What to do this weekend, February 15-17
The quirky, hit show The Blue Man Group returns to Montreal for the first time since Cirque de soleil bought up the property a few years ago. The fact that this remarkable, interactive percussion show has been touring for over 20 years around the world is a testament to its mass popularity. Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Theatre St Denis. Also, watch out for the paint/water in the front row! Fun fact: there are 70 Blue Men in the world, who splash out 18,000 buckets of paint a year.
The Outdoor Adventure Show is changing locations by coming to the Palais des congres on Saturday and Sunday. Test your scuba skills in a dive tank! Catch a trout! Fire an arrow! Plan your next camping trip!
I adored Beautiful: The Carole King Story. The touring jukebox musical, fresh off Broadway, explores King's rise from a wide-eyed newbie songwriter to wife and mother to celebrated singer, all the while spinning some of her most iconic songs from the 60s, like One Fine Day and Beautiful. King's journey to find her own voice feels fresh and alive today, and the musical performances and dialogue are a total delight. Until Sunday at Place des arts.
The Last Wife is a modern telling of the story Katherine Parr, the surprisingly accomplished woman who outlived Henry VIII's murderous, divorcing, philandering royal antics. Catch Kate Hennig's play when it opens Friday night at The Centaur.
Native Montrealer Rick Miller (you loved him in MacHomer) explores the politics and pop culture of Gen X in the 70s, 80s and 90s with BOOM X. It's the followup to his hit touring show, BOOM, which concluded with Woodstock. The show starts previews on Sunday, and beforehand I will be speaking with Rick and his partner Craig Francis Sunday at the Segal, 11am. Free admission, coffee, pastries and awesome conversation!
Rock 'n roll cover band Vintage Wine celebrates the hits of the 50s and 60s at the Lachine Legion, 3015 Henri-Dunant. Saturday at 7pm. $15, with a portion going to support the Legion.
The town of Rigaud puts on a Winter Festival at Park Chartier de Lotbiniere, Saturday 3 to 10pm.
Flat? Round? The McGill Debating Union puts forward all the arguments at the Flat Earth Debate at the Redpath Museum. Free, with admission to the Museum. Sunday, 3:30 to 5pm.
Feel all your feelings about love and rejection at the second annual Anti-Valentine's Day at the Diving Bell. Darkwave hits, '80s songs about heartbreak and comics like Tranna Wintour. Friday night at 8pm.
Héma-Quebec, with the Round Table on Black History Month and the Sickle Cell Foundation, host a special blood drive to outreach to the black community. Certain disorders, like sickle cell anemia, are more prevalent in minority communities, and patients require blood donations from donors similar to them. Héma-Quebec also has a new program targeting black women, to make it easier for them to donate. Saturday, 10:30am-4pm at CEDA Centre, 2515 Delisle Street.
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Moving day: How inflation and a housing shortage may complicate Quebec renters' plans
The vacancy rate in Montreal is at two per cent this year, for the third year in a row. The price for a three-bedroom, family sized-apartment generally starts at $1,500 a month. -
Construction season in full swing: Quebec shares plan for road repairs
There are 51 major construction projects planned for Greater Montreal this summer, Quebec’s transport minister announced Thursday. She addressed reporters in Montreal with heads of business organizations and local leaders, vowing to manage the city’s yearly construction chaos better. -
Montreal police to provide 'major' new development in woman's 1996 disappearance
Montreal police say they have made a 'major development' in the case of a missing woman from the late 1990s. -
Success is as sweet as sorbet for Grade 6 students at Dorval school
Grade six students at Ecole Gentilly in Dorval are looking forward to the end of the school year, for a variety of obvious reasons, but also because the fundraising project they've been working on is pretty sweet. -
Laval transit users ride the bus for $1 after smog alerts
The City of Laval is offering bus riders a reduced fare the day after whenever there is smog alert issued in the region. The public transit authority (STL) said Thursday that until Sept. 4, it will cost riders a buck (payable in cash, credit or debit) for a single fare that is valid for the entire bus and shared taxi network. -
About 42,000 Hydro-Quebec customers still without power due to forest fires
Several regions of the province have been hit by power outages. The total of Quebec customers without electricity right now stands at 227,881. -
Deals to let firms avoid bribery charges may be 'political kryptonite': law professor
The legal tool known as a remediation agreement in Canada was added to the Criminal Code in 2018 and allows companies to avoid charges in exchange for admissions of wrongdoing, co-operation with investigators, payment of penalties and other commitments. But the lengthy delays between a company's wrongdoing and resolution via an agreement raise questions about how effective the deals are at curtailing corruption. -
Only 2 in 10 women say they're very knowledgeable about abortion options: survey
As millions of women in the United States find themselves deprived of abortion services since Roe v Wade was overturned last year, a new survey suggests that a majority of women here (62 per cent) are now concerned about their reproductive rights in Canada. -
Montreal police arrest alleged bike thief, recover over $20K in stolen bicycles
Montreal police (SPVM) arrested a 24-year-old man and recovered over $20,000 in bikes, clothing and other items, in connection with a string of bicycle thefts. The SPVM said in a news release that Alexandre Lavasseur was arrested May 24 and appeared in court on 18 counts of breaking and entering.
