We're hoping that, as you read this, something monumental isn't happening right now.

Why? Seems like every time we stay up late pounding back black market Prime energy drinks on Wednesday nights, excitedly getting ready for the moment we hit send to all you beautiful people, something happens: The city's air quality gets into the pits. An insane ice storm. Catastrophic forest fires. You name it. This past week, we were hit with a disastrous thunderstorm resulting in floods (more on that below).

Now, we're not saying this is our fault, but we're starting to get the inclination that we should get a *little* superstitious.

Tell you what: If for some reason we can't post one week, we'll make sure to hit the Montreal Casino and put it all on black—or blaze through $40 at a VLT in a dive bar—just to see what happens. We'll even film the whole thing.

We're rolling the dice here, people.

Here's hoping only good things happen this weekend. 🤞

Thursday

• The Fantasia International Film Festival, a vanguard of international genre cinema, is officially underway.
• The Festival International Nuits d’Afrique is approaching its end this weekend—check out its paid indoor programming and free outdoor shows at the Quartier des spectacles.
• Go down to Old Montreal and eat up more than 20 kinds of poutine, plus local craft beers and a truck dedicated to sweeter stuff, at Le Grand Poutinefest.
• Hit up Aire Commune as they host a 90s R&B and hip-hop party Soirée Fly Ladies with DJs and an interesting dress code.
• Duluth Street's street-wide party is continuing this weekend with DJs, workshops, and art shows.

Friday

• Just For Laughs continues! Go see one of the many, many comedians taking stage. Also check out these Zoofest & OFF JFL events.
• Speaking of which: Shout out to Canada’s favourite Queer Comedy fix, “coming out” to Montreal's Zoofest/OFF JFL with Gay AF Comedy at Cafe Cleopatra.
• A new show from artist Fucci is coming to Station 16 and will include new paintings, drawings, prints and merch.
• The outdoor summer filmgoing fun of Cin'Hoch is back, and it's happening every Friday evening at dusk. This time they're screening Sing 2 in French.

Saturday

• Montreal's first ever Palestinian cultural festival featuring food, music, dancing, children's activities, and more is taking place at Parc Angrignon.
• The Phi Centre is currently hosting The Fury by Shirin Neshat, a striking and moving tale about the enduring trauma experienced by a fictional female political prisoner.
• The Weird Era literary podcast is hosting a Indie Sleaze dance party at the Diving Bell Social Club. All ticket sales go to support its literary community.

Sunday

• Arsenal Contemporary Art is hosting the acclaimed and immersive exhibition, INSIDE DALÍ, which explores the life and work of the surrealist icon.
• La Sotterenea is hosting Café Concret number 45, a seasonal bilingual cabaret of experimental puppetry and performing objects, installation and mixed­-media art.

WHAT TO EAT IN AND AROUND MONTREAL

This section dishes out the scoop on restaurant openings, new menus, old classics—you name it.

• Who doesn't love a good hotel bar? Downtown Sheraton has been remade with Stanley, a swish spot under an even more swish towering window.
• Gentile Pizza Parlour is hosting a Construction Holiday Night with a DJ to accompany cocktails, slices, wings and mozz sticks.
• Local foodfluencer Le Cuisinomane is doing a pop-up at Knuckles where they're serving lobster rolls, skewers, and more.
• Bar WILLS, which took over the space once held by Alexandraplatz, is finally launching its own beer on Friday. Go forth and guzzle!
• Similar to the above: Joe Beef alumnus Gabe Chan is cooking up charcoal girlled cumin spiced lamb, pork, and veg skewers over at Bar WILLS on Sunday.
• Supernat will be spotlighting its cask wines for via a direct line to pour and encourage some celebrations. Tasting flights also available.
• Love seafood? Le Garde-Côte's a new address that places raw and aged meats as well as a LOT of fish on their menu—a revived Ikanos, if you remember them.
• The spice dealers of Fairy Dust are having a launch party hosted over at Le Système, with a BBQ cookout.

+ Where you need to eat this summer

Summer's in full swing, and you know what that means—dining out just got a whole lot better. This list is your go-to guide for that special place you'll want to reserve the next time you head out for dinner. (The Main)

Summer Dining Hotspots: Reserve Tonight at Montreal’s Must-Visit Restaurants

Summer is here and in full swing. And you know what that means—dining out just got a whole lot better. This list is your go-to guide for that special place you’ll want to reserve the next time you head out for dinner.

The MainJP Karwacki

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

Could we be another Hamburg? Hong Kong? Singapore?

A decade ago, the civil rights group CRITIQ promoted the concept of Montreal as a city-state. The idea was that with this special status the city could thrive economically, lure back head offices and re-establish some of its past glory. So, is it possible? Should we even be talking about it? (Montreal Gazette)

Robert Libman: Montreal as city-state? Let’s start the conversation

Just as Quebec is distinct within Canada, Montreal’s uniqueness within Quebec is undeniable — and shines especially vibrant in the summer.

Montreal GazetteRobert Libman

🌊 *waves to the camera*

Following last week's massive thundershowers, homes were flooded, sections of major highways were closed, sewers overflowed and hundreds of thousands of Montrealers lost power. That's led a lot of researchers, scientists, and specialists to issue dire warnings. (CBC Montreal)

Montreal needs to build greener, smarter to face the coming floods, experts say | CBC News

As climate change promises more storms and flooding, researchers says we need more investment in Quebec’s infrastructure or our communities will pay a heavy price.

CBCJoe Bongiorno

All that training just might pay off

The REM is set to open to the public on July 31 with an “open house weekend” on July 29 and 30. Here's everything you need to know about the new system, from its cost and operating hours, to how it will affect bus lines. (Journal Métro)

Voici tout ce que vous devez savoir sur le nouveau REM

À 14 jours du lancement de la première antenne du Réseau express métropolitain (REM) ralliant Brossard à la Gare Centrale, l’ensemble des sociétés de transport ont présenté ce matin ce à quoi le public devra s’attendre et les changements à anticiper dans leur routine.

Journal MétroQuentin Dufranne

Green, with just a dash of concrete

Back in June, the city announced it would create a huge green space in the heart of an industrial zone on the west side of the island, multiplying the surface area of ​​the Parc-nature des Sources five times over. But there's also development planned in the area—so can industry and nature be reconciled? (Le Devoir)

Comment concilier développement industriel et biodiversité à Montréal?

Montréal veut créer un énorme espace vert en plein cœur de la zone industrielle de l’ouest de l’île.

Le DevoirAlain McKenna

Now that's-a spicy-a piment 🌶️

A piece of Montreal food history is finally resurrecting after being announced in 2022: The storied Canadian-Chinese restaurant Le Piment Rouge, expected to reopen on Beaumont Avenue in Park-Ex. Plans for this have been in the works for over a year and half. (Cult MTL)

Legendary Montreal restaurant le Piment Rouge reopening in September

The long-awaited reopening of the legendary Montreal restaurant le Piment Rouge is slated for the second week of September.

Cult MTLLorraine Carpenter

We can talk about snow when it's this hot, right?

In a curious update, La Presse updated a story that slipped by us this past winter: Several avalanches occur each year on waste snow sites in Quebec, sometimes even causing a fatal accident—in other words, urban man-made avalanches. (La Presse)

Dépôts à neige à Montréal | Les avalanches causent de l’inquiétude

Les avalanches ne se produisent pas seulement en haute montagne. Les dépôts à neige de la Ville de Montréal présentent aussi de tels risques, a analysé un inspecteur du travail après une avalanche qui a endommagé cinq poids lourds et les a poussés sur plusieurs mètres.

La PressePhilippe Teisceira-Lessard

good food good meat good god let's eat

We love our style of hospitality in Quebec, but sometimes forget how its roots can be found at the Institute of Tourism and Hospitality of Quebec (ITHQ) in the Plateau. Here's a fascinating retrospective (with videos!) of the 60-year-old institution. (Radio-Canada)

Archives | Se réorienter et se démarquer à l’ITHQ

Nos archives témoignent de l’histoire l’Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) à Montréal créé en 1968.

Radio-Canada

One slick duplex

Check out this two-family housing block in Côte-des-Neiges that draws on 1930s architectural styles from local studio Naturehumaine: Named Le Paquebot, it references and builds on the 1950s architectural styles of the neighbourhood. (Dezeen)

Naturehumaine draws on Streamline Moderne for Montreal duplex

Local studio Naturehumaine has completed a two-family housing block located in the Côte-des-Neiges borough of Montreal that draws on 1930s architectural styles.

DezeenKeren Dillard

Horrific fun for the whole family

Fun fact: David Cronenberg made three horror films—Shivers, Rabid and Scanners—set in Montreal and made no attempt to disguise their location, taking full advantage of the city's modernist architecture as the backdrop for body horror apocalypses. (National Post)

Why David Cronenberg’s Montreal – in all its modernist glory – is the creepiest city in cinematic history

Justine Smith: Among Canada’s most recognized filmmakers, Cronenberg has often used his homeland as a backdrop for horror

National PostSpecial to National Post

A cornerstone Chinese Montrealer experience

The diner was Ho Ho’s: A café that was a gathering place for many Chinese residents and other people in Montreal's Chinatown from 1946 to 2000. This is its unique story as told by locals and organizers in this neighbourhood. (Rachel Cheng)

Montreal diner Ho Ho’s — RACHEL CHENG

The door swings open and the air is thick with conversation, cigarette smoke, and the smell of freshly baked bread.

RACHEL CHENGRachel Cheng

And that wraps yet another weekly bulletin. We’ll be back with more curiosities, local stories, and events to discover next week.

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