Dan Delmarhttp://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/author/24enghttp://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/846http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/846 Montreal is a city known for overregulation. We have grown accustomed to being punished for a myriad of offences considered banal by any rational person; not holding the Métro escalator handrail, having weeds grow over a decimetre on sidewalks in front of our business, tying a dog’s leash to a tree, spilling cold coffee onto the street…The latest assault on reason again punishes small and medium-sized businesses. The Métropolitain was prepared for a summer vacation period free of new paternalistic regulation to sift through, but evidently it is asking too much of our municipal leaders to give us this reprieve.  Dan DelmarThu, 22 Jul 2010 21:30:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/856http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/856 In their fight to prevent the Quebec government from passing Bill 94, niqab and burqa-wearing Muslim women have found support in the most unusual of places: The most heavily Jewish town, statistically, in the entire province. The face veil – the dehumanization of women – is where most reasonable people would draw the line. And evidently leaders in jurisdictions like France, Belgium, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt agree, having adopted various sorts of niqab restrictions. Why does Hampstead purport to know what is better for Muslim women than a growing number of Muslim nations? Dan DelmarThu, 22 Jul 2010 14:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/805http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/805This year, Montreal will issue one traffic ticket for almost every man, woman and child in the city - and that, believe it or not, is a conservative estimate based on information from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal. Most people aren’t aware of it, or if they are, they accept the ticketing as fair punishment for bad behaviour. If so many of us are breaking the law on such a regular basis, it begs the question: Are we guilty of delinquent behaviour, or are we victims of municipal persecution?Dan DelmarFri, 23 Apr 2010 21:30:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/816http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/816Car dealerships, cheap office space, a cemetery, barren lots and a handful of sub-par apartment buildings; such is the makeup of the neighbourhood becoming known as NJT – Namur Jean-Talon. Within ten years, it is expected to undergo a complete transformation and the worth of the area is expected to increase tenfold.  NJT is a project twice as valuable to the city as Griffintown, but without the high profile and ensuing scepticism.Dan DelmarFri, 23 Apr 2010 15:30:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/797http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/797Over one decade after American conservatives tried to demonize oral sex in the oval office, public figures are still being unfairly chastised for behaviour that should have remained private; behaviour that likely has no negative impact on their roles as politicians or professional athletes; behaviour that, while not admirable, is completely natural and may understandably result from attaining a certain level of success.Dan DelmarThu, 25 Mar 2010 06:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/769http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/769The lack of political courage across all levels of government and most political parties is nothing short of shameful. The burqa (or niqab) is possibly the most offensive garment on the face of the earth: A head-to-toe covering worn by women who practice an extremist and some say perverted form of Islam. It is a symbol of repression, misogyny and, as French president Nicholas Sarkozy said last year, “debasement.” It should not be tolerated in any civilized society...Dan DelmarThu, 11 Feb 2010 18:30:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/729http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/729 Teri-Lee Walters has been in a wheelchair since the age of 13 and is hurt that, in 2009, handicapped persons are still have trouble exercising their most basic rights as citizens. On Sunday, Nov. 1 – municipal election day – Walters and her 75-year-old grandmother made their way to the polling station at St. Gabriel School in Point St. Charles. It was not made clear, Walters said, that she was supposed to vote in advance because of her disability... Dan DelmarThu, 03 Dec 2009 20:30:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/737http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/737There seems to be only one issue that unites politicians of all colours and creeds. It became painfully obvious how omnipresent this theme was as I had the painstaking task of interviewing dozens of candidates – some competent, some not – vying for city council seats leading up to last month’s election. In order to be considered as a credible politician, it appears as though one has to make the supposed plight of children a focal point in a campaign. More specifically, how to protect our little tykes from speeders, drug dealers, pedophiles and a myriad of dangers that lurk around every corner.Dan DelmarThu, 03 Dec 2009 15:00:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/687http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/687Mayoralty candidate Louise Harel went on the defensive in an interview with The Métropolitain this week, saying she does not favour big government, but rather one that is effective and close to citizens, and also harshly criticizing « certains journalistes Anglophones » who she says are jumping to conclusions about her vision for Montreal...Dan DelmarThu, 01 Oct 2009 21:30:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/688http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/688Si les sondages des récents mois s’avèrent véridiques quant aux intentions du tiers des électeurs qui daigneront voter le jour du scrutin, Louise Harel a bien des chances d’être élue maire de Montréal.   