Some foreign nationals will continue to be banned from buying Canadian housing, as the federal government extends the expiration of the program until 2027.

An Amber Alert for a missing 8-year-old girl was cancelled after she was found safe Sunday morning.

The city is known for its thriving video game industry, but lately it's been facing some choppy waters. A few high profile studios have announced layoffs.

Swimmer Betty Brussel just broke three world records. She’s training hard for her next competition — and getting ready for her 100th birthday this summer.

The study shows that various organizations want to reverse the decline of downtown Gatineau, Que., one that's been fueled by an exodus of workers, including many federal civil servants.

After taking a free tour of St.Lawrence Market in Toronto, Leah-Simone Bowen found out the site used to have a women's prison in the basement. Her research inspired her to write a play about the women who were held in that prison during the 19th century. Imago Theatre in Montreal produced "The Flood", which is getting its world premiere in Montreal at Centaur Theatre on February 15th.

Canada's long track speed skaters won two more medals on home ice at the World Cup season finale in Quebec City on Saturday.

A group representing Quebec's tenant associations is calling for the province to drop Bill 31and for the province’s housing minister to resign.

Canada won't advance at the Davis Cup just yet. Nam Ji-sung and Song Min-kyu defeated Vasek Pospisil of Vernon, B.C., and Alexis Galarneau of Laval, Que., 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-3 in a must-win doubles match Saturday as South Korea cut Canada's lead to 2-1 in the best-of-five qualifier.

Free scholarship program offers free weekly lessons to young cello players. Children say learning music teaches them responsibility and dedication.

Dominique Ollivier is accusing the Journal de Montréal of leading a “major smear campaign” that permanently compromised her political career. 

Lara Kramer talks about using the body in raw and guttural ways to tell stories about family, land, objects and community.

Montreal's Jacqueline Simoneau earned a long-awaited medal for Canada on Saturday. The 27-year-old secured an artistic swimming silver medal in the women's solo technical at the World Aquatics Championships in Doha.

A committee appointed by the Quebec government says a new law should provide a framework to regulate digital platforms, including a minimum quantity of French-language results in algorithmic recommendations.

School boards across the province are bracing for the total solar eclipse that will grace Canadian skies in early April. Several school boards are considering closing while others argue it could be a learning opportunity for students.

Comedians Mariam Khan and John Cotrocois weighed in on burning questions about life and love based on their interactive show Better Than Your Therapist Live. Audience members can ask advice about something in their lives and have comedians "help" them figure things out — or not!

Montreal police say the boy is autistic, does not communicate and has trouble staying oriented. He particularly enjoys walking and looking at cars.

Montreal police say the victim is in his 30s.

After a grueling battle, the last union affiliated with the Fédération autonome de l'enseignement (FAE) has voted in favour of a tentative agreement with the Quebec government by a mere 13 yays.

The CAQ government is sticking with its plan to increase tuition for out-of-province students, despite calls from an advisory committee to either provide more justification for the controversial measure or ditch the idea altogether.

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the semifinals of the Open Sud de France tennis tournament with a convincing 7-5, 6-1 win over French wild-card Harold Mayot on Friday.

The new Mr. & Mrs. Smith pairs Donald Glover (Atlanta, Community, Swarm) and Maya Erskine (PEN15, Blue Eye Samurai) is a clear departure from the 2005 Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie blockbuster of the same name, shifting the premise considerably. Glover and co-creator and showrunner Francesca Sloane (Atlanta, Fargo, The First) try to inject a dose of artistic sensitivity into the series by invoking Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes From a Marriage and  Atlanta‘s surrealism and work-from-home relationship satire into the spy thriller genre, creating a unique universe that can at times be unpredictable and captivating, but also very entertaining. Imagine The Americans set in the age of the gig economy and dating apps.

Glover and Erskine’s on-screen chemistry is undeniable, infusing their characters with a charming blend of wit and vulnerability. The series leverages their comedic backgrounds, trying to offer a counterintuitive yet deeply allegorical narrative. The show cleverly mirrors the absurdities of modern technology-impaired relationships as John and Jane navigate a world filled with missions, all-knowing chatbots and luxurious backdrops. The humour punctuates the drama, striving to turn the violence inherent in their spy lives into a heightened form of dramedy.

