Montreal may be cold, but this weekend’s anything but with this edition of The Main’s Montreal Bulletin: Mini punk fests, a sweaty Y2K-themed party, in-demand tickets for the Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition at the MBAM, anti-Valentine’s Day shows galore, sizzling burlesque performances, an a Caribbean Carnival-inspired menu to end it all on a hot hot hot note.

And while Valentine’s Day may be over, but these Montreal kids explaining what love meant to them on February 14, 1979 is just adorable.

Here are some upcoming weekend events you don’t want to miss

Scroll through the list of activities below for inspiration – who knows, you might finally become the 'local guide' your friends have always wanted.

What you need to know

ICYMI: Presenting a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from food and entertainment to current affairs.

Free lunches? Video games? Nah, try rooftop ice rinks

The owners of the three-year-old Fabrik8 office building at 7240 Waverly St. are trying to tempt their office tenants to come back from WFH with a fully maintained and refrigerated outdoor ice rink on the roof seven floors above street level. They’ve even started an internal hockey league. (CoStar)

The stress, grief, and dangers of being a woman in Montreal’s nightclubs and bars

“The city’s scene has the ability to be wildly liberating and gratifying by giving people room to let loose and express themselves while getting together,” writes Michelle Ilunga. “However, this same positive scene can quickly become a breeding ground for misogyny and rape culture.” (The Link)

The Predatory World of Montreal’s Nightlife | Opinions

The effects of this predatory system is bred through the prevalence and acceptance of rape culture within club culture.

Opinions – The LinkMichelle Ilunga

Why is it so hot in the metro, anyway?

Despite high temperatures that’ll make you want to shed your coat, Montreal's metro isn’t heated in the winter, and it’s definitely not air-conditioned in summer. That’s due to heat generated by the train brakes, and while the ventilation’s fully in motion, that air isn’t filtered. Yuck. (Le Journal de Montréal)

Pourquoi fait-il si chaud dans le métro?

Les métros de Montréal ne sont pas chauffés en hiver ni climatisés en été.

Le Journal de MontréalAgence QMI

Stop working when you’re dead

Montrealer Janet Torge works as a freelancer, and while she has no plans to retire, she admits she couldn’t even if she wanted to. Living right down to the wire, the 75-year-old tells her story about how she stays afloat in the face of soaring inflation and rising interest rates. (Global News)

How inflation is tapping out a Montreal senior who ‘absolutely cannot stop working’ | Globalnews.ca

Janet Torge, a 75-year-old based in Montreal, works full time as a freelancer but she is feeling the pinch like many Canadians amid red-hot inflation.

Global NewsKalina Laframboise

A reclusive Montreal billionaire and 12 years of young girls in downtown hotels

In this sweeping report covering the exploits of one Robert G. Miller, founder of an electronics parts distributor, tales of young girls allegedly paid large sums of money for sexual favours are told. It’s a harrowing read of seedy behaviour, hush money, and dropped investigations. (CBC)

The girls around Robert G. Miller

Robert G. Miller, a reclusive Quebec billionaire and founder of an electronics parts distributor, allegedly paid several young girls large sums of money in exchange for sexual favours for more than a decade. Miller denies all allegations.

CBC NewsBrigitte Noël, Pasquale Turbide, Daniel Tremblay, Jacques Taschereau

Berri-UQAM and two centuries spent between poverty and wealth

The area around Berri-UQAM’s a far cry from what it once was, going from flourishing orchards belonging to wealthy French-Canadian families in the 1800s to the Belle Epoque and a parking lot turned into today’s Jardins Gamelin—but this part of town remains in limbo. (Le Devoir)

Deux siècles passés entre pauvreté et richesse

Misères et splendeurs montréalaises se côtoient au centre-ville depuis les débuts de son histoire.

Le DevoirJean-Louis Bordeleau

If you skip out on paying the fare, STM drivers say you’re the problem

More and more people using public transportion in Montreal are boarding without paying, says drivers and their union, and they’re demanding better surveillance. The STM says they’ll be taking action, but they’re admitting that they can’t fully document the phenomenon. (La Presse)

Fraude en transport collectif | Des chauffeurs dénoncent les usagers qui ne paient pas

De plus en plus d’usagers du transport en commun de la métropole embarquent sans payer, dénoncent des chauffeurs et leur syndicat, réclamant une meilleure surveillance. La Société de transport de Montréal (STM), quant à elle, se dit en action, mais avoue ne pas pouvoir documenter entièrement le phén…

La PresseHenri Ouellette-Vézina

A Harvard linguistics student explains the origins of Montreal’s place names

Why is Lachine called Lachine? What about Verdun? Outremont? Cartierville? This city’s got a lot of hidden etymologies to it because of a fascinating combination of French, English and Indigenous names—sometimes for things that are historical or simply no longer exist. (MTL Blog)

This Map Shows The Fascinating Origins Of Montreal’s Many Place Names & Some Of Them Are Wild

THAT’S why it’s called Lachine?!

MTL BlogWilla Holt

We’re number sponge! We’re number sponge!

In a new study ranking the sponge-like quality of cities—also known as their ability to absorb rainfall through the presence of blue-green infrastructure—Montreal ranks among the top places in the world to do so. Here’s why our city’s natural features like trees, parks, and wetlands help. (Construction Canada)

Study ranks Montreal fourth among sponge-like cities

Montreal has ranked fourth in a study grading cities on their ability to absorb rainfall through the presence of blue-green infrastructure, such as trees, parks, and wetlands, as opposed to concrete and grey stormwater infrastructure. Mumbai, New York, and Singapore were ranked top three on the list…

Construction Canadaarslan_ahmed

How two Montreal bookstores survive despite big box stores and Amazon

Who said bookstores are dead? Two indies, the Plateau’s Un livre à soi and the Sud-ouest's Librairie Saint Henri Books, credit their success to having been embraced by local communities for what they offer in terms of selections, their, unique interior designs and events such as wine tastings. (LoopNet)

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

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