🍦From rooftop views to alley festivals your weekend, curated

Bonjour-hi to you today mon ami / amie,

A friend shared a story that made my heart ache. Her doctor mom has elderly neighbours; a devoted couple in their twilight years. One evening, the wife slipped in the kitchen and couldn't get up. Despite her husband's pleas to call for help immediately, she refused to 'bother the neighbours so late.'

So what did he do? He grabbed a pillow, gently placed it under her head, and lay down beside her on that cold kitchen floor until morning. They stayed there together, hand in hand, waiting for dawn. Sometimes love isn't grand gestures – it's choosing discomfort over leaving someone alone. This feels like a real-life “UP” moment.

Before we dive in, a big thank you to Marie-Line from our PlayMTL community for recommending this week’s People of MTL feature.

In this week’s issue…

• 🏙️ City News: New party, big housing promises, $22.5M for homelessness & $250M water fix

• 💗 Feel-Good: Sid Stevens remembered, LASSO lights up, and a baby otter steals hearts

• 🤲 Non-Profit: Children’s Hospital Foundation: Radiothon Aug 21 + new volunteer drive

• 🍽️ Food: Sunsets, wine, and oysters — three terraces to savour summer’s end

• 👩‍🔬 People of MTL: From Hollywood VFX to silversmithing: Marie Julie Levasque’s reinvention

• 🎟️ Events: MUTEK, MAD, AfroMonde, historic markets, and Cirque LUZIA’s grand finale

CITY NEWS

🏙️ What's Happening Around Town

1. Futur Montréal unveiled Jean-François Kacou as their mayoral candidate Wednesday, with the newly official party promising a full slate of 103 candidates for November's election. The former Percé executive plans to generate new city revenue and invest in affordable housing, though skeptics wonder if "Futur Montréal" accidentally misspelled their own party name.

2. Montreal's investing $22.5 million over three years to tackle homelessness – that's 42 projects across 39 organizations getting real support. They're even funding shuttles to help people reach resources (because sometimes getting there is half the battle). Mayor Plante's pushing for a dedicated homelessness minister too.

3. Montreal's embarking on an 8-year, $250-million project to fix a nearly century-old water station that serves 1.2 million people. Because apparently we've been trusting our water supply to equipment older than your grandparents.

FEEL GOOD

💗 Stories That Make Me Fall In Like With This City

Montreal mourns Sid Stevens, Sun Youth co-founder, who died August 17, 2025, at 85. From selling newspapers at 13 to supporting 30,000 annually, Stevens’ decades of service earned top honours and a lasting community legacy.

LASSO Montreal at Parc Jean-Drapeau featured 30+ artists across three stages, spotlighting Quebec talent. Performers praised the festival’s support, community spirit, and fan engagement, highlighting its cultural and economic impact on Montreal.

The Ecomuseum Zoo joyfully welcomed Lawrence, a playful river otter pup born spring 2025; the first in 30+ years. Named after the St. Lawrence River, Lawrence delights visitors while highlighting the zoo’s conservation and education mission.

NON-PROFIT

🤲 A Cause Just Cause

Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation - Pediatric Care Support

The Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation supports one of Canada’s top pediatric hospitals by funding equipment, research, and innovative programs. Events like the Aug. 21 Caring for Kids Radiothon and the Healthy Kids Fund ensure resources are directed where they’re most needed.

Volunteer opportunities reopen Aug. 22 for individuals 18+ able to commit weekly three-hour shifts for six months. With strong community backing—including over $1M raised by their Young Leaders Circle—the foundation offers meaningful ways to support children’s health while engaging with Montreal’s philanthropic community.

FOOD

🍽️ Food & Drink Buzz - Late Summer Terrace Treasures: Montreal's Must-Visit Patio Spots

As we settle into the third week of August, Montreal finds itself in that bittersweet pocket of late summer where the warmth persists but the urgency to savour it intensifies.

🌇🍸 Terrasse William Gray

Perched above Old Montreal, this rooftop gem pairs panoramic views of Place Jacques-Cartier and the St. Lawrence with French-inspired dishes, cocktails, and cozy heated seating — the perfect spot for a golden summer sunset.

🍷🍝 BarBara

Montreal’s terrace darling, BarBara delivers Italian-inspired dishes, a stellar wine list, and warm vibes on its spacious patio. Perfect for late-summer nights, it’s where food, friends, and celebration come together under the stars.

🦪🍸 Le Majestique

On Saint-Laurent’s Main, Le Majestique brings oysters, cocktails, and eclectic charm onto its lively terrace. With quirky “Ali Baba’s cave” vibes and late-summer street life, it’s the go-to spot for spontaneous oyster cravings.

PEOPLE OF MONTREAL / GENS D’ICI

🧍Marie Julie Levasque - A Montreal Artisan Recasting Her Story

Marie grew up in Québec often visiting her father in Gaspésie— a village of a few hundred people, maple syrup parties, and endless forests. Her father was a dreamer, her mother an accountant. Childhood meant Zelda adventures, Mario battles with friends, real-life quests in her grandfather’s woods, and anime discovered in Cégep. Storytelling was already her compass.

That compass led her to Montreal and into the world of VFX. For six years, including three at DNEG, she crafted light, textures, and creatures for films like Men in Black International, Hobbs & Shaw, and Altered Carbon. Yet when the credits rolled, her name was lost among hundreds. The work was collective, but never truly hers.

Illness pulled her away in 2020, and in recovery she found something new — silversmithing. At École de Joaillerie de Montréal , she discovered lost wax casting, a 4,000-year-old technique where beeswax models were melted and reborn in silver or gold. Once used for sacred artifacts, it now shapes her intricate rings and pendants.

Jewelry gave her authorship. She fused VFX precision with ancient craft, blending 3D printing, embroidery, and stone-setting into designs rooted in both history and geek culture. Alongside her studies, she managed student exhibitions and markets, learning the grind of marketing, photography, and entrepreneurship.

Today, her collections reflect dual identities: artisan and gamer, geek and goldsmith. Montreal fuels her practice with markets, exhibitions, and easy access to casters and gem merchants. Her dream is bold but clear: to build a jewelry house that thrives, to “infiltrate the geek community,” and to prove that true success comes from doing what you love — and being proud of it.

You can checkout her gorgeous collections here: https://ateliermajuli.com/ 

Follow her crafting here: https://www.instagram.com/ateliermajuli/

EVENTS

🎟️🎪 Weekend Plans That Don't Suck

Thursday (August 21)

FRIDAY (August 22)

SATURDAY (August 23)

SUNDAY (August 24)

OUTRO

Well I had fun, did you? If you found something useful, share it with a friend. If you didn't, share it with your ex. They're used to disappointment.

We’ve been so busy showing love to our amazing local spots that we forgot to do something just as important; getting to know each other.

So… we’re kicking off a brand-new series: Ask & Tell.
No filters, no small talk — just real questions, real stories, and the kind of answers that make this city feel like a big living room we all share (Which naturally comes with Netflix sharing privileges).

This week’s question…

Share a short story of a moment in Montreal that stuck with you — funny, moving, or totally unexpected. Click the button below or simply reply to this email!