Local 514

On today’s instalment of Metropolis, host Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks to CUTV video journalist, Aude Simon, about the murder of Abisay Cruz by Montréal police and specifically how it’s been affecting community workers. Aude begins the segment with a clip of her interview with community worker Stephanie Germain. Stephanie shares the profound challenges of building trust with youth in Montreal’s predominantly black and latinx neighbourhoods following the high-profile murder of Abisay Cruz by SPVM on March 30th in Saint-Michel.Aude and Kalden explore how this violent event has intensified existing challenges faced by marginalized communities, deepening skepticism towards the police and other public institutions. For many youth, Cruz’s death underscores a painful history of systemic neglect and mistrust, making efforts to foster meaningful engagement and institutional trust even more difficult. The two speak at length about other cases of black or latino men in and around Montréal who were experiencing mental health crises but were met by the SPVM with deadly force, rather than the health support they needed.Aude highlights a reflection of Stephanie Germain who asserts that we must see police violence, not as a public safety issue, but one about public health. If health crises are met with institutional force then treatment and rehabilitation and paths towards healing will be delayed and even neglected entirely. By shifting the narrative from policing as security to policing as public health, some community workers believe there is potential to rebuild relationships, create safer environments, and foster genuine trust. This discussion stresses that achieving this requires systemic change, investment in community-led initiatives, and a reimagining of how society supports its most vulnerable members. Ultimately, the murder of Abisay Cruz serves as a catalyst for urgent conversations about justice, safety, and healing in Montreal’s Black and Latino communities.

In this interview, Ivory from QPIRG McGill discusses the McGill university’s recent move to threaten the organization’s student funding unless QPIRG McGill severs ties with the Students for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR) group. McGill has issued a formal notice of default on QPIRG’s Memorandum of Agreement (MoA), claiming that QPIRG has violated university policies by maintaining an association with SPHR. This notice threatens to suspend QPIRG’s essential funding if it does not cut all connections to SPHR.Ivory strongly challenges the university’s claims, describing the harassment allegations against SPHR as baseless and unsupported by any legal or institutional finding. They emphasize that neither McGill’s internal tribunals nor any courts have found SPHR in violation of any policies or codes of conduct. Instead, McGill appears to be scapegoating SPHR for misconduct attributed to unidentified individuals, without clear evidence. The inference by McGill seems to be that protests are tantamount to harassment. If this is legislated there is a huge risk to the right to strike and protest across Québec.The university’s demand places QPIRG in a precarious position: either comply and lose a key alliance in student activism or risk losing their funding entirely, which has long been supported through decades of student referendums. Ivory underscores the power imbalance inherent in McGill’s control over student fees via the MoA and highlights how this financial leverage is being used to pressure QPIRG into compliance with unfounded accusations. The conversation sheds light on broader issues of institutional repression of student activism and the politicization of university governance.

Host Kalden Dhatsenpa is joined by returning guest and Executive Director of CUTV, Dru Oja Jay.This episode unpacks six major developments shaping Quebec’s political and social climate. First up, Quebec’s new language regulations under Bill 96, now in effect, require French to occupy more space on commercial signage. This has sparked trade friction with the U.S.. Kalden and Dru untangle the long history of the language debate here in Montreal. Authorities here mistakenly assume that the vital and needed preservation of the french language comes through surveillance.Second, the defection of Nadia Poirier from Québec Solidaire (QS) to the Parti Québécois (PQ) highlights a broader trend: QS’s weakened appeal as it drifts from redistributive politics toward soft sovereignty. As Jay states, if people want sovereingty they’re going with the classic brand, PQ, rather than QS’s new brand of sovereignty.Third, Premier Legault’s proposed Quebec-Newfoundland power line and the creeping privatization of Hydro-Québec ignite resistance across the province. Unions and citizens alike oppose what they see as a threat to affordable energy and public ownership, warning of rising rates and diminished rural access.Fourth, Quebec’s dispatch of firefighting resources to Alberta and Manitoba amid devastating wildfires reveals national solidarity—but also exposes media gaps. While CBC acknowledges climate change as a key driver, outlets like Postmedia largely omit it, reinforcing climate denial through selective framing.Fifth, former Montreal mayor Denis Coderre’s surprise endorsement of Conservative leader Éric Duhaime in a byelection is examined as a tactical, populist maneuver. Coderre, navigating personal and political instability, appears to be courting Quebec’s growing reactionary right.Finally, Tesla’s 90% drop in Quebec registrations this quarter marks a symbolic decline for Elon Musk’s brand in the province. Once a tech status symbol, Tesla’s fall may reflect broader cultural shifts—and the limits of personality-driven loyalty in a volatile political landscape.

