MTLQC – Montreal QC

Montréal QC ☕ Morning Chat

Good morning, Montréal.

Today brings a mix of concrete updates, practical reminders, and a bit of disruption. Between a confirmed first‑round matchup for the Canadiens, closures and strikes that may complicate a few commutes, and more turnover at the Port of Montréal, the day starts with several stories that land very close to home.

Here’s what you need to start the day on the right foot, coffee in hand, with your umbrella not too far away.

Top Story

Canadiens to face Lightning in the first round of the NHL playoffs, home ice still undecided

It’s now official: the Canadiens will face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the playoffs.

Both teams sit at 106 points, but Tampa Bay holds the tiebreaker thanks to more regulation wins. Montréal is currently in third place with one game left to play Tuesday in Philadelphia. The Lightning will wrap up their season Wednesday against the New York Rangers.

Home‑ice advantage is still up in the air, but the matchup itself is set. The first round begins Saturday.

Local Stories

Rainy stretch settles in after a cloudy start in Montréal

A multi‑day stretch of rain is settling over Montréal. On Tuesday, 15 to 25 mm of rain is expected, with a high of 10°C and northeast winds around 20 km/h.

Skies should remain mostly cloudy Wednesday with a chance of showers, followed by a more sustained return of rain Thursday and Friday. Temperatures will rise slightly before dipping again toward the weekend.

In other words, today is not the day to test your “water‑resistant” shoes without scientific proof.

Walmart to close three Montréal‑area stores as competition heats up with Maxi and Super C

Walmart will close its Dorval store on July 17. This follows previously announced closures of the Côte‑des‑Neiges and Pointe‑aux‑Trembles locations in June.

The company describes the move as a reassessment of its Québec network. Employees at the Dorval store will be offered positions at nearby locations.

For many residents, this isn’t a small logistical change. When a big‑box store disappears, even the most ordinary routines suddenly get a little more complicated.

Port of Montréal leadership shake‑up continues as CFO follows CEO out the door

The Port of Montréal is facing another leadership shake‑up. The Port Authority has confirmed the departure of its Chief Financial Officer, Alban Fournier, less than two weeks after CEO Julie Gascon resigned.

This comes on top of last month’s departure of the Vice‑President of Business Development and Operations. All of it is happening amid declining freight volumes over the past five years and multiple labour disputes since 2020.

When several senior leaders leave in quick succession, it’s never trivial. Even without dramatic headlines, it inevitably raises questions about the direction of such a strategic piece of infrastructure.

Practical Corner

Full closure of the Louis‑Hippolyte‑La Fontaine Tunnel Friday night, Highway 132 Thursday night

Several road closures are planned in the Montréal area this week.

Highway 132 eastbound will be fully closed between boulevard Roland‑Therrien and Highway 20 from Thursday at 9 p.m. to Friday at 5 a.m.

From Friday night into Saturday, the Louis‑Hippolyte‑La Fontaine Tunnel and Highway 25 will also be fully closed in both directions, following different schedules.

Highway 520 will also see full or partial closures near Highway 13.

If you’re driving this weekend, a little advance planning may save you from a very deep sigh.

Montréal outlines service impacts during blue‑collar workers’ strike

The City of Montréal says essential services will be maintained during the blue‑collar workers’ strike from April 15 to 18, though some services will be reduced or suspended.

Parking restrictions related to street cleaning will be lifted from April 15 to 17. All other parking rules remain in effect. Essential services that will continue include emergency interventions, certain road repairs, drinking‑water and sewer operations, spring flood response, and some waste collection in Mercier–Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve.

The key word here is “partially.” The city isn’t stopping, but it will be running with a few visible seams.

Across Québec

Terrebonne turns Liberal

Tatiana Auguste won the riding of Terrebonne with 48.4% of the vote, defeating Nathalie Sinclair‑Desgagnés by 731 votes.

The result confirms the riding’s shift to the Liberal side in this closely watched by‑election.

Christine Fréchette will become Quebec’s premier: What comes next?

Christine Fréchette won the CAQ leadership race with 58% of the vote and will become Quebec’s next premier.

She has pledged to relaunch the Quebec Experience Program for two years, reduce certain housing and vehicle‑registration costs, and form a smaller cabinet ahead of the October election.

With elections approaching, premier‑designate faces pressure to revive the CAQ

The political challenge ahead is significant. According to Qc125, a site that compiles polling data and produces electoral projections, the CAQ could be on track to win no seats on October 5.

In other words, she may be taking office quickly, but the political work ahead is anything but small.

Falsified maple syrup: Adonis now pulling products linked to Steve Bourdeau

The maple‑syrup scandal continues to widen. After last week’s removals at IGA, Adonis stores are now pulling L’Érabeille cans that contained syrup supplied by acériculteur Steve Bourdeau — whose products were found to be cut with more than 50% cane sugar, according to tests conducted for Enquête.

Distributor L’Érabeille says it was misled and is withdrawing everything it purchased from Bourdeau. The Quebec Maple Producers confirm that several distributors worked with him and must now clear their shelves. A complaint has been filed with MAPAQ, and an investigation is underway.

There is still no official government recall, but Metro, which owns Adonis, says its internal process is underway. With the volume of cans reportedly sold last year, this cleanup is far from over.

National Scene

Carney set to speak after securing majority with three by‑election wins

The Liberals have secured a majority thanks to three by‑election victories. Their seat count now stands at 174, allowing them to pass legislation without support from opposition parties.

One year into salmonella pistachio outbreak as cases reach 189

The Public Health Agency of Canada says the salmonella outbreak linked to pistachios remains active one year after the first cases.

There are now 189 infections, including 26 hospitalizations, across six provinces — 88 of them in Québec. Authorities continue to advise against consuming pistachios imported from Iran.

Coup de cœur

There’s something reassuring about the services that hold steady through the bumps, the ones that don’t make headlines but keep the city running when everything else feels a little under construction. Between fickle weather, road closures, and leadership shake‑ups at the Port, it’s easy to forget that thousands of people quietly keep the essentials moving every single day.

This morning, our nod goes to those teams: the ones who repair, respond, collect, and keep the water clean and the streets passable, even when the city is running at half‑speed. Montréal has no shortage of challenges, but it certainly doesn’t lack steady hands to keep it standing.

Before we go

Thanks for starting your morning with us.

Wishing you a well‑paced Tuesday, a few good surprises between the showers, and just enough patience for whatever slows you down today. ☕