The Bulletin: A butcher shop opera, neo-vaudevillian nights, block parties, and more [Issue #85]

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

The Main

The Main

July 11, 2024- Read time: 10 min
The Bulletin: A butcher shop opera, neo-vaudevillian nights, block parties, and more [Issue #85]PSA: It's your last weekend to see Montréal Complètement Cirque. | Photograph: Andrew Miller

Sure, you've got your amazing, formal festivals with big acts completely taking over the downtown core this weekend, but what about the in-betweens?

We're talking about a weekend festival like a Quebecois Burning Man, riverside parties with secret locations, one-off pop-ups with Newfoundlander guest chefs, a butcher shop opera, and other weird fun stuff.

You're here to have a good time. That's why you've subscribed to this newsletter: To know more about what's going on around town than anyone else. You've got bragging rights.

As you read on, you'll find that we've collected not only all the greatest hits but all the B-sides too. Happy hunting for those hidden treasures, y'all.


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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

  • @soulfestmtl, Montreal's festival celebrating the very best in Soul, Disco, Funk, Gospel, and Motown music, is taking place at @lebalconcabaret.
  • @avenuemontroyal's RU festival returns from July 11 to 21 with a diverse programming of music, visual arts, theater, slam, and dance with established and emerging artists.
  • The 38th edition of L’International des Feux Loto-Québec at @larondesixflags continues with performances by Austria on July 11 and Mexico on July 14.
  • @shazamfestival, a unique four-day cornucopia of exhilarating neo-vaudevillian entertainment, is coming to the riverside woods and natural amphitheatre skirting the Eastern Townships from July 11 to 14.

Friday

Saturday

Sunday


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Breakaway from the pass at La Spada, a new Roman-Italian restaurant in Saint-Henri. | Photograph: Rachel Holly Cheng / @rachelhollycheng

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.

From Rome to Montreal

From the atmosphere and menu to its service and sense of style, La Spada is a love letter to Rome in Montreal. It is an electric restaurant theatre and a source of experiential dining seldom found in the city, and it is now open. Read all about it. (The Main)

La Spada: A love letter to Rome with a Montreal osteria
The experiential, Roman-Italian dining of Saint-Henri’s La Spada, combining institutional class with electric restaurant theatre.

A standout figure in Montreal’s culinary scene

Janice Tiefenbach’s a dynamic force behind Montreal's celebrated restaurants Elena and Gia Vin & Grill. A virtuoso whose journey has been anything but conventional, these are Janice Tiefenbach’s favourite restaurants in Montreal. (The Main)

Janice Tiefenbach’s Favourite Restaurants in Montreal
Chef at Elena and Gia Vin & Grill Janice Tiefenbach reveals her favourite restaurants in Montreal, from where to go for a date night to where she’ll eat after service is over.

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

(No) Power for Hours

A deluge of heavy rain due to remnants of tropical storm Beryl forced the closing of several highways in the Montreal area on Wednesday afternoon and knocked out power to thousands in the city. Here's the latest. (Montreal Gazette)

Heavy rain falls on Montreal, closing highways, knocking out power for hours
The city is recovering after the remnants of Hurricane Beryl dropped 66 millimetres of rain in the afternoon.

Go on then! We don't want you anyway! 😢

Come June 2025, businesses with between 25 and 49 employees will have to enforce the French language charter or face penalties of up to $30,000. Will businesses put up with OQLF inspections, or will they find loopholes, or just leave altogether? (The Logic)

As Bill 96 takes effect, Quebec businesses begin ‘quiet leaving’ - The Logic
Company leaders say new French language requirements will push them out.

An obstacle course for local sports events

Montreal is considered internationally as a leader in sporting events, but for how much longer? Things are getting real after the cancellation of several major sporting events in recent weeks. What's to be done about this loss of momentum? (Radio-Canada)

Montréal, ville d’événements sportifs… vraiment?
L’annulation d’événements cet été inquiète les organisateurs, qui dénoncent la lourdeur bureaucratique.

Our motto is: "Too bad, so sad."

We missed this story a few weeks back (thanks @fucknomtl!), but it's no less nuts: Residents living in the Village have had to throw out dozens of appliances and electronics because of a power surge that hit the area in late May. Hydro-Quebec says it's not their responsibility. (CTV News)

Montreal neighbourhood hit with a power surge that damaged electronics and appliances
Residents living in Montreal’s Village neighbourhood have had to throw out dozens of appliances and electronics because of a power surge that hit the area in late May and Hydro-Quebec says it’s not their responsibility.

We make this look good

A look inside RDØ Solar's design-forward, DIY-friendly solar kits, solar panel awnings, colourful solar lamps, and tasteful enclosures such as EV charging stations and heat pumps. Crazy what an application of aesthetic can do. (NUVO)

Montreal-Based RDØ Solar Is Changing the Face of Off-Grid Living
RDØ offers products such as solar kits, solar panel awnings, lamps, and tasteful enclosures for EV charging stations and heat pumps.

Archipelagos, jungle gyms, and canopies!

Montrealers can now vote on what to do with the Olympic Stadium's defective roof: The Olympic Park has unveiled the international design competition finalists for repurposing the doomed dome with more than 20,000 tears that's made the iconic stadium unusable for part of the year. (Montreal Gazette + Parc Olympique)

Lauréats et vote -
Dans le cadre d’un concours international d’idées, des étudiants et professionnels ont proposé divers projets pour réutiliser, recycler et valoriser une

We are all s̶t̶a̶r̶d̶u̶s̶t̶ plastic

A process developed by researchers at McGill University not only instantly detects micro and nanoplastics suspended in water, but also differentiates them from other materials, even when they are covered by other particles. (Radio-Canada)

Un outil de détection des nanoplastiques inventé à McGill
Un procédé mis au point par des chercheurs de l’Université McGill permet de détecter instantanément les nanoplastiques en suspension dans l’eau.

They paved a parking lot and put up a paradise 🎶

Citizens across Quebec have undertaken tearing up the asphalt and concrete on sites chosen by a program called "Sous les pavés", one square metre at a time, to remove heat island and develop green environments. (Le Devoir)

Le programme Sous les pavés, la verdure sous le bitume
Depuis 2017, le programme met à contribution des citoyens bénévoles pour arracher l’asphalte pour verdir leur ville.

Small team, big dreams

The small but mighty Montreal-born agency Wedge was not only the Studio of the Year winner at Dieline Awards's worldwide package design competition, but also broke the record for the most awards ever received by a SOTY, claiming nine awards across a range of categories, from health and beauty to food and beverage. (PRINT Magazine)

Dieline Awards 2024 Studio of the Year-Winner Wedge Breaks Down Its Big Wins and ‘Special’ Process
Wedge, a Montreal-based studio, dominated the DIELINE Awards, winning nine accolades across various categories. Co-founders Sarah Di Domenico and Justin Lortie emphasize their unique branding appro…

This one spoke to us

"I travelled to Montreal to better understand why it’s one of North America’s best places to cycle, not just as a sport but as a means of everyday transportation and leisure." (Toronto Star)

I took a spin through Montreal to understand why it’s a cyclist’s dream city
Home to a popular biking festival and an ambitious bike-lane project, Montreal is one of North America’s best places to cycle.

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, don't hesitate to reach out to us on Instagram.

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