Local 514

On today's episode of Metropolis, we discuss what kind of policies we expect from a Pierre Poilievre led government. Host Kalden Dhatsenpa, Dru Oja Jay and new journalist and filmmaker Katherine Ottawa-Nequado discuss the policy expectations of a conservative government.

Filmmaker Katherine Ottawa-Nequado discusses the policy expectations regarding immigration, housing, media, and indigenous issues.

With Justin Trudeau resigning as the Prime minister and as the leader of the Liberal Party, all eyes are on Pierre Marcel Poilievre and the Conservative Party of Canada.

Poilievre has been an MP since 2004 and the leader of the Conservative Party since 2022. Some say that he has brought Trump-style approaches to Canadian politics. If elections were held today the Conservatives would win by a huge supermajority, Canada 338 is currently projecting 237 seats for the Conservatives led by Pierre Poilievre. Well ahead of the 172 needed to form a majority.

A majority Conservative government would represent a total break from the last 9 years of federal policy. The liberals have long touted themselves as champions of immigration. Though recently immigration targets have been reduced by 20%. Expect more of this with Pierre Poilievre. Poilievre has not been afraid to use inflammatory language when discussing issues of immigration. At one rally he said that they would "screen adequately to stop terrorists and others that are against our Canadian values from coming into our country"

The language here is very telling, it supposes a significant enough number of immigrants that are coming into Canada are actually terrorists. Or that the risk is high because the border is too porous. This kind of rhetoric is commonplace for right-wing parties around the world. We even see some liberal and left parties begin to fall into the gravity of such rhetoric.

Metropolis Wraps Up 2024: A Year in Review

As December arrives, Metropolis closes the year with its final episode for 2024. Host Kalden Dhatsenpa revisits the biggest stories shaping Montréal over the past year, joined by regular contributor Dru Oja Jay, publisher at The Breach and executive director of CUTV. Together, they reflect on pivotal events that defined the city’s landscape.

Tragedy at the Old Port: A Housing Crisis Exposed

The episode begins with one of the most heartbreaking stories of the year: the devastating fire at the Old Port that claimed the lives of 43-year-old Léonor Geraudie and her seven-year-old daughter, Vérane Reynaud-Geraudie. This was the second fatal fire in two years at a building owned by Emile Benamour.

The previous incident, in March 2023, engulfed a building used as an illegal ghost hotel with rooms lacking windows and fire safety measures, resulting in seven deaths. These tragedies underscore systemic issues within Montréal’s housing crisis, highlighting how negligent landlords profit while skirting safety regulations. “These aren’t isolated incidents—they expose a deeper failure of enforcement and accountability at both the provincial and city levels,” Dru remarked, emphasizing the urgent need for reform.

Anti-NATO Protests and Political Fallout

Another major story of 2024 was the Anti-NATO protest that gained international attention. While such demonstrations are a hallmark of Montréal’s activist culture, this event stood out. Dru noted the broader context of growing skepticism toward NATO amidst the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict.

The protest also became a political flashpoint when Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre falsely labelled it a “Hamas takeover” of Montréal streets, a claim designed to inflame right-wing rhetoric and discredit Prime Minister Trudeau. Kalden and Dru condemned such misrepresentation, highlighting the dangerous polarization it fosters.

A Political Bellwether: By-Election Shifts

The defeat of the Liberals in the federal by-election for Lasalle–Émard–Verdun was another headline event. The Bloc Québécois emerged victorious in a tight three-way race against the Liberals and the NDP. This result may signal shifting dynamics ahead of the federal election slated for October 2025.

Missing from the by-election narrative, however, was the Conservative Party of Canada’s growing traction in Montréal’s English-speaking ridings. The CPC’s strategic campaigning and increased turnout in these areas suggest they are positioning themselves for further gains.

A New Chapter for Montréal: Mayor Plante Steps Down

The announcement that Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante will not seek re-election in the November 2025 municipal race was another defining moment. Kalden and Dru reflected on her tenure, from her focus on sustainable urban development to her challenges in addressing housing and public transit issues.

Attention now shifts to the emerging frontrunners poised to lead Projet Montréal. As the city prepares for a new era, questions linger about the direction its leadership will take.

Looking Ahead to 2025

As the year ends, Montréal stands at a crossroads. With significant political shifts, ongoing social challenges, and the anticipation of federal and municipal elections, 2025 promises to be transformative.

Stay tuned to Metropolis for in-depth coverage and analysis as Montréal continues to evolve. What stories will define the year ahead? Only time will tell.

Welcome back to Metropolis!

In this episode, host Kalden Dhatsenpa sits down with Felix Fuchs, a returning guest, labour expert, and professor, to discuss the current labour disputes affecting Montreal. Their conversation dives into recent labour developments, focusing on strikes at Canada Post and broader issues surrounding public services and workers’ rights.

Fuchs reflected on last December’s Common Front strikes, during which educators and other public sector workers resisted government austerity measures. "It’s not just about pay," he explained. "It’s about creating better working conditions so we can serve society better."

He shared updates on the Common Front’s achievements, including increased support for early-career teachers, pay raises, and strengthened future negotiation strategies, particularly through their collaboration with Dawson College’s union efforts.

The discussion then shifted to the ongoing postal workers’ strike against Canada Post. Since November 14, 2024, over 50,000 postal workers have been on strike, demanding better and safer working conditions, wage increases to match inflation, and improved group benefits such as medical coverage, disability leave, and paid medical leave.

