Al Sciola

3 days ago | mtlblog.com | Al Sciola

If it feels like a trip to the emergency room in Quebec takes all day, you're not alone. And while the province's long hospital wait times are not exactly breaking news, a new report shows just how much worse the wait is here compared to the rest of the country. According to fresh data from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI), the median ER stay in Quebec is now 5 hours and 23 minutes — the longest in Canada by a long shot.

4 days ago | mtlblog.com | Al Sciola

If you rely on the Société De Transport De Montréal (STM) to get around, brace yourself: a wave of service disruptions is set to hit Montreal's public transit system from June 9 to 17, as maintenance workers begin a multi-day strike. According to a document released by the province's labour tribunal, métro and bus service across the island will be reduced to three limited windows per day — except for the Grand Prix weekend, when full service will resume temporarily.

4 days ago | mtlblog.com | Al Sciola

Quebec's food inspection agency has been busy, and for some restaurants and food shops in Montreal, that's not exactly good news. According to a recent batch of decisions published by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of Quebec (MAPAQ), two establishments located in Montreal's Villeray—Saint-Michel—Parc-Extension borough have each been hit with more than $6,000 in fines so far in 2025. The penalties stem from hygiene and sanitation violations uncovered during routine inspections.

4 days ago | mtlblog.com | Al Sciola

François Legault may be the premier of Quebec, but a new poll suggests he's viewed more favourably outside the province than within it. According to fresh polling by Pollara Strategic Insights, Legault has a +1 net impression score outside Quebec, compared to a -10 rating within his home province. This makes him one of only two premiers in Canada — alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford — who are more popular nationally than locally. In Quebec, Legault's perception appears to have soured.

5 days ago | mtlblog.com | Al Sciola

McGill University has kept its global prestige intact — but many of Canada's top schools can't say the same. In the newly released 2025 Global 2000 university rankings by the Center for World University Rankings (CWUR), McGill held steady at 27th place worldwide, maintaining a score of 87.2.That makes the Montreal institution the second-highest ranked university in Canada, behind the University of Toronto (23rd).