🍦🌿Unravel Mysteries, Break Molds, Meet Scholars & Feel the Beat

Bonjour-hi to you today mon ami / amie,

Ah, the magic of accidental eavesdropping — you're at your desk, pretending to work, when suddenly you’re sucked into someone’s weekend plans like it’s a deleted scene from The Office.

“I’ve never been to Piranha Bar,” one voice says. Oh, my sweet summer child.

Piranha Bar isn’t just a place — it’s a rite of passage. The kind of venue where the air carries hints of stale beer, bad decisions, and deep existential reflection. You don’t really go for anything specific… maybe the $3.00 shots?

But you always leave with a story — one you’ll laugh or quietly sob about later, once the hangover and shame subside.

In this week’s issue…

• 📷 Local purists PlayMTL now Instagram addicts. Follow their shame spiral here.

• 🏙 Monumental Move: Montreal opens a tribute to 21 women who shaped the city.

• 🎷 Jazz Fest Drops Lineup: Yes, Nas is performing Illmatic... with a symphony.

• 🐶 SPCA Saves the Day: A senior and his 12-year-old dog Nookie get to stay together.

• 🧠 Montreal Genius: Christine ditches Silicon Valley for trail work, and a wilder kind of wisdom.

• 🍜 Food Corner: Mai Thai brings wok-fried joy; Noren returns with bowls of Japanese comfort.

• 📍 Quartier Latin Spotlight: Books, brunch, and big cultural energy. Fringe Fest lands May 26.

• 🎭 Weekend Events Guide: From Blade Runner to burlesque, ceramics to cherry blossoms.

• 🎶 Live Music Lineup: Rachel Chinouriri, Disco Chic, Pouzza Fest, Piknic Electronik & more.

Edited by Eleanor R.

CITY NEWS

🏙️ What's Happening Around Town

Place des Montréalaises Inauguration. This Saturday at 4:00 PM, Montreal unveils Place des Montréalaises near Champ-de-Mars metro. The site honors 21 remarkable women, including the 14 lives lost at Polytechnique and 7 pioneering figures from our city's past. Artistic performances will run throughout the afternoon, ending with Sarahmée's evening concert.

Montreal Jazz Fest Lineup. Ah, festival season—when the world feels like a giant, glittering playlist and you’re somehow both thrilled and slightly overwhelmed. Take a peek at the Montreal Jazz Fest lineups for next month and if that doesn’t convince you, how about this? Nas Illmatic: Live with symphony orchestra.

FEEL GOOD

💗 Stories That Make Me Fall In Like With This City

1. Murder Mystery: While I was trying to solve the mysterious case of my missing coffee cup on Tuesday, an equally mysterious email arrived about some "Murder Mystery" happening at Memento Brasserie on May 21st. The kind of event where everyone dresses up and pretends to care who killed the person who isn't really dead. Be there or be suspected of the crime.

2. Family Togetherness: The SPCA's Pet Retention Program made headlines after helping Daniel keep his 12-year-old dog Nookie despite a new landlord's no-pets policy. Through what I imagine was delicate negotiation (or possibly light blackmail). The program has assisted over 200 families this year with temporary housing, vet care, and pet supplies during hard times.

Publisher’s note: The cutie pie pictured above is in fact not Nookie but Maya, because how can you say “no” to this overstuffed little sausage.

Reply to this email if you think we should feature a pet of the week to adopt!

NON-PROFIT

🤲 A Cause Just Cause

Sun Youth Organization has been around since 1954, which means they’ve seen everything from the birth of the microwave to the invention of the “I’m fine, thanks” lie. And yet, here they are, still doling out food baskets, school supplies, and youth sports programs with the same unshakable belief that someone should probably be doing this.

They don’t just hand out supplies—they hand out hope. Or at least, they hand out food, school supplies, and youth sports programs. (The hope is probably optional.)

