, but it’s not me who made it. Also, the line is drawn pretty firmly between those who care about something like a posh hotel’s renewal and heads being cracked in the street by police during a peaceful demonstration. My point was that one can care about both events, that one concern need not cancel the other.
A rave: Webster’s New World Dictionary defines this as a colloquialism signifying “a very enthusiastic commendation” (though I’ve attended the other variety). Jacob Richler might be doing a favor for an old friend, but his article, interwoven with recollections from his past, reads much like that definition.
‘perfect seared scallop with puréed spring peas’? That particular atmospheric and compelling description which you have chosen to highlight, coming as it does at the time of this writing, makes me think about brunch. Good bye.
My point was basically that the plenty who care are the few with plenty. enjoy your pureed peas .
Thank you, but that’s not where I’m going as I’m not among the few with plenty.
In other news, rich people can afford awesome stuff that the not rich can read about in the rich peoples’ newspaper.
Ingrid Peritz has a fascinating piece today on how modern Quebec has been shaped by campus politics – so many of our current leaders started out running student organizations, and Les Perreaux does a parallel look at more recent student protests and their results.
Idling vehicles spew a lot of polluting particles, but a 2006 bylaw against idling is very seldom enforced.
Considering how many times I’ve seen a cop standing around ignoring bikes on the sidewalks, pedestrians crossing against the lights, and cars blocking the intersections, it’s hardly surprising this law isn’t enforced either.
Can we afford to enforce it? The police would be busy all day long if they actually enforced all the rules of the road. Can you imagine actually handing out tickets for bicycles driving on the sidewalks and the crosswalks. Cars for idling and driving beyond the speed. Cars for parking too far from the sidewalk. People for jaywalking. There are an endless list of bylaws that aren’t enforced.
As I posted this, a thought crossed my mind: Of course the police don’t ticket that, because drivers cut other drivers some slack. But a policeman actually walking the beat would be better able to notice these things: someone parked too far from the sidewalk, motorists idling.
A lot of the small things that irk urban dwellers and make the city less civil could be looked after by the cop on the beat, if we had them again.
…or more cops on bikes.
In Germany, they do ticket bicyclists. AFAIK if you also have a driver’s license, they can even give you points on your license.
Also, Jaywalking laws are reta…, err, stupid; don’t ticket pedestrians.
ant6n, ticketed Quebec cyclists also get demerit points, if they have a license. Oddly, ticketed pedestrians that have a drivers license do not get demerit points.
Why have laws that aren’t enforced? If the cops have such little respect for the laws, why should we? I agree, beat cops that actually enforced these “politeness laws” would go a long way to improving the assholery endemic to motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians alike in this city. The only reason we would need the police busy all day long (at first anyhow) is because apparently they’re not doing their jobs right now. Once people realize rules are being enforced, they will follow them of their own accord.
Ian, enforcing all laws all the time would require a police state. Be careful what you wish for.
While that may be true, Times Square is now safe and Torontonians don’t run red lights the way Montrealers do. It’s not because we’re edgy & cool, it’s because cops enforce politeness laws in other places.
Every unenforced law weakens all other laws- Heinlein
And we have way too many laws.
Why Kevin, what a lovely description of another law going unenforced [starts with 7 ends with 8].
Just wondering if this is true for anybody else – I’ve paid city hall and the cops an exponential amount more in ticket fines than I’ve had stolen from me by the prototypical street-thug-with-zorro-mask.
@Hamza
It’s not the function of the police to result in a positive economic benefit for all citizens, where this benefit is merely measured in prevented thefts minus their collective salaries. Given your arguments about the student debate, you should probably know that. And besides, if you say that not many things were stolen from you that may be an indication that police works, even given the somewhat strange measure of effectiveness you gave.
Actually according to their admissions about quotas, the part of their job they spend the most time on is issuing tickets to people. Does it make any sense in the context of the police’s mission to defend citizens from crime that I never worry about theft or muggings but always get nervous at the sight of the ol’ blue n red? Am I a crook?
My point is Montreal is heavily overpoliced. The city is naturally safe and has a crime-free vibe. As I like to brag to family and friends, it’s the only city I know of where the biggest concern for a girl walking home alone wasted at 4am is where to find a 24hour McDo or dep. Ok maybe like Zurich or Vienna too but somebody else can testify about Europe better than I can.
@Hamza Got it in one!
I however have had recourse to sic the cops on vandals, thieves, and muggers, in Montreal and other cities. (and why I won’t rely on cops to deal with violent crime anymore, but that’s a different story).
NDG is a rough ‘hood ;)
Howdy!
Some other more comprehensive and useful lists about eating in Montreal
Sunday and Monday nights.
BYOW
Lhttp://dineafternine.ca/after-nine-menus/complete-list/ate night deals in English
Late night deals in French