🍦A Huge Housing Boost for Montreal - Tacos, and Outdoor Movies

Bonjour-hi to you today mon ami / amie,

Festival season marches on around the city including Da Best Taco Festival which is in full swing. Head out to sample every configuration you can imagine and cast your vote for your favourite taco – winners receive an absurdly generous taco prize that could feed a small army of festival volunteers (or attendees).

In this week’s issue…

• 🏙️ City News: $100M for housing, Canada Day in Old Port, Jazz Fest gets $700K.

• 💗 Feel-Good: Indigenous gardens & 11+ tons of fresh veggies for families.

• 🤲 Non-Profit: Dans la Rue — food, shelter, school, therapy for youth.

• 🍽️ Food: 15+ taco drops. One week only. Go wild 🌮

• 👩‍🔬 People of MTL: Geraldine Jippe builds inclusive tech—and plays harp.

• 🎟️ Events: Street eats, bouquet making, free films, Caribbean vibes.

• 🎶 Live Music: Jazz Fest rages on + late-night techno dome party.

• 🐾 Pets: Mino = chaos. Buddy = cuddle loaf. Adoptable now.

Edited by Eleanor R.

CITY NEWS

🏙️ What's Happening Around Town

• Housing Policy and Rental Support Initiatives

  On June 30, 2025, Projet Montréal Leader Luc Rabouin announced comprehensive rental market measures one day before Moving Day. The platform includes a $100 million fund for non-profits to create affordable housing.

• Canada Day Programming in Old Montreal

  The Old Port of Montreal announced Canada Day programming for July 1, 2025, with events from June 30 to July 13. These celebrations offer significant civic engagement, bringing residents and visitors together to wave flags and eat poutine in Montreal's historic area.

• Federal Funding for Jazz Festival

  The Government of Canada announced $700,000 funding for the 45th Festival International de Jazz de Montréal on June 26, 2025. This investment supports one of the world's largest musical events, where over 1.2 million people gather annually to pretend they understand jazz improvisation

FEEL GOOD

💗 Stories That Make Me Fall In Like With This City

1. Jardins du monde & des Premières Nations" opened in Montreal's Milton Park, featuring Indigenous "Three Sisters" crops surrounded by multicultural vegetables. This community garden serves as a reconciliation symbol where residents gather to garden, sing, and celebrate their diverse cultural backgrounds together.

2. Regroupement Partage grows free produce on city-owned land to help families facing rising food costs. Their "Cultiver l'Espoir" program produces nearly 11 tons of vegetables for food banks, ensuring Montrealers get fresh produce instead of just expired cookies.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

🌮 It’s PlayMTL Taco-Takeover Edition 🌮

The ultimate guide is here with 15+ restaurants serving up one-time-only creations. Below we explore each restaurant’s offering we will once again go over the instructions you must follow in order to grab your taco!

NON-PROFIT

🤲 Dans la Rue

Serving Montreal’s Homeless and At-Risk Youth (12–21)

📍 Based in Centre-Sud | Est. 1988
Founded by Father Emmett “Pops” Johns with just a $10,000 loan and a second-hand Winnebago, Dans la Rue has grown into one of the city’s most vital support systems for vulnerable youth.

🛠️ What They Do:

• 🍲 The Van – Nightly food and supply runs to youth on the streets

• 🛏️ The Bunker – Montreal’s largest overnight shelter for youth

• 🌞 Chez Pops Day Centre – Day programs, showers, meals, and counseling

📚 Beyond Survival:

• Emmett-Johns School – On-site education with tailored support

• Transitional Housing – 17 apartments with wraparound services

• 🎶 Music & Arts Therapy – Creative outlets for healing and growth

From one man and a van to a full-scale operation supporting youth with housing, education, job training, and mental health care — Dans la Rue is proof that one idea can spark decades of impact.

FOOD

🍽️ Food & Drink Buzz - Taco Takeover Edition

This week, we are sharing Montreal’s most extra taquerias for. Think octopus on blue corn, maple-glazed carnitas, and mango shrimps. From birria broth to beet tortillas, these 12 spots are serving up limited-edition tacos that deserve a dedicated stomach. Your taco crawl starts now!

Le Tarasco - TacoMex! 🌮
Three irresistible handmade tacos: birria, carnitas, and chorizo, with onion, cilantro, cucumber, spicy sauces, and birria broth. All for $13.99. Come savor it!

Morena Mía - Trilogía Morena Mí
• 🌮 Taco de Pastor Negro: A smoky, cultural twist on the classic taco al pastor.
• 🧀 Picanha Quesabirria: Jalisco birria meets melted cheese for an explosion of flavor.
• 🌼 Azteca Quesadilla: A pre-Hispanic tribute with huitlacoche, squash blossom, and mushrooms.

La Taqueria d’Hochelag 🍁
Soft 6” tortilla filled with beans, rice, and maple-glazed carnitas, topped with cilantro, onions, and a lime squeeze. Add your favorite salsa!

