This is Montreal
Dive into the Montreal stories you’re curious about and the issues you want to understand. From Laval to Longueuil and across the island, host Ainslie MacLellan explores the complexities of our colourful, vibrant and sometimes frustrating, but always interesting city. Every Thursday.
Thu, April 10, 2025
Is climate change still an election issue for Montrealers?
In the shadow of U.S. tariffs, reviving pipeline projects has been up for discussion in this federal election campaign, even in Quebec, where opposition has been strong in the past. So how did Montreal go from the city where half a million people marched for climate action, to a place where the environment seems barely on the ballot?
Thu, April 03, 2025
We need more housing in Montreal. What should the feds do about it?
Montreal rents are rising sharply. The median price of a single family home has more than doubled in a decade. So what can the next federal government do to get housing built more quickly?
Thu, March 27, 2025
For some Quebec voters, it's elbows up at the ballot box
Usually, it might be Quebec sovereignty that’s on the table come election time. But this time around, with U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of tariffs and annexation, some Quebec voters, like those in the rest of Canada, have Canadian sovereignty on their minds. We’ll look at what that might mean for the electoral map in Quebec.
Thu, March 20, 2025
Why do we love (to hate) tempos?
Those white plastic temporary car shelters — known as tempos — pop up in driveways in many Montreal driveways each winter. Those who love ‘em say they save the time and hassle of digging out their cars after a snowstorm. Those who hate ‘em say they’re an eyesore at best and a potential hazard at worst. We’ll hear how they became a Quebec winter phenomenon and why, more than fifty years after they hit the market, some Montreal residents are pushing to be allowed to put them up in their driveways. Correction: The original version of this episode incorrectly referred to Suzanne De Larochellière as a city councillor instead of a borough councillor.
Thu, March 13, 2025
Can you hear me now?
For some it was the choppy sound of a video call. For others, it was tuning into the daily news briefings. For others still, it was the voice of a patient saying goodbye to loved ones who couldn’t be with them in their final hour. Five years after Quebec declared a public health emergency over COVID-19, five Montrealers reflect on what they remember most about the early days of the pandemic and how their lives have changed since.
Thu, March 06, 2025
Why did downhill skiing disappear from Mount Royal?
Many Montreal families may be heading off-island to hit the ski slopes for March break this week. But throughout most of the 20th century, you could find downhill ski runs on and around Mount Royal, complete with tow ropes, T-bars and even a 100-ft long ski jump! We'll hear why downhill skiing disappeared from the heart of Montreal, and why not everyone agrees over whether it should come back.
Thu, February 27, 2025
This is from the archives: What surprises can you find in Montreal’s alleyways?
To shake off those winter blues, we’re bringing you one of our favourite episodes from the archives. We follow an urban explorer who has walked nearly every alleyway in Montreal and hear how alleys helped shape the development of and the social life of many Montreal neighbourhoods.
Thu, February 20, 2025
How has snow clearing changed throughout Montreal's history?
When Montreal gets walloped with snow like it just did, it takes days to get the streets and sidewalks cleared. A century ago some streets just didn’t get cleared at all. From horse-drawn plows to the snowblowers, plows and trucks we use today, we’ll look at how snow clearing has evolved in Montreal. And we’ll hear from some Montreal researchers who are working to design the snow removal of the future using artificial intelligence.
Thu, February 13, 2025
Will Quebecers still buy electric cars if they have to pay full price?
As of this month, if you buy an electric car in Quebec, you’ll be paying for it entirely out of your own pocket. The federal rebate program for electric vehicles has ended early and the Quebec program is on pause until April, before being phased out in 2027. Both Quebec and Canada have goals to eliminate the sale of new internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035. But with less subsidy money on the table and with all the economic uncertainty of U.S. tariff threats, can we still meet that goal?
Thu, February 06, 2025
Why is rent going up so much?
Every year Quebec’s housing tribunal, known in French as the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL), releases a set of calculations to help landlords and tenants figure out how much rent should increase. This year it recommended 5.9 per cent for an unheated apartment — the largest increase in at least 30 years. So how does the TAL come up with this number? We’ll look at how the rental increase formula works, and hear why both tenants and landlords seem to want it to change.