As the narrative unfolds, the creators take a page from Sloane and Glover’s playbook, echoing the structural evolution seen in Atlanta. Initially at the forefront, the spy element subtly becomes peripheral, and the relationship takes centre stage. The episodes, named after relationship milestones rather than espionage feats, emphasize the couple’s journey over the covert missions. It’s an intelligent shift that adds layers to the narrative, trying to elevate it from the typical action spy thriller series. What sets Mr. & Mrs. Smith apart is its ability to blend genres seamlessly. It’s a morbid rom-com, a John Wick-inspired gun-fu action fantasy world, and a semi-realistic/serious relationship drama about a couple trying to find their footing balancing their work and family dynamics. 

Mr. & Mrs. Smith thrives on the mystery-of-the-week style, fused with relationship drama-of-the-week elements, introducing a succession of intriguing guest stars and cameos, including Alexander Skarsgård, Eiza Gonzalez, Paul Dano, Wagner Moura, Parker Posey and even Beverly Glover, yes real-life Donald Glover’s mother playing John’s Mom, adding a special pinch of wholesomeness to the world. In many ways, the approach to casting and storytelling is quite reminiscent of another great TV show, Poker Face, starring Natasha Lyonne. 

But the show’s central focus is John and Jane’s real and intimate moments, from a tentative first date to a revealing vacation whose roles and eccentric cameos perfectly intertwine with the heightened reality of Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s spy universe. The format is unpredictable, keeping each episode engaging and ensuring the series doesn’t fall prey to its formulaic traps often associated with this kind of spy/relationship drama. The show immediately takes a satirical turn into the realm of the app-driven rhythm of modern times, portraying John and Jane as a pair of operatives put together by an app and forced by constant notifications into navigating short assignments with the casualness of an Uber-esque spy agency. The company communication is done via a text message AI chatbot app, adding a layer of relatability and dark humour, making every mission feel like another soulless, precarious gig.

The series features an all-star cast of modern prestige television. Long-time Donald Glover collaborator Hiro Murai (Atlanta, Barry, The Bear) directs the first two episodes, and Karena Evans (P-Valley, Snowfall, Dead Ringers) directs two more. Another Glover collaborator and cinematographer of Atlanta, Christian Sprenger, actress, writer and producer Amy Seimetz and Donald Glover direct one episode each. All together with Sloane’s sensitivity as the showrunner, they expertly navigate all the shifts and turns, experimenting with the show’s tone while trying to maintain a captivating, stylish world of original characters, cool settings and immersive situations. 

Off-screen, Mr. & Mrs. Smith made waves with a viral guerrilla marketing campaign, shrouded in secrecy. The campaign fuelled speculation, confusion and frustration, unfolding with a series of seemingly unrelated inexplicable events: a daring art heist at Timothy Goodman’s exhibition, Tyra Banks sandwiched between furries at an NBA game and stand-up comedian Mark Normand’s unexpected stage evacuation mid-set in a small New York comedy club. 

The campaign was documented on the mysterious Instagram page @hi_hi_, later revealed as an extension of the show, where Mr. HiHi turned out to be the all-knowing AI-chatbot-like entity. These real-life incidents sparked massive online speculation, but rather than bringing attention to a stylistic, artistically rich work of elevated TV, these shenanigans only detract from the overall experience. As cool as the show might be, the campaign was cringy, killing the coolness and quality, reducing it to another empty product, a piece of content to go viral and be instantly forgotten. 

As the season concludes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith doesn’t just rely on a simple cliffhanger. It wraps up with a sense of finality, a rarity in the streaming era, leaving us both wanting more. I hope we get more seasons so I can dive back into this exciting world and have more quality time with these characters I fell in love with. The show’s success lies in its unpredictability and ability to craft a story and characters as sexy and mysterious as they are humorous and relatable, leaving me longing for more. ■

Season one of Mr. and Mrs. Smith is now streaming on Prime Video.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

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Montreal restaurant Marcus is never short on party energy, so it’s no surprise that the downtown hotspot is a destination for celebrations of all kinds. Last week we sampled chef Jason Morris’s special menu for Valentine’s Day 2024 at Marcus, and can vouch for the quality and creativity of each course, as well as their bang-on aesthetic finesse.