Chilanga Taqueria - Taco Árabe 🤩
Pork marinated with cumin, oregano, garlic, and grilled on a vertical spit, served in pita or flour tortilla. A unique mix of Mexican and Lebanese flavors.

La Selva Restaurant - Taco Pulpo Especial🐙
Grilled octopus on blue corn tortilla, with sautéed veggies, guacamole, pico de gallo, and chipotle mayo. A bold sea bite!

Dirty Dogs - Tacos de camarón al mango🍤
Shrimp marinated in mango, cilantro, and lime, topped with aioli, grilled jalapeño, pickled onions, and pico de gallo. Tropical with a spicy twist!

La Bamba - Taco Marinero 🍤🐙⛴️
Shrimp mixed with fresh tomato, onion, cilantro, and house spices, served in a boat-shaped tortilla. A dance of flavor and texture!

Los Jarochos - El Threesome 🌮🫢
Three tacos, three flavors: carnitas with crispy chicharrón, grilled steak with guac, and Gobernador Jarocho shrimp with special sauces.

El Viejon - De Cabeza 🤯🤤
4 tasty beef head tacos served with consommé, lime, and your favorite salsas. A delicious twist on taco tradition!

Ta Chido Snack Bar
Refried beans, melted cheese, chorizo, steak, grilled cactus, caramelized onions, and pico de gallo. A flavor-packed taco fiesta!

Las Brasas - Touch Taco 🔥
Suadero taco with cheese, crispy fries, and poutine-style sauce. Plus, a pink birria taco with beet tortilla, cheese, and mini peppers. Fusion at its best!

Tacos Montreal - Pastorazo con queso 🧀
Trompo-cooked pastor with pineapple, onion, and cilantro, topped with melted manchego cheese. A taco with a cheesy twist!

Got more? Reply to this email and tell us!

🐍🦔 PETS OF THE WEEK 🦄🐢

Mino: Goofball energy, leading man looks
🐕‍🦺💨🦴Still working on his attention span, Mino’s a lovable goofball who learns fast, plays hard, and lives for long walks and big love. Looking for someone sporty with a soft spot for floppy ears and bigger-than-life personalities. Zoomies, cuddles, chaos, repeat.

Buddy: Lover, Leaner, Lifelong Bestie
🐻🍂💤Buddy is a calm, affectionate snuggle pro with the soulful eyes of a poet. He thrives on quiet company, cozy cuddles, and resting gently against your legs like a furry weighted blanket. If you're looking for loyalty in loaf form, Buddy’s your boy.

Visit Mino at the Montreal SPCA and see if they’re your perfect match!

PEOPLE OF MONTREAL / GENS D’ICI

🧍 Geraldine Jippe

Geraldine Jippe arrived in Montreal from France at 23, during the 2008 economic crash, armed with an MBA, a Cameroonian work ethic, and a working holiday visa. “France had nothing for me then,” she says. “But in Canada, everything felt open.”

She tried every job. Marketing for real estate firms taught her how Quebec worked—its rhythms, its rules, its relationships. But tech called to her. She was often the only woman in the room. “I felt timid. Out of place. But I kept showing up.”

She volunteered. She joined Montreal Girl Geeks. She learned to code. And eventually, she co-founded a startup with three women of diverse backgrounds, building AI tools to help rural towns lease water tech from big cities. They rehearsed their Startupfest pitch so many times her husband knew it by heart. They won.

But success doesn’t protect you from heartbreak. One of her co-founders, also her best friend, stole money and vanished. “That betrayal broke something,” Geraldine says. “But I had to forgive her. I couldn’t carry that weight.”

She’s now building Assetwaves, a platform to make real estate investing accessible to people long shut out—immigrants, millennials, boomers without assets. “We’re disrupting a space that wasn’t built for people like us.”

She’s also a harpist. She’s been playing since she was eight. “I use harp therapy to help people slow down, breathe, just exist.”

What drives her now? “My son. I don’t have time to waste. Not for ego, not for fear. I just want to build things that make’s their life better.”

EVENTS

🎟️🎪 Weekend Plans That Don't Suck

THURSDAY (JULY 3)

FRIDAY (JULY 4)

SATURDAY (JULY 5)

SUNDAY (JULY 6)

LIVE MUSIC

🎶 Music & Nightlife

For those still possessing the energy for after-dark activities:

🎺🍹🌇 Festival International de Jazz de Montréal
Downtown Quartier des Spectacles · June 26–July 5
Big crowds, bigger sound 🎷🔥

🎧 Domesicle x Homegrown — Matrixxman (US) • Quan (live) • Dileta
SAT · Fri, Jul 4 · 10 PM–3 AM
Techno heat, dome bass 🤖🔥

OUTRO

Well I had fun, did you? If you found something useful, please share it with someone you know. If you didn't, then share this with someone you detest. Perhaps someone who eats tacos with a fork? 🌮🔪😬

Until next week,

In our effort to promote more local businesses and services we will be asking our community what they’d like to see more of here.