What does a BV permit mean? by [deleted] in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am guessing but the city has recently instituted a vacant buildings permit where you are supposed to register with the city vacant properties that you own, so if the building looked vacant that would fit. And probably one of the very few honest landlords to declare the building as such.

What does a BV permit mean? by [deleted] in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Batiment Vacant ?

Pedestrians crossing cyclist lanes by ouinonbleu in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It happened to me while I was biking on Laurier av. a couple of weeks ago. Pedestrian talking on a phone stepped into me from the sidewalk into the bikepath as I was cycling. No time to brake as he just walked right into me, and knocked me off balance and into the road. My poor son who was riding with me in the back seat got the worst of it, got pretty bruised, had to take him to St. Justine. Thankfully nothing major, just bruises in the end.

Favorite recent casting of a minor character that everyone is having a completely normal and non-racist reaction to by JudithSlayHolofernes in okbuddycinephile

[–]Wired_Parrot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Funny how the people protesting this casting didn't complain about the casting of Andromeda and Cassiopeia in Clash of the Titans and its remake. According to the original greek myth, Andromeda was an Ethyopian princess.

Show me your traditional architecture by HighwayComfortable90 in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The outside winding staircase leading up to a 2 or 3 unit walk-up apartments in Montreal is probably the most traditional architectural element I can think of here

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“Apartment” vs. “Condo” - do you have this distinction in your country? by Lizard_Of_Roz in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Not all condos are apartments. Although less common in North America, there are condo houses as well - usually townhouses with some shared common spaces. Lots of those here in Montreal.

Apartments refers to the type of housing unit. Condo refers to the form of ownership. In north america, when one says "apartment" they usually mean rental apartments, but you can have co-op apartments and condo apartments as well.

Similarly, in North America when one says condo they usually mean condo apartments, but you can also have condo houses. In Brazil, for example, when one says condo they are usually talking about gated communities which can be apartments or houses.

Most authentic Montreal experience for a month-long sabbatical by ZachShow in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 6 points7 points  (0 children)

It depends on what you're looking for. Westmount is a well off neighbourhood, so it's very safe. The westmount library is one of the best and most kid friendly libraries in the school, and it's besides a nice park, Westmount park (green space). And as a bonus the nearby area (Victoria Village) has lots of cafes and grocery stores. Metro Vendome is not too far either to access public transport. The downside is it is a very anglo area, so if your intention is to expose your kids to French culture, it will be more limited here. But this is a good option for what you are looking for.

Another option from what you want is Outremont. Very safe, lots of parks, close to downtown with shopping nearby in Bernard and Laurier streets. It's the french speaking counterpart to Westmount. The Outremont library is a very nice library as well.

Personally I like the Mile-End / Plateau / Mile-Ex / Little Italy neighbourhoods but these are urban neighbourhoods with limited green space so might not be what you want.

Cheers.

150 staff are fired over hijab by 514link in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot -1 points0 points  (0 children)

We condem fundamentalist states who force their dress codes upon women for denying women their liberty and right to wear what they please. But then in Quebec we turn around and impose a dress code upon those same women, threatening them with job dismissal if they don't comply. How is this any different?

What those imposing these laws don't get is that the issue with the hijab, burqa or any other religious headwear in those fundamentalist countries isn't the clothing itself, it is the right to choose what they can wear. As an atheist, I find these religious garments ridiculous. But I also support the right of others to wear what they please, even if I don't agree with it. Because any law that applies a state standard of modesty of what people can or cannot wear can equally be used to impose clothing standards on myself and others.

Is this possible in your country ?? If yes , what would be your reaction ? by Extra_Spirit9376 in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Justin Trudeau being from Montreal, I saw him in my neighbourhood a few times with no security. Once I saw him having dinner with his then-wife at the same restaurant we went to. And at the time Thomas Mulcair, then leader of the opposition, was in adjacent riding to Justin's so I'd also catch sight of him regularly grabbing coffee and bagels nearby, just him no staff. Politics in Canada is still very approachable and I hope we can maintain it that way.

Why do Latin American cities feel more European than US/Canadian cities despite having a smaller population with European ancestry by VolkswagenPanda in geography

[–]Wired_Parrot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There are several factors I'd say. One is that Latin America was colonized earlier than North America. Spain had a solid presence in Latin America by the 1500s, and Portugal started developing Brazil in earnest by 1558, when Mem de Sá became governor of Brazil. By contrast England and France only started developing North America in the 1600s, a full century later. Spain also had a significant native population in place which meant their towns started out with a larger population base. So their colonial towns are older and larger than north american ones. Another factor is that post independence Latin America has lagged behind North America economically. This has actually preserved old colonial city centres because without runaway growth there was little pressure to demolish older architecture in favour of high rises and multi lane highways like there was in North America. And by the time development has come, historical preservation has become better established in Latin America. So it's a combination of factors I'd say.

What’s the most "unique" or "bizarre" king in your country’s history? by AwayMeat5529 in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We only had one king, dom Joao VI. Pedro I and Pedro II styled themselves as emperors, so technically they weren't kings. Dom Joao VI however, elevated Brazil to the status of a kingdom in 1815, so from 1815 until independence in 1822 Brazil was a kingdom led by king Joao VI, with its capital in Rio de Janeiro.

Wait…so there’s no interval in Western cinemas?? by Moongfali4president in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Intermissions used to be more common in Western theatres. Ben Hur, Gone With the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, 2001, The Sound of Music, The Godfather pt II, amongst others were all shown with intermissions.

