Montreal has an odd little tradition of rioting after major victories during the NHL playoffs. Usually it is after winning the Stanley Cup, but this time, the riots began after the first round of playoffs. Thousands of jubilant fans poured out of the Bell Centre and began celebrating in the streets after the Montreal Canadiens defeated their arch-rivals the Boston Bruins 5-0 in game 7 of the conference quarter-finals. A little after midnight, I became aware of the riots finishing up downtown. Naturally, I went down to have a look-see, and here are the results. A burnt-out police cruiser at the corner of...

Ben's Deli

author: EvilGentleman : Montreal, QC

Sometimes, landmarks do not survive. This is the unfortunate case with Ben's Deli, one of Montreal's best-known and beloved smoked meat deli restaurants. Founded in 1908, Ben's was a Montreal institution that generated so much devotion from their clientele, that many previous attempts to buy the building and tear it down, in order to develop the extremely valuable downtown real estate it sits on, were met with protests and outrage. For years, Ben's held the real estate developers at bay, a little island of the old Montreal surrounded by office towers. In the end, it was the unions that did Ben's in. Unable...

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?

author: EvilGentleman : Montreal, QC

Found this window display that emulates the old RCA Victor logo downtown on Stanley Street near the Peel Metro station. It's in the window of the Odyssey Used Book Store.

Spring Has Sprung!

author: EvilGentleman : Montreal, QC

While wandering around downtown this past Monday, I spotted this first flower of the season poking out of the ground next to the Christ Church Cathedral on University Avenue. What a relief it was, after such a snowy winter.

Benny Farm: The Future Site of the Benny Square Condos

author: EvilGentleman : Montreal, QC

I passed by the Benny Farm area yesterday to have a look and see what had changed since my last visit. The original buildings that faced Benny Avenue are gone now, with only 4250 Benny and the one immediately to the left of it (which I went inside here) still remaining. What I saw broke my heart. CONDOS! I knew they were coming, but to actually see the signs there somehow made it official. The Benny Square logo Some of the original buildings still stand in the background. The signage company was installing banners when I was there. You can see one laid out...

The Destruction of Benny Farm

author: EvilGentleman : Montreal, QC

Last November, I drove by the Benny Farm complex and saw that they have demolished some of the buildings on Benny Avenue that I explored here. The basements of the old buildings are being removed. The demolished buildings are circled in red on this map from Google Earth. web link

Poulet Frit à La Kentucky

author: EvilGentleman : Montreal, QC

Located at the corner of Provost and 11th Avenue in the borough of Lachine is this Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise, with its original signage still intact. Most of them have the modernised KFC (PFK in Quebec) signage. The bucket sign is getting harder and harder to find these days, as well. This one may be rusty, but at least it still stands. web link