Animate’s independent food and drink hall signage goes up
Preston looks set for a summer of foodie openings within the city’s new leisure complex. Designs have gone up on the windows of what will be an independent cocktail bar […]
Work has begun with an aim of being ready for a mid-August opening – three months after the date previously given of late April. Confirmation on who the four food outlets will be is expected in the coming weeks.
Meanwhile work is taking place on the Cosmo world buffet – a long-held target for coming to the city with restaurant plans for the chain dating back to 2013 or before – which will be on the first-floor of the complex.
The door to Cosmo in Animate Pic: Blog Preston
Access to the Cosmo restaurant which will feature cuisines from across the globe will be through the door between Argento Lounge and Ask Italian.
It’s due to open during the course of July, around two months after the timescale previously given.
Legal wrangling continues over a potential replacement for the Las Iguanas restaurant – which Blog Preston understands will be replaced with another well-known chain restaurant and is again eyeing a summer opening.
A competitive socialising unit within the Animate complex remains to-let at this stage.
The multi-million pound complex, which is owned by the city council, opened in February and features Arc Cinema, Hollywood Bowl, Argento Lounge and Ask Italian.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-staircase-within-montmorency-metro-station.jpg?id=57162010&width=1200&height=400&coordinates=0%2C112%2C0%2C112"/><br/><br/><p>If you regularly take the Montreal metro, you might notice some changes (and possible detours) over the next few weeks.</p><p>On Thursday, the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/stm-montreal" target="_blank">Société de transport de Montréal (STM)</a> announced new temporary measures to improve <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/stm-montreal-safety" target="_blank">security in the metro,</a> including a ban on loitering and the closure of certain station entrances.</p><p>These changes, in effect until April 30, come in response to a growing sense of insecurity among riders and employees.</p><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1900240133384802688">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@) <a href="https://twitter.com/stm_nouvelles/status/1900240133384802688"></a>
</blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<h2>Why is this happening?</h2><div>Back in February, the STM published a lengthy <a href="https://www.stm.info/en/press/press-releases/2025/stm-testifies-on-the-impact-of-the-homelessness-crisis-on-its-mission" target="_blank">memo</a> regarding a sharp uptick in crime and violent incidents within metro stations. The transit system published the stats as an open letter to the <a href="https://ocpm.qc.ca/fr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Office de Consultation Publique de Montréal (OCPM)</a>, pushing for immediate government intervention before things get worse.</div><p>According to the STM, reports of disruptive behaviour in the metro system jumped by 40% in a year, from 14,540 incidents in 2022 to over 26,000 in 2024. </p><p>Officials say the homelessness crisis has put additional strain on the transit system, but the metro “cannot be a last-resort refuge” for those in need.</p><h2><span></span>What's changing?</h2> <p>To address concerns about safety, crime, and cleanliness, the STM is implementing the following measures:</p><p><strong>Loitering ban</strong> – Riders must keep moving inside STM facilities. Special constables will have more authority to intervene when people occupy metro spaces without the intent to travel.</p><p><strong>Closure of four metro entrances</strong> – Certain access points at Place-des-Arts, Atwater, Square-Victoria-OACI, and De Castelnau stations will be temporarily shut. Officials say these locations have been identified as trouble spots due to safety concerns like criminal activity and large gatherings.</p><p><strong>Increased police presence</strong> – The SPVM will deploy more officers in metro stations, especially downtown, to combat drug-related incidents and support STM security teams.</p><p><strong>Fenced-off areas in nine stations</strong> – Charlevoix, Peel, Place-des-Arts, Beaudry, Pie-IX, Bonaventure, Place d'Armes, D'Iberville, and Côte-Vertu will see new barriers and partitions to limit disorderly behaviour and make cleaning easier.</p><p><strong>Extended homeless shelters</strong> – The City of Montreal is keeping its winter warming shelters open until the end of April to provide alternatives for people seeking shelter in the metro.</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p>
<p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p><p><br/></p>
<div><img width="300" height="172" src="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/godwin-emefiele-cbn-governor-300x172.jpg" class="attachment-medium size-medium wp-post-image" alt="I Collected More Than $1 Million In Cash For Emefiele But He Never For Once Said 'Take This' - CBN Employee" style="margin-bottom: 15px;" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/godwin-emefiele-cbn-governor-300x172.jpg 300w, https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/godwin-emefiele-cbn-governor-150x86.jpg 150w, https://www.naijanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/godwin-emefiele-cbn-governor.jpg 732w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /></div>
<p>A Federal High Court in Lagos has granted an interim order for the forfeiture of properties worth N11.14 billion linked to the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele. The ruling, delivered by Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on Wednesday, followed a compelling motion by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented […]</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://www.naijanews.com/2024/06/05/breaking-court-orders-forfeiture-of-%e2%82%a611-1-billion-properties-linked-to-emefiele/">Breaking: Court Orders Forfeiture Of ₦11.1 Billion Properties Linked To Emefiele</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.naijanews.com">Naija News</a>.</p>