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Montreal Gazette
15-07-2025
- Climate
- Montreal Gazette
Montreal weather: Out of the frying pan, into the solar oven
Environment Canada has issued special air quality statement for Montreal on Tuesday as well as a heat warning for Tuesday and Wednesday. The forecast highs are 31 to 33 Celsius with humidex values approaching 40. Nights will also be warm, with lows from 20 to 23. The warning extends to Outaouais, Lachute, Lanaudière, Montérégie and Drummondville. The federal weather agency says smoke from the Canadian Prairies is leading to 'poor air quality and reduced visibility' in the city, but conditions are expected to improve later Tuesday. 'As smoke levels increase, health risks increase. Limit time outdoors. Consider reducing or rescheduling outdoor sports, activities and events,' the notice reads It also recommends checking in on older adults, those living alone and other at-risk people multiple times a day. Montrealers should also be on the lookout for early signs of heat exhaustion, including headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, intense fatigue and dark urine. Another cold front is expected to sweep through on Thursday, which could bring similar conditions to Sunday afternoon, when a storm system caused record-breaking rainfall and widespread flooding to the greater Montreal area. Environment Canada measured 81.6 millimetres of rain at its recording station at Montreal—Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Sunday. That surpassed the previous record set last summer on July 10, when the remnants of Hurricane Beryl dropped 79.2 millimetres of rain on Montreal.
Montreal Gazette
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Montreal Gazette
Sunday's record-setting storm could repeat on Thursday
By The storm that flooded basements and inundated highways in Montreal Sunday set a record for the amount of rainfall recorded in a 24-hour period, meteorologists reported Monday. With weather conditions for the next two days mirroring what was seen just prior to Sunday's deluge — extreme heat and high humidity followed by a cold front — Montreal could be swamped with a similar downpour on Thursday. Environment Canada measured 81.6 millimetres of rain at its recording station at Montreal—Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport on Sunday. That surpassed the previous record set last summer on July 10, when the remnants of Hurricane Beryl dropped 79.2 millimetres of rain on Montreal. Rainfalls of anywhere from 70 to 100 millimetres hit different parts of the island Sunday, Environment Canada said. But only the readings taken at specific data sites are used for official tallies. 'It was intense, climatologically,' said Environment Canada meteorologist Julien Pellerin. 'It was one of the most intense days ever.' The first wave of the storm at around 3:30 p.m. dropped 58 millimetres of rain on Montreal in an hour, followed by less severe thundershowers afterward. Boucherville on the South Shore received 50 millimetres in 45 minutes, and Longueuil was soaked with 43 millimetres in an hour. Blainville and Rosemère on the North Shore saw 100 millimetres of rain in 90 minutes. The storm also brought gusting winds that felled trees in Montreal and hydro poles in Ste-Martine, south of the city. Unlike last year's deluge, which came at the end of a hurricane, Sunday's rain was caused by the moisture that collected in the atmosphere because of the high heat and humidity on the weekend. Then a cold front that was generated over Hudson Bay in northern Quebec swept through the southern part of the province, propelling the moisture pooling near the surface upward, which caused rapid condensation followed by precipitation. A strong thunderstorm line formed west of Montreal at about noon and moved eastward throughout the day. Montreal and its surrounding regions were hit with successive waves of thunderstorms. Downpours of such intensity are common in July, which is the most active month of the year for thunderstorms, Pellerin said. The heat is expected to return Tuesday and Wednesday, with maximum temperatures between 31 and 33 C both days. High humidity will result in humidex values approaching 40 C. Another cold front is expected to sweep through on Thursday, which could bring similar conditions to Sunday. The intensity of the storm depends on when it hits. If it strikes at night or in the early morning, when the amount of moisture in the air is lower, it won't be as powerful, Pellerin said. But if it strikes in the afternoon, when the heat of the day is at its maximum and there's a significant amount of moisture in the air, 'I would say if you have something planned for Thursday, you might want to reschedule,' Pellerin said. Adding to the discomfort, Environment Canada issued a 'special air quality statement' Monday at noon advising residents that smoke from forest fires in the Prairies was causing poor air quality and reduced visibility. Conditions were expected to gradually improve by Tuesday. The weather service noted that as smoke levels increase, health risks increase. It advised citizens to limit time outdoors and to reduce or reschedule outdoor sports, activities and events if possible. Increased smoke could cause eye, nose and throat irritation, headaches or a mild cough. More serious but less common symptoms include wheezing, chest pains or severe cough. Residents should keep doors and windows closed, but if there is a heat warning at the same time, keeping cool is the priority, Environment Canada said. Signs of excessive heat exposure may include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue. Stop your activity and drink water if these symptoms occur.
