Montréal QC ☕ The Daily Chat
Good morning, Montréal.
Today we’re talking about an issue that weighs heavily on many households: housing, with a worrying picture on affordability despite a strong pace of rental construction. Further down, you’ll also find very local updates, from metro safety to Comiccon at the Palais des congrès, shifting weather and a few Québec stories that spill directly into daily life in Montréal.
Top Story
Record rental construction isn’t stopping affordability from slipping
FRAPRU says housing affordability continues to deteriorate even with record levels of rental construction.
More than 2,000 households are still receiving support to find a place to live. In other words, even with more units being built, a significant portion of the population still needs help to secure an affordable roof over their heads.
It highlights a very Montréal reality: building more doesn’t automatically solve access. For many households, the challenge isn’t just finding a unit, but finding one they can realistically afford.
Local Stories
Montreal Comiccon fills the Palais des congrès through Sunday
Montreal Comiccon opened Friday at the Palais des congrès and runs through Sunday.
The event spans three floors and offers more than 200,000 square feet of exhibitors, artists and interactive experiences. Expect celebrities, comic creators, cosplay, games and shows.
It has become one of the largest pop‑culture events in the country, drawing more than 65,000 visitors each year.
Montreal police searching for a suspect in a February break‑in
The SPVM is looking for a person linked to a break‑in at a private residence in Mercier–Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve.
Police say several suspects entered the home, tied up an elderly woman and left with various items. Investigators have released a clothing description of the suspect and are asking anyone with information to contact authorities or Info‑Crime Montréal.
SPVM searching for a suspect and possible victims in alleged sexual assaults on public transit
The SPVM is looking for a suspect and possible victims in alleged sexual assaults in the public transit network.
The incidents reportedly took place at Peel, Honoré‑Beaugrand and Saint‑Michel stations, as well as on bus line 33. The case touches the daily movements of many Montréalers, giving it a very practical weight beyond its criminal nature.
Across Québec
Québec–Ottawa caribou agreement doesn’t convince everyone
Environmental groups are split on the new funding agreement between Québec and Ottawa regarding caribou protection.
Some see it as a tool that could help safeguard the province’s herds, while others remain cautious about how effective it will actually be.
Fonderie Horne accounts for 87 percent of Québec’s arsenic emissions
Data from the National Pollutant Release Inventory shows that the Horne Foundry in Rouyn‑Noranda produced 14 of the 16.3 metric tonnes of arsenic emitted by Québec industries in 2024.
The site was also the country’s largest industrial source of arsenic emissions that year. Even far from Montréal, this kind of environmental file always finds its way back into the broader conversation about public health and air quality.
Québec invests 3 million dollars in the restaurant industry
Québec is allocating 3 million dollars over three years to La Table Ronde to support about ten projects in the restaurant sector.
The goals include attracting a new generation of chefs, developing new business models, strengthening local supply chains and promoting more sustainable gastronomy. For Montréal, where restaurants are part of the city’s cultural and economic fabric, it’s a file worth watching.
Tour de France will start without a Québécois rider for the first time in eight years
There will be no Québécois rider at the start of the Tour de France this year, the first time in eight years.
Antoine Duchesne, who raced the event twice, is concerned about the province’s cycling pipeline. It’s not a civic emergency, but it’s an interesting signal for a sport that usually values long breakaways and long memories.
Woman found dead in a wooded area in Québec was the victim of a homicide
Police say a woman found dead in a wooded area in Québec was the victim of a homicide.
A 61‑year‑old man was arrested the same day in connection with the investigation. Authorities have not released further details for now.
Practical Corner
Power outages and cleanup after the storms
More than 55,000 Hydro‑Québec customers were still without power after severe storms hit southern Québec.
The storm hit the Laurentians and Lanaudière hardest, with downed trees, debris on roads and numerous outages. Montréal was also affected, with more than 9,000 households without electricity Thursday evening. For many people, it meant a less air‑conditioned end to the day and a few items in the fridge to keep an eye on.
Coup de Cœur
Comiccon is a reminder that a city doesn’t live only through heavy files and power outages. It also lives through gatherings, through passions that run a little wild, and through that very Montréal habit of turning a convention centre into a collective playground for a weekend.
Before You Go
Thanks for starting your morning with us.
Wishing you a well‑organized day, a coffee that does its job and a bit of lightness between two big topics. ☕