If you’re ever in need of a little extra help, or want to be part of a noble cause, check them out. https://sunyouth.org/

FOOD

🍽️ Food & Drink Buzz

🌶️ Mai Thai Cuisine — Bold flavors with a warm welcome

Nestled on Rue Saint-Denis, this family-owned spot is inspired by the bold, zesty dishes of Thailand’s Isaan region. This cozy 30-seat gem serves up fragrant soups 🍜, wok-fried noodles 🍲, and papaya salads 🥗 so vibrant, they’ll make you question whether you’re in a restaurant or a tropical dream 🌴.

🍱 Noren — From Japan with love, one dish at a time

After a trip to Japan, the owners of Noren are back and the restaurant is officially open again! Enjoy authentic Japanese food 🍥 in a cozy, welcoming atmosphere 💮 in the heart of Montreal 🏙️.

🥟 Perogi Lili — Dumplings with attitude, straight from Baba’s kitchen

If you’re in the mood for comfort food and don’t have a lot of cash to burn 💸, we definitely recommend Perogi Lili in Montreal’s Mile End. They serve up both sweet 🍒 and savory 🥬options—and each bite tastes like a warm hug from Grandma 👵.

Got more? Reply to this email and tell us!

PEOPLE OF MONTREAL / GENS D’ICI

🧍Christine Soon Desmaris

“I wanted to seasonalize my work life… In time and in space.”

There are at Most Two Rhodes Scholars Picked per Province. She was One but She’d Rather Talk About Car Repair.

Christine is hard to pin down — and that’s exactly the point.

She’s a Stanford-trained mathematician and a McGill-trained mechanical engineer who sees the world in terms of friction and flow. A med student who wants to make sure old women are actually listened to. A ski instructor who learns just as much from retirees as she does from kids. An Oxford-trained experimental psychologist who doesn’t like to put people into boxes.

And right now? She’s choosing to spend her summer doing trail maintenance, construction work, and fixing up her beloved Honda Accord — because she’s tired of thinking with just her head.

“I wanted to seasonalize my work life,” she says. “In time and in space.”

After years of intense academia — Brebeuf, Stanford, Silicon Valley — she realized she didn’t want to optimize her life. She wanted to live it. Outside. In motion. With mud on her boots and a question on her mind.

Christine believes living “from the neck up” misses the point: true intelligence isn’t just cerebral, it’s embodied, emotional, and relational. Without hands-on experience and human nuance, intellect alone becomes brittle, and bound for breakdown.

“Engineering is my déformation professionnelle”, she muses. Seeing the world through the eyes of an engineer grants her the ability to see a kaleidoscope of symmetry and beauty. She sees momentum in people, pressure systems in relationships, and failure not as a flaw — but as a form of freedom.

Montreal, with its weird beauty, preserved French chaos, and sidewalks full of blossoms and triplexes, suits her perfectly. It’s a city that lets you breathe weirdly, exist sideways, and fail with flair.

And her advice for anyone who wants to be a Rhodes Scholar?

“Start by choosing a growth mindset.” Praise effort, not talent, so failure becomes feedback, not a threat to identity. The biggest mistake a parent can make is praising a kid for their good grades or performance and not on their effort.

Then choose curiosity over certainty—every time.

Learn to live “from the neck down” with Christine. 

BOROUGHS

🧭 NEIGHBOURHOOD SPOTLIGHT

📍 Quartier Latin: Where books, brunch, and bohemia collide.

Anchored by UQAM and a constellation of performing arts schools, this lively slice of the Ville-Marie borough is tucked into the eastern edge of downtown Montreal. In Quartier Latin, ideas and creativity flow freely.

Along Rue Saint-Denis, cafés, bookstores, and patios fuel debates so impassioned they practically come with footnotes. And yes, picking up a dog-eared novel from your favourite local librairie totally counts as a cultural experience.

This neighbourhood doesn't just think deep—it puts on a show. The iconic Cinéma du Quartier Latin screens everything from indie darlings to Québécois classics, while festivals like the Festival International de Littérature and the upcoming Fringe Festival (starting May 26) spill poetry and performance into the streets. Just around the corner, the sleek BAnQ library keeps the city's memory alive while serving serious modernist drama.

In a bold move for the future, Montréal is transforming the old Voyageur bus terminal—Îlot Voyageur Sud—into 1,000 new rental units, with over half marked as affordable. Call it urban renewal with a conscience.