Thu, January 30, 2025
What needs to change in Quebec schools?
In October, the Education Ministry published a report alleging that a group of teachers at an elementary school in Côte-des-Neiges had for years created a toxic atmosphere. That led to a series of investigations into other schools. In the wake of those events, about 30 Montrealers gathered at the Maison des Jeunes in Côte-des-Neiges, for a conversation with CBC host Nantali Indongo about the state of our schools. In this episode, we’ll hear from some of those students, parents, teachers, administrators, community organizers and researchers, about their experiences in the Quebec education system and what they think needs to change.
Thu, January 23, 2025
Would you pay to drive to downtown Montreal?
New York has become the latest city to implement congestion charges, as a way to try to curb its traffic problem. Some Montrealers think it’s the solution to gridlock here, while others are concerned about it becoming a financial burden for drivers who don’t have many other options. We’ll look at how congestion pricing works and hear whether it’s on the radar of policymakers in Montreal.
Thu, January 16, 2025
How are Montreal women’s shelters taking action in the face of the housing crisis?
When one Montrealer left an abusive partner, the financial strain of paying her ever-rising rent brought her to a breaking point. But thanks to a new long-term housing project for women and their children run by a women’s shelter, she feels like she can finally breathe. We’ll hear how, in the midst of a housing affordability crisis, Montreal women’s shelters are taking matters into their own hands and building housing, despite all of the challenges they can face getting projects off the ground.
Thu, January 09, 2025
Why are Montreal’s metro station doors so hard to open?
If you’ve taken the metro in Montreal you may have found yourself throwing a shoulder into the rotating doors at some stations and getting a blast of wind in the face for your efforts, especially in winter. We’ll get into the science behind why it seems like you often need herculean strength to pry the doors open and we'll hear what the STM is doing to make metro stations more accessible.
Thu, January 02, 2025
How did Hitler’s car end up in Ottawa via Montreal?
This is Montreal off this week, so we're bringing you an episode of the podcast This is Ottawa. At the Canadian War Museum, you can find an imposing black armoured car that once belonged to none other than Adolf Hitler. Host Robyn Bresnahan looks at how the car ended up in Ottawa after a stop in Montreal, and how the museum balances public interest with critics who say it “glamourizes Nazism.”
Thu, December 19, 2024
Why are some Montrealers embracing Thriftmas?
Some Montrealers are looking for the perfect gift for someone on their list, but it won't be brand new with the tags still on. It will be from the thrift shop. Whether it's economic or environmental concerns or just the thrill of the hunt, we'll hear what's driving interest in thrifting and why one expert cautions that thrifting alone won't solve overconsumption.
Thu, December 12, 2024
What do Montrealers with dietary restrictions do when they can’t afford groceries?
As the cost of food has risen, more Montrealers have been relying on food banks. But for some people with dietary restrictions, it can be a challenge to find food that they can eat that won’t make them sick. We’ll hear about the obstacles Montreal food banks face in meeting specific dietary needs and why many advocates are calling for more financial support from governments.
Thu, December 05, 2024
How is the PWHL changing the game for Montreal women and girls on the ice?
With the second season of the Professional Women’s Hockey League underway, many Montreal-area women and girls are lacing up their skates and hitting the ice themselves. We’ll hear what La Victoire means for future generations of hockey players, and to the generations who have seen the evolution of women’s hockey in the city.
Thu, November 28, 2024
What would a 25% U.S. tariff mean for Quebec?
Quebec sends about three quarters of its international exports to the United States — twice as much as the province imports from south of the border. With the news that U.S. president-elect Donald Trump is threatening tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican imports, we’ll hear how Quebec’s business sector is bracing itself for what’s to come.
Thu, November 21, 2024
Why are more Montrealers biking in winter?
The temperatures are dropping and snow is on its way, but it’s not stopping some Montrealers from gearing up for the winter biking season. While winter cyclists are still only a fraction of the total bike riding population, they represent a growing group of commuters. We’ll hear what’s driving people to keep pedaling year-round and why one borough has even decided to subsidize 100 people to give winter cycling a try.
Thu, November 14, 2024
Do Montrealers have a garbage problem?
