Montreal ☕ The morning chat

Good morning, Montreal.

We start the week with a neighbourhood in mourning, an investigation that ends in the Rivière des Prairies, and a fire that kept firefighters busy in the Sud-Ouest. There’s also federal-provincial politics, by-elections on the horizon, and an important reminder about pedestrian safety.

Top Story

A memorial shaped like white shoes for Giuseppe Di Gioacchino

The family of an 89-year-old man who died after being struck by a vehicle in Saint-Léonard last May installed a commemorative plaque on Sunday to honour him and raise public awareness. The plaque, shaped like a pair of white shoes, was placed in a parking lot near the corner of Jarry and Langelier, where Giuseppe Di Gioacchino was seriously injured on May 12. The octogenarian died two weeks later.

Several family members, loved ones, and local elected officials attended the ceremony, according to Souliers et vélos fantômes Québec (SVFQ), the organization that erects and maintains memorials for road violence victims across the province. SVFQ says it has installed 36 memorials so far in Quebec.

In a statement, SVFQ reports that 75 pedestrians lost their lives on Quebec roads in 2025, a 13.6% increase over the five-year average, according to data from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec. Seniors are among the most vulnerable.

“Our cities should be places where pedestrians and cyclists can move safely,” says Shanti Larochelle, SVFQ spokesperson. “Deaths like Giuseppe’s are not inevitable. Solutions exist to make our streets and neighbourhoods safer, and it’s up to decision-makers to implement them.”

The organization is also calling for the implementation of Vision Zero, adopted by Montreal in 2017, which aims to rethink urban infrastructure to account for human error and prevent deaths and serious injuries.

In the Neighbourhood

Five-alarm fire in the Sud-Ouest

A fire broke out Sunday afternoon on the roof of a four-storey residential building in the Sud-Ouest borough, near Sainte-Cunégonde and de Lévis streets. According to the Montreal fire department, the incident was escalated to a fifth alarm shortly after 4 p.m.

Firefighters are asking people to avoid the area while crews battle the blaze. Power outages are possible for residents in the neighbourhood. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are not yet known.

Body of Montreal-North senior found in Rivière des Prairies

The body of Leonne Aneus, a 72-year-old woman reported missing since last weekend, was found Sunday morning in the Rivière des Prairies by SPVM officers from the nautical patrol unit. According to available information, it does not appear to be a criminal incident.

On Friday, reports indicated the woman may have entered the river on her own. Police had set up a command post last Tuesday to gather information from residents, including surveillance camera footage. They were also asked to check sheds and other places where she might have sought refuge.

To Remember

PSPP agrees to meet Carney, in Quebec City

Quebec Premier Paul St-Pierre Plamondon accepted Mark Carney’s invitation on Sunday to meet before the Francophonie Summit, on the condition that the meeting be held in Quebec City. In a social media post, he thanked the Canadian prime minister “for his change in tone.”

“Unsurprisingly, I simply ask that this meeting take place in accordance with Quebec law, specifically the National Capital Act, which stipulates that meetings of this nature must be held in Quebec City,” wrote St-Pierre Plamondon.

In an interview published Saturday in La Presse, Mark Carney expressed his wish to meet his Quebec counterpart before the Francophonie Summit, scheduled for November 14–16 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Tensions between the two men had emerged during the Canada-EU Summit in Montreal, where the Quebec premier did not get an official platform.

Six federal by-elections in December

Prime Minister Mark Carney has called by-elections in six ridings, including three in Quebec, two in Ontario, and one in Saskatchewan. They will be held on December 7 and will fill seats left vacant by MPs who left their posts to return to previous jobs or run in another election.

Carney and Trump discuss trade

Mark Carney says he had a “good conversation” with U.S. President Donald Trump about the future of trade between the two countries. In a social media post, he says his teams and Trump’s will continue working together in the coming weeks to reach a deal.

The Canadian prime minister reiterated that such a deal should create jobs, improve affordability for families, and respect “Canada’s languages, culture, and sovereignty.” Relations between the two countries remain tense since Canada withdrew from formal negotiations in August, followed by reciprocal tariffs.

One Canadian among victims of Spain train accident

A Canadian is among the victims of the train accident in Spain. Four Americans and one French woman also died in the incident.

PQ dismantles Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital

The PQ government has decided to dismantle the Ministry of Cybersecurity and Digital, sending its 2,000 civil servants to the Treasury Board, without a favourable vote.

Practical Corner

Fire in the Sud-Ouest: avoid the area

Montreal firefighters are asking residents and drivers to avoid the Sainte-Cunégonde and de Lévis streets area while crews battle the fire. Power outages are possible in the neighbourhood. For those living nearby, it’s advisable to plan alternatives in case of a blackout.

Coup de Coeur

The initiative by Giuseppe Di Gioacchino’s family shows that grief can become a call to action. By installing this pair of white shoes, they turn a personal loss into a plea for caution and change. It’s a quiet but powerful way to say that every life matters and our neighbourhood streets deserve better.

To Close

We wish you a day that starts on a better note than the weekend. Between memories, investigations, and fires, let’s remember that everyone’s safety also depends on the attention we give to others. Take care of yourselves, and your neighbours. ☕