History Lesson

Prohibition and the Last Wet City on a Dry Continent

When North America went dry in 1920, Montreal didn't, and that choice would shape the city into what it is today.

History Lesson

The Day the Décarie Became a River

On July 14, 1987, two hours of rain drowned the Décarie, shut down the métro, and became the storm so many Montreal floods are still measured against.

History Lesson

Why “North” Doesn’t Mean North in Montreal

The St. Lawrence River, French colonial planning, and centuries of habit created a directional system where “north” has almost nothing to do with a compass.

History Lesson

The Century Club: Montreal's Oldest Businesses Still Standing Today

An eclectic collection of Montreal businesses approaching, reaching, and surpassing the 100-year mark.

History Lesson

Before Jazz Had Festival Stages, It Had Coffeehouses

Montreal’s jazz culture grew in the city’s espresso bars and coffeehouses. This summer, Le Café Lavazza pays tribute to that legacy at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

History Lesson

The Entire History of a City Told in Six Kilometres

From a country road out of a fortified colony to a corridor of immigrants, artists, labour organizers, gangsters, and entrepreneurs, Saint-Laurent Boulevard tells the story of Montreal better than any other street.

History Lesson

Prohibition and the Last Wet City on a Dry Continent

When North America went dry in 1920, Montreal didn't, and that choice would shape the city into what it is today.

History Lesson

The Day the Décarie Became a River

On July 14, 1987, two hours of rain drowned the Décarie, shut down the métro, and became the storm so many Montreal floods are still measured against.

History Lesson

Why “North” Doesn’t Mean North in Montreal

The St. Lawrence River, French colonial planning, and centuries of habit created a directional system where “north” has almost nothing to do with a compass.

History Lesson

The Century Club: Montreal's Oldest Businesses Still Standing Today

An eclectic collection of Montreal businesses approaching, reaching, and surpassing the 100-year mark.

History Lesson

Before Jazz Had Festival Stages, It Had Coffeehouses

Montreal’s jazz culture grew in the city’s espresso bars and coffeehouses. This summer, Le Café Lavazza pays tribute to that legacy at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal.

History Lesson

The Entire History of a City Told in Six Kilometres

From a country road out of a fortified colony to a corridor of immigrants, artists, labour organizers, gangsters, and entrepreneurs, Saint-Laurent Boulevard tells the story of Montreal better than any other street.

History Lesson

The Last Stand of Louis Cyr, the World’s Strongest Man

He patrolled the streets of Montreal, packed theatres across Europe, and returned to the city for an event that felt part miracle, part funeral.

History Lesson

The century-long smoked meat legacy of Schwartz's Deli

How a Romanian immigrant's recipe and stubborn refusal to change built Montreal's most iconic sandwich.

History Lesson

Operation Fish: When Montreal hid Britain's fortune during WWII

Billions in gold and securities sat three storeys beneath Sun Life while 5,000 employees worked overhead, completely oblivious.

History Lesson

The Montreal Punch That May Have Killed Houdini

A backstage encounter at a Montreal theatre, a few punches, a death six weeks later. The cause remains disputed.

History Lesson

The Day a Downtown Campus Burned and What Came After

What began as a complaint about grading bias escalated into a two-week occupation, a fire, and one of the most consequential reckonings with institutional racism in Canadian higher education.

History Lesson

Montreal Pool Room: Serving a city's hot dogs for over a century

How a Bulgarian immigrant's billiard hall became one of Montreal's most enduring institutions, from pimp steaks to late night eats infamy.

History Lesson

The Last Stand of Louis Cyr, the World’s Strongest Man

He patrolled the streets of Montreal, packed theatres across Europe, and returned to the city for an event that felt part miracle, part funeral.

History Lesson

The century-long smoked meat legacy of Schwartz's Deli

How a Romanian immigrant's recipe and stubborn refusal to change built Montreal's most iconic sandwich.

History Lesson

Operation Fish: When Montreal hid Britain's fortune during WWII

Billions in gold and securities sat three storeys beneath Sun Life while 5,000 employees worked overhead, completely oblivious.

History Lesson

The Montreal Punch That May Have Killed Houdini

A backstage encounter at a Montreal theatre, a few punches, a death six weeks later. The cause remains disputed.

History Lesson

The Day a Downtown Campus Burned and What Came After

What began as a complaint about grading bias escalated into a two-week occupation, a fire, and one of the most consequential reckonings with institutional racism in Canadian higher education.

History Lesson

Montreal Pool Room: Serving a city's hot dogs for over a century

How a Bulgarian immigrant's billiard hall became one of Montreal's most enduring institutions, from pimp steaks to late night eats infamy.