The Bulletin: Live canalside shows, hot cross croissants, and memories of the Expos [Issue #81]

The Bulletin is a collection of what's happened, what’s happening, and what’s to come in and around Montreal.

The Main

June 13, 2024- Read time: 10 min

Fun fact: Youppi! was the first mascot to be thrown out of a Major League Baseball game: on August 23, 1989, in the 11th inning, while atop the visitors' dugout, Youppi! took a running leap, landing hard and noisily on its roof, and then sneaked into a front row seat. | Photograph: Archives de la Ville de Montréal / Flickr

We'll usually say that when summer is at its best, one weekend just seems to bleed into another. At its peak, one good time leads into the next to the point where, sometimes, you can't even fully recall what happened. Times flies when you're having fun and all that jazz.

But MAN OH MAN was last weekend something else: A collapsed stage, thunderstorms, Mr. Worldwide cancelling his show and leaving fans waiting for hours in the rain, and don't even get us started on terrassegate. It was one for the books, but not because it was a fiasco.

Nope, it was the indomitable spirit that drove it all. Montrealers and out-of-towners alike wouldn't let anything get in the way of their having a good time. It was goddamn admirable. If you're reading this and you were out there, hats off.

And now? We look ahead. Technically summer hasn't even started, but each huge successive batch of things to do, see, and experience every weekend is making us feel like it has.

Take it all in below.

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Activities, parties, points of interest, art exhibitions, you name it: These are the weekend events you don't want to miss.

Thursday

YATAI's Japanese street market of street food, vendors, beverages, live entertainment and cultural workshops—26 food booths and 30 vendor booths in total—starts this weekend.
This is the last weekend to experience anything and everything the urban art festival MURAL has to offer, from music and underground parties to a performance by Miami rap legend Rick Ross.
Aire Commune's got Qualité De Luxe behind the decks playing Dancehall, Afro music and much more all night long by DJs Poirier and Piyou.

Friday

The Sud-Ouest's biggest cultural and community event on the shores of the Lachine Canal at the Centennial Esplanade, Festival sur le Canal, kicks off.
Les Francos de Montréal's proud showcase of French-language music through a ten-day festival bringing together the best musical talents from the French-speaking world begins.
Mile End Improv's comedy fest is currently hosting shows all weekend as part of the OFF-FRINGE / St-Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival with some of Montreal's most reputable improvisers.
It ain't all about festivals here: Go watch the Euro Cup at Nestor, they'll be screening all games for the next month.

Saturday

Go see the 5th annual Polski Piknik, a festival that celebrates and promotes
Polish culture, cuisine, artists, and the Québec community, at Parc Jeanne-Mance.
The Montréal Chamber Music Festival celebrates the intimate art of chamber music in all its forms, presenting outstanding performers in concert.
Jean-Talon Market's hosting three free gardening workshops to learn the fundamentals around vegetable in backyards and on balconies—registration is here.

Sunday

Local merchants will be offering a variety of street food, including charcoal grills, hot dogs and burgers, alongside live music on Duluth.
Love all dogs? Rescue All Dogs is holding a huge summer 'pawty' with ice cream, treats for humans and pups, flash tattoos and dog portrait tattoos, and a lot more to raise money.
The PHI Centre's audio immersion room Habitat Sonore has a new summer line-up, featuring everything from Daft Punk to local artists like Gayance, Narcy, Patrick Watson, and more—full programming's here.
There's an exhibition by a collective of Quebec mosaic artists known as Poèmes de verre runs at the Écomusée du fier monde until June 23 worth checking out.

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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.

