The Bulletin: Everything's temporary until it isn't [Issue #155]

The STM maintenance workers called off their strike Tuesday night—six hours before the labour minister could force them back. Relief swept through the city as buses and metros rolled out, but nobody's celebrating yet: A shutdown from bus drivers and metro operators is still on the table, and the labour tribunal hasn't issued its ruling on service levels.

Feels more like a breath held than a problem solved.

Meanwhile, Montreal's been busy reviving things we thought were gone for good: Wünderbar opened as the city's first proper German beer hall in 30 years; CKUT hit 38 years of scrappy community radio; Pasta Casareccia marks 40 years in NDG with the same lasagna recipe.

And then there's what we're letting slip away! We looked back on the Empress Theatre, empty for 33 years. Sonder, the Montreal-born unicorn that collapsed in days after never turning a profit. The ugly Christmas tree we mocked, loved, then abandoned—now the subject of a petition we started to bring it back as tradition.

Some things endure through stubbornness, community, or sheer refusal to quit. Others don't make it past the next budget cut or bad quarter. The difference isn't always obvious until it's too late.

Anyway, this week? Natural wine, holiday markets, and everything else worth keeping up and kicking.

We're gonna see you there... right?

The Main’s First Annual Holiday Market is happening November 22–23 (plus a VIP night on Nov 21 exclusive to paid subscribers!) in Griffintown. Entry is free all weekend, and if you RSVP, you’ll be entered to win a $250 gift card for a shopping spree at the event.

What to expect: we're taking over a 4,000-square-foot Griffintown space with 13 established and emerging local makers, live music, and Dieu du Ciel beer—vendors we'd vouch for, products you'd actually keep.

Details + RSVP here

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

Thursday

🎥 Cabane à Sang film festival makes its annual return, with a one-of-a-kind program of weird, visceral, and hypnotic short films– perfect for fans of experimental cinema.

🖼️ Be the first to experience a rare father–daughter exhibition at Galerie 203 as celebrated visual artist Ponie O showcases new work alongside architect and sculptor David Oberman.

🎨 The new exhibition Gather opens at Pangée, brings together the drawings of Russell Banx and Catherine Desroches, with the sculptures of Jennifer Rose Sciarrino.

Friday

🥂 Theatre St James hosts the Sugar Ball, treat yourself to a benefit evening with an open bar, sweat and savory stations, DJ's, beauty stations, and plenty more.

🪩 Livart turns into a full-building house party from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., with a full program of DJ sets, late-night exhibitions, and immersive experiences throughout the space.

💃 The Montreal Bachata Festival returns for a full weekend of workshops, social dancing, and global talent celebrating every style of bachata. Open to beginners and seasoned dancers alike.

🎤 Catch award-winning Comedian Dion Owen at his only Montreal show in the cozy and intimate Phoenix Library.

🫂 Join Quarter is Home for the first edition of There Goes the Neighbourhood, a gathering that celebrates community, home-making, and taking space, with food, games, and conversation.

Saturday

🎻 The Festival International Bach Montréal returns, bringing world-class musicians and conductors together to celebrate Bach’s legacy. Stop by Festival Off-Bach for casual concerts, talks, and coffee between shows, too.

🧑🏼‍🎨 Support local artisans and artists at Mon Amie Frankie's next Holiday Edition market.

🎁 Marché POP-Lic makes its next appearance in Longeuil's community market where you can score thrift finds and get a new tattoo.

🪑 The Opium Den transforms Espace Transmission into a two-floor wonderland of vintage treasures where you can explore curated clothing, books, furniture, home goods, and art.

🔧 Give your broken gadgets and worn-out clothes a second life at Repair Café Montréal in La Petite Patrie—volunteers will help you fix and reduce waste all for free!

Sunday

🔊 Detroit based DJ Theo Parish returns to the PHI centre for a whole day of playing his genre-bending sets.

🛼 Transport to the golden era of '90s R&B and hip-hop at the next SAT Roller Dance event that is open to skaters of all levels.

🏷️ Update your winter wardrobe at Kapara Vintage's next grand thrift store sale.

👩‍🍳 Dine & Dish calls all the Gilmore Girls fans to learn how to bake scones and watch an episode from the nostalgic series at their next workshop.

Where to drink during the RAW WINE festivities

Photograph: Courtesy Fleurs et Cadeaux / Sans Soleil

Montreal knows its natural wine, and the robust scene you see today has been built bottle by bottle, bar by bar.

What started in the mid-2000s with a handful of pioneers and import agencies willing to take risks on small producers has grown into something far bigger: it's just how many, many people drink here now—perfect for when RAW WINE comes to town on November 15 & 16, 2025.

Drink on site, drink around town: Natty wine culture here has matured without losing its soul, rooted in conviviality, craft, and a deep respect for the people making the wine, be it a third-generation Jura vigneron or someone fermenting Frontenac Noir in the Eastern Townships.

Read the full guide here.