The three-course dinner features a choice of three mains: grilled lamb with grilled peppers and eggplant puree, striped bass with jumbo shrimp and scallops and rigatoni with mushroom ragout. The appetizer options are foie gras terrine, red tuna carpaccio and roasted beets and horseradish winter salad. The desserts are a fleur lychee grapefruit, billionaire and strawberry pistachio éclair. Wine pairing and a signature cocktail are also available.

For more on the Valentine’s Day 2024 menu at Marcus, please visit the Four Seasons Hotel Montreal website.

For more on the food and drink scene in Montreal, please visit the Food & Drink section.

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The air is thick with romance in Khoa Lê’s documentary Má Sài Gòn (Mother Saigon). Shot in Vietnam and focused on a group of LGBTQ+ youths, Lê’s gaze blossoms with intimacy. Má Sài Gòn is one of the most beautiful documentaries of the past year, with shades of Wong Kar-Wai and a singular, patient vision. By rejecting the solemn authority of talking head documentaries, the film embraces an atmosphere that feels charged with fiction, even if it embraces the spontaneity and naturalism of the real world. 

For casual filmgoers with more rigid ideas about the nature of the documentary, Má Sài Gòn might feel confrontational. Though the various people who pass in and out of the frame are more accurately qualified as “subjects,” they feel more novelesque — the attention to their inner worlds more akin to an author and subject than the traditional non-fiction realm. As a result, the movie blurs an essential line between real and unreal. Rather than confrontational, though, the result is liberating — if not outright empowering — as the various characters (or subjects) who appear onscreen seem to hold onto ownership over their image. It’s a film that manages to channel everyday challenges while also gifting the various subjects an opportunity to bring a dramatic dream world of their imagination to the screen. 

The film contrasts the vibrant inner lives of the subjects with the repressive world they live in. We feel a gap between how they want to be seen (and how they’re viewed by those who love and respect them) and the more conservative Vietnamese society. It’s a film, though, that doesn’t linger too long on violence or oppression, as if resisting the stereotypes of queer art as portraits of pain and suffering. While it doesn’t skirt away from the brutal and often violent realities of many queer people in Vietnam either, the film strikes a careful tone, where violence never overtakes resilience. 

The film adopts a singular perspective that reflects both the subject and the filmmaker. It doesn’t try to portray the world of its characters unfiltered but is purposefully mediated. In this case, the beauty and appreciation for the image feels born out of love and intimacy. One senses the frankness of the discussions and the openness of particular life experiences, an intense trust that allows for unparalleled vulnerability. It’s a rare thing to be able to witness a film of any kind that captures that sense of devotion. It’s a film that uses humour and fantasy to elevate the characters’ gaze, giving them focus and allowing them space to be their authentic selves. 

Má Sài Gòn flourishes as well as a subset of the city symphony film, at least in the broad sense that it aims to capture the bustling magic of Saigon. It’s a film that has a musicality in shooting the urban environment. It evokes the city as a landscape with rhythms and arteries that flow with history, conflict and community. If it doesn’t capture the soul of the city, it captures the heart of Khoa Lê’s vision of Vietnam, defined equally by restriction as it is by liberation. Much of the underlying tension is through the city’s paradoxical nature, as it is a place of expression and beauty, hidden beneath more oppressive and conservative violence (the film’s cinematographer is Mathieu Laverdière, who shot some of the most beautiful Quebec films in recent memory including Solo, The Acrobat and Nuit #1). Even the film’s title alludes to this dual nature, as the mother comes to represent an imagined place of shelter and love while also hinting at complex family situations where acceptance and love can sometimes be conditional — especially for queer people.

