Monday, Mild Enough — Get Out There Before the Dark Comes Early

Morning, neighbour. Bit of cloud over the city today, but it's a good deal warmer than the last few days, and at 12°C you can leave the heavy parka at home and grab a light jacket instead. UV's sitting at 3, so sunglasses are plenty if you're walking to the métro. Just keep in mind the day runs short: sunset is at 5:51 this evening, so if you've got plans after work, start them earlier than you'd think.

On the roads, there's ongoing roadwork and maintenance around the city, including pavement repairs, general upkeep, and structure inspections, so give yourself a few extra minutes on the commute and expect the odd lane slowdown. The bigger news is that work on the REM station at Montreal-Trudeau Airport is picking back up now that the contractor has its licence back, which is good news for anyone who's been waiting on that line to get closer to finished.

A rough weekend on Quebec's roads left five people dead and several more hurt, so take a little extra care on the highway, especially with everyone rushing to get back to the week. Across the city, a gunshot was fired in Villeray early Sunday as a dispute escalated, and police were called in. Out in the 514 more broadly, about 750,000 Quebecers have already booked their flu shots, and Santé Québec says there's no shortage, so if you've been putting it off, there's no reason to wait for the line-up to change. Zumretay Arkin has been named the Bloc candidate in the Laurier-Sainte-Marie byelection, if you're following local politics.

For lunch, keep an eye out for recall notices before you buy anything from a bakery or a specialty shop this week. Boulangerie Richard pulled its pâtés across Quebec over undeclared wheat and fish allergens, a Montreal-North bakery recalled all its products over possible wood contamination, and Néo Chips freeze-dried fruit sticks are being recalled for possible dried stem fragments. Six Amir locations across the province were also fined $12,500 for food safety violations this past year, so if you're a regular, it's worth checking your usual spot.

Tonight there's a lot on. Yebba is at L'Olympia, with a 4:00 PM show and another at 8:00 PM, so if you want the intimate set, the early one might suit a workday schedule. Sting is at Théâtre St-Denis at 8:00 PM, and Styx is at Place Bell at 7:30 PM. Since it's indoors across the board, the weather won't factor in, so pick your lane and head out. Looking ahead, the weekend has Loreena McKennitt on Friday and Michel Rivard on Saturday, plus comedy and dance on the calendar.

Have a good Monday, and bonne soirée if I don't see you on the métro.