🍦 This is officially the most confusing time of the year for choosing clothes: Springter.

Good morning Montreal,

Spring arrived this week (let’s just ignore the past couple days eh?) with all the subtlety of a hammer to the head. One day we're still scraping frost off windshields, the next we're suddenly expected to shed our winter layers and emerge like bewildered groundhogs into 24°C heat. Only in Montreal would we consider this a normal seasonal transition.

CITY NEWS

🏙️ What's Happening Around Town

Terrasse season has begun. Earlier this week I watched a man nearly weep with joy as he sipped a beer on a patio chair still sticky from winter storage. The collective relief in this city is palpable—we've survived another winter and earned the right to drink overpriced cocktails outdoors. Just kidding. You still live in a frozen Hellscape.

BIXI bikes have returned for 214 days of urban cycling. I always forget how much space my body takes up until that first wobbly ride of the season, weaving between potholes like an out-of-practice slalom skier.

Quebec appointed its first Children's Commissioner. Marie-Ève Brunet-Kitchen takes office May 12, ensuring children have someone officially recognizing their rights. Having recently tried to explain TikTok to my elderly aunt, I'm convinced children might actually be the only ones who understand how the world works now.

FOOD

🍽️ Food & Drink Buzz

Little Italy is quietly becoming one of the city's most interesting food boroughs. Two new spots worth noting:

• Limbo - A British-French-Italian brasserie that feels like the culinary equivalent of a well-traveled friend who somehow makes fusion cooking work without being pretentious about it.

• Pasta Pooks - After years of pop-ups, they've settled into a permanent space. Their hand-rolled pastas are the kind that make you momentarily close your eyes while eating, which is either appreciation or a carb-induced coma.

• Le Griendel microbrewery has migrated from Quebec City to Saint-Laurent in Mile End. Their soft opening this weekend features Easter brunch pairings, combining two activities—drinking craft beer and eating brunch—that Montrealers treat with religious devotion (How appropriate for this weekend).

• Urban sugar shacks are appearing downtown this weekend. Maggie Oakes restaurant is offering a sweet and salty brunch buffet on Sunday that promises all the maple-soaked calories of a cabin experience without having to drive two hours or listen to a man in suspenders explain maple syrup production.

EVENTS

Weekend Plans That Don't Suck

FRIDAY (Apr 18)

• Lord of the G-Strings at The Wiggle Room – A Lord of the Rings burlesque parody that answers questions about Middle Earth that absolutely no one was asking.

• Le Grand PoutineFest at Marché Central – An event dedicated to various interpretations of fries, cheese curds, and gravy that will have cardiologists citywide on high alert.

SATURDAY (Apr 19)

• Terrasse exploration should be your primary objective. The first spring weekend creates a temporary utopia where strangers make eye contact and sometimes even smile.

• La Grande Roue & MTL Zipline – For those who enjoy seeing our pothole-riddled streets from a safe distance above.

• All Night Dance Party at SAT – House music with DJs Judalareign and Justin Cudmore. I admire the optimism of anything labeled "all night" when most of us now consider 11pm to be dangerously close to tomorrow.

SUNDAY (Apr 20)

• Easter celebrations at Saint Joseph's Oratory or Notre-Dame Basilica, for those balancing weekend sins with Sunday redemption.

• Maggie Oakes Easter Brunch – Their maple-infused buffet offers an opportunity to undo three months of disciplined eating in a single sitting.

• MMFA exhibitions include "Bad Girls Only," examining sin and femininity, and "Worlds of Wonder," featuring the surreal works of Alan Glass. Perfect for cultural digestion after physical digestion.

LIVE MUSIC

🎶 Music & Nightlife

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

• Mado Reçoit at Cabaret Mado (Friday) – Where the performers have better makeup skills than most professional artists and certainly better than anything I could achieve with three hours and a YouTube tutorial.

• Bareoke: Strip Karaoke (Saturday) at Café Cléopatra – An event combining the two activities most people should never do in public, yet somehow becomes entertaining when others do it.

FEEL GOOD

💗 Stories That Make Me Love This City More

1. Trash to Treasure: The former landfill in Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension has transformed into Frédéric-Back Park, proving that Montreal excels at both creating garbage and creatively repurposing it.

2. Food Bank Creativity: Local food banks are developing innovative fundraising approaches to meet increased demand. It's a somber reminder that beneath our city's vibrant exterior, many struggle silently with food insecurity.

3. The 7'3" Teen NBA Hopeful: A 14-year-old Montrealer with extraordinary height is pursuing NBA dreams. At that age, I was still trying to master the art of opening my locker without having to ask for help, so I'm impressed by his focus.

NON-PROFIT

🤲 A Cause Just Cause

Carrefour Solidaire's Community Meals: Their "Bols du Quartier" initiative serves pay-what-you-can meals Tuesdays and Thursdays (11AM-2PM). The meals are both an act of community care and a reminder that good food doesn't need to be expensive or exclusive to be meaningful.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

🌊 Future Fun

A massive waterpark is coming to Mirabel, spanning 150,000 square feet with over 20 attractions. It will provide a designated place for children to scream with joy, as opposed to their current venues: restaurants, libraries, and basically everywhere adults are trying to have conversations.

OUTRO

This was fun! But I'm kinda sick of sprinter and am ready for sprummer now, how bout you? If you found something useful, please share it with someone you know. If you didn't, then share this with someone you detest.

Until next week,

If you have any suggestions on stories to cover, new restaurants or events then please reply directly to this email. We read every. single. email.

So uhh..