MTLQC – Montréal QC
Montreal QC ☕ Morning Chat
Good morning, Montréal.
We hope your coffee is nice and hot this Friday morning, because we’ve got a packed edition to accompany you as you start your day.
Between a major arrest, significant judicial developments, and a few changes that could affect your weekend, there’s plenty to fuel your morning.
Take a good sip and let’s get going.
🔦 Top Story
Montreal police arrest Canada’s most‑wanted fugitive
A police operation carried out overnight Wednesday allowed Montreal police to arrest Bryan Fuentes Gramajo, 24, the most‑wanted fugitive in Canada.
He was wanted in connection with the shooting death of Kashif Jamal Bentley‑Jean, 28, which occurred last July in the parking lot of Toronto’s Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
The arrest ends a months‑long manhunt during which Gramajo topped the list of the country’s most‑wanted individuals.
Authorities have not revealed the exact circumstances of the arrest or how they managed to locate the suspect in Montreal.
The capture represents a collaborative effort between police forces across jurisdictions and brings some relief to the victim’s loved ones, who had been waiting for months for justice to be served.
Gramajo will now face the judicial system to answer the charges laid against him in this murder case, which shook the Toronto area last summer.
⚡ The Essentials
Quebec’s budget will be tabled on March 18.
Finance Minister Eric Girard will table Quebec’s budget on March 18. He promises a “sober” and “targeted” budget with no election‑style promises.
Carney concludes a strategic partnership with Japan.
Prime Minister Mark Carney has landed in Japan for the final stop of a ten‑day trip that also included Australia and India.
The brief visit will include a meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, the first woman to hold the position in Japan, recently re‑elected in a landslide.
The agreement under discussion covers defence, energy, trade, and technology.
Man in his fifties shot in Longueuil.
A man in his fifties was shot Thursday afternoon in the Longueuil area.
The victim arrived at Pierre‑Boucher Hospital around 3:15 p.m. with a gunshot wound.
Police were also dispatched to an address on Nobert Boulevard in connection with the incident, and the area was secured.
Authorities will not release further information for now so as not to compromise the ongoing investigation.
Carney may consider military aid for Gulf countries.
Canada could assist Gulf countries if needed, says General Carignan. Ottawa is monitoring the situation and “could consider” providing military support to its “partners.”
Poilievre wants the former interim PBO to get the permanent role.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he has “serious” concerns about Prime Minister Mark Carney’s suggested candidate for a new Parliamentary Budget Officer and wants the last interim guardian to be appointed instead.
Interim PBO Jason Jacques had been appointed for a six‑month term in September, which ended Monday.
Without a budget officer in place, the office cannot publish reports or accept new work requests from parliamentarians.
Most Canadian women have a negative view of Pierre Poilievre.
According to an Angus Reid Institute study, nearly two out of three Canadian women (63%) have a negative opinion of Pierre Poilievre. Only 27% say they have a positive view of the Conservative leader.
Mark Carney’s approval rating also stands at 63%, one of the highest ever recorded in Canadian history.
Poilievre, meanwhile, has seen his popularity fall to a historic low of 33%.
The survey was conducted online from February 20 to 23, 2026, among 1,650 Canadian adults.
Expert warns of incorrect flags in OpenAI’s review system.
As OpenAI seeks to strengthen its policies and reporting system, a UBC professor believes more users will be wrongly flagged in efforts to identify problematic behaviour.
Computer science professor Kevin Leyton‑Brown says any such system will inevitably produce false positives.
The overhaul follows federal AI minister Evan Solomon’s directive to OpenAI to reinforce safeguards after the Tumbler Ridge mass shooting.
B.C. Premier David Eby says OpenAI will work with the province to advocate for a national legislative standard requiring AI to flag problematic interactions with users.
Legal arguments in Frank Stronach’s trial.
Lawyers presented legal arguments in the sexual assault trial of billionaire businessman Frank Stronach in Toronto.
Prosecutors finished presenting their evidence on Wednesday.
Defence lawyer Leora Shemesh said she will seek directed verdicts on two charges related to two separate complainants.
Stronach had initially pleaded not guilty to 12 charges involving seven complainants.
Prosecutors have since withdrawn a forcible confinement charge and are seeking to withdraw a sexual assault charge.
