Even with the return of festivals like Under Pressure and ÎleSoniq this weekend, there's an almost dour vibe going through the town right now: Many seem to be focused on the death of the old ways in Montreal.

True, we've still got our institutions here and there, but read through the stories below and you'll find many things you may very well have taken for granted slowly being phased out of the landscape. Artists, restaurants, furniture shops, even dépanneurs—they all represent a past time and place that seem to be fading out of existence.

That's the funny thing about the things in our lives that seem to have lasted the longest. The preservation of heritage buildings, for example, is only effective when you never notice it was overhauled by architects and construction companies.

Even with the return of festivals like Under Pressure and ÎleSoniq this weekend, there's an almost dour vibe going through the town right now: Many seem to be focused on the death of the old ways in Montreal.

True, we've still got our institutions here and there, but read through the stories below and you'll find many things you may very well have taken for granted slowly being phased out of the landscape. Artists, restaurants, furniture shops, even dépanneurs—they all represent a past time and place that seem to be fading out of existence.

That's the funny thing about the things in our lives that seem to have lasted the longest. The preservation of heritage buildings, for example, is only effective when you never notice it was overhauled by architects and construction companies.