Few documentaries in recent years capture the sense of warmth offered by Má Sài Gòn. By avoiding cloying sentimentality, it’s a film that genuinely feels made with love. The cinematographic gaze is informed by more than just adoration but a sense of agency, as the various subjects feel invested in helping shape their vision. Rather than being limiting, this liberating force invites the audience into a parallel inner world often inaccessible to non-fiction. ■

Má Sài Gòn (Mother Saigon) opens in Montreal theatres on Friday, Feb. 2.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

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The bestselling Montreal writer Heather O’Neill is championing fellow Quebecer Catherine Leroux’s intriguing novel The Future on Canada Reads 2024. The great Canadian book debate airs March 4-7.

Streaming guide JustWatch has revealed the top 10 TV shows streaming in Canada. Topping the charts is crime drama series True Detective: Night Country starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis, which is streaming now in Canada on Crave.

“The winter nights in Ennis, Alaska are extensive with little light. The Tsalal Arctic Research station is typically overseen by a group of six men, however they are vanishing without any evidence or indication as to why. The responsibility of unraveling the strange occurrence falls on the shoulders of two investigators, Liz Danvers and Evangeline Navarro. Their mission is to uncover the truth which may be hidden deep beneath the ice. During their quest, they will not only unravel the enigmatic happenings in the most remote corners of the planet but also discover important things about themselves.”

In second and third place are Fargo (FXNOW Canada) and Ted (Global TV).

For previous updates on the top movies and TV shows streaming in Canada, please see our weekly streaming report.

For our latest in film and TV, please visit the Film & TV section.

The post True Detective: Night Country tops streaming charts in Canada appeared first on Cult MTL.

The following capsule review of Snowdon Deli is part of the 2024 Montreal Restaurant Guide. To read the complete issue, please click here.

Snowdon Deli

A perennial mainstay, the definition of an institution and one of the city’s most cherished Jewish eateries, Snowdon Deli has been feeding families in the area since 1946. There’s a lot on the menu here, but you can never go wrong with the Matzo ball soup (as classic as it comes), the club roll (an institution in and of itself), golden latkes or a good ol’ plate of smoked meat. (5265 Decarie)

For more on Snowdon Deli, please visit them on Facebook.

For more on the food and drink scene in Montreal, please visit the Food & Drink section.

The post Montreal Restaurant Guide: Snowdon Deli appeared first on Cult MTL.

Marie-France Beaulieu of the Quebec court ruled Tuesday that the curfew — which forced Quebecers to stay indoors from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. — infringed Charter-protected rights like freedom of expression and lawful assembly, but she said those violations were reasonable and justified given the public health context. 

Canadian freestyle skiing star Mikaël Kingsbury passed alpine legend Ingemar Stenmark with 87 career World Cup wins by capturing moguls gold on Thursday in Deer Valley, Utah.

Fred Jr., whose father Fred the groundhog died last year, has predicted an early spring, despite blowing snow in Val-d'Éspoir, Que., where he lives.

The Montreal Canadiens are likely to be sellers ahead of the March 8 trade deadline and have several assets they could put on the market. 

Centre Sean Monahan is believed to be at the top of their list, having provided consistent offense for the team over the past two campaigns, and has a $2-million cap hit that should prove attractive to multiple outfits around the NHL. Monahan has put together a comeback term in which he’s registered 13 goals and 22 assists in 49 games. He also has the highest faceoff win percentage of any centre on the team at 55%. 

Monahan could not help the Habs get a win against the Pittsburgh Penguins last Saturday — they lost 3-2 in overtime — but he did help them strengthen their case as a selling team. 

Jake Allen had a neat performance in which he made 30 saves, which leaves his trade value intact. But it’s Monahan who’s looking all the more attractive after providing an assist for Juraf Slavkovsky to take his points total to 14 in 13 games for the year, which is a team-high and is tied for 22nd in the league. 

He’s in pretty good company as that total is locked with that of Auston Matthews, Brad Marchand, Clayton Keller, Roope Hintz, Blake Coleman, Sidney Crosby, Jason Robertson, Joel Eriksson Ek, Brock Boeser, Matt Duchene and Victor Hedman. 