Witnesses testify in Cardinal Ouellet’s defamation trial.
More witnesses testified Friday in the civil trial of a woman being sued for defamation by Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet.
Paméla Groleau testified Thursday to reiterate the allegations that led to the lawsuit. She told the court that Ouellet touched her without consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010, including once when she alleges he ran his hand up her back to the top of her buttocks.
The allegations first surfaced in 2022 as part of a broader class‑action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec.
In response, Ouellet filed a $100,000 countersuit for defamation against Groleau.
Quebecers are using social media more than ever.
A new survey from Université Laval suggests Quebecers are spending more time on social media than ever before.
One year after Hudson’s Bay bankruptcy, most stores remain empty.
One year after Hudson’s Bay filed for creditor protection on March 7, 2025 under the weight of $1.1 billion in debt, a Canadian Press analysis shows that the vast majority of at least 73 former Hudson’s Bay or Saks stores remain vacant.
In Montreal, the Cree organization James Bay Eeyou Corp. and real estate developer JHD Immobilier hope to invest nearly $400 million to transform the former Hudson’s Bay store on Sainte‑Catherine Street.
The project includes a fur‑trade museum, an Indigenous cultural centre, and a hotel complex, with an opening planned by 2029.
Laurentians community unites ahead of International Women’s Day.
Ahead of International Women’s Day, dozens of organizations gathered in Saint‑Jérôme Thursday for a day of reflection and mobilization focused on violence against women.
One of the people behind the initiative is Yves Imbeault, who has been advocating for stronger action since his daughter Joanie was killed by her partner in June 2025.
The gathering comes after the death of Danielle Lascelles in Saint‑Jérôme last week, allegedly killed by her partner — the seventh femicide in just two months.
Imbeault notes that over the past four years, 911 calls related to domestic violence have tripled, a sign of the growing scale of the problem in the region.
🏙️ Chez Nous
A Montreal real estate agent targeted by the Office of the French Language.
A Montreal real estate agent has spoken out after being contacted by the Office québécois de la langue française regarding social media posts that were not entirely written in French , the latest in a growing number of businesses being flagged as the Legault government intensifies enforcement of French‑language requirements online.
Chinatown residents demand a moratorium on new services.
Outraged by the borough’s plan to allow the opening of a support centre for sex workers in their neighbourhood, groups representing Chinatown residents held a press conference Thursday to demand a moratorium on establishing any new resources for “at‑risk” populations in Chinatown.
La Ronde sold by Six Flags.
U.S. company EPR Properties announced it has completed the purchase of seven parks — including Montreal’s La Ronde — from Six Flags Entertainment Corporation. La Ronde will be operated by the company that runs the Calypso water park.
💛 Feel-Good Story
The dozens of organizations that gathered in Saint‑Jérôme on Thursday to unite in the fight against violence toward women, signing a manifesto to work more closely together to support victims across the region… a reminder that in the face of tragedy, collective solidarity can make a difference.
🌧️ Practical Corner
Rain expected this weekend.
Rain is expected over the next few days as the weekend approaches.
A mix of sun and clouds is forecast with a high of 4°C and northeast winds around 20 km/h.
Clouds will move in this evening as rain begins overnight, with about 5 mm expected. Winds will strengthen from the southeast at 30 km/h, with gusts up to 50 km/h.
Rain will continue Saturday with 5 to 10 mm expected and a high of 9°C.
Sunday will remain cloudy and windy with a high of 5°C.
A mix of sun and clouds is expected Monday and Tuesday, with highs near 13°C.
Papineau‑Leblanc Bridge closed Sunday.
The Papineau‑Leblanc Bridge between Montreal and Laval will be closed in both directions from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday for paving work. Southbound, the highway will be closed starting at Highway 440, though access to Saint‑Martin Boulevard will remain available via the service road.
Don’t forget the time change.
Clocks will move from 2 a.m. to 3 a.m. overnight from March 7 to 8. Prepare to lose an hour of sleep — but gain an extra hour of daylight in the evening.
👋 Before We Go
That’s it for this Friday morning.
Between a major arrest that ends a long manhunt, local issues that deserve your attention, and a rainy weekend ahead, there’s plenty to wrap up your week.
Enjoy your break despite the rain, take care of yourselves and your loved ones, and happy Friday, Montreal.