Ripped open bags, bad smells, even roving rodents: from Milton Park to Mercier, residents share their frustrations and their solutions for better garbage pickup. And Ainslie MacLellan gets the real dirt on trash collection from a longtime garbage collector, who shares which habits we should be breaking when we put our bags and bins to the curb.
Thu, November 07, 2024
What surprises can you find in Montreal’s labyrinth of alleyways?
There are more than 4000 of them crisscrossing the central parts of the city — nearly 500 kilometres worth! In this episode, Ainslie MacLellan follows an urban explorer who has walked almost *all* of Montreal’s ruelles, learns more about how they shaped the development of the city, and meets Montrealers who are banding together with their neighbours to transform their alleys and their communities.
Tue, November 05, 2024
This is Montreal Introduces | Céline: Understood
Céline Dion is having a moment. It’s not her first, and millions of fans are hoping it won’t be her last. While Céline’s international stardom seems obvious now, it was all so unlikely. Now, as a rare illness threatens to retire Celine’s more-than-four-decade long career, in Céline: Understood culture writer Thomas Leblanc reveals the surprising cultural, political and business alchemy that created one of the most enduring superstars the planet has ever seen. Understood is an anthology podcast that takes you out of the daily news cycle and inside the events, people, and cultural moments you want to know more about. Over a handful of episodes, each season unfolds as a story, hosted by a well-connected reporter, and rooted in journalism you can trust. Driven by insight and fueled by curiosity…The stories of our time: Understood. All episodes of Céline: Understood are available now. More episodes of Understood are available at: https://lnk.to/CelineUnderstood
Thu, October 31, 2024
What happened to Montrealers who were accused of witchcraft?
You don’t need to go to Salem, Massachusetts to find stories of people being accused as witches. Quebec has its own distinct history with witchcraft trials. Ainslie MacLellan visits the Pointe-à-Callière Montreal Archeology and History Complex in Old Montreal to learn about witch stories from the city’s past, and what they can tell us about attitudes and beliefs in Montreal society over time. This story includes a mention of suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, you can reach Talk Suicide Canada at 1-833-456-4566 or can text 45645 between 4 p.m. and midnight ET.
Thu, October 24, 2024
Why is Valérie Plante not running again as mayor?
After 7 years as mayor, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has decided she’s not going to run again. As recently as a month ago, Plante had said she would seek a third mandate. So what is prompting this decision now? CBC reporter Matt Lapierre joins Ainslie MacLellan to break down Plante’s surprise announcement, and political scientists Dónal Gill and Katherine Sullivan look at how it fits into a wider trend of political burnout, including amongst women. With research by Carla Désir.
Thu, October 17, 2024
Why do some parts of Montreal flood so often when it rains?
When the forecast calls for torrential rain, some Montreal residents hold their breath. Ainslie MacLellan visits one street in Saint-Laurent where homes have flooded multiple times in recent years by sewer back up during heavy rain, and finds out how climate change, infrastructure choices and our transformation of the natural landscape have created the perfect storm.
Trailer · Wed, October 09, 2024
Reintroducing: This is Montreal
New name, same must-listen podcast. Dive into the Montreal stories you’re curious about and the issues you want to understand. Host Ainslie MacLellan explores the complexities of our colourful, vibrant and sometimes frustrating, but always interesting city.
Thu, June 20, 2024
Why does Montreal celebrate Pride in August instead of June?
June is Pride Month, especially in the U.S. Montreal’s Pride festivities are in August, but this wasn’t always the case. We’ll hear from Montrealers who had a hand in organizing Pride at various times in its history and hear how, in each era, the 2SLGBTQ+ community channeled political and social struggle into the movement of protest and celebration that we know today.
Thu, June 13, 2024
Where did all these wild turkeys come from?
From Verdun to Rosemont to NDG, it seems like wild turkeys have been popping up all over Montreal in recent years. They’ve spurred a lot of curiosity and even delight from Montrealers, but we have seen some human-turkey conflict arise. We’ll hear about what life is like for a big bird in the big city, and how we can get along without ruffling any feathers.
Thu, June 06, 2024
Why did the Montreal melon disappear?
