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Interesting article about our unique situation. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/02/world/americas/when-montreal-is-on-the-move-with-mattresses-and-dishwashers-in-tow.html?_r=0

http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Celine+Cooper+Montreal+city+state/9536579/story.html Montreal as its own city-state? BY CELINE COOPER, THE GAZETTE FEBRUARY 24, 2014STORY Quebec Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau, left, is applauded by Quebec Premier Pauline Marois, right, and members of the government after he presented his budget speech, Thursday, February 20, 2014 at the legislature in Quebec City. Photograph by: Jacques Boissinot , THE CANADIAN PRESS Greetings from Administrative Region 06. What’s that? Oh. You may know it by another name — Montreal, the second largest city in Canada. The economic hub of Quebec. The city that generates approximately 65 per cent of provincial tax revenues. One might assume that buoying a metropolis — investing in the human potential, entrepreneurship and global networking opportunities the city has to offer — would be a central plank in any provincial or federal budget. Then again, one might be wrong. Last Thursday, Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau tabled the 2014-15 provincial budget. In his budget speech in the National Assembly, Marceau stated that his government acknowledges Montreal’s unique status as the metropolitan economic engine of Quebec. His budget commits to the renewal of the province’s annual $25-million investment in the city. In anticipation of the 375th anniversary of Montreal in 2017, a total of $125 million is earmarked for four projects: Parc Jean Drapeau, Espace pour la vie, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History. But dig a little deeper and things start to ring hollow. For example, there is no detail regarding what Montreal will get back from these investments, or whether these projects may, in fact, increase the city’s operating expenses in terms of security, maintenance or infrastructure. On more pressing challenges facing Montreal, the budget doesn’t go far enough. There is $6 million set aside for fighting homelessness — an urgent concern for many residents of the city. But there is no new money allocated for social housing, public transit or immigrant integration, and no money earmarked for the retention of families on the island of Montreal. To be fair, it seems almost silly to take this budget seriously. No one expects it to be voted on in the National Assembly. Before Marceau had even completed his announcement, the Coalition Avenir Québec and the Liberals had roundly rejected it. Beyond the proposed increase in daycare user fees from $7 a day to $9 by 2015, it is non-controversial and lacking in detail. There are no general tax increases to irk voters. Detailed spending information is conveniently omitted. In short, this is less a budget than a financial framework for an election campaign. With the latest CROP poll putting the PQ into majority-government territory and MNAs headed for a two-week leave on Thursday, many expect an election to be called as early as this week. Either way, Marceau’s announcement gives voters an idea of how Montreal will be positioned symbolically (or not) in the coming electoral campaign. Why does this matter? With half of the province’s population concentrated here (close to 4 million people), our metropolitan area has some serious demographic heft. As Journal de Montréal columnist Benoît Aubin recently pointed out, if Montreal decided to go its own way and become the 11th province of Canada, it would be more populous than all the Atlantic provinces combined. Yet provincial governments across Canada — including Quebec’s — continue to take a relatively flat approach to budgeting. Despite our urbanizing world, cities are still seen as “creatures” of the provinces, just another administrative region on an electoral map — in Montreal’s case, Administrative Region 06. But in the imminent general election campaign, expect to see some pushback. Real acknowledgement of Montreal as Quebec’s metropolis means revising the fiscal arrangement between Quebec and Montreal and negotiating a meaningful devolution of powers from the province to the city. “It’s time a major economic engine of the province and the country is accorded more rights,” as Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre was quoted as saying in a Gazette article last week. Interestingly, François Cardinal, a columnist at La Presse, has emerged as one of the strongest, most coherent champions of giving Montreal more power. In an article titled Manifesto for a City State published recently in the journal Policy Options, he writes: “ … what Montreal needs is special treatment, more autonomy and more diverse sources of revenue. In short, it needs a premier who will stand on the balcony of City Hall and proclaim: “Vive Montréal! Vive Montréal libre!” On issues of both economy and identity, cleavages between Montreal and the rest of Quebec have been growing deeper. Although often dismissed as a pie-in-the-sky idea, I’m starting to see an increased momentum behind the idea of Montreal as its own city-state. As we head into an election, provincial parties would wise not to dismiss it out of hand. Twitter:@CooperCeline

Dans la Presse d'aujourd'hui, un article a attiré mon attention. Il s'agit de l'achat de la Maison Alcan par le Cirque du Soleil pour 50 millions de dollars. C'est une bonne nouvelle.

"Approximately 53 per cent of the population do not reach the necessary threshold to function properly in a society that each year is becoming increasingly complex. And among that percentage, 19 per cent are unable to read and write." What the heck... I knew that half the population had difficulties reading a single article, but wow... 19% are unable to read and write? Discuss please. link: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/09/08/illiteracy-in-quebec_n_8100450.html

Un projet Accès Condos dans Montréal-Nord. Première phase proposant 87 unités, une deuxième phase suivra, pour un total de 150 unités. On y retrouvera de tout, du condo à une chambre jusqu'à la maisonnette sur deux étages au rez-de-chaussée. Le projet se trouve au coin des boulevards Maurice-Duplessis et Langelier, le bureau des ventes ouvrira samedi. Il y a longtemps que ce quartier n'avait pas eu un projet digne de mention. Voici un article de La Presse parlant plus en détail du projet. http://montoit.cyberpresse.ca/habitation/immobilier/201109/29/01-4452679-condos-accessibles-dans-montreal-nord.php Je suis désolé si ce projet est déjà répertorié ici, je ne l'ai pas trouvé avec une recherche. ÉDITION: Arrrg, j'ai fait une erreur dans le titre, c'est "Le MN", si un mod pouvait corriger, ce serait chouette.