The strike has drawn mixed reactions from Canadians, including Montreal residents. Some businesses have called for government intervention, though no action has been taken yet.

Fuchs criticized portrayals of strikers as disruptive or greedy, emphasizing that many are simply fighting to maintain a decent standard of living amid rising inflation. He also highlighted how management’s push to hire contractors for weekend deliveries reflects a concerning trend toward precarious gig-economy jobs, undermining union efforts and job security for workers.

"Unions are a tool we can all use to make things better," Fuchs stated, underscoring the positive societal changes unions have driven—from securing maternity leave to establishing minimum wage laws. He urged listeners to view unions as essential to building a more equitable society, especially in an era when public services are often run like businesses.

Fuchs concluded by encouraging Montrealers to reframe labour disputes as collective investments in stronger public services for everyone. "Public services shouldn’t be treated like businesses," he insisted. "They’re about serving the community and improving lives."

On today’s episode of Metropolis, host Kalden Dhatsenpa speaks to Duha Elmardi, a Sudanese activist who is a core member of the Sudan Solidarity Collective, about the underreported conflict in Sudan which at the time of writing is the largest displacement crisis in the world with over 14 million displaced. Since April 2023, two military forces, The SAF and RSF have been warring in Sudan. This conflict is often reported as a civil war but Duha tells us that term is inaccurate in describing the conflict.

“There are no good guys”. Duha instead considers the conflict as a “counter-revolutionary war”. As Duha states, since the 2019 revolution that led to the ousting of Omar al-Bashir, Sudan’s head of state for the last 30 years, military factions and foreign powers have been invested in suppressing popular will regarding the future of the nation. Duha singles out the sidelining of the “Revolutionary Charter for Establishing People’s Power” as evidence that the conflict is counter-revolutionary. This document was drafted by 8,000 neighbourhood committees. An impressive feat of organizing by itself.

Duha makes a special note of Canadian influences in this conflict. Specifically, of the role that a Montreal-based PR firm had in securing funding and military equipment for the anti-democratic Sudanese military. The firm, Dickens & Madsen also was responsible for whitewashing General Mohamed Hamdam Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the commanders of the notorious RSF militia group. This deal reveals the interwoven nature of colonial institutions and oppressors.

Watch the full episode to hear the discussion on Sudan’s crisis.

November is upon us, and so is another episode of Metropolis! Montreal’s premier political talk show where current events and their impacts on the lives of Montrealers are discussed. On this episode released NOVEMBER X, 2024. Kalden Dhatsenpa and guest Katia Lo-Innes discuss the recent election of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States of America, the closure of Concordia’s Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, the Jacques Cartier Bridge

 banner drop by environmentalist activists, and Valerie Plante announcing that she will not be seeking re-election after the end of this current term as Montreal’s mayor. 

American presidential elections, perhaps more than any other country, affect the world in a myriad of ways. That of Donald Trump is very likely to shift the political scene once again as it had during his first mandate as president from 2016 to 2020. Katia and Kalden discuss the ways that Trump style politics have infiltrated the Canadian political scene through Poilievre’s cloud and brash approach to politics. What does the election of Donald Trump signal about Canada’s coming elections? 

On October 22, two environmental activists with the Antigone collective, and Last Generation Canada were arrested for mischief as they climbed the suspenders and towers of Montreal’s Jacques Cartier Bridge. Their action stopped traffic for hours as they unfurled a banner that read “Oil is Killing Us” written in both english and french. Katia and Kalden discuss the action, the underlying logic of the action, as well as the strong opposition to this protest by elected provincial officials. one of whom called it “reprehensible.” 

Valerie Plante made waves for being the first female mayor of Montréal when she and Projet MTL won a sweeping municipal campaign back in 2017. After 7 years in office Plante has announced that she will not be seeking re-election at the next municipal election set for November 2025.  Praised for her work transforming and beautifying the city Plante has been a welcome change of pace to the corruption that usually befalls Montreal’s mayoral past. Though her record is far from spotless. Katia and Kalden reflect on her successes and failures as mayor. 

All this and more on Metropolis!

Ali Salman and host Kalden Dhatsenpa discuss the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and some of its most recent shifts, and the repression of pro-Palestine activists by academic and municipal institutions.

Gavin Armitage-Ackerman and host Kalden Dhatsenpa discuss the state of housing as well as the city of Montréal’s plan to build an ambitious 207,000 units of housing by 2050. Are they being over ambitious? Is it a fantasy? Watch the full episode to hear the discussion.

It's with a heavy heart for us to announce that this will be the last episode of Metropolis. In our concluding episode, we bring on Lital Khaikin, a freelance journalist and author based in Montréal, to discuss social and health services in the neighbourhood which are rapidly disintegrating due to gentrification. And on Hello Good Bylines we have Savanna Craig to chat about the hunger strike going on at McGill University. Thanks to everyone over the last few months for tuning in and supporting our show!

On today's very special episode of Metropolis, we are bringing you a candid conversation with Dru Oja Jay and our host Kalden Dhatsenpa about a flurry of Montreal news. Join us to hear about the recent airbus strike, Valérie Plante's concerns with the lack of public transit budget, and why real estate developers in Montreal are getting a break?

elcome back to Metropolis! This week we've got Dru Oja Jay back on to talk about car thefts in Montreal and Denis Coderre's intention to hold onto Bill 21 and maintain secularism in Quebec. Next, Kalden and Dru get into a discussion about Quebec's other Denis — filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, delving into Dune's inspiration and influences and the state of the working-class artist.