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Montreal Gazette
7 days ago
- Montreal Gazette
Iconic bike rides: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve route is a favourite for Gazette photographer
By Montreal is a world-class cycling city, but you wouldn't know it by riding on the bike paths on its main streets. In recent years, the city has multiplied the number of reserved lanes and protected paths for people who use bicycles as a form of transportation. However, those paths have become a catch-all for a hodgepodge of travellers on hoverboards, electric scooters, remote-controlled skateboards and fatbikes. That's why Dave Sidaway makes a distinction between bikers and cyclists. A former competitive racing cyclist at the club level, Sidaway, 70, hasn't hung up his biking shorts during his more than 30-year career as a photojournalist at The Gazette. His unique viewpoint of the city makes him the ideal guide to Montreal's best paths, and sometimes to spots located just off those paths. The Gazette has launched a weekly series showing off the best cycling spots in the city. We start the ride at the Atwater Market. It's a spot where Sidaway has taken numerous beauty shots that graced the pages of The Gazette over the years. His standout shots depict the iconic Clock Tower with the backdrop of Mount Royal, pedal boats tied up on a dock in the Lachine Canal and joggers set against an early morning fog. The market is an ideal starting point for group rides. It is central to several neighbourhoods and highways and allows for easy rides to iconic spots like the Champlain Bridge, the Lachine Rapids and the Old Port. Today, however, we are heading to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, located on Île-Notre-Dame in Parc Jean-Drapeau. We follow the dedicated multi-use path along the Lachine Canal and then cross over at the St. Gabriel Locks around des Seigneurs St. History buffs will note that this neighbourhood gave birth to Canada's industrialization. 'As you're riding along here (along the Lachine Canal), you can basically record Montreal in one form or another,' Sidaway said. Rewind the tape 200 years, and about one in five Montrealers worked in this area. Factories lined the canal and workers were holed up in tenements close by. The need for housing created the neighbourhoods in St-Henri, Pointe-St-Charles, Ville-Émard and Griffintown, among others. Left to languish for decades when the St. Lawrence Seaway rendered the canal obsolete, most factories have since been demolished, turned into condos or abandoned and awaiting redevelopment. These days, the area is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts with joggers and cyclists dominating. On the water below, kayakers, pedal-boat riders and standup paddleboarders are a common site. Pleasure-craft riders use the canal as a link between the port and Lachine's entry point for Lac St-Louis. One particular vestige from Montreal's industrial era is the signature Farine Five Roses sign, which serves as the backdrop of the Peel Basin. Once in danger of being demolished, the sign was designated a historical landmark in 2020 by the city. The basin marks the Lachine Canal's easternmost point, where it links to the Old Port. Often the site of festivals, this spot has been pegged for redevelopment for decades. Among the failed projects floated for this area are a casino/hotel by Loto-Québec, a baseball stadium and an underground/underwater station for the REM light-rail network. The city's latest plans for the area are now being drawn up as part of the Bridge-Bonaventure development project. On summer days, this area is often a spot for people who fish along the canal, and many pictures of these fishers have appeared in The Gazette over the decades. 'I see people fishing here all along the canal and have taken a lot of pictures here,' Sidaway said, standing on the St. Gabriel Lock. 'I took a really nice shot here with the late afternoon light sun. And when it's really hot, people will sit underneath the bridge where the REM tracks are and fish from there.' Sidaway gets back on his bike and rides as the bike path meanders underneath the Bonaventure Expressway and heads east toward the Port of Montreal head office. This is another favourite spot for beauty shots. He uses the effect of the sun bending along the concrete structure to compose photos with complex lighting and subjects set in front of the old flour mill. However, it is that complex lighting that has also resulted in crashes that Sidaway has witnessed. 'You can't see around this corner, especially in the afternoon when the sun is setting, the light will just blind you,' he said. 'One day, I came around here and a guy was holding his bike in his hands. Someone on an electric bike had come around the corner, and they crashed. The guy's carbon bike was garbage. The frame probably cost $3,000.' The path ascends along Pierre-Depuy Ave. as cyclists are confronted with two picturesque views. On their left, there's the entirety of the downtown core and the Old Port with Mount Royal in the background. On the right is Habitat 67, a unique collection of concrete blocks designed by world-famous architect Moishe Safdie as a student project. Sidaway ducks behind Habitat to show his favourite spot on the island to get a beauty shot in the summer. The standing wave at Habitat is a magnet for surfers, kayakers and the occasional swimmer. Minutes later comes the speed portion of the ride as Sidaway heads over the De la Concorde Bridge to Île-Notre-Dame. The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is where all the top cyclists in the city come to train on their speed runs. First used in a professional F1 race in 1978, the racetrack was quickly appropriated by elite cyclists. These days, you can see people sporting the latest trends in bikes and cycling gear doing laps on the racetrack. Sidaway says beginners should use caution here, especially as they merge into the lanes of fast-moving cyclists. 