This weekend, we’ve got a whole agenda of things to do in Montreal – even if the snow that fell this week (23cm!) turned into slush, and even if we weren’t 100% ready for this start of winter that came a little too early.
We saw cyclists doing a kind of figure skating that should frankly become an Olympic sport, cars sliding just a little too close to the stop line at cross intersections on the Plateau and high heels disappearing ankle-deep into snow banks. But that didn’t stop us.
And, in much the same way, we won’t be stopped by the bus and metro drivers’ strike that has been announced -but not quite confirmed- by the STM, for the two days of this weekend . It is very, very possible that on November 15 and 16, 2025, no bus or metro will operate in Montreal.
What we know about this new strike…
Let’s start by saying that the STM maintenance workers’ strike is over – at least for now.
An agreement hasn’t yet been negotiated between the union and STM management for maintenance workers’ pay, but the passage of Bill 14 (which blocks the union on strike notice) is forcing them into a walkout in the hope that the law will be struck down and they can get back to the bargaining table with the STM soon.
However, the strike notice filed by bus and metro drivers is still active.
If the metro and bus drivers and their union don’t reach an agreement by this date, Montreal’s public transport system will probably come to a complete standstill this weekend, November 15 and 16.
According to Info Grève, the STM’s strike communications service, “if the strike is confirmed, the metro doors will be locked and service will only resume on Monday November 17 at 5:30 am. […] bus service would end on Saturday November 15 at 4 a.m. and resume on Monday November 17 at 4 a.m. “
Our recommendations for this weekend…
This weekend, we recommend -if possible- going back to basics and treating our Montreal neighborhood like a village. After all, there’s nothing more transgressive in a big city (or more European, for those who spent the summer in Paris or Vienna and want to regain their summer muscle tone)…
Against all odds, we recommend a good heart, and this weekend, we’re going;
- watch holiday movies to get the season off to a good start
- pick up a coffee to go at the café where there’s always a line, stand in line, drink coffee and take pictures of the most aesthetically pleasing trees in the neighborhood
- sit on our stoop and chat with a neighbor, just like in the movies
- sign up for a creative workshop for the next few weeks, when we’re mobile (and inspired)
- make a Bucket List for the season
Good luck to all!