Mme Harel est connue en tant qu’ancienne députée du Parti Québécois et ministre de premier plan.  Mais quelles sont son histoire et sa vision d’un bon gouvernement, et aussi, que planifie-t-elle pour Montréal ?Dan DelmarThu, 01 Oct 2009 21:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/680http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/680Journalists are often invited to all kinds of launch parties, cinq à septs, premieres; it’s one of the perks of the job. Most are fairly unremarkable and formulaic: Wine, women, tapas and, “hey, are you going to mention how revolutionary ‘Product A’ or ‘Politician B’ is in your article?” Not likely, no. But thanks for the chicken skewers...Dan DelmarWed, 02 Sep 2009 08:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/659http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/659 I was molested. Seeing these three words in print is a stark reminder of my ordeal, from which I may never fully recover. He caressed my inner thigh, cupped my buttocks in his large, burly hands and gently ran his fingers through my hair. This trauma didn’t occur during my childhood; it happened just last week.I had managed to string together five days in late July to vacation in New York City and was making my way through a security checkpoint at Trudeau International Airport when it happened. A U.S. Homeland Security agent pulled me aside and informed me that I had been selected for a “random” search. I was separated from other passengers and, with apologies to actual victims of sexual assault, was fondled by the guard who evidently had mistaken me for a terrorist – or for his lady friend. Dan DelmarThu, 06 Aug 2009 13:20:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/631http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/631With a municipal election only months away, anti-car policies are being forced on citizens, notably in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-NDG, where merchants are left scratching their heads..Dan DelmarThu, 02 Jul 2009 20:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/586http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/586When the owner of a chic Parisian bistro hired Jean Lafleur, convicted in the wake of the sponsorship inquiry, to work as a sous-chef, he never imagined that his face would be plastered on the front cover of the Journal de Montréal shortly thereafter...Dan DelmarThu, 18 Jun 2009 16:30:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/588http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/588Montreal made almost twice as much in 2007 from parking revenues as it did the previous year and City Hall says: mission accomplished...Dan DelmarThu, 18 Jun 2009 16:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/593http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/593Some downtown business-owners came out swinging on Wednesday, saying the Tremblay administration has lost control over its employees and is driving people out of the heart of the city with overbearing regulations...Dan DelmarThu, 18 Jun 2009 14:30:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/602http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/602Djemila Benhabib, author of Ma vie à contre-Coran, spoke to a group of roughly 50 last week at a Côte des Neiges bookstore. Describing herself as an ordinary woman having experienced extraordinary hardships, she told the audience of her family’s persecution in Syria and the constant threats that came from religious fanatics that forced them to leave the country in the early 1990s. The title of her book refers to the battle she fought as a child and teenager against Islamist indoctrination in her homeland and the threat it now poses to the West.Dan DelmarThu, 18 Jun 2009 11:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/605http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/605 Three Canadian Muslims took a stand earlier this month against the extremist branches of their religion and appealed for Quebecers to stand up for their secular values. Speakers Tarek Fatah, Raheel Raza and Salim Mansur all share the dubious distinction of being the subject of a Fatwah, an Islamist bounty on their heads, for having spoken out against extremists. What they also have in common is their fearlessness, their perseverance and their willingness to wear the Fatwah as a badge of honour.. Dan DelmarThu, 18 Jun 2009 10:15:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/541http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/541Woman detained, fined for poor escalator etiquette Having spent her formative years in the former Soviet republic of Georgia, Bela Kosoian knows what it’s like for government to encroach on personal liberties. The manner in which she says she was treated inside a Laval Metro station would make even the most hardened Stalinist blush...Dan DelmarThu, 28 May 2009 20:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/543http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/543Every