Ribbed like a pumpkin, but with a spiderweb exterior like a cantaloupe, the Montreal melon was a wildly popular fruit in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It graced the dining tables of the finest U.S. hotels and was literally fit for a king. It was cultivated by local producers, particularly in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, but it all but vanished by the 1950s. We’ll hear about efforts to revive the Montreal melon, and why some say it’s overdue for a comeback.
Thu, May 30, 2024
What’s a tiny forest?
As we heard last week, it’s not always easy to find spaces to plant trees in a city. That’s where tiny forests come in. What started in Japan has become a worldwide movement to plant densely-packed pockets of vegetation in cities, including Montreal. CBC reporter Ben Shingler shares his documentary.
Thu, May 23, 2024
Why do we plant big trees under power lines?
Big ice storms, pests, drought: there are lots of threats facing urban trees. In a special two-part episode, one Montrealer asks how the city is making sure our trees can withstand climate change…and won’t take out power lines when they fall. And a Pincourt school bus driver asks what’s happening with all the trees being cut down for the new Île-aux-Tourtes bridge?
Thu, May 16, 2024
What happens when you flush a toilet in Montreal?
This question came from a 9-year-old boy who is curious about our sewer system, so you’d better believe we took him and his dad on a field trip to Montreal’s wastewater treatment plant! We find out what happens to the water we use and what we can do to make it cleaner before we send it back into the environment.
Thu, May 09, 2024
Why does Montreal have so many potholes?
Teeth-rattling, rim-shattering, hub-cap-catapulting potholes seem to be everywhere you turn in Montreal. Sometimes they lurk underneath puddles, just waiting to throw you off your bike, or damage your car. So why are there so many, and why do they keep coming back? We’ll dig beneath the surface to find out.
Thu, May 02, 2024
Where do the profits from Loto-Québec go?
If you’ve ever bought a lottery ticket or placed a bet at a Quebec casino, you may have wondered where that money ends up. How much of the money that Montrealers gamble ends up invested back into services that they use? Turns out there are limits to how far we can follow the dollars. We’ll talk about how our system stacks up with some other jurisdictions.
Thu, April 25, 2024
Why does Montreal have a street named after Christopher Columbus?
For more than a century, the name Christophe-Colomb Avenue has appeared on Montreal street signs. The Italian-born navigator is known for leading several voyages for the Spanish crown to what we now know as the Americas. While he never set foot in Quebec, many places in the province bear his name. But throughout history, many have argued that he should not be commemorated, because of his legacy of cruelty and slavery of Indigenous peoples. We’ll look at Columbus the man, Columbus the symbol and talk about how we should reckon with streets and monuments named after historical figures.
Thu, April 18, 2024
What happened to Belmont Park?
From 1923 to 1983, the sounds of a rumbling roller coaster, carnival games, and the laughter of a giant animatronic woman invited people to Belmont Park, an amusement park along the Des Prairies river in Cartierville. Its wild history ties together a former prime minister, a Quebec superstar singer, a Guinness World Record and a police raid. The reasons for its closure are tied up in municipal politics and commercial rivalry, and also reflect how life and leisure in Montreal changed throughout the middle of the 20th century. *This episode includes research by Sandra Hercegova
Thu, April 11, 2024
Why are so many Montreal apartments rented without appliances?
Every July 1, many Montrealers find themselves on the move, not just with their tables, chairs, couches and beds, but with their fridges and stoves too. Apartments here are often rented without appliances included, which does not seem to be a common practice elsewhere in Canada. We’ll explore some of the reasons this might be, and what this says about Montreal’s unique (but changing) rental culture.
Thu, April 04, 2024
How can we make the Opus card simpler?
As of this week, some Montreal-area transit users are now able to reload their Opus cards with the Chrono app, instead of waiting in long lines at kiosks. The function is expected to be rolled out widely this month. But we still can’t tap payment cards to ride and have to make sure we’ve bought tickets for the right zone. Some Montreal transit advocates say it’s time to think outside the fare box.
Thu, March 28, 2024
What’s with all the orange cones?
Construction is such a part of life here that the orange and white striped cone has gone from a simple marker on the road, to a symbol of Montreal itself. But why are there so many cones and why does it seem like some of them linger so long? We’ll hone in on cones and whether new rules to keep them in check are working.
Thu, March 21, 2024
Why is the South Shore actually to the east?