There’s plenty of interest in the 29-year-old at the moment, with the New York Rangers among the latest teams mentioned as far as that is concerned. 

With reports surfacing of multiple teams being interested in the Montreal forward, the latest one in the mix on Monahan appears to be the New York Rangers, who have lost third-line centre Filip Chytil to injury.

“I think one of the teams that people are looking at are the New York Rangers,” Elliotte Friedman said of New York’s interest on the weekend. “The Rangers were already looking for a centre, and now they may have to look for two.”

The Canadiens are after a first-round pick in exchange but the frosty relationship between the two sides could make it hard to get a deal over the line. 

“There isn’t a lot of love lost between the two front offices,” Friedman explained, adding that it would be a “complicated deal to do.”

Given that Monahan’s contract will be up in July, the Canadiens could loan him to a contender and sign him back as a free agent should he be open to such a route.

With teams headed into the All-Star break, Monahan will not take to the ice again until the Habs play the Washington Capitals on February 6. Of course, Canadian sports betting sites will offer odds on the contest, as will be the case for the All-Star game.

The Canadiens do have one player representing them: 24-year-old center Nick Suzuki.

As for Monahan, his play this season has been beneficial to both himself and the team but the best way to keep his value trending upward would be to play for a contender and help them make a deep playoff run.

The Canadiens, on the other hand, would do well to continue picking up draft capital and turning them into assets. Having an in-form Monahan is certainly lending to their cause.

It will be interesting to see which other teams will express interest in Monahan as the trade deadline approaches. He could be a valuable addition to any team in need of a reliable centre who can provide consistent offense. Whether or not the Canadiens will be able to get the return they are looking for remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Monahan’s performance this season has put him in a strong position heading into the trade deadline.

It’s worth noting that, while Monahan may be the most attractive asset on the Canadiens roster, he’s not the only one. The aforementioned Jake Allen and forward Joel Armia are also being mentioned in trade rumors.

The Canadiens could potentially get a decent return for these players as well, further bolstering their draft capital and handing them more assets to work with in the future. It remains to be seen what moves the Canadiens will make leading up to the trade deadline, but one thing is certain: change is coming to Montreal.

The post The Montreal Canadiens Are On The Brink of an Overhaul, Boasting One Trump Card That Could Be Key To Their Future appeared first on Cult MTL.

It has been a difficult month and disappointing season for the National Hockey League big guns, the Montreal Canadiens. The team often found contesting the major places in the Eastern Atlantic Division and pushing hard for NHL success has been poor by their lofty standards, giving fans very little to cheer for of late. The Canadiens slipped to a 19th defeat of the season on Tuesday, the team’s third straight loss in less than a week.

Montreal faced the Ottawa Senators in midweek, and despite entering that fixture as the favorite with many bookies and fans, they came up short, adding another hurtful defeat to a growing list of poor results. The Canadiens entered that game eager to stop the rot after suffering back-to-back losses to the Senators last Thursday and then the Boston Bruins at the weekend. Tuesday’s game gave the team a chance to bounce back to winning ways, but they didn’t take it.

Montreal entered Tuesday’s game against the Senators, eager to block an unwanted treble. The squad and coaching staff knew they were in the midst of a cruel run but believed they had the skill and character to pull themselves free and gain a revenge win. It wasn’t to be with Montreal fans watching on in horror as the side slipped to an embarrassing 4-1 defeat. 

It was a game they never looked like winning when the action began, and the final score reflected a comfortable outing for Ottawa. But there were better times ahead for those loyal to the Montreal cause.

Canadiens score a rare win

Following three painful losses on the bounce, Montreal fans grew anxious. They wanted to see more from their team after planning for a strong season spent pushing for the prizes. When playing the New York Islanders on Thursday, everyone connected to the Montreal locker room knew it was a must-win. Confidence was low in the camp, and it was even lower in the crowd, with many fans struggling to endure the Canadien’s ongoing poor form.

Thankfully, there was a rare win to cheer when Montreal beat New York in a seven-goal thriller. Despite entering on the back of three defeats, Montreal delivered a hard-fought but fully deserved win, and the result arrived at the perfect time. The victory came on strong foundations, with Montreal exploding out of the traps to grab a 3-0 win in the first period, stunning their opponents.

