While we're usually thinking of Laurent Paquin's song Chant sacré when we're buried under six feet of snow, maybe we could turn that around to be about heatwaves?

Cut your engines and crank your A/C: It's the first heatwave of the year, and it ain't even summer yet. If you're like us, you're probably melting a bit while you're reading this, so we'll keep it quick: Even though a pool to yourself out in the off-island burbs might seem like a good idea, you won't have anyone to enjoy it with. We ain't bringing a sixer out to your place in Laval, Jerry.

Instead, once the heat breaks—and it should, osti tabarnak, by this weekend—there's going to be plenty to do and see.

Weekend events you don’t want to miss

Not seeing something on the list you think we should know about? Hit us up by Instagram to let us know.

Thursday

• In a surprise twist, Saint-Henri's Léché Desserts will host its first ever 5 à 7. Drinks and doughnuts: What could go wrong?
• La Festival de la poésie de Montréal will run throughout the weekend with a series of artistic events in various venues across town.
• Retail gallery space Chaque Mois is throwing a launch party for its monthly rotation of local featured artists. Music + tattoos = a good time.

Friday

• Street food from Brazil will take centre stage for the first event of the 11th edition of the First Fridays at the Olympic stadium.
• Celebrate the sixth anniversary of Monopole, a small buvette located in Cité-Multimédia (between Old Montreal and Griffintown), from noon to 3 am. Expect lots of sauce.

Saturday

• The McCord Museum is inviting Hochelaga residents to visit the exhibition Hochelaga – Evolving Montreal for free with the artist Joannie Lafrenière. There are guided tours from 12 pm to 3 pm and a poetry reading from 1-2 pm.
• If you're up for a drive, Bolt Café in the lakeside town of Knowlton in Quebec's Eastern Townships will be hosting a summer pop-up in their backyard from 10 am to 5 pm.
• Similarly, the restaurant Passe-Montagne in neighbouring Frelighsburg is offering up sandwiches, vintage goods, and—get this—a 6-hole mini-putt tournament.
• If you dig the energy students bring to bars, celebrate the end of the term with them and the beginning of summer over at Riverside.

Sunday

• MIRACLE MILE (1988)'s apocalyptic end-of-the-world movie unlike anything you’ve ever seen will be screening at Concordia University's VA Building.
• End the weekend on a groovy notes: PIKNIC ÉLECTRONIK #4 is going down with two stages and three DJs each.
• If you love Django Reinhardt, Upstairs Jazz Bar & Grill's festival devoted to the guitarist's distinctive style is kicking off.

What you need to know

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

Bière froide, sick mush

You may have seen it as far back as a year and change: While the production, sale and possession of magic mushrooms are illegal in Canada, ads for magic mushrooms have been popping up around the city on street-posts and in dep windows. (Le Devoir)

La publicité pour le microdosage prend les rues de Montréal d’assaut

Les publicités de microdosage se multiplient, alors que les scientifiques étudient encore les effets des microdoses.

Le DevoirJasmine Legendre, Laurence Thibault

A cut o' meat above the rest

Local photographer Scott Usheroff (@cravingcurator) has been shooting the city's food scene for a while now, so we asked what he thinks of our diverse gastronomic scene and what his 'must-try' dishes are. Don't read when hungry. (The Main)

Craving Curator’s Official Guide to Dining in Montreal

Come along as food photographer Scott Usheroff guides you through the city’s diverse gastronomic scene with this personally curated selection of ‘must-tries’ from 10 Montreal establishments.

The MainScott Usheroff

On eating, sex, and intimacy

Filmmaker, visual artist, restaurateur, and sex-toy company co-founder Khoa Lê is interviewed about his dual Viet-Quebecois identity, what he's working on, and a cool recipe for glass noodles with clams over a fire on the side. (Beside)

Magic Is Other People

The wonderfully multidisciplinary Montréal creator Khoa Lê opens up about his love of incongruity, intimacy, and celebrating our elders, in this interview from Issue 13 of BESIDE.