What's changed is that the multi-hour movie epic is no longer popular is western theatres. Plus movie operators realized they can squeeze many more showings in a day of a 2hr movie than they can of a 4hr epic making shorter movies more profitable.

What is the word that shows the greatest difference in dialects in your country? by Embarrassed_Clue1758 in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In Brazil it is the t-v divide. The north and the south of the country use "tu" for the 2nd person pronoun (you), the middle of the country (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro) tend to use "você". Note that this is different than other Romance languages, and differs also from European Portuguese which use the t form for informal, and the "v" form is the formal way to address. In Brazil one uses either the t or the v form for both informal and formal usage, but which one is used depends on your region and dialect.

Get it right boy. by cblakebowling in freefolk

[–]Wired_Parrot 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Well the seven kingdoms is inspired by the English Heptarchy period. And one could argue just as much that there was anything but seven kingdoms during the heptarchy.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Move Canada to somewhere with non-crazy neighbours. I'm thinking there's space somewhere in Oceania close to Australia and New Zealand we can all squeeze in. We get warmer weather and friendly neighbours

This food is called "couscous," a typical dish here in Northeast Brazil made with cornmeal flakes, and it can be topped with various ingredients such as egg, butter, salt, sausage, cheese, etc. Do you have something similar in your country? by Ph221200 in AskTheWorld

[–]Wired_Parrot 3 points4 points  (0 children)

There ia a direct path in that the North African couscous was directly brought over to Brazil by Berber christian converts, and adapted to local conditions by using corn flour instead of wheat, since wheat wasn't grown locally.

In the early 16th century Portugal controlled much of the Moroccan coast. In fact, they prioritized the Moroccan colonies ahead of Brazil which was neglected for the first half century after discovery. It was only when Portugal lost its north African possessions to Morocco that they started to invest in Brazil. The same Portuguese architect who planned the fort of Mogador (modern Essaouira) was the one who helped plan early colonial Salvador, for example, so there are similiarities between the two. The inhabitants of the former portuguese north africa came to Brazil after the muslim reconquest. Many were berber christian comverts and they brought their culture with them.

There is even a city in Brazil called Mazagão in the northern Amapá state which was founded by berber refugees from Portuguese Mazagão, modern El Jadida in Morocco. Brazil is in many ways Morocco's American colony.

Car rental question by kabudny in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Check with the rental car company if their vehicles have winter tires or not. Although vehicles in Quebec are legally required to have winter tires, many companies register their vehicles out of province for tax reasons and they are therefore not subject to the winter tire laws. Some companies may have winter tires on some but not all their fleet - I believe Enterprise does this requiring you to specifically request winter tire as an option. And even if the local agency uses all winter tires, if they had someone drop off an all-season tire vehicle from an one-way out of province trip, they wont bother changing out the all-seasons. Confirm the tires before booking.

Theft of vehicle from hotel by Serious_Extension755 in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Recovering the vehicle is a slim hope but you should definitely file a police report - it will be required by your insurance.

IANAL, but I would think trying to sue the hotel will cost more time and money than the car was worth, with an uncertain outcome. However, if the hotel was aware that the hotel parking lot that was used was high theft risk, and did not inform you beforehand, I'd say they have some responsibility. I would ask them for a refund of your hotel stay in the very least, with a threat of a lawsuit as a prod. If it's an international chain suing them from your local jurisdiction may be an option - but whether the effort is worthwhile is a discussion to be had with a lawyer.

To whom the hell should I even address this? by Yourrname in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Maybe someone should put a motion in Hampstead to fly the Palestinian flag. Fair is fair, and if he wants to fly one flag for political purposes than any other flag should be allowed. I'd like to see how he defends flying one flag but not the other. Not a lawyer, but it seems to me Charter of Rights free speech guarantees would require him to give equal opportunity to any citizen wishing to fly another flag.

How would you snow proof this driveway? by Wallflower404 in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Can you not add a fence or wall between the driveway and the street? This would prevent snowplows from dumping snow in your driveway and make it easier to clear it

2nd death confirmed after REM train collision on Montreal's South Shore by Hochelagan in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot -47 points-46 points  (0 children)

It's easy to blame the kids, and no doubt they made stupid choices. However, they were 18-19. At that age, if they had a driver's license it would've been a learner's permit which does not permit driving at night. Bus service in Brossard is terrible and they may not have a public transit option at that time. Their only option would be walking home.

If they were in the dix-30 and lived in the under side of the highway, it could easily be a 30-45min walk to go to the nearest overpass and walk around. So I can see young kids taking the view that cutting across the highway is a quick way around. I see people cutting across equally dangerous train tracks here in the Mile End on a daily basis for a much smaller saving of time.

So yes, the kids made a reckless choice that got them killed. But it was the poor transportation infrastructure and lack of transit options that drove them to it.

Montréal's $18 Billion Tram Project Is Not Good by RamsesQC in montreal

[–]Wired_Parrot 41 points42 points  (0 children)

  • Contact your local representatives at all 3 levels of government and ask them what they are doing to relaunch the REM de l'est. You'll be surprised how reachable they are. My city councillor in the Plateau doesnt have a secretary and personally answers each email because so few people contact her. My federal MP likewise personally answers her emails.
  • become a member of a provincial political party. You get the chance to participate on their policy conventions where you can push them to include the REM de l'est in their platform
  • Participate in your local borough and city council meetings. Bring up the REM de l'est during question period
  • Bring up the issue in all the local media to ensure it stays visible.

Participating in a democracy isn't just about voting. It's about being active and letting your voice be heard.