Danny Smiles' new restaurant Le Violon has an opening date: June 17.
Santiago Alonso from Cabaret L'Enfer will be cooking up a storm at La Marelle on June 15.
La Fête du Croissant returns on June 15: Get 4 hand-rolled croissants for just $6, all made with pure butter and baked fresh.
Wine, beer & spirits shop Cinqàsept is hosting a range of tasting events on June 13, 15 and 18.
One of the largest Japanese food franchises in the world, Katsuya, has opened its first restaurant downtown. It's got a lot of deals to start out right.
You need to check out this grab 'n' go menu that Knuckles in Villeray put out.
Brouillon Bar à Vin on Plaza St-Hubert has relaunched under new management to serve cocktails, Spanish tapas, and a DJ every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night.
One of the Easern Townships' most amazing vineyards, Joy Hill, is opening up their terrasse on June 15.
Hear ye, hear ye: Place Carmin, one of the greatest of Montreal's latest restaurant in the last couple years, has launched weekend brunches.
A lounge-y spot with fusion-Indian tapas and cocktails from the Sandhu family behind the India Rosa restaurants has opened a new spot: Mlle Rosa.
Ex-Café Denise chef Mark Joseph Villanueva is now cooking up a 'neo-Barcelona' menu for the summer at Le Système as of June 13.
Ca Lem's locations in Old Montreal and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce are giving out free OREO Maple Cream ice cream on June 15 and 16 at 1 pm.
Here's a look inside the upcoming American-style bistro Romies that's taking on the space which once housed Boris Bistro in Old Montreal.
Chef Maurín Arellano Frellick of the Mexican restaurant Vivace has announced she will be leaving Montreal for Mexico City at the end of the month, so pay a visit while you can.

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Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of the latest local news, from entertainment to current affairs and more.

A polished gem 💎

Reveling in the lap of luxury, spontaneous and unexpected moments of artistry, exploring a bazaar’s worth of curated shops and artisans, atmospheric destinations for dining and drinking—here’s what to experience on Laurier Ouest, day or night. (The Main)

A serious disconnect

City fire inspectors chose to use a bazooka to kill a fly, writes Toula Drimonis, penalizing hard-working business owners relying on the Grand Prix weekend to recoup some of the losses they’ve suffered over the past few years. (Cult MTL)

Gaze into my crystal ball 🔮

It's 2050 and Montreal is a sprawling metropolis with tens of thousands of off-market rental units, a dense tree canopy and a vast network of tramways—that's the image city officials presented for the Plan Montréal 2050, a vision of what the city will look like in 26 years. (CBC Montreal)

👑 Le « royaume des piétons » 👑

The Plante administration has announced the first step in its plan to turn Old Montreal into a “pedestrian priority zone”, part of a larger plan to make it a pedestrian-friendly zone by 2030, evaluating the effect of each phase on local residents and businesses before proceeding to each next step. (La Presse)

One of Quebec's largest heritage restoration projects

After five years of work and an explosion in costs, Montreal city hall finally opens its doors. The Plante administration wants to make it a building more accessible to citizens than ever, beginning with an open house last week. (Radio-Canada)

The F1 Grand Prix: A globetrotting circus

Three days from qualifying runs for the Canadian Grand Prix and four days from the computer-controlled red-light sequence that will start the race, this article details the enormously complex task of transporting 1,400 tons of cargo to each race—and anything can go wrong. (Globe and Mail)

Urban developments, but for whom?

Culture and homelessness don't necessarily coexist very well. The sports and cultural festival industries which are starting to operate at full speed again have pushed Montreal's homeless to the eastern part of the city center. (Le Devoir)

Talent, expertise, and being early to the party

Our city's one of the world's top five video game production series—why? Here's Concordia University's Jonathan Lessard on the history of what's been accomplished and what continues to be accomplished locally to make it so. (CTV News)

We won some, then we lost some

Ottawa now has its inaugural night mayor, officially known as the Nightlife Commissioner, with Montrealer Mathieu Grondin. He was the founder of 24/24—you know, that awesome nightlife advocacy group our city ended funding for. (Ottawa Citizen)

In the bottom of the 9th

Listen in to this conversation with Ford C. Frick Award winner Dave Van Horne about his career calling Expos and Marlins games, the announcer's memories of Montreal, what his most memorable call was, and more. (Toronto Mike)