With their Montréal book launch approaching, video journalist Kalden Dhatsenpa sits down with Montreal authors Vijay Kolinjivadi and Aaron Vansintjan to discuss the book they have co-authored, The Sustainability Class: How to Take Back the Future from Lifestyle Environmentalists.

The work examines a certain subsection of the population. Environmentalists. Specifically, the ones whose activism lies solely within their consumption habits and maybe even worse, their aesthetics.

Kolinjivadi and Vansintjan describe the archetypes of this class of people and the ways that they manifest themselves in Montreal, often with deleterious effect for working-class population.

Tune in for the full conversation.

It's been a week since the Canadian federal elections. The dust is settling. The Liberals have clawed their way back into governing despite having been down in the polls at the beginning of the year.

How did Montréalers vote? How did the parties fare? and what is next for the metropolis given this new federal context.

Dru Oja Jay and host Kalden Dhatsenpa analyze the results by looking at some key ridings in the city.

Tune in to hear the full discussion on the future of the city.

CUTV attended the Housing Justice Convergence in Montreal for its latest Metropolis episode, covering an event that brought together over 200 participants to address Canada’s housing crisis. Organized by SEIZE, the convergence aimed to unite tenant unions, developers of alternatives, policy experts, funders, and housing advocacy groups to share grassroots perspectives and encourage nationwide collaboration. The event featured over 60 panelists and 33 community partners, creating an opportunity for knowledge exchange and solution-oriented discussions.

Participants came from various cities, including Toronto, New York City, and Victoria, reflecting a broad interest in addressing housing challenges.

The convergence placed a strong emphasis on the communities most impacted by the housing crisis, including immigrants, women, single-parent households, elders, people with disabilities, and victims of domestic violence. Organizers stressed the importance of accurately framing the crisis, as how it is defined could shape policy decisions for years to come.

The panel discussions covered a wide range of topics, including migrant justice, movement building, housing justice and anti-colonial movements, big tech, homelessness, tenant organizing, and accessibility, among others. The event aimed to move beyond identifying the problems to proposing practical solutions and empowering activists to build power for their policy demands ahead of the federal election.

CUTV interviewed several key figures, including Lena, founder of Tenant Rights QC; Olivia, general coordinator of SEIZE; Malcolm, operations coordinator at SEIZE; and Quinn, a tenant organizer and member of SLAM. The interviewees shared tools and strategies for grassroots activism, such as working with media and financing housing projects. Some highlighted successful tenant union initiatives from across the country, and others advised listeners and watchers on how to become more knowledgeable about their rights.

Amidst multiple leadership races across Canadian politics, Montreal's ruling municipal party, Projet MTL, is on the precipice of choosing its next leader. Five candidates believe they are fit to replace Valerie Plante, the party's leader since 2016. Who are they? What are they promising? What could the next era of municipal politics look like in Montreal? Host Kalden Dhatsenpa chats with Dru Oja Jay, publisher at the Breach and CUTV executive director, about this race and the broader municipal context the leader will be entering.

The title of this week's episode is the central question posed by PhD candidate, Concordia public scholar, and tree scientist Alex Pace at “Montréal: 2050: A Climate Haven?”