New York has endured its fair share of problems and poor form this season, too, but it rolled up its sleeves and responded with a 1-0 win in the second and a 2-1 win in the third. It was an impressive rally and a show of character for the fans, but in the end, it was a case of too little, too late. The Islanders slipped to sixth in the Metropolitan, with Montreal’s season stats now an even split of 19 wins and 19 losses.

Enduring campaign

It’s been an enduring campaign, but life as a Canadiens fan hasn’t always been this hard. The world-famous NHL team has won the Stanley Cup on 24 occasions, first in 1915. That’s a remarkable feat, but their most recent success was in the 1992/93 season, which was a horrible drought for a team with such a rich history. 

To help heal the suffering, let’s reflect on that title-winning season in the early 90s when the going was good. Keep reading as we walk you down memory lane, highlighting how Montreal managed to turn a poor season into a successful one that will live long in the memory. The reason for looking back is to gain confidence and belief for the future. 

Much has changed in Montreal and the NHL since the team’s last success, but the character, ambition, and never-say-die attitude of the Montreal Canadiens live on. Fans hope it returns to the surface someday soon, and they’ll return to winning major titles.

Early struggles

The 1992-93 NHL season for the Montreal Canadiens began with uncertainty. Still, it evolved into a journey that would culminate in one of the most memorable and unexpected Stanley Cup victories in the history of the sport.

Facing a .500 record by December, the Canadiens encountered early-season challenges. However, the team found its stride with the acquisition of Vincent Damphousse, leading to a significant mid-season turnaround. But he wasn’t the only player who hit his stride in the latter stages of the campaign.

Goaltender Patrick Roy emerged as a standout performer during the regular season, showcasing exceptional skills and a remarkable ability to elevate his game when it mattered most.

Securing a playoff berth, the Canadiens faced their arch-rivals, the Quebec Nordiques, in a seven-game series that set the stage for the team’s resilience and determination.

A pivotal moment in the season came in the second round against the Buffalo Sabres, where the Canadiens, led by Roy’s goaltending, orchestrated a historic comeback from a 4-1 deficit to win in overtime.

Finals

The Canadiens faced the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Finals, resulting in a thrilling seven-game series that showcased Montreal’s ability to overcome adversity.

In the Stanley Cup Finals against the formidable Los Angeles Kings, the Canadiens continued their underdog story, with Game 2 and Eric Desjardins’ hat trick marking a turning point in the series.

The pivotal Game 5 at the Montreal Forum saw the Canadiens secure a 4-1 victory, with goals from Guy Carbonneau, Mike Keane, and Brian Bellows, ultimately clinching their 24th Stanley Cup championship.

Legacy

Patrick Roy’s stellar performance throughout the playoffs earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player, cementing his place as a key figure in the Canadiens’ championship run.

The 1993 Stanley Cup-winning season left an indelible mark on the Montreal Canadiens’ legacy. It showcased the team’s resilience, teamwork, and the indomitable spirit that defines playoff hockey. 

The players from that iconic team became legends in Montreal, their victory forever etched in the city’s rich hockey lore.

The post Canadiens Snap Their Losing Streak appeared first on Cult MTL.

Three people were seriously injured Friday morning in an apartment fire in the Pointe-aux-Trembles neighbourhood.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly is making a surprise visit to Ukraine as the two-year anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion approaches.

Quebec has lifted the veil of secrecy around the province’s biggest water users, revealing that billions of litres of water are used in a year by the mining and metal industry, along with pulp and paper manufacturing.

CBC's Dionne Codrington discusses CBC's fourth edition of Black Changemakers. CBC is accepting nominations until March 8.

The school's symphony orchestra is marking its 25th anniversary with a show at the concert hall that's home to the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

More than 430 minors were injured on Montreal streets in 2022, according to data from the city.

Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime advanced to the quarterfinals of the Open Sud de France tennis tournament with a razor-thin 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (4) win over local favourite Arthur Cazaux on Thursday in Montpellier, France.