'There's a spot where people were crossing, and they didn't realize how fast the riders were going,' he said. 'There was a crash, and one of the riders fell and ended up in hospital and later died of his injuries. I came by one day and there was a group putting up flowers. The girlfriend of the rider was drawing something on the wall in his memory.' Sidaway's shot captures Sarah drawing a heart on the track's wall. On that day, Aug. 8, 2021, friends and family got together at the track to ride 30 laps in honour of Philippe St-Hilaire's 30th birthday the previous March. While Sidaway has taken a lot of photographs both of cyclists and elite racers here over the years, this is his favourite place to ride, and he's at this spot several days a week during the warm months. It was on one of those rides in May 2020 that Sidaway spotted a whale while returning on the De la Concorde Bridge. He had seen a crowd of people looking in the water and asked what had them so mesmerized. Sidaway wasn't working that day but called the tip into the news desk, and a photographer was dispatched. Sidaway said it was both awe-inspiring and sad to see the whale. 'To some extent, I'm somewhat jaded when I see things people think are really spectacular because of my job — that's all I ever do,' Sidaway said. 'But in this case, it was a little alarming because you knew that short of sheer luck, it wasn't going to end well for that whale.' After several laps of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Sidaway retraces his route back to the Atwater Market where the ride began. Having started at 7 a.m., the ride ends in the mid-morning, just as the crowds begin to pack the Lachine Canal route. We love where we live, and throughout the summer, we are running a series of stories that highlight what makes our community unique and special within Canada. You can find Part 1 of the series here.
Toronto Sun
20-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
Missing Montreal toddler has been found alive, Quebec police say
Three-year-old found in St. Albert, Ont., region, Surete du Quebec confirm Jubilant officers shared the moment after a 3-year-old girl was found on the side of a rural Ontario highway on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Photo by Dave Sidaway / Postmedia Network MONTREAL– In a twist ending that everyone hoped for but feared would not happen, a three-year-old girl was found alive Wednesday afternoon, ending a frantic days-long search by police officers in two provinces. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In a joint media briefing Wednesday evening, the Surete du Quebec and Ontario Provincial Police said public tips played a key role in finding the girl, whose case had reached more than 7 million people online via SQ social media posts. She was found alone and conscious in a field near St. Albert, Ont. — roughly 150 km west of Montreal and about 65 km southeast of Ottawa — almost exactly 72 hours after she was reported missing. Police found her by using a drone just after 2 p.m. Officers found her shortly after, the forces said. Police declined to answer questions about the circumstances of her disappearance, saying the investigation remains open. The road to finding child The girl's disappearance sparked a major police operation, with officers from the SQ co-ordinating a multi-day search alongside Ontario authorities. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Police initially said the child had last been seen early Sunday in Montreal's LaSalle borough. Later that afternoon, her mother reported her missing at a fireworks shop in Coteau-du-Lac, Que. The woman — her 34-year-old mother — was later arrested and charged with child abandonment. Hours before reporting the girl missing, her mother had posted a video to her TikTok page. In it, she is seen holding her daughter and saying to the camera: 'You try that again and it's going to get ugly.' She had also made concerning internet searches in the lead up to the girl's disappearance. First revealed by Journal de Montreal , the searches included funeral arrangements and children's urns. The search for the child narrowed on Wednesday when police confirmed she had been seen in the St. Albert and Casselman area of eastern Ontario on Sunday. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. With this new detail in the timeline, OPP deployed drones to scan the area. At 3:06 p.m. on Wednesday, the girl was found alone in a field near Hwy. 417 in St. Albert. Police speak near an SQ command post before a group heads back to fields near Les Cèdres to search for a three-year-old girl on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Photo by Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette 'People were crying': Relief for searchers Volunteer teams described scenes of emotional release when they learned the girl had been found safe. 'We are so proud of the work that was done here,' said Dany Chaput, the on-site co-ordinator for the Association of Quebec Volunteers for Search and Rescue. 'The number of passionate volunteers who came here over the last few days to help — we kept our hopes up, and what a relief.' Chaput, who also serves as president of Search and Rescue Eastern Townships, directed about 120 volunteers from across Quebec. For three days, they combed grassy ditches and wooded areas near Exit 19 of Hwy. 20 in Coteau-du-Lac, where police had found the mother's car. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'People were crying,' he said. 