Subscribe today to get 3 free articles per month

InstagramTwitterTiktokLinkedin
|
Advertise
The Main Logo
Magazine
Categories
  • Arts & Culture

    Creativity, heritage, and expression.

  • Beyond Montreal

    Travel, adventure, and global perspectives.

  • Design

    The best of Montreal design.

  • Food & Drink

    La bonne bouffe.

  • History

    Stories, lessons, and context.

  • Newsletter

    Our weekly newsletter.

  • See all original stories
City Guides
Popular Guides
  • The Best Restaurants in Montreal
  • Best NEW Restaurants
  • Best Cafés
  • Unique Boutiques
  • Romantic Restaurants
  • Best Bookstores
  • See all Guides
Directory
Neighbourhood
  • Downtown
  • Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
  • Mile End
  • Mile-Ex
  • Saint-Henri
  • See All
Business Type
  • Restaurant
  • Café
  • Boutique / Store
  • Bar
  • Bakery
  • See All
Near the Metro
  • Peel
  • Mont-Royal
  • Place-Saint-Henri
  • Place-d'Armes
  • Jarry
  • View all
BulletinsShop
Sign in
Subscribe
Sign in
Subscribe

Montreal's Cultural Directory

Help us improve! Share your thoughts on how we can make your experience better.

Leave feedback

For partnerships and collaborations:

partnerships@themain.com

Explore

  • About us
  • Shop
  • Advertise
  • Pitch us

Connect

  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Tiktok
  • Linkedin

Resources

  • RSS Feed
  • Subscribe

Legal

  • Terms of service
  • Membership Terms
  • Privacy Policy

The Main Media Inc. 2026

✦ Built By Field Office
    1. Articles
    2. Newsletter

    The Bulletin: AI tour guides, an Old Montreal ghost hotel burns down, and Leonard Cohen eats a cheese sandwich [Issue #17]

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

    By The MainMarch 23, 2023 - Read time: 8 min
    The Bulletin: AI tour guides, an Old Montreal ghost hotel burns down, and Leonard Cohen eats a cheese sandwich [Issue #17]Heads should roll for the five-alarm Old Montreal fire last week... but we'll have to wait and see.

    First things first.

    The fire in Old Montreal last Thursday exposes a huge problem in this city around housing, safety, and lack of accountability that's best summed up in one thread from @FNoMTL:

    We’ve read half this article before. Illegal airbnbs. Ghost hotels. Renovictions and sky high rents. Neighbours complaining about safety issues. Weak government response. Nobody can say they didn’t see this coming, and everyone who let it happen has blood on their hands.

    — Grimes 👽 🧚‍♂️ 💎 🍼💰 (impersonator) (@FNoMTL) March 21, 2023

    Let's take a beat.

    Breathe in through the nose, and out through the mouth. Devastation and destruction. Reckless and needless loss of life. Our thoughts and prayers.


    OK – let's get to it.

    Must be logged in

    Join The Main free and keep reading.

    Create a free account.

    Create a free account to unlock this story and get 3 articles a month, plus our weekly Bulletin.

    • 3 free articles per month
    • Save your favourite places & guides
    • Weekly newsletter The Bulletin
    • Stay connected to Montreal culture

    Become an Insider.

    Unlock unlimited access, exclusive guides, and member perks — and help support the independent Montreal stories we publish every week.

    Subscribe
    • Unlimited access to all stories
    • Exclusive features & local insights
    • Special offers and event invites
    • 10% off in our shop
    • Support local storytelling

    Already a member? Sign in

    Latest Stories

    Opinion

    The digital camera comeback isn't about authenticity. It's just a flattering filter.

    JAN 27
    The digital camera comeback isn't about authenticity. It's just a flattering filter.
    Food & Drink

    Good luck getting a table at Mile End's latest morning-to-midnight spot

    JAN 26
    Good luck getting a table at Mile End's latest morning-to-midnight spot
    History Lesson

    The soap maker who bent the Jacques-Cartier Bridge

    JAN 23
    The soap maker who bent the Jacques-Cartier Bridge
    Newsletter

    The Bulletin: A landmark burns, a brunch legend returns, and an après-ski with Russian disco [Issue #165]

    JAN 22
    The Bulletin: A landmark burns, a brunch legend returns, and an après-ski with Russian disco [Issue #165]
    Food & Drink

    My restaurant got busy before it was ready. Now I can finally take a step back.

    JAN 22
    My restaurant got busy before it was ready. Now I can finally take a step back.
    The Bulletin: What to do on Saint Patrick’s Day, summer announcements, and giving people the finger [Issue #16]

    Previous

    The Bulletin: What to do on Saint Patrick’s Day, summer announcements, and giving people the finger [Issue #16]

    Next

    New Wine Dive Bar Le Plongeoir Arrives on the Mile End Scene

    New Wine Dive Bar Le Plongeoir Arrives on the Mile End Scene
    Le Dépanneur

    Shop The Main's Dépanneur. Open 24/7.

    Beau Type Vol. 1

    Beau Type Vol. 1

    $16.00

    Beau Type Vol. 2

    Beau Type Vol. 2

    $16.00

    The Reeds: A Novel [Stamped by Author]

    The Reeds: A Novel [Stamped by Author]

    $24.95

    Shop our Dép!

    See more