If you look at a compass or maps app, you may notice our sense of direction in Montreal is a bit…tilted. Our “north” leans pretty far west and if you head over to the South Shore and keep going, you end up in the Eastern Townships...which are not in Eastern Quebec. We’ll try to help you find your bearings by exploring our off-kilter geography.
Thu, March 14, 2024
Does Montreal’s recycling system work?
In Montreal, we toss all of our recycling in a bin at the curb and it gets sorted out later. But in recent years, we’ve seen headlines about recycling piling up and the difficulties of finding markets for certain materials like paper and glass. So is our recycling system working? We take you on a tour of a sorting centre and hear about some big changes on the horizon. *After this episode was released, the City of Montreal provided some updated figures. Currently, between 15 and 20 per cent of material at the Lachine sorting centre ends up in the landfill. Previously the city had said the rejection rate was 30 per cent.
Thu, March 07, 2024
Are they ever going to build the Dalle Parc?
When the plans for rebuilding the Turcot interchange were unveiled back in 2010, they included an artist’s rendering of an elevated park over Highway 20: the Dalle Parc. It was meant to serve as a pedestrian and cyclist path connecting NDG and the Sud-Ouest, but it was never built. We look at whether this project will ever see the light and at the challenges of retrofitting Montreal's landscape to make it more walkable and bikeable.
Thu, February 29, 2024
What is the history of squatting in Montreal?
More than twenty years ago, a group of young activists, families, unhoused people and punks occupied an old hospital building to draw attention to a dire housing crisis. CBC reporter Erika Morris walks us through the history of this type of housing activism in Montreal and why we might not see as much (visible) squatting today.
Thu, February 22, 2024
What was life like in the heyday of the Golden Square Mile?
Join us on a stroll back in time to Victorian-era Montreal, when some of Canada’s richest families settled on the slope of Mount Royal in the Golden Square Mile. We’ll look at what the remaining row houses and mansions tell us about power, wealth, even scandal in bygone Montreal. And we’ll hear how the changing face of the landscape invites us to reflect on the balance between building something new and preserving our built past.
Thu, February 15, 2024
Who built the mini skatepark by the railroad tracks?
If you walk or bike along the Des Carrières rail path through Rosemont, you might come across a miniature skate park, complete with tiny ramps, half pipes, rails and little graffiti. We get to the bottom of who’s behind this public art piece slash DIY passion project, and take you into the small but mighty world of Montreal fingerboards.
Thu, February 08, 2024
Who built the mini skatepark by the railroad tracks?
If you walk or bike along the Des Carrières rail path through Rosemont, you might come across a miniature skate park, complete with little ramps, half pipes, rails and tiny graffiti. We get to the bottom of who’s behind this public art piece slash DIY passion project, and take you into the small but mighty world of Montreal fingerboards.
Thu, February 08, 2024
Why is it so hard to find a public washroom in Montreal?
Whether you’re running errands, on a commute, or just spending an afternoon in a Montreal park, lack of washroom access can be a barrier for people who want to participate in city life. So why don’t we have more public washrooms? We break down the costs, both financial and societal, and delve into the history of public toilets.
Thu, February 01, 2024
Why aren’t Montreal’s traffic lights more synchronized?
If you’ve ever made your way through the city, hitting every red light along the way, you might have wondered this too. In recent years, Montreal has upgraded its traffic coordination system, but you still might not notice it. We’ll break it down for you with a bit of math and (spoiler alert) a little piano.
Thu, January 25, 2024
How did Portuguese chicken get so popular in Montreal?
Spicy, savoury, fresh off the grill...whether it’s served on a pillowy Portuguese bun, or paired with roast potatoes or poutine, Montrealers seem to love Portuguese chicken. We explore the roots of this dish, how it made its way to Montreal and what it tells us about how cultures are transmitted – and transformed – through food.
Trailer · Thu, January 18, 2024
Introducing: Good Question, Montreal
Do you have a question about Montreal? Host Ainslie MacLellan is determined to help find the answer. Whether it’s a story that’s disappeared from the headlines, a curious landmark in your neighbourhood, or a quirk of Montreal life you’ve been wondering about, we’re on it. Let’s learn about this place together.
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