Montreal Gazette
14-07-2025
- Climate
- Montreal Gazette
Mop-up begins after storms dump up to 100 mm of rain on Montreal
Homeowners across the island of Montreal were taking stock Monday morning of how much damage was done after violent storms swept the region on Sunday afternoon, dropping up to 100 millimetres of rain while knocking out power to thousands of households. Preliminary data compiled by Environment Canada posted Sunday night reported that the island of Montreal had received 70 to 100 millimetres of rain. On the North Shore of the Montreal area, a total of 80 to 110 millimetres was recorded, while the totals stood at 40 to 70 millimetres in the Montérégie region. The heavy rains quickly flooded streets and residences, submerging Highway 40 in the West Island, flooding basements in the city's east end and temporarily transforming major thoroughfares across the island into canals. The storm also delayed flights at Montreal—Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. At its height on Sunday afternoon, the storm system had knocked out power to nearly 100,000 households across Quebec, a number that had dropped to less than 5,000 early Monday morning. Quebec public security minister François Bonnardel took to social media to say his ministry was in contact with those municipalities affected by the rains and was also 'in contact with our partners' and Hydro-Québec and the provincial transport ministry. Les équipes du @secpubliqueqc sont en contact avec les municipalités touchées par la pluie et les orages dans les régions des Laurentides, de Lanaudière, de la Montérégie, de Laval et de Montréal. Le centre des opérations gouvernementales va rester vigilant alors que les orages… — François Bonnardel (@fbonnardelCAQ) July 13, 2025 After blowing through the Laurentians, the Montérégie, Laval and Montréal, the storms headed downriver to Quebec City, where they disrupted the Festival d'été activities and forced the cancellations of most of the scheduled concerts. While the rains may have stopped, Environment Canada said the extreme heat will continue Tuesday and Wednesday. Heat warnings remain in effect for the Montreal area, Lachute, Lanaudière, the Montérégie and Drummondville. Similar warnings are in effect for Ontario. This story was originally published July 14, 2025 at 5:54 AM.
Montreal Gazette
13-06-2025
- Montreal Gazette
Project Alliance: Hit man may have played a role in all 6 murders behind Montreal Mob arrests this week
Montreal Crime By When the 11 people arrested Thursday in Project Alliance, including alleged Montreal Mafia leaders Leonardo Rizzuto, 56, and Stefano Sollecito, 57, appeared in court, they were charged with a total of six counts of first-degree murder. The homicides happened over a decade, and it appears that Frédérick Silva, a hit man who turned informant three years ago, had a role in all of them. Lorenzo LoPresti, Oct. 24, 2011: LoPresti was the son of Giuseppe (Joe) LoPresti, who was close to Leonardo Rizzuto's father, Vito, until LoPresti was killed in 1992 in a homicide that remains unsolved to this day. Both families lived on Antoine Berthelet Ave. in northern Montreal, and Lorenzo LoPresti attended the same high school in St-Laurent as Leonardo's sister. Throughout 2011, a coalition that tried to take control of the Montreal Mafia from the Rizzuto organization came under attack, and Lorenzo LoPresti was shot on Oct. 24 while standing on the balcony of his condo on Côte Vertu Blvd. Weeks after LoPresti was killed, Antonio (Tony Suzuki) Pietrantonio was wounded in a shooting on Dec. 13, 2011, near the entrance of a Portuguese restaurant in a strip mall on Jarry St. E. near Chambord St. At the time, police sources told The Gazette that it appeared LoPresti was acting as Pietrantonio's right-hand man while Pietrantonio was one of the leaders of the group that sought to replace the Rizzuto organization at the helm of the Montreal Mafia. On Thursday, Leonardo Rizzuto and six other men were charged with the first-degree murder of Lorenzo LoPresti and with plotting with Silva to murder Pietrantonio. Domenico Facchini, Dec. 21, 2012: Facchini, 37, was killed and Vito D'Orazio was injured after they were shot inside a building tied to Giuseppe (Ponytail) De Vito who, at the time, was serving a lengthy prison sentence for smuggling cocaine through Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. De Vito had acted as a leader of several airport employees who were part of what was called 'the door' that let cocaine into Montreal. De Vito came to hate the Rizzuto organization because he felt its members lied to him about the quantities of cocaine they were bringing in and thereby holding back on his share in their arrangement. De Vito became part of the coalition that wanted to take over the Montreal Mafia, but on July 8, 2013, he was found dead in his cell in the federal penitentiary near Quebec City. A coroner later determined that De Vito died of cyanide poisoning. On Thursday, three men were charged with Facchini's murder and the attempted murder of D'Orazio. One of the accused, Jean-Ismel Zephir, 48, is the brother of Emmanuel Zephir, a notorious street gang leader. In 2022, Sébastien Giroux, who had just pleaded guilty to helping Silva hide from the police for months, was ordered to not associate with known criminals while he was awaiting his sentence. Giroux agreed to follow the order, but he asked for special permission to allow him to communicate with the Zephir brothers. The other two men charged with the murder and attempted murder are Gianpietro (JP) Tiberio, 52, a convicted criminal identified during the Charbonneau Commission as an associate of the Rizzuto organization, and Patrick Gilbert, 51, of Anjou, who has a lengthy criminal record. Vincent Lamer, Nov. 3, 2017: During Quebec's biker gang war, a conflict that stretched from 1994 to 2002, Lamer appeared to be a very willing