This is Montreal

Big bird, big city: Why more wild turkeys are calling Montreal home

From Verdun to Rosemont to NDG, wild turkeys have been popping up all over Montreal in recent years. In this archive episode from June 2024, we'll hear about the curiosity turkeys have spurred amongst Montrealers and get some advice for how to avoid accidentally running afoul of our urban bird neighbours.

The wild ride of Belmont Park: Montreal's long lost amusement 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. In this episode from the archives, we take you through the twists and turns of the amusement park's history, tying together a former prime minister, a Quebec superstar singer, a Guinness World Record and a police raid.

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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. Every Thursday.

This is from the archives: Why is the South Shore actually to the east?

If you check out 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. In this favourite episode from March 2024, we try to help you find your bearings by exploring our off-kilter geography.

Should neighbours be able to block housing projects? The Quebec government is asking

New housing developments, especially highrises that require zoning changes, can draw opposition from residents, in some cases leading to referendums on whether the projects can go ahead. While some argue referendums amount to NIMBYism during a housing crisis, others argue citizens should have the power to block projects that don’t meet neighbourhood needs.