The Bulletin: A total eclipse of Montreal's heart [Issue #71]

The Bulletin is a collection of what's happened, what’s happening, and what’s to come in and around Montreal.

The Main

April 4, 2024- Read time: 8 min

Photograph: @plateau_astro / Instagram

Every Bulletin, we're always looking forward to the weekend, but we can't but think about the out-of-this-world phenomenon that's to come on Monday, April 8th.

Seemed only fitting we did a shout-out to Bonnie Tyler, not only for writing a song that gets every bar in the city singing "TURN AROUND, BRIGHT EYES" at the top of their lungs, but also for a fitting metaphor.

Tyler is said to have been inspired by Catherine and Heathcliff's relationship in the novel "Wuthering Heights" for the song, an intense and passionate but also self-destructive and toxic relationship so powerful that draws you in and won't let you go, even though it would be healthy to get away.

Kinda like how we feel about the city sometimes, warts and all.

...Better that than going the ancient civilizations route and fearing the eclipse as a supernatural apparition or omen of pending doom where the sun's being attacked by hostile demons.

Have fun this weekend, and remember to wear the right eyewear this Monday, Montreal.

Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

SAT Fest's immersive film festival continues with selections of more short fulldome films by more than 100 local and international visual and sound artists.
Vino Disco's got a lot of music worth checking out all weekend, but it all starts on Thursday and runs throughout the weekend.

Friday

Philippe Brach's honest, free-spirited music that touches on frank folk, lush orchestral pieces and more is on over at the Phi Centre.
This weekend's the last to see The Lives of Documents—Photography as Project at the CCA's main galleries.

Saturday

We don't always list the hockey games in town, but when it's the Montreal Canadiens up against the Toronto Maple Leafs? Maybe you'll want to check that out.
Violinist Isabella d'Éloize Perron is performing an interpretation of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons alongside the FILMharmonic Orchestra.
Café Cléopatra's Bareoke, the only karaoke night where you can strip while singing, is back.

Sunday

Grab some great wine while listening in to jazz musicians at Annette bar à vin this Sunday (or any other Sunday this month, for that matter).
Organized by the San Diego Museum of Art, go see the works of Georgia O’Keeffe and Henry Moore over at the MMFA before everyone goes at the last second.

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It's snow crab season in the city, so go grab it at spots like Foxy. | Photograph: @foxymtl / Instagram

WHAT TO EAT & DRINK IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

Scope the latest restaurant openings, recommendations on where to eat, plus new menus, old classics, and everything in between.

Bonheur d’Occasion and HENI are doing a SWANA-influenced and halal cabane à sucre with family-style fare and communal tables.
A special dinner's coming to La Bottega in Little Italy on April 23 with a nostalgic menu made with the help of Vin Mon Lapin.
Finalists for Les Lauriers have been announced, and voting for the winners is now open.
You meeting people on dating apps? The Saint-Henri café Savsav is giving out drinks with the purchase of dishes and proof you met online.
Arcade MTL is celebrating its 8th anniversay with over 20 original classic arcades, consoles and over a hundred games.
Mochigo, the source of Montreal’s first mochi donuts, has announced it'll be soft opening a Mile End address after a two-year hiatus.
Mellön Brasserie celebrating 3 years of thirst quenching & good vibes iwth 10 beers, pizza by the slice from Pizza Toni, and more on May 4th.
Both Bar Dominion downtown and Nolan in Griffintown have both opened up for lunch services.

Spring be sprung

Thai-inspired pub fare, Italian sandwiches to the max, oysters with yuzu sabayon, Latin American-Montreal brunches, and every great restaurant opening of late 2023 are all rolled into one handy-dandy guide, right here. (The Main)

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

“We just make pants, please.”

Brandon Svarc started the brand Naked & Famous Denim in 2008. Since then, he's disrupted an industry where prices are high and celebrity endorsements common. This is his story, and the story of his shop Tate + Yoko founded in 2011 on St. Laurent, in Montreal’s current garment district. (The Main)

Now that's rich

Private clubs in Montreal have historically been, well, private: Often found in discreet, heritage structures in the city's wealthiest areas and populated by the city's wealthiest people. But one reopened address is looking to change that, with an eye to newer generations for membership. (The Main)

J'profite de la chaleur du métro

Saying hello to spring means saying goodbye to winter: Check out this animated film portraying Montreal in all its wintry vitality to the tune of Kate and Anna McGarrigle’s timeless hit “Complainte pour Ste-Catherine.” (NFB)

Baby you can't drive that car

A trial opened this week in a class-action lawsuit accusing the QC government of wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars in the value of taxi permits by allowing ride-hailing company Uber to operate and then by abolishing the permit system. (CityNews Montreal)

Let them ride 🚲

Building on the success of its winter bike pilot project, BIXI announced that its bikes will now be available 12 months a year. The winter was a trial period, and a successful one: 53,000 people used the service between November 16, 2023 and March 17, 2024. (Radio-Canada)

That can't be right... can it?

Maybe the digits on this article are way—maybe WAY off—but they also might not be. Either way, this global food & drink brand's piece on Montreal lets you know where tourists may be flocking to this summer. (Food & Wine)

Build, baby, build 🏗️

New apartment building construction surged by 8% on average in major Canadian cities last year, but Montreal ain't, and that's bad news with a provincewide housing crisis and critically low vacancy rates. (CBC Montreal)

Not for another 181 years

A rare and spectacular celestial event is set to unfold over southern Quebec on the afternoon of April 8: a total solar eclipse. It happens an average of once every 375 years in a given spot, although certain areas have not had an eclipse in 2,000 years. (Montreal Gazette)

Oooooooh Montreal, you dirty minx

Spring cleaning's underway in the city, and Montrealers are being asked to cooperate. However, the city's opposition says that the city's level of cleanliness is at a record low. Honestly? Couldn't hurt. (CTV Montreal)

Shop 'til you drop 🛍️

Montreal's Royalmount is set to open this summer, housing 170 stores, 60 eateries and loads of experiential attractions. The first phase will consist of an 824,000-square-foot two-level retail and lifestyle complex, as well as a three-kilometre linear park called Le Champ Libre, which will be surrounded by an outdoor public piazza. (MTL Blog)