The Bulletin: Art deco disasters, spinning cakes, and Montreal cowboys [Issue #75]

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

The Main

May 2, 2024- Read time: 9 min

The summer season's started at Montreal’s public markets. Starting this weekend, the Atwater, Jean-Talon and Maisonneuve markets, plus neighbourhood and solidarity markets, will welcome their open-air vendors and restaurants. | Photograph: Courtesy Société des Marchés publics de Montréal / © Bodoum

Now that our feeds have quieted down following a day of International Workers' Day protests and grocery store boycotts, we're looking forward to a weekend full of so much stuff to do that's we're positive we missed something.

There's peak energy all around right now, from new announced architectural and landscape designs reshaping the city to big municipal and industrial developments (not all good, but bear with us), and it's not even close to the zenith of the year. There's good juice to drink in bars, a lot of events around Cinco de Mayo and May 4th Star Wars hokum, and some Taylor Swift-themed burleque—more than enough to go 'round.

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

Thursday

Cadence Weapon is bringing their launch tour for the album Rollercoaster to Le Système with Martyn Bootyspoon & Jayemkayem, and admission's free.
Catch comedian Mike Paterson and a bunch of guest comedians at the Comedy Nest throughout the weekend, starting here.

Friday

Get ready for an electrifying journey of pole, drag, comedy, burlesque, and beyond with Café Cléopatra's Through the Eras: A Taylor Swift Variety Show.
British rapper Giggs, the 'godfather of road rap' known for starting a 145 BPM revolution, is going to be playing Le Studio TD.

Saturday

Le Livart has a new evening dedicated to electronic music, AUBE, a celebration of nightlife, music and dance that introduces guests to an international artist, as well as two emerging talents.
The 7th edition of La Biennale d’art contemporain autochtone has a series of exhibitions with works by more than 60 artists at Art Mûr.
a Care Label and Vasimolo are turning Osmo x Marusan into a Night Market Party with the kitchen running late, pumping out some tasty Thai food.
Sae Low's hosting an exposition for Montreal ceramist Marie-Eve Dompierre and her eponymous studio on May 4.

Sunday

Just a friendly reminder that Tam Tams is going to be back up and running on the mountain, weather permitting.
Instead of tacos and tequila, celebrate Cinco de Mayo with music of Mexico performed by the Orchestre Philharmonique du Québec, conductor Francisco Javier Gutiérrez, violinist Alexandre Da Costa and tenor Antonio Figueroa with mariachis.

Love Montreal? Support our content!

You like The Main, right? Of course you do. So why not get exclusive access to dispatches from your favourite city by subscribing as a paid supporter?

You'll not only get complete access to everything we have to offer whenever you want it, but you'll also receive:

Early access to exclusive features and content
Special invites
A 10% discount on everything in our store
Being able to impress people by knowing more about Montreal than they do
Good vibes

Become a Supporter

Friendly reminder: Make your mother's day reservations now! Get those cakes, like this one from Lecavalier Petrone, reserved! Buy flowers! | Image: @lecavalierpetrone / Instagram

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.

The best new restaurants this month

Wow: As we always keep this list fresh, with no opening more than six months old, even if we don't count the openings from November 2023—Le Godot, Chez Jean-Paul, Lou’s, Savsav, Regashi, and Nofish—we can still count this list at a whopping 26 spots. (The Main)

The Atwater, Jean-Talon and Maisonneuve markets, and the city’s neighbourhood and solidarity markets, are welcoming back open-air vendors and restaurants with terraces.
Lulu Epicerie's Beiroots Groove Ensemble is returning on May 4 with wines by the glass and a shawarma included in the price of a ticket.
Take the REM to Panama station and check out the Anhui (or Hui) Chinese food of @nouillesdehui.
The ice cream window, we repeat, the ice cream window at Gema is reopened.
Hear ye, hear ye: Montreal natural wine and cider maker Lieux Communs is bringing their wares to the terrasse opening of Supernat on May 5.
There are few better places to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than at Caifan in the Plateau.
Cicchetti's got some nice juicy wines to try out on Sunday, May 5 with $2 oysters—nice way to end the weekend, if you ask us.
From May 1 to 7, La Pizza Week returns for its 4th edition, where over 500 restaurants nationwide (including Montreal) will unveil unique twists on the dish.
Chef Tom Allain will be bringing some east coast flavour in the form of donairs to Cremerie Dalla Rose on May 4.
@mollo.boulangerie.cafe in St Henri is a new artisanal bakery with tons of home made pastries & breads.
Ramen 9000 will be doing one last pop-up at Kitano Shokudo on May 4th and 5th before summer arrives, so snag a spot while you can.
Be sure to grab a seat at Bar Otto when the modern Korean restaurant 9 Tail Fox crosses the Saint-Henri/Little Burgundy divide for a pop-up on May 5th.

Enriching local Thai culture

Laotian Montrealer Chitakone Phommavongxay (Chita) and Thai Montrealer Siriluksamee Rangthong (Nim)'s new Thai noodle shop in the Plateau has a fresh look and feel, but all it comes from a traditional standpoint. (The Main)

Let's go to the Dep

As a locally-focused cultural magazine, we're working with the people who help enrich our city's identity by showing us just how beautiful and creative it is.

That's why we created the Dépanneur, where you can support locals, keep cash in the community, and connect with the people who are creating amazing things (every purchase also helps to support our editorial content, too).

Right now, you can subscribe to our coffee program collaboration with Dreamy Café that's fueled by freshly-roasted Montreal brands, and shipped straight to your door every month. And if you're subscribed to The Main? You get 10% off!

Get caffeinated ☕

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

A few of their favourite things

Get to know James Kerr, a Montreal-based digital artist and animator better known as Scorpion Dagger, the source of remixed European art from the 14th to 17th centuries including Northern Renaissance paintings with real life humour through animated digital collages.(The Main)

Actually, mama, let your babies grow up to be cowboys

This photo essay of NDG's Wheel Club give a visual slice of their Hillbilly Night, and look at an event that hasn’t changed since it began in 1966—where no drums or electric instruments are allowed, and playing songs written beyond 1965 is forbidden. (NUVO)

Why can't we have nice things?

Verdun's natatorium was inaugurated in July 1940. It was the first outdoor pool in Montreal and the largest in Canada at the time, and remained in the city as a rare piece of art deco architecture. Now it might just... disappear. (CTV News)

"The New Vic

On Mount Royal’s southern side, a steep climb up University St. from bustling downtown Montreal, a new university hub is taking shape. Parts of the old 17-building, 35-acre site are being turned into a place of learning that will one day be swarming with people. (Montreal Gazette)

Just one lil' bump (in prices)

Cocaine jokes aside, fares for traveling by public transportation in the greater metropolitan region will increase by 3% on average from July 1. The ARTM defends this announcement by saying it's an increase lower than inflation. (La Presse)

Getting ready for a devastating wave

Xylazine, known as a “zombie drug,” plunges people who consume it into a prolonged state of unconsciousness, in addition to creating strong dependence and irreversible physical damage. It's struck American cities, now it's here. (Le Devoir)

"A city within a city"

The City of Montreal is planning to build a carbon-neutral district of 20,000 housing units on the site of the former Montreal Hippodrome and land east of the Namur Metro station. (CBC Montreal)

And now for anticipated police repression

Mirroring protests found on university campuses in the States that have caught the attention of so many recently, students are occupying the McGill Campus to denounce McGill and Concordia Universities’ financial and academic ties with Israel. (The Rover)

Fun!(damental rights)

With the video game industry being valued at more than $1.4 billion in the province's economy and with 15,000 employees, the Confederation of National Unions (CSN) is launching a campaign to try to unionize the entire video game industry in Quebec. (Radio-Canada)

Efforts to leave no one behind

Quebec’s Moving Day on July 1 is exactly two months away, and many are starting to worry whether they’ll have a place to live. Montreal has announced a $3.5 million program to help, but will emergency measures fix the housing crisis? (CityNews Montreal)