Montréal QC ☕ Morning Chat
Good morning, Montréal.
This Thursday brings a major story affecting an essential service in our city, significant developments in the courts, and a freezing‑rain advisory that may complicate your commute.
Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
🔦 Top Story
Quebec’s Court of Appeal rejects the taxi owners’ class action confirming a shift that has upended an essential service for Montrealers.
Quebec’s Court of Appeal issued its ruling Wednesday, siding with the government and overturning the lower‑court decision. According to the Court, the abolition of the taxi‑permit system does not constitute disguised expropriation and does not entitle owners to additional compensation. The permit, it concludes, was not a form of property that could be expropriated. The right to operate a taxi still exists, but without the structure that once made it possible to earn a living.
For owner‑operators, the ruling confirms a reality already well‑established: the model that supported thousands of families has been dismantled.
For decades, the taxi industry relied on a clear ecosystem:
- companies that oversaw the service,
- owner‑operators working with their own vehicles,
- and a rental system that allowed new drivers to enter the profession.
This model ensured near‑constant service availability, delivered by people who depended on the work to support their families. It was a profession , not a side gig.
Since the system was abolished, everything has shifted. Owners are leaving the industry in large numbers, unable to make their vehicles profitable. Profits are now concentrated among a handful of major players, while service is increasingly provided by occasional drivers who work “when they can” or “when they feel like it.”
The result:
- periods where getting a taxi is difficult, sometimes impossible,
- a surge in complaints,
- and a Transport Commission fully aware of the situation.
In an effort to restore order, industry veterans even developed a training course for inspectors tasked with overseeing the sector. But according to multiple sources, their expertise was dismissed… because they lacked formal teaching credentials. A puzzling decision, given that these are precisely the people who know the field best.
In the end, Montrealers are the ones paying the price: a service that is less reliable, less professional, and less available all while major players continue to post growing profits.
The plaintiffs have already announced their intention to seek leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. But for many former owner‑operators, the damage is done: a profession has disappeared, an industry has collapsed, and an essential public service has been weakened.
⚡ In Brief
Recall issued for several dairy products due to possible glass contamination
Multiple types of milk have been recalled due to the possible presence of glass. The voluntary recall, issued by Agropur, affects two‑litre cartons sold under the Farmers, Québon, and Natrel brands.
Two unhoused seniors die in Montréal within 24 hours
Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced that two seniors experiencing homelessness in Montréal died within the past 24 hours.
The tragedy underscores the urgency of the homelessness crisis and the human lives behind the statistics. With fluctuating temperatures and difficult weather conditions, the deaths highlight the challenges faced by the city’s most vulnerable residents.
The news comes as the city and community organizations continue searching for ways to provide adequate support.
Air Canada CEO apologizes for his inability to speak French adequately
Air Canada president and CEO Michael Rousseau apologized for his poor command of French following controversy over a condolence message delivered only in English.
The Quebec government has called for his resignation after he recorded an English‑only video addressing the fatal plane crash in New York that killed two pilots, including one from Quebec.
Prime Minister Mark Carney said the decision to release the video solely in English showed “a lack of judgment and a lack of compassion.”
Rousseau said he was “deeply saddened” that his inability to speak French shifted attention away from the families’ grief and the resilience of Air Canada employees. Despite years of lessons, he says he still cannot express himself adequately in French and apologized sincerely, adding that he continues to work on improving.
Two men arrested after Quebec teen killed while on vacation in the Dominican Republic
Two men have been arrested in the Dominican Republic after a Quebec teenager was fatally shot while riding a motorcycle on vacation.
On Monday, 19‑year‑old Tristan Primeau Poitras was travelling with his brother on the Puerto Plata–Maimón highway when the incident occurred. Police say he died from a gunshot wound. Authorities believe the pair were targeted in an attempted robbery.
The victim’s brother, who witnessed the shooting, later identified Jordi Yúnior Severiano, 23, and Rangel Merete Rodríguez, 30. Both men are in custody and expected to appear in court in the coming days.
Salim Touaibi found guilty in the murder of Meriem Boundaoui
Salim Touaibi has been found guilty of the premeditated murder of 15‑year‑old Meriem Boundaoui, who was shot in the head on February 7, 2021, in Saint‑Léonard. The second man charged in the case was acquitted.