Montreal gets its first classic German beer hall in 30 years with Wünderbar. Read about it in this week's 'What You Need to Know' section. | Photograph: Maya Naidu / @mayanaidu

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.

RAW WINE Montréal returns to the Grand Quay for two days of natural, organic, and biodynamic wines from world-class growers and makers. Meet producers, taste low-intervention wines, and explore what transparency in winemaking really means. Nov 15–16.

Your last chance for MTLàTABLE: Over 150 participating restaurants are offering a three- or four-course set-price evening menu ($35, $50, $65 or $80) until Nov 16. More details here.

Isle de Garde brings back their once-a-year pale Rauchbier and a darker brew from Nov 13-16 for the Rauchbier Fest.

Enjoy a tailor-made 5 course menu at Momo with ornate dishes and intentional wine pairings on Nov 13.

Rosé, fire DJs, and winemakers take over Bar Vinvinvin on Nov 14– expect a night of flowing wine and a dance floor that won’t quit until ‘til the bottles run dry.

Try Yans Deli’s new dinner menu, featuring steak, chicken, and fish.

Classic Montreal diner Café Promenades St-Hubert turns into a daytime rave on Nov 15, with techno, wines, beer, and daylight dancing.

The Montreal Vegan Festival returns for its 12 edition on Nov 15, featuring tastings, workshops, culinary demos, and local vegan products from food to fashion and beauty.

Nolan and Fat Rabbit collaborate together on Nov 16, serving a seasonal à la carte menu of expertly crafted dishes.

Accent Open Mic relaunches, moving local poetry over to Bar Le Record on November 16.

Marion Taverne turns into a tropical escape on Nov 18 with their next edition of Stir it Up, featuring rum-filled cocktails.

Bistro La Franquette joins forces with Île Flottante on Nov 18– reserve now for an evening of live music, standout cocktails, and an unforgettable menu.

Bistro La Franquette turns five on Nov 23, make your reservations and join the celebration.

Here, you'll find a weekly round-up of our stories from the past week, plus the latest local news.

Montreal's STM maintenance workers suspended their month-long strike hours before Quebec's labour minister could force them back—but with bus drivers and Metro operators threatening a weekend shutdown, the relief might only last until Saturday. Read more.

Montreal's first classic German beer hall in 30 years opens on Plaza Saint-Hubert—3,500 square feet of litre steins and a Bavarian atmosphere that closes the loop on a drinking tradition this city started at Expo 67, then forgot. Read more.

Griffintown gets trashed as Montreal's condo nightmare, but the neighbourhood everyone loves to hate is actually becoming something worth defending—messy, diverse, and more alive than it's been in 60 years. Read more.

At 11, Mauro Petraccone told customers if he was still at his family's NDG trattoria by 20, they should shoot him—40 years later, he owns Pasta Casareccia outright and wouldn't dream of being anywhere else. Read more.

Montreal's ugly Christmas tree in 2026 became a global joke, then a beloved symbol before disappearing. We started a petition to make the scraggly disaster an official annual tradition. Read more.

CKUT has been Montreal's scrappy community radio lifeline for nearly 40 years: 300 volunteers, 70,000 records, and the city's first hip hop broadcasts kept alive by student fees and donations, proving a homemade sound beats polish when the alternative is silence. Read more.

Sonder went from Montreal dorm-room hustle to billion-dollar Airbnb rival before collapsing in days—leases across 40 cities, a failed Marriott partnership, and zero profitability finally caught up, leaving guests with hours to pack and a unicorn dead on arrival. Read more.

NDG's Empress Theatre—Canada's only Egyptian Revival movie palace—survived vaudeville, burlesque, blue movies, and a century of reinvention, but 33 years of neglect might finally break what adaptation couldn't. Read more.

Looking for a gift that won't end up in a drawer? Montreal's got cooking classes, tufting guns to make rugs, outdoor raves in January, and pottery wheels where you can fail beautifully—experiences that stick longer than anything you can wrap. Read more.

Montreal's makers have you covered under $50—solid perfumes, dried bouquets, bean-to-bar chocolate, vinyl stickers, and geometric silver studs that prove local craft doesn't need to empty your wallet. Read more.

Sour Puss lost nearly all its Canadian business when Trump's tariffs triggered a booze boycott—so the Minnesota distiller moved production to Montreal's Station 22. Read more.

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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.

👋 Masthead: Philip Tabah, Founder & Head of Creative / Daniel Bromberg, Co-Founder & Head of Operations / Jean-Philippe Lauzon, Co-Founder & Head of Tech / JP Karwacki, Managing Editor / Amber Spector, Social Media Manager / Samuel Vadnais, Head of Partnerships / Anahi Pellathy, Editorial & Production Coordinator / Phylida Tuff-West, Editorial Intern / Kaitlyn DiBartolo, Editorial Intern / Jeremy Cox, Editorial Intern / AnnaClare Sung, Editorial Intern