traffic cop must write up 18 daily, Brotherhood says Upset over budget cuts, the Montreal Police Brotherhood took a shot at the SPVM recently by acknowledging the existence of daily traffic ticket quotas; a system the department’s brass continues to insist does not exist...Dan DelmarThu, 28 May 2009 18:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/529http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/529 A Syrian national is warning fellow Canadians to stand up for secular values and not make unreasonable accommodations for Islamists.Djemila Benhabib, author of Ma vie à contre-Coran, spoke to a group of roughly 50 last week at a Côte des Neiges bookstore. Describing herself as an ordinary woman having experienced extraordinary hardships, she told the audience of her family’s persecution in Syria and the constant threats that came from religious fanatics that forced them to leave the country in the early 1990s. The title of her book refers to the battle she fought as a child and teenager against Islamist indoctrination in her homeland and the threat it now poses to the West. Dan DelmarWed, 06 May 2009 13:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/502http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/502Some downtown business-owners came out swinging on Wednesday, saying the Tremblay administration has lost control over its employees and is driving people out of the heart of the city with overbearing regulations...Dan DelmarThu, 09 Apr 2009 21:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/504http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/504Angryphone alarmists would have you believe that the hemorrhaging seen in that community following Bill 101 and the referendums has not ended; that Anglophones are still driving U-Hauls down the 401 in droves to escape our oppressive Francophone overlords. Unfortunately, pesky facts and statistics expose that argument as one that is misleading, exaggerated and rooted in paranoia. The fact is, the bleeding has stopped and some of the Anglo deserters of decades past are coming back...Dan DelmarThu, 09 Apr 2009 19:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/483http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/483The affable Marcel Tremblay – NDG councilor, Montreal executive committee member and City Hall’s resident crusader for civic-minded behaviour – is, as they say, in a period of reflection...Dan DelmarThu, 19 Mar 2009 21:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/485http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/485Journalists, writers are insecure manic-depressives on a never-ending quest for praise – in the best of times. In a recession, they are still those things, but also hyper-aware of a new reality; no matter how much they are loved and admired, the advertising revenue is simply not paying the bills these days. Journalism was on life-support long before the economy tanked. Now, one has to wonder if the printed word can survive, let alone thrive in new economic and social contexts..Dan DelmarThu, 19 Mar 2009 19:00:00 -0400http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/449http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/449Montreal housing groups scored a major victory last week when the provincial government announced that it has reversed its decision to fund a video lottery terminal and off-track betting centre on land around the Hippodrome de Montréal...Dan DelmarThu, 26 Feb 2009 17:00:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/430http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/430Pro-Palestinian marchers now weave their way through Montreal’s downtown core on a weekly basis since Israel began its military operation in Gaza last month. To say the crowds are diverse would be an understatement. Aside from groups whose main purpose is to defend the Palestinian cause, there are pockets supporters who wouldn’t normally be associated with that movement: New MNA Amir Khadir and his Québec Solidaire party, la Fédération des femmes du Québec, housing rights group FRAPRU, the neo-Rhinoceros party, Christian groups and even the Raëlians...Dan DelmarThu, 05 Feb 2009 13:00:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/433http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/433If you will forgive the vulgarity, I would like to expand on a theme that this newspaper’s editor touches on frequently: The seemingly instinctive desire for politicians to enact laws that attempt to prevent the unpreventable, covering all possible bases to make sure that we all behave like good little boys and girls, while leaving us with the impression that they are earning their salaries...Dan DelmarThu, 05 Feb 2009 09:00:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/104http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/104 After an election where the story was not so much who voted for whom, but who did not vote at all, Premier Jean Charest may find himself taking on a familiar role; that of Captain Canada, ready to fight a resurgent sovereignist movement...Dan DelmarThu, 18 Dec 2008 19:00:00 -0500http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/127http://www.themetropolitain.ca/articles/view/127For the last two decades, Dr. Laurie Betito has been shining a light into the dark, dirty and sometimes depraved corners of the human psyche. “Better communication, better sex,” is her motto and beginning this week, she will help take readers of The Métropolitain on a journey to new heights of sexual enlightenment.Dan DelmarThu, 27 Nov 2008 10:00:00 -0500