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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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)

The Best New Restaurants in Montreal [April 2024]

These are the 27 best new restaurants in Montreal, from casual hangs to pristine and high-class joints.

J.P. Karwacki

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)

Tate + Yoko: Brandon Svarc’s Favourite Things in Montreal

Montreal’s denim virtuoso talks about subverting the industry and carrying on three generations in the garment business.

Rachel Cheng

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)

Club St-Denis 257SE: A rare look inside one of Montreal’s historic private clubs

Founded in 1874, Club St-Denis had long been the preferred meeting place for French-speaking business and political elite—now it’s been reopened with an eye to new generations of membership.

J.P. Karwacki

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)

Uber legacy: Class-action lawsuit by taxi drivers against Quebec begins

A trial opens Tuesday in a class-action lawsuit accusing the Quebec 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. The government’s negligence led to the disguised expropriation of taxi licences — without […]

CityNews MontrealNews Staff

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)

Ce sera possible de faire du BIXI toute l’année à Montréal

Fort du succès de son projet pilote de vélo hivernal, BIXI Montréal a annoncé mardi que ses vélos seront dorénavant disponibles 12 mois par année.

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)

You Can’t Miss This Canadian City With 20 Markets, 40 Breweries, and 4,000 Restaurants

Montreal’s unique and incredibly diverse food and drink scene is continuously evolving with more than 4,000 restaurants, 20 large public markets, 40 breweries, and food festivals.

Food & WineFood & Wine’s Editorial Guidelines

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)

Montreal is building less housing than other Canadian cities, report says | CBC News

The construction of new apartment buildings surged by an average of eight per cent in major Canadian cities last year except in Montreal, where starts decreased, according to a report by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC).

CBCErika Morris

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)

Why the April 8 solar eclipse is totally a big deal

For many Montrealers, it will be a once-in-a-lifetime event. The next total solar eclipse visible in Montreal will only be in 2205.

Montreal GazetteSusan Schwartz

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)

Montreal in ‘perpetual state of filth’: opposition

Opposition at Montreal city hall says Montreal’s cleanliness is at a record low, and leader Aref Salem says it’s going to get worse.

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)

Montreal’s Royalmount mega-mall is opening soon — here’s which stores to expect

So many luxury brands to choose from. 🛍️

MTL BlogMike Chaar

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

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