[caption id="attachment_14509" align="alignleft" width="639" caption="The evolution of Montreal's "metropolitan census area" as defined by the Federal government. From Collin et al. (2003), From City to City-Region: Historical Perspective on the Contentious Definitions of the Montreal Metropolitan Area"][/caption] I realize now this could (and should probably) have been my very first post under this heading, as I have more or less taken for granted in previous posts that the definition of the "urban region" (or the "metropolitan region") was self-evident. Clearly, it isn't so - no ...

[caption id="attachment_14160" align="alignleft" width="603" caption="Graffiti sur un des lampadaires du Quartier international, qui est toujours là même s'il a été signalé il y a plus d'un an"][/caption]     La Ville avec un "V" majuscule est souvent perçue, d'abord et avant tout, comme un "fournisseur de services publics", c'est-à-dire une entité publique responsable principalement de nettoyer, entretenir et déneiger (dans le cas de Montréal) les espaces de voirie; d'assurer la libre circulation des personnes et des biens, de fournir des services d'égouts et d'aqueduc ainsi que de faire respecter la loi et ...

Mon père est né en 1944, il n’est donc pas techniquement un baby-boomer. Mais alimentairement parlant, c’est tout comme: il a vécu, avec les Québécois et Montréalais qui ont eu conscience des bouleversements de la révolution tranquille et de l’Expo 67, une incroyable épopée culinaire. Gilles Thibert est né à St-Jude, près de St-Hyacinthe, mais il a grandi à Ste-Martine, près de Châteauguay - un village tout à fait banal. L’enfance culinaire de mon père, elle, ne l’a pas été, puisque ma grand-mère avait ...

[caption id="attachment_13480" align="alignleft" width="578" caption="Wal-Mart store recently closed somewhere in the U.S.. Photo by Brave New Films. Source: Flickr"][/caption] Considering that the SAQ announced last June that it would close two of its smaller outlets in the Southwest borough of Montreal (presumably to open up larger outlets in other parts of town or the suburbs), it may seem surprising to hear that other chains, such as Rona, are actually in the process of closing big box outlets to open up smaller stores instead. Yes, that's ...

[caption id="attachment_13373" align="alignleft" width="600" caption="Migratory flows of people registered with the RAMQ within the Greater Montreal region, 2000-2009. Source: Institut de la statistique du Québec, data processed by the MMC  (from the Montréalités urbaines website)"][/caption] I have to say I find the  phenomenon of "francophone flight" (to be a bit provocative) certainly very intriguing and also a little bit disturbing - it does seem strange to me that we hear so many complaints about the fact that Montreal becoming "less francophone" (which is true, ...