NATO says Canada has met its 2% defence‑spending commitment
For the first time since 1990, Canada is spending about two per cent of its GDP on national defence.
According to NATO’s accounting estimates, the government of Prime Minister Mark Carney met its 2025 commitment with more than $63 billion in spending. Canada had faced growing pressure in recent years, particularly from the United States, to significantly increase its military expenditures.
Former CAQ minister Éric Caire leaving politics
Former CAQ minister and La Peltrie MNA Éric Caire announced he will not seek another term after 19 years in politics.
“It is difficult to enter politics. It is just as difficult to last. But the hardest part is leaving,” he wrote on Facebook Thursday morning. By the end of this term, he will have accumulated 27 years of active involvement in the ‘third way,’ including nearly 20 years as an elected official.
Caire was first elected in 2007 under Mario Dumont’s Action démocratique du Québec.
🏙️ At Home
Seven families evacuated after fire in Mercier–Hochelaga‑Maisonneuve
Seven families had to be evacuated Thursday morning after a fire broke out in a mixed residential and commercial building in Montréal.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries during the operation. More than 150 firefighters were deployed to battle the flames at the intersection of Notre‑Dame Street East and Paul‑Pau Street in Tétreaultville.
One firefighter was taken to hospital, but his injuries are considered minor and not life‑threatening.
No civilians were injured, but the blaze forced the evacuation of seven families. The damaged building includes commercial space on the ground floor and apartments on the upper level.
Five suspects arrested in connection with a murder at Bordeaux prison
Five people were arrested Wednesday by investigators from the Sûreté du Québec’s Major Crimes Unit in connection with the killing of Sid‑Ahmed Moualek, which occurred in Montréal in the spring of 2025.
On April 28, a 22‑year‑old man was assaulted in the common area of Bordeaux prison. Moualek was taken to hospital and died of his injuries about ten days later.
The suspects are expected to appear by videoconference Thursday at the Montréal courthouse. Each will be questioned by investigators and could face several charges, including first‑degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and aiding and abetting.
Montréal man charged in multimillion‑dollar U.S. grandparent scam
A Montréal man accused of helping run a cross‑border fraud scheme that targeted elderly Americans has been arrested abroad and brought to the United States. Prosecutors say he played a key role in a scam that siphoned off millions of dollars.
Royalmount shopping centre bans dogs after ongoing cleanliness issues
Royalmount shopping centre officials announced that dogs will no longer be allowed inside the mall due to persistent problems with owners failing to clean up after their pets.
Under the new rules, dogs must wait outside or remain in a vehicle while their owners shop. Service dogs will continue to be permitted inside.
Mall representatives said on social media that the decision comes after repeated attempts to accommodate pets failed, with cleanliness issues continuing to occur.
Officials say the ban may not be permanent.
Teen girl arrested after 20‑year‑old woman stabbed in Montréal apartment
A 17‑year‑old girl briefly fled after allegedly stabbing a 20‑year‑old woman inside a Montréal apartment Wednesday afternoon. She was later taken into custody, police said.
Driver in critical condition after car collides with school bus in Saint‑Léonard
A collision between a car and a school bus Thursday morning sent a driver to hospital in critical condition and shut down a major intersection in the east end.
Promoting French in Montréal cannot come at the expense of anglophones, mayor says
Montréal’s efforts to promote the French language cannot come at the expense of the city’s English‑speaking community, Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada said Wednesday as she unveiled a new action plan on the issue.
🌨️ Practical Corner
Freezing‑rain warning for Montréal this morning
A burst of freezing rain made roads slippery across the Montréal region this morning. Between 2 and 4 millimetres of ice could accumulate before the precipitation turns to rain.
Drivers are urged to slow down and allow extra time. Pedestrians should also be cautious.
This evening, the rain will change back to snow before ending overnight. Temperatures will drop to minus 6 degrees Celsius, with a wind chill near minus 13. Friday will be cold, but skies will begin to clear.
Milk recall: check your fridge
If you have two‑litre cartons of Agropur, Farmers, Québon or Natrel milk at home, check the recall notice due to the possible presence of glass in the products.
👋 Before we go
That’s it for this Thursday morning.
With a major story affecting an essential service for Montrealers, important developments in the courts, and weather that calls for extra caution, you now have what you need to start your day.
Take care on the roads, and good luck with the rest of your day.
See you tomorrow, Montréal. ☕️