Interesting article: http://news.nationalpost.com/2011/09/09/can-quebecs-church-based-curse-words-survive-in-a-secular-age/

Excellent article sur le "rattrapage économique" du Québec vis à vis l'ontario! Trouvé sur Cyberpresse! http://lapresseaffaires.cyberpresse.ca/opinions/chroniques/claude-picher/200907/15/01-884197-le-rattrapage-quebecois-et-ses-faiblesses.php

Montreal has a hot brand City should plug culture: minister By LYNN MOORE, The GazetteFebruary 21, 2009 Montreal should be "branding" itself as a major cultural and creative capital using institutions such as the Canadiens, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and Montreal International Jazz Festival, Quebec's minister of economic development told a gathering of business leaders. The global finance crises has exasperated setbacks such as the loss of the Grand Prix Formula 1 racing event while continuing job and production cuts by major companies have shaken citizens and business leaders alike, Raymond Bachand told a Metropolitan Montreal Chamber of Commerce luncheon. "I want to tell you that the solutions (to shaken confidence and setbacks) are staring us in the face ... and are under our feet, if only we would see them," Bachand said. Bachand's reference to the Canadiens as a "one of the best-known trademarks in the world" prompted a wave of laughter from the audience. A front-page article in yesterday's La Presse linked three Canadiens players with one of the suspects arrested last week in a police operation targeting organized crime. "When one journalist makes a mistake, we don't condemn all media (outlets). And just because one player makes a mistake, we don't forget about 100 years of history," Bachand said. [email protected] © Copyright © The Montreal Gazette

In the June-July issue there is an article on Michel Dallaire Its quite interesting to see all the stuff he has designed over the 44 years he has been in business for himself. If you do not know who he is... he designed the Bixi bikes and some of the benches in the city. Also notably the 1967 Olympic Torch. I will try and post the 11 page article, later on during the week.

On parle ici d'une maison à Westmount, qui est qualifiée de "Number one home in Canada" dans un article du Architectural Digest. Je vous en recommande fortement la lecture. L'article dans Architectural Digest. La firme d'architectes: http://www.ericjsmitharchitect.com Designer d'intérieurs: http://www.davideastoninc.com/

Article

Voici un article du magazine Voyages d'Affaires, Paris, octobre/novembre 2010 qui place Montréal au premier rang en Amérique du Nord pour les congres internationaux en damant le pion à New York, Boston, Washington, Vancouver et Toronto. http://www.voyages-d-affaires.com/meetings-et-incentive/meetings-et-congres/canada-montreal-premiere-destination-d-amerique-du-nord

All 8 combined total:$530,000,000 Floor space well over: 64,000 sq.ft Article Just imagine someone buys all 8 and asks them to reconfigure it to make it a large residence.

Article dans la Gazette sujet Jacob. http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/makeover+Jacob/10032138/story.html

http://www.baltimoresun.com/travel/bs-tr-montreal-cheap-1022-20111020,0,7685979.story?page=1 Article intéressant! Je dois avouer aimer la citation : « Toronto has its pockets of curiosities, but it ends up being a reminder of many cities in the Northeast. It's not for nothing that it often doubles for New York in movies. It's the no-fun house to Montreal's love shack.»

This is a La Presse article from May 1998 regarding the Expos building an office complex to support their stadium construction project. The two towers next to Windsor station represents the two 50 floor towers that was part of the Canadiens original building plans, as mentioned in the second part of the article.

I haven't seen this article posted anywhere. Given the challenges presented with putting up the Mackay project I suspect this doesn't bode well for future tall development. Megaproject proposals put Montreal at 'major crossroads': founder Lambert http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/think+tank+will+conscience+mayor/2104533/story.html

Selon cet article paru dans le brossard eclair au mois de décembre dernier. A termes avec les phases a venir, il s'agirait du 2e plus grand centre commercial au canada après le West Edmonton Mall http://virtuel.brossardeclair.canoe.ca/doc/hebdo_brossard-eclair/bro_03122009_opt/2009120201/

(Courtesy of Urban Photo) Its an old article from 2008. Plus I found an another article about the grocery chain.

Interesting little article in the National Post on street food. You have to wonder why Montreal is so stubborn on insisting to not allow street food in this city. Ca fait plutot provinciale non? http://www.nationalpost.com/Hungry+Change/3356184/story.html

The Globe and Mail Article

Désolé, article déjà présent dans la section "Quartier des spectacles".

C'est une bonne lecture, tres intéressante http://www.macleans.ca/canada/national/article.jsp?content=20080402_25296_25296&page=1

Un bon petit article d'un blog anglo qui mérite une lecture; http://www.urbanphoto.net/blog/2007/09/03/big-changes-on-the-upper-main/

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/12/us/blighted-cities-prefer-razing-to-rebuilding.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20131112&_r=0 Absolutely fascinating article in the New York Times abut the demolition of inner city areas throughout the States. The figures for population exodus are staggering. It reminds me of Drapeau`s slum clearance programme here. . What is it now? 50 years later? And we still have great swaths of abandoned land along Rene Levesque ouest. Our urban challenges seem fairly minor compared to some.