Start your day in Quartier Latin with a brunch at Arriba Burrito (1593 Rue Saint-Denis), then roll into an afternoon matinee—preferably something subtitled, thought-provoking, and best discussed over a glass of wine after.

EVENTS

🎟️🎪 Weekend Plans That Don't Suck

FRIDAY (May 16)

🎨 Alan Glass’ Wonderful Worlds
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts | 10AM – 5PM
Step into surrealism at its finest.

🎭 Othello (en Français)
Théâtre du Nouveau Monde | 8PM
Same betrayal, more flair — c’est la vie, Shakespeare.

💃 Spectacular!
The Wiggle Room | 7PM – 10:30PM
Burlesque, circus, and wild cabaret energy.

🏛️ Permanent Exhibition at MEM
Centre des Mémoires Montréalaise | 11AM – 9PM
A must-see for history buffs and urban explorers.

🏺 Introductory Ceramics Workshop
Ateliers du B7 | 6PM – 9PM
Get your hands dirty (in the artsy way).

🎬 Blade Runner
Cinéma du Parc | @midnight
Sci-fi noir, rain, and replicants. Enough said.

🎶 Ladies Latin Groove
Montreal Palladium Lounge | 9PM – 2AM
Salsa, bachata, and fierce femme energy.

SATURDAY (May 17)

🌸 Cherry Blossoms @ Jardins Botanique
Jardin Botanique | 9AM – 6PM
Blossoms are flaunting it through the end of May.

🎭 For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again (en Anglais)
Centaur Theatre | 8PM
A tribute to Michel Tremblay’s mother.

🌍 Mondes Disparus
2 rue de la Commune Ouest | Various times
An immersive experience unlike anything else.

🎬 The World – A Film by Jia Zhangke
Cinéma du Musée | 1PM
Explore a fascinating story of global interconnectedness.

🐝 Grande Vente de Plantes Biologiques
3200 Ontario E. | 10AM - 3PM
Get plants, not pesticides. You’re welcome!

SUNDAY (May 18)

🍜 Laotian & Cambodian Cooking Workshop
La Cabane | 10AM or 4PM
Get hands-on with Southeast Asian flavours — part of Festival Accès Asie!

🧠 Pub Trivia
Bishop & Bagg | 7:30PM
Come for the beer, stay for the bragging rights.

🧸 Peaceful Mornings @ Montreal Science Centre
Montreal Science Centre | 9AM – 10AM
A quiet, sensory-friendly hour for families who like their science with serenity.

LIVE MUSIC

🎶 Music & Nightlife

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

FRIDAY (May 16)

🎵 Les Soeurs Sarod
Le Gesù | 8PM
Strings, soul, and sisterhood.

💔 Rachel Chinouriri
Théâtre Fairmount | 8PM
Alt-pop heartbreak with a voice that could melt your ex’s cold, cold heart.

🎸 Nennen, Boar God, and Everly Lux
La Sotterenea | 8:30PM
Irresistibly real and unapologetically emotional.

🤘 Pouzza Fest (May 16–18)
Various locations and times throughout the city!
Punk rock music festival.

SATURDAY (May 17)

🕺 L’Ultime Soirée Disco Chic
Le Balcon | 8:30PM
Sequins will sparkle. Platforms will stomp. Prepare to boogie!

🎤 Elgrandetoto
L’Olympia | 9PM
Moroccan rap royalty with swagger turned all the way up.

🌙 Nocturnes @ MAC
Société des arts technologiques | 12PM – 5PM OR 7PM – 3AM
Experience art in a whole new light.

SUNDAY (May 18)

🎧 Piknic Électronik (May 18 – Oct 12)
Parc Jean-Drapeau | Various times
Bring your shades, beats, and questionable footwork.

🫖 Dad Bod – Tea Dance
Parc La Fontaine | 6PM – 10PM
Sway like nobody's watching.

OUTRO

Well I had fun, did you? If you found something useful please share it with someone you know — or maybe with someone you detest, like your upstairs neighbour.

Until next week,

So uhh..