![The Bulletin: AI tour guides, an Old Montreal ghost hotel burns down, and Leonard Cohen eats a cheese sandwich [Issue #17]](https://storage.ghost.io/c/00/e5/00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a/content/images/2023/03/DALL-E-2023-03-21-18.14.43---A-skyline-of-Montreal-on-fire.png)
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.
For readers who care about Montreal
Create a free account to read this story and access 3 articles per month, plus our weekly Bulletin.
![The Bulletin: What to do on Saint Patrick’s Day, summer announcements, and giving people the finger [Issue #16]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2023%2F03%2F3421927420_857407bf6f.jpg&w=256&q=75)
![The Bulletin: A Pizza Vending Machine, a Birthday for the Olympics, and Scottish Athletics [Issue #192]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F02f38aced79a02d8a83243c14b58d65978f465c1-4160x3099.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Watermelon Coffee, Duelling With Fireworks, Shucking Corn, and a Rave in an Empty Pool [Issue #191]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F85db00b3f6e0caf03241c1a6c20b6695451126b4-1024x683.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Genre Cinema's Big Three-O, 12 Days for 250 Comedy Shows, Hochelaga Wrestling, and Drinking Wine Until Dawn [Issue #190]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2Fc7146973da7f810490e13b6dd16ed10e0b8882ee-864x737.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Surfboard Swaps, Poutine Karaoke, Wheelchair Races, and The Big Lebowski [Issue #189]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F894a3ebb1894fffd6f6a89dde2364bf2ca0f82ce-6000x4000.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: New Zealand-Style Ice Cream, Geeking Out at the Palais, a Wes Anderson Night, and the Sky Gets Real Loud [Issue #188]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2Fcc5cba0c2c6bbda0cacba1c9272235ed24ebdfd9-1024x683.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Pinoy Cubanos, Jazz Fest Opens, a Sous-Sol Peruvian Hangout, and a Hochelaga Block Party [Issue #187]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F158f5cf15aca7ff76196ab623528e4689ed3fad2-1179x908.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Downtown Gets a Jazz Room, Blasting Pink Floyd in a Church, and Girl Dinners [Issue #174]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2026%2F03%2Fvesiaphotography_1774185491_3858469647058590483_32210843-1.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: We've got some big things cooking [Issue #158]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2025%2F12%2FCROWD.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Disco Chinois, Dolly Parton Pinball, and Gambling Laboratories [Issue #170]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2026%2F02%2FCCM-montrealchinois-web-2__1_.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: 70th Anniversary Hamburgers, the Avant-Garde, Solstice Yoga, and a Movie If You Like Piña Coladas [Issue #186]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.sanity.io%2Fimages%2F2edxk5v7%2Fproduction%2F6520b67e7fb2aaf5a17c384411240f1edc1bfde1-1024x683.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: Packed dancefloors, bar-hopping, and a last-minute Valentine's Day planner [Issue #168]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2026%2F02%2FMayaNaidu_Coq-de-l-Est_The-Main-22-2-1.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
![The Bulletin: A holiday heist, full plates, and a surprisingly busy weekend [Issue #161]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstorage.ghost.io%2Fc%2F00%2Fe5%2F00e5bf23-2b72-4a48-92bb-496245b79d2a%2Fcontent%2Fimages%2F2025%2F12%2Ftavernenoellpd_1765551666_3786044209204759408_69971862890.jpg&w=2560&q=75)
Comments
Welcome to The Main's comments section!
Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.
No comments yet. Be the first!