Category Archives: Political commentary

City describes its own urban redevelopment project as ‘ambitious’

We may have come full-circle. The City of Montreal recently released what it is describing as an ‘ambitious’ plan to redevelop the urban core of the city – what we ambiguously, perhaps ambitiously, call Downtown (though it for the most … Continue reading

Posted in A modest proposal, Cultural commentary, Economic commentary, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Urban Redevelopment | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Money for Nothing

The Mordecai Richler Gazebo will now cost the taxpayers of Montreal nearly three-quarters of a million dollars. And a series of granite waypoints, apparently taking the form of stylized tree-stumps, are to be installed across Mount Royal at an estimated … Continue reading

Posted in Montréal Architecture, Montréal Landmarks, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Public art proposal, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The human cost of school segregation in Quebec

In my estimation and opinion, there’s no better demonstration of Bill 101’s flaws than the current local controversy concerning the project to settle Syrian refugees, and the Quebec government’s outright refusal to allow Anglophone school boards from participating. The situation … Continue reading

Posted in A modest proposal, Canadian politics, Cultural commentary, History and Culture, Let's make this an election issue, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Social commentary | Leave a comment

Flushgate: where do we go from here?

#flushgate… You can be forgiven for finding this whole affair rather annoying, though I will happily point out we’ve collectively never given as much of a shit about sewerage and sewage treatment as we do right now. Flushgate, as it’s … Continue reading

Posted in A modest proposal, Let's make this an election issue, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Social commentary, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Leave a comment

Denis Coderre needs to stop spending money on parks

Another week, another colossal waste of our municipal tax dollars. Tuesday’s announcement: $12 million to renovate Place Vauquelin, the public square between City Hall and the Old Courthouse. Among the many exciting new features: a redesigned fountain, heated granite paving … Continue reading

Posted in Cultural commentary, Economic commentary, Kondiaronk - My Montréal Experience, Montréal Architecture, Montréal Landmarks, Perspectives on the City, Political commentary, Scenes from the City, Urban Redevelopment, Worth reconsidering | Leave a comment

The End of the Great Depression

Now that we’ve all had a week to digest… The administration of Stephen J. Harper, Canada’s 22nd Prime Minister, has mercifully come to an end. A nation takes a much-needed sigh of relief. This was not the prime minister the … Continue reading

Posted in Canadian politics, History and Culture, Political commentary | Leave a comment