'So much stress just fell off our shoulders. It's a happy ending. We don't yet know exactly the state of her health, but it seems her life is not in danger. So people are in really good moods.' Denis, a volunteer searcher who declined to give his last name, smiled as he left the command post, saying he felt 'relieved' after three days of combing the area. 'It was fun, really fun,' he said of the moment they heard the girl had been found alive, describing cheers and a loud 'hoorah' from the team. Father reacts: 'Thank you everyone' The girl's father posted a brief message on Instagram following news of her discovery: 'Thank you everyone. Please allow me and my family to take this time with our girl.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Lise Brodeur, who lives in Coteau-du-Lac, was in tears. She had been following the case closely since the beginning and has had trouble sleeping the last few nights. As a mother and grandmother, she said the child's disappearance got to her. When she learned the girl had been found, she was painting and rushed over to the command post to thank police. 'When I heard that at 3:06, I screamed in my apartment,' she said, adding she hadn't had time to wash her hands clean of paint before driving over. A Sûreté du Québec officer searches the weeds of a deep ditch on a side road near Les Cèdres, Que., Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Photo by Allen McInnis / Montreal Gazette Politicians express relief Quebec Premier Francois Legault paused in the halls of the National Assembly on Wednesday to share his reaction. 'We're very happy and I want to thank the SQ and the Ontario police for the work they did,' he told reporters. 'We were sad since it happened and we worried about the results. It's almost a miracle.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He called the news of the girl's safe return 'a great relief.' Montreal mayor Valerie Plante wrote on social media: 'My mother's heart breathes a sigh of relief… I want to congratulate the Montreal police and the SQ for their quick and efficient work in finding the child. That's the most important thing, even though the investigation continues.' A bus of school kids cheer as they drive by the SQ command post after learning a 3-year-old girl was found alive. The command post is located near Les Cedres, west of Montreal, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Photo by Allen McInnis / Postmedia Network 'Now we exhale as one': Police brief the public Shortly after 7 p.m. Wednesday, Staff Sgt. Shaun Cameron of the OPP stood alongside his SQ partners in a community centre parking lot in St. Albert, not far from where the three-year-old was found, to give what he called 'the best possible update. 'Earlier today shortly after 3 p.m. members of the OPP emergency response team, located the girl near Hwy. 417 eastbound, east of the Casselman onramp, using a remotely-piloted aerial system similar to a drone. The missing three-year-old from Montreal was found safe and is being assessed by medical personnel.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Cameron said the interprovincial search proves that 'when a child goes missing there are no interprovincial boundaries. There is only one goal: find them.' RECOMMENDED VIDEO He told reporters the search had weighed heavily on police and the public alike. 'As you can imagine this search has weighed heavily on everyone, including members of the public who became deeply invested in the fate of this young child. This was a search where we knew, especially given her age, that every hour mattered.' He thanked the public for its 'support and vigilance,' and said their tips had helped officers zero in on where to look. 'It helped us focus our search efforts and redirect our resources. This is a prime example of how every tip, every piece of information can help us lead us to a positive outcome.' He also thanked the SQ, the Montreal Police Service and OPP members from Hawkesbury, Russell County, and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry detachments. Cameron said no further details could be shared, 'as the investigation into the child's initial disappearance remains ongoing.' 'Now we exhale as one, knowing she is safe,' he said. Read More World Columnists World Toronto & GTA MMA
Toronto Sun
20-06-2025
- Toronto Sun
Bail hearing in July for Montreal mom charged with abandoning three-year-old daughter
Published Jun 20, 2025 • 1 minute read Searchers and a helicopter searched for a missing child in the Coteau-du-Lac area on Monday June 16, 2025. Photo by Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette SALABERRY-DE-VALLEYFIELD — The mother who allegedly abandoned her three-year-old daughter in rural Ontario for four days is scheduled to have a bail hearing early next month. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Lawyers in Quebec court set hearing dates of July 3 and July 4 for the 34-year-old Montreal woman who faces one count of unlawful abandonment of a child. The judge at the courthouse in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que., west of Montreal, authorized a publication ban on the name of the woman to protect the identity of the child. Judge Bertrand St-Arnaud also signed off on an order preventing the accused from contacting the three-year-old or the girl's father. The girl was allegedly abandoned near Casselman, Ont., on Sunday afternoon and was spotted four days later by an Ontario Provincial Police drone along Highway 417 about 50 kilometres west of the Quebec boundary. The mother, who will remain detained until the bail hearing, reported her daughter missing on Sunday at a business in Coteau-du-Lac, Que., west of Montreal. Read More World Columnists World MMA Toronto & GTