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Experiences History, Culture, and Politics Only in Montréal Pictures

Dancing With Pride

Sylvain and I went to the MTL Pride parade yesterday; it was a homegrown affair but with abundant color and music and smiles.

Here are a few photos and three short videos of an Irish-dancing rainbow, two-stepping white hats, and a good ol’ cheer squad going to town.… [Read More]

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Experiences Places

A Visit

Last weekend, our niblings “Felix” and “Jenesse” came up to visit, coinciding with another canicule. It was ludicrously hot and humid, and yet we managed to fit in a lot of good activities.… [Read More]

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Pictures

Bug Season

It’s a hot summer, and the insects are flourishing. On my exploration of Parc Natural Bois-de-Saraguay, I inadvertently fed a lot of mosquitos, and the same happened yesterday at the Jardin Botanique (despite wearing repellant).… [Read More]

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Pictures Places

Up to a Point

A point in the St. Lawrence River, that is, or, to be more specific, Parc de Dieppe…

Across from the Vieux Port, there are several finger-like projections into the river. These peninsulas are just beyond the locks for the Lachine canal, and are largely quays for the original port.… [Read More]

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Experiences Food

My $20 Strawberry

I’ll get back to Becky deMarie and pretendian issues soon, but in the meantime I want to tell you a true story about a girl and a strawberry.

I’m the girl.… [Read More]

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Pictures Places

Parc Natural Bois-de-Saraguay

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything about exploring new parts of town or sights on the island. The fact is, I haven’t been on very many this year. A family situation which required me leaving Montreal for three weeks in June, busy times at work, and unseasonable heat and humidity have all prevented expeditions.… [Read More]

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History, Culture, and Politics Uncategorized

Montreal Reading List, part 3.

(If you didn’t see them, here are part 1 and part 2)

Jumping back to Mona Awad’s reading list, we’ll start with The Geography of Pluto, Christopher DiRaddo. You might think the story of a gay man breaking up with his ideal boyfriend and losing his mother to cancer would be awfully bleak, but this book manages to make the protagonist’s struggles with loss and grief into something oddly optimistic.… [Read More]

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History, Culture, and Politics Uncategorized

Montreal Reading List, part 2.

(This is a continuation of the Montreal Reading List, part 1).

In the last installment, I was using Mona Awad’s Reading List as a starting point for my own. So far, most of the authors and books mentioned were from the 1940s-1960s, and described the Montreal of those periods and earlier.… [Read More]

Categories
History, Culture, and Politics

The Pretendians, Part 1

TW: racism and sexual predators (prison sentencing link)

Last month, the CBC ran this story about a Canadian woman sentenced to three years in prison for committing a unique kind of fraud: by falsifying birth information for her two daughters and claiming they had Indigenous heritage, she was able to access government funds earmarked for Indigenous people.… [Read More]

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History, Culture, and Politics Uncategorized

Montreal Reading List, Part 1

I’ve been meaning to write on the subject of fiction set in Montreal for quite a while. I’ve been trying to read as many books as I can that are set here.… [Read More]