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The Main Media Inc. 2026

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    1. Articles

    History Lesson

    44
    Before "world music” was a genre, there was Club BalattouHistory Lesson
    The Main

    Before "world music” was a genre, there was Club Balattou

    From exile to empire, this is how a tiny St-Laurent nightclub became the global heartbeat of African music in Montreal.

    If this factory closes, a century of Montreal's Chinatown history goes with itHistory Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    If this factory closes, a century of Montreal's Chinatown history goes with it

    For over a century, Wing Noodles has fed Montreal with handmade noodles, fortune cookies, and quiet defiance—one of the last family-run factories still standing in Chinatown.

    Canada’s most prolific killer is the hitman Montreal createdHistory Lesson
    Daniel Bromberg

    Canada’s most prolific killer is the hitman Montreal created

    Authors Julian Sher and Lisa Fitterman discuss their book that chronicles the creation of a man who killed 43 people at the height of the biker wars in Quebec.

    The dining theatrics and dark history of Montreal's infamous restaurant Au Lutin qui BouffeHistory Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    The dining theatrics and dark history of Montreal's infamous restaurant Au Lutin qui Bouffe

    Fine French cuisine, tableside photo sessions with piglets, and a botched robbery that marked the beginning of an end.

    Henri Henri is the Montreal hat shop that has defined a century of styleHistory Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    Henri Henri is the Montreal hat shop that has defined a century of style

    NHL hat tricks, Hollywood icons, expertise passed on through nearly a century—this legendary shop is a cornerstone of a city's sartorial history.

    Why André the Giant was one of Montreal's greatest entertainers in and out of the ringHistory Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    Why André the Giant was one of Montreal's greatest entertainers in and out of the ring

    The city's role in André the Giant's path from French farm boy to the Eighth Wonder of the World, with a downtown brasserie pitstop.

    The story of Montreal’s Joe Beef (the man, not the restaurant)History Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    The story of Montreal’s Joe Beef (the man, not the restaurant)

    How an eccentric tavern keeper became a working-class hero of Montreal—and one of its unlikeliest legends.

    Betrayal, rivalry, and the Montreal Screwjob that redefined pro wrestling’s realityHistory Lesson
    Adam Hickey

    Betrayal, rivalry, and the Montreal Screwjob that redefined pro wrestling’s reality

    On November 9, 1997, in Montreal’s Molson Centre, a quintessential American art form was reborn.

    How Montreal falls in and out of love with Brutalist architectureHistory LessonDesign
    J.P. Karwacki

    How Montreal falls in and out of love with Brutalist architecture

    How Montreal’s unapologetic concrete giants went from symbols of modernist utopia to polarizing relics—and why the city just can’t quit them.

    The Main's picks for the biggest headlines from Montreal in 2024History Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    The Main's picks for the biggest headlines from Montreal in 2024

    From record-breaking weather events to protests and cultural milestones, here’s a look back on some of the biggest stories of 2024.

    Dic Ann’s: A conversation about Montreal, family, and burgers since 1954History Lesson
    Dahlia Snaiderman

    Dic Ann’s: A conversation about Montreal, family, and burgers since 1954

    The story of what started as a small trailer-turned-diner in 1954 and become a Montreal icon, thanks to its ultra-thin patties, toasted buns, and signature tomato-based sauce.

    Montreal's ugly tree should've become an annual Christmas traditionHistory LessonHolidays 2024
    J.P. Karwacki

    Montreal's ugly tree should've become an annual Christmas tradition

    Forget the Platonic ideal of Christmas symmetry: Montreal should bring back its ugly tree for Christmases moving forward.

    Preserving the ‘tableaux vivants’ of Ogilvy’s Christmas mechanical window displaysSponsoredHistory Lesson
    The Main

    Preserving the ‘tableaux vivants’ of Ogilvy’s Christmas mechanical window displays

    How mid-20th century holiday clockwork tells the story of a Montreal tradition and the history of a storied department store.

    How Gibeau Orange Julep became a Montreal iconHistory Lesson
    J.P. Karwacki

    How Gibeau Orange Julep became a Montreal icon

    The Gibeau Orange Julep has endured wars, expressway expansions, and changing tastes, remaining a beacon of Montreal’s love for the eccentric and the nostalgic.

    The story of Laurentide Beer: Created by nationalism, revived by nostalgiaHistory Lesson
    Pierre-Olivier Bussières

    The story of Laurentide Beer: Created by nationalism, revived by nostalgia

    An icon of Quebec’s brewing scene, Laurentide was born when Molson tapped into the province's national spirit by launching a distinctly Quebec beer.

    When Beatlemania conquered Montreal for one dayHistory Lesson
    Stuart Nulman

    When Beatlemania conquered Montreal for one day

    🎵 It was 60 years ago today / The Beatles came to Montreal to play 🎵

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