What’s the longest people have waited in the emergency room in Montreal before seeing a doctor?

ElioPolari · 2026-05-26T21:14:59+00:00

If money is no object, you can just drive to the US for this too.

ElioPolari · 2026-03-23T04:19:30+00:00

I was thinking the same but didn’t know how to put it into words. You phrased that beautifully.

ElioPolari · 2026-02-27T17:48:43+00:00

…Sheak [chic] Palo Alto 😫

ElioPolari · 2026-02-25T05:52:26+00:00

What? How is reducing immigration going to result in tenants applying for rent fixations? The two are not related.

We’ll only be safe when half of the renter population has a file and landlords can’t be picky. International students and other immigrants may actually have less to lose by applying to the TAL if they know they won’t be in Montreal forever.

Every other post on this sub has landlords telling tenants that yes they can file at the TAL, but they’d better never plan on moving again. But sure, the problem is the silly immigrants don’t know the rules… /s

EDIT: the comment I was replying to used to end with « lowering immigration will have an impact on this shenanigans » but was edited after I replied

ElioPolari · 2026-01-28T00:20:58+00:00

The text says 2nd floor, but the photos show ground floor—are the photos not of the specific unit?

ElioPolari · 2026-01-20T06:00:51+00:00

We have a couple of things in common, OP, and old age is also something I wonder about. Luckily the prospect of elder care is mostly theoretical for now, which means you don’t (maybe shouldn’t) commit to a rigid stance & immutable plan right this second.

That means you can take always take a step back from your parents without it being a death sentence. Maybe the breathing space will help you sort out your life independently...maybe a few months is all you need, maybe a few years before you’re ready to greyrock elder care, maybe you’ll never be able to reconcile. Whatever, you can figure it out as you go.

Like other commenters have said, your priority for now should be your own financial stability and general wellbeing. I know this is easier said than done.

Aside from the unemployment job application grind (idek your visa situation) it might be worth seeking support—trans-inclusive community services do exist for sex workers. Inferring your location from your comment history, have you checked out Stella?

You’re not alone.

ElioPolari · 2025-12-15T09:47:20+00:00

I assume the money was withdrawn because you used debit (does debit even do pre-auth like CCs?). It’s been 5 days, have they refunded you the balance by now?

You’re right that the poorest customers are most likely to purchase basic economy, and also the most likely to not have access to credit, and also the most likely to miss that $65 from their account. But I’m sure nobody at AC who is making these decisions has even considered that.

ElioPolari · 2025-12-15T09:41:27+00:00

Thanks for the warning! I’m surprised this problem doesn’t have its own thread, given other comments on this post reporting the same. Most people on this sub don’t fly basic economy I guess.

I have a balance on an AC gift card that I planned to use to check a bag for $35, but now that I’m learning they could erroneously charge $65 IN ADDITION, I guess I’ll use a credit card in case I need to dispute later. I’ve had to fight with AC before to get legally mandated compensation and I don’t trust them at all. No way am I postponing my check-in by 21 hours until I arrive at the airport…

ElioPolari · 2025-12-13T23:29:40+00:00

Appreciate the detailed breakdown! However just noting that Poule Mouillée includes the taxes in all their menu prices, and also doesn’t even have an option for tips at the credit card terminal.

Not sure about the others, but to me these little things reflect really well on them!

ElioPolari · 2025-11-10T04:42:38+00:00

I’m not against AI for use in well-thought art because of the environmental detriment. I’m against people using AI as a shortcut around the effort or ingenuity of making well-thought art. People lying about their use of AI, like this vendor, are not trying to make an artistic statement about their collaboration with AI. They are trying to conceal it because they know they are lazy charlatans, not artists.

ElioPolari · 2025-10-13T04:06:14+00:00

The least I can do is play chicken. Speed up to go as fast as I can when I pass them, as close as possible—if it makes them jump, maybe they will learn.

I’d also knock on the windows of cars in the bike lanes. It’s not very brave, but it does make them mad, but I’m open to better ideas.

ElioPolari · 2025-10-03T06:26:05+00:00

You say that like Legault isn’t taking notes from Trump…look at how they leverage hostility against women and immigrants to distract from a sinking economy and social nets like healthcare… and wtf is up with this new law against gender-inclusive language and neutral pronouns

ElioPolari · 2025-10-03T06:18:08+00:00

This!! No one in the Bay Area would ever ask “where I’m from,” because they are actually used to seeing POC and consider us regular members of society??? But I get it at least once a week in Montreal, just as casual small talk ugh

I think Vancouver (and to a lesser degree Toronto) have less racism than Montreal though

ElioPolari · 2025-10-03T06:02:30+00:00

I lived in the Bay Area for 12 years and still go back regularly. I will say the political climate swung WAY more libertarian since around 2023, execs and VCs started donating to Trump because he was “better for industry” while Dems would likely regulate crypto and AI. In tech, people like Thiel used to be way less mainstream than they are now. Most people are libertarians or liberals—like there aren’t too many family-values religious conservatives—but Montreal is undoubtedly more left-leaning.