Beside

Don't turn down that racket

In 2016, a building next to La Tulipe was purchased, but the wall that separated them was poorly insulated and—surprise surprise—noise complaints started to flood in. Question is, will the venue be another NIMBY victim? (La Presse)

Jugement sur le bruit | « La Tulipe est là pour rester »

Le maire du Plateau-Mont-Royal assure que la salle de spectacle La Tulipe « est là pour rester », au lendemain d’un jugement qui lui ordonne de baisser le son.

La PressePhilippe Teisceira-Lessard

And no, it won't just be a bunch of new drawn lines

Part of the Vision vélo 2023-2027 program unveiled by Montreal last fall, over 50 cycling projects totalling 60+ kilometres to further entrench a growing network on the city's streets is beginning, so how big and ambitious will it get? (Radio-Canada)

53 projets et 30 millions de dollars pour le réseau cyclable de Montréal, en 2023

La Ville lancera notamment le chantier des nouvelles pistes sur Christophe-Colomb, qui doit prendre deux ans.

Radio-CanadaHugo Prévost

Thar she burns

The blaze lasted for more than 42 hours: The Monastère du Bon-Pasteur, a 19th century former monastery, quickly became a five-alarm fire requiring 150 firefighters, and barely anything was salvaged except for a Fazioli concert grand piano and a Kirkman harpsichord from 1772. (Global News)

Firefighters stamp out Montreal heritage building blaze 42 hours after it ignited - Montreal | Globalnews.ca

The fire broke out late Thursday afternoon at a 19th century former monastery and quickly became a five-alarm blaze, requiring the intervention of 150 firefighters.

Global NewsAlessia Simona Maratta

So, like Jurassic Park, but with French Canadian populations

By tracing the ancestry of millions of individuals over space and time, this study of the genetic structure of French Canadian populations provides in-depth insights into humans' complex genetic tapestry. (McGill Channels)

Mapping the genetic history of French Canadians through space and time

Though we all share common ancestors ranging from a few generations to hundreds of thousands of years, genealogies that relate all of us are often forgotten over time. A new McGill University-led study is now providing insight into the complex relationship between human migration and genetic variati…

Channels

Deconstruction over demolition

After 60 years, the Champlain Bridge is being taken apart piece by piece, but will live on as wristwatches, public art, a greenhouse, a bicycle, and other items. Pretty cool if you can snag a (time) piece of a bridge, if you ask us. (The Globe and Mail)

Montreal’s iconic Champlain Bridge to live on as public art, a bicycle and other odds and ends

Remnants of the bridge are being provided to artisans, students and others as the result of a contest organized by the federal agency that managed the former structure

The Globe and MailIan Bailey

Neeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrds!!!

A week ago, CBC gave us a look at early forms of movie fandom in Montreal, complete with long line-ups at the theatre, screaming in costume to see what was going to happen to Luke & The Gang. (CBC Montreal)

Relive the downtown Montreal premier of Return of the Jedi, 40 years later

Forty years ago today, fans flocked to Ste-Catherine Street in downtown Montreal for the premier of Return of the Jedi.

CBC

This ain't your average mob

In an interview for the Gaztte's Corner Booth podcast, ex-cop Pietro Poletti was interviewed about a 'new Mafia' that could lead to violence at a level the city hasn't seen in a long time, while giving an extensive history of local organized crime families. (Montreal Gazette)

In Other News

A look around the Internet offered up these little gems:

Pianist Alexandra Stréliski surprised everyone when she dropped in for an unannounced performance right in front of the Esplanade to Place des Arts on May 19th.

In the market for some new tunes? Montreal artist Dan Climan (you've undoubtedly seen his works in a number of restaurants around town) dropped a playlist last week for y'all to enjoy.

That wraps up this week's edition. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

And if ever you catch something we should know, reach out to us on Instagram.