participant in the violence that resulted in more than 160 deaths. Lamer started as a member of the Rowdy Crew, a Hells Angels support club at the time, before he switched to another support club called the Rockers in 2000. Being part of the Rockers brought Lamer directly under Hells Angels leader Maurice (Mom) Boucher and his efforts to monopolize drug trafficking in Montreal. During an investigation dubbed Operation Springtime 2001, police managed to secretly record meetings held by the Rockers and during one in April 2000, Lamer told the other gang members that they could skip the gang's eight-month probation period if they killed a rival drug dealer. Lamer ended up with a 10-year prison term when he was sentenced as a result of charges filed against him in Operation Springtime 2001. Lamer was shot several times while he was inside his sport utility vehicle as he was driving away from a maintenance company where he worked on 55th Ave. in Rivière des Prairies. Jean-Richard Larivière, 57, a longtime member of the Hells Angels and a member of the Rockers when Lamer was also a member, was charged on Thursday with the first-degree murder of Lamer. He is also charged with conspiring to kill Lamer along with Samy Tamouro, a man tied to the Hells Angels in Quebec who was killed in Mexico near the end of 2023. Sébastien Beauchamp, Dec. 20, 2018: During 2022, Silva underwent a lengthy trial for the murder of Beauchamp who, like Lamer, was a former member of the Rockers during Quebec's biker gang war. The hit on Beauchamp was a messy affair. Silva chased Beauchamp around a gas station in St-Léonard on Langelier Blvd., near Robert Blvd. He recklessly fired off several shots and a stray bullet ended up lodged in a gas pump. Beauchamp's murder is one of the reasons why Silva is now serving four life sentences. Larivière is charged with Beauchamp's murder, a sign that he allegedly asked Silva to kill him. Earlier the same year, on Jan. 24, 2018, Jean-Guy Bourgouin, another former member of the Rockers, was shot outside a restaurant in St-Léonard. It appears that Larivière allegedly ordered that shooting, too, as he was charged with the attempted murder on Thursday. In 2020, Girard Anglade, a close associate of Silva's, pleaded guilty to shooting Bourgouin. He received a six-year prison term. Gaétan Sévigny, Oct. 17, 2019: During Project Magot-Mastiff, another investigation into Leonardo Rizzuto, Stefano Sollecito and members of the Hells Angels that resulted in arrests made in 2015, investigators learned that Sévigny was tied to the biker gang and that he was very active in drug trafficking in eastern Montreal. On June 19, 2019, Sévigny was sentenced to a five-year prison term after he pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, conspiracy and gangsterism charges filed against him in Project Magot-Mastiff. He had only a day left to serve behind bars when he was sentenced. Four months later, he was gunned down in front of his home in Terrebonne. Larivière is also charged with Sévigny's murder. Charles-Olivier Boucher-Savard, Dec. 22, 2021: Boucher-Savard was shot multiple times near Lafontaine Park a few months after he was released from a federal penitentiary. He had served two-thirds of a sentence he received for stabbing a person tied to the Luppino family, a Mafia clan based in Hamilton, Ont., in April 2018. Pietro D'Adamo, 54, the alleged leader of a Mafia clan based in LaSalle, and Davide (Baldy) Barberio, 45, an alleged member of the Montreal Mafia who survived an attempt on his life when he was shot on Sept. 21, 2021, were charged Thursday with Boucher-Savard's murder along with three other men.
Hamilton Spectator
06-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Air Transat adding flights to Mexico and Spain from Canadian airport
Montreal-based Air Transat is expanding its global reach with two new international routes for the winter of 2025-26. Both new routes fly to and from Montreal's Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. One is an entirely new route, a non-stop flight to Guadalajara, Mexico, and the other is an expansion of existing service to Madrid, Spain. The non-stop flight between Montreal and Guadalajara launches Dec. 13. The twice-weekly service will fly on Thursdays and Fridays. 'This new route opens the door to an authentic and vibrant destination — the birthplace of mariachi, tequila and a thriving culinary scene. In addition to serving the needs of Quebec's Mexican community, this service invites travellers to discover another side of Mexico,' Air Transat said in a news release. The Montreal-Madrid winter route is an expansion of one that is currently available only in the summer. Starting Feb. 18, 2026, Air Transat will offer two flights per week between Montreal and Madrid, on Wednesdays and Fridays. 'With its mild temperatures, lifestyle and rich heritage, Madrid offers a refreshing European getaway at any time of year. This expansion is part of Air Transat's strategy to reduce the seasonality of its transatlantic network by adding Madrid to its winter offerings for Spain, which already includes Malaga,' Air Transat said. Furthermore, the airline offers seamless connectivity to several other Spanish destinations through a partnership with Air Europa. 'The launch of these new routes reflects our commitment to offering a diversified network and effectively meeting currently underserved demand,' said Sebastian Ponce, chief revenue officer at Transat, in the release. 'By targeting high-potential markets like Guadalajara and gradually making our European service available year-round, we are strengthening our position from Eastern Canada to the South and Europe, while maximizing our fleet's operational efficiency. These are carefully curated routes that align with Air Transat's DNA.' These two new flights will be available for booking starting this week. More information is available at .