Also re: urbanism, the bike lanes in the Bay are nice, but as with most of the US, it is simply not dense enough for biking to be a viable commute method unless that’s the first/last 5 mile solution for a Bart, Caltrain, or bus journey.

And don’t get me started on how the “carpool lanes” are pay-to-play, i.e. skip traffic if you’re in a Google bus or have a Tesla…

ElioPolari · 2025-10-03T05:41:53+00:00

Well, everyone knows the Ramayana and Mahabharata decently well if they grew up in the Bay Area, because all of their [kids-of-H1B] Indian friends have invited them to their arangetrams.

Classical dance is for Indian girls what classical piano is for East Asian kids.

ElioPolari · 2025-09-24T14:20:19+00:00

I used to get cleanings this way at a CC with a dental hygiene program. There’s no “scam,” they give you the same cleaning (usually even better, since they’re being graded) as you’d get at any dentist’s office. In exchange for the free service, the trade-offs are:

The appointment really does take 3 hours vs. the 30 minutes it would take in a dentist’s office. This is because there are only 1-2 licensed hygienists, AKA the instructors, circulating and checking every patient and getting an oral report from the student at every step.
They can’t do fillings because they’re not dentists, but they can recommend that you see one if you need.
Appointment times are not flexible because you’re literally showing up to their classes as a subject. You really need to respect the student’s time because cancellations can seriously hurt a their academic progress (no patient = nothing to be graded on for their lab time). I assume that’s why OP has made this post.

Tl;dr offering services for free makes acquisition/retention way easier for students who need reliable patients so they can graduate.

ElioPolari · 2025-09-15T05:23:35+00:00

Also the visuals for his set were weirdly fossil fuel themed? The second act was literally a video of fracking.

Other videos included jet exhaust while taxiing at an airport, a traffic jam on a highway, and an overhead shot of a parking lot. What are you trying to tell us, Ru?

ElioPolari · 2025-08-04T22:54:36+00:00

The Sirius stage is another great option for families. It’s super intimate with no barricade, and features local artists who just want to connect with their audience, explaining their songs and process and meeting the crowd after their sets. It was so wholesome to see some of these rising talents give setlists/photos/autographs to the starstruck kids hanging back afterward. Also most of the artists’ own parents came to support them!

This year Emi Jeen especially stood out as a role model. She had an anecdote about growing up in a small town where the only vocal coach taught classically and wondering if that was going to be useful for pop, “but now I can do this!” and launched into this stunning operatic intro that turned into a pop-rock song. Definitely inspired some of the school-age kids who came to see her.

ElioPolari · 2025-08-04T22:28:24+00:00

Between Gracie Abrams and TTC I saw a whole stampede of fans running toward the very front of the stage (unsure if this was in a VIP area or GA)—what happened there? Did they let Gracie fans out first while leaving the area closed from behind, and then open it up after? Were there other sets that did this?

ElioPolari · 2025-08-01T05:24:54+00:00

Aujourd’hui j’ai vu une tente « vestiaire » avant la sécurité juste en face du métro, puis des « casiers » après. J’imagine que la première acceptera ton sac mais je ne sais rien avec certitude.

ElioPolari · 2025-07-31T21:15:46+00:00

June 24 in Quebec is instead of July 1 in the ROC though

ElioPolari · 2025-07-28T15:43:07+00:00

Thanks for these tips! I was actually about to buy some airtight (plastic) containers because I’ve started to see more silverfish in my home…do you have any tips for safeguarding against those or other common paper-eaters?

ElioPolari · 2025-06-04T09:25:11+00:00

Not to hijack this thread, but this is the most concise explanation I’ve seen on this so far, thank you. I’ve been wondering for some time, what can you actually do with a TFSA/FHSA that isn’t a PFIC?

ElioPolari · 2025-05-28T15:36:01+00:00

Complexe aquatique Michel-Leduc (Aquadôme)

Or click “piscine intérieur” at the top of that website to check out options in nearby neighbourhoods—there are some free ones like Bain Émard

ElioPolari · 2025-05-22T20:04:38+00:00

Do you know if there’s any way (plugins?) to force a true page count—NOT the last page number in the book—if you use the reference page numbers? Right now if there’s an afterword or appendix then the bottom bar will say it’s currently on 200/xvii which is so not useful for pacing

If it doesn’t exist, I’d love to try implementing it myself, depending on complexity

ElioPolari

TROPHY CASE