In this week’s episode of Metropolis host Kalden Rangdröl Dhatsenpa speaks with Alex Pace to uncover what exactly is a “climate haven”, Montréal’s performance in achieving its climate targets, and the ways he hopes his event and others like it can relieve the paralysis of eco-anxiety.

As Alex describes for the show, a climate haven is a city or region safe from the most extreme weather events caused by climate change. Think forest fires, floods, hurricanes and droughts. According to Pace, the term climate haven is met with hesitation by some as its deployment has been seen as a greenwashed tactic by real estate figures who want to greenwash property sales in their neighbourhoods or cities. Alex uses Asheville, North Carolina, as an example of a supposed climate haven devastated by Hurricane Helene in September 2024.

Despite the contention regarding the term, Alex believes it can be a valuable framework to help guide the city toward further building up its capacity to withstand extreme climate events, especially considering some of the more ambitious climate targets set by the municipality in their 2020-2050 climate plan.

Hello, Good Byline is back! CUTV’s very own Aude Simon hops on the mic to talk about her recent coverage of protests organized by Sudanese Montrealers who want provincial and federal governments to help reunite the families currently experiencing violence amidst the war in Sudan.

In 1996, at the National Defence University of the United States, Harlan K. Ullman and James P. Wade developed a military doctrine known as "shock and awe." This strategy relies on overwhelming force and disproportionate displays of power to break an enemy’s will to resist. Organizer, author, and former Amazon employee Mostafa Henaway argues that Amazon has employed a similar tactic in its recent decision to leave Québec entirely.

On today's episode of Metropolis, host Kalden Rangdröl Dhatsenpa speaks with Mostafa Henaway about the corporate giant’s abrupt departure from la belle province. On January 22, 2025, news broke that Amazon Canada had laid off all 1,997 employees across its seven Québec locations. Henaway believes this decision stems from the successful unionization campaign at Amazon’s Laval DXT4 warehouse last May by the CSN (Confédération des syndicats nationaux).

The DXT4 facility was only the second Amazon warehouse in North America to unionize, and it was on track to be the first to secure a collective agreement. Québec’s strong labour standards would have ensured a robust contract for workers, setting a precedent that Amazon may have wanted to avoid.

Amazon, however, denies that the union campaign influenced its decision. Henaway remains skeptical, citing numerous instances in which corporations like Walmart and Couche-Tard have closed unionized locations. He suggests that Amazon’s move is a calculated scare tactic designed to send a clear message to its workers worldwide: the company will not tolerate organized labour.

Watch the full discussion on Metropolis today.

On this episode of Metropolis, host Kalden Rangdröl Dhatsenpa speaks with public health nurse and community organizer Sasha Dyck about the current illnesses spreading around Montréal, the struggles of ongoing vaccination drives since COVID-19, and local politics in the neighbourhood of Parc-Ex.

Kalden Dhatsenpa – Local Journalism Initiative

Sasha Dyck works as a public nurse in the Montréal neighbourhood of Park Extension (Parc-Ex), where he is deeply involved in various community projects. His work focuses on issues regarding food security, tenants' rights, and local school. In 2013, Sasha ran for municipal office and has since coordinated several election campaigns at different levels of government. On today’s episode, we fought Sasha on to discuss the challenges facing public clinics in Montréal, especially when it comes to vaccinations. Sasha explains that the pandemic has disrupted vaccination schedules, leaving many people behind on essential vaccines, particularly the measles vaccine. This delay has contributed to the first significant spread of measles since the 1980s.

Sasha also reflects on the state of housing and politics in Parc-Ex, where residents are feeling the pressure of rising rents and limited affordable housing options. With three elections approaching, there’s potential for significant change in the neighbourhood, and Sasha offers his insights into how local politics might shape the future of the community. From the struggles of public health to the challenges of local governance, this conversation highlights the complex issues affecting Parc-Ex residents today. Tune in to hear more about the pressing challenges facing public health and their political underpinnings in Montreal's most vibrant communities.