An Accra Circuit Court has remanded into Police custody, Thomas Atiah, aka Tom Lee Sparta for allegedly robbing some patrons of Wendy Shay concert. Three…
<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">
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<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>
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/former-us-president-donald-trump.jpg?id=54230152&width=1500&height=2000&coordinates=529%2C0%2C529%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>With the 2024 U.S. election results just around the corner, Donald Trump and <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/vice-president-kamala-harris-is-taking-a-piece-of-montreal-with-her-to-the-white-house">Kamala Harris</a> are at the top of many Americans' and Canadians' minds.</p><p>By now, it's pretty widely known that current <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/kamala-harris-montreal">Vice President Kamala Harris has a strong connection to Canada</a>, after she moved to Montreal from California when she was just 12 years old.</p><p>However, it's perhaps less well-known that former U.S. President Donald Trump has his own surprisingly personal link to Montreal, which means both Harris and Trump's paths to power have roots in the city.</p><p>According to a report from <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/yes-kamala-harris-has-a-montreal-connection-but-what-about-donald-trump">The Montreal Gazette</a>, Trump's unexpected connection to Montreal runs back to October 1976. At the time, the city was still glowing from hosting the Summer Olympics. </p><p>A young Donald Trump took a trip north, showing up unannounced at a fashion show where Czech model Ivana Zelníčková, whom he'd met earlier that summer in New York, was walking the runway. Ivana later shared in her autobiography "Raising Trump" that she was taken aback when she saw him in the audience. </p><p>"I was walking the runway in a fur coat when I noticed a tall blond man in the audience," she wrote, according to the Montreal Gazette.</p><p>"He'd somehow found out about it and come to Montreal to surprise me. It made me slightly uncomfortable that he had information about me that I hadn't given him—a hangover from a communist childhood, perhaps—but I was flattered."</p><p>Trump's surprise appearance in Montreal ignited a romance that led to their marriage and ultimately made Ivana and Donald one of the most talked-about couples of the 1980s. Together, they built a sprawling business empire that became a cornerstone of Trump's public image and set him on the path to the presidency in 2016.</p><p>Together, Ivana and Donald became parents to three children: Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, forming the family that have played a central role in Trump's political image.</p><p>With the U.S. election approaching, it's interesting to note that no matter who wins, whether it's Kamala Harris or Donald Trump, Montreal will have played a part in shaping their lives—even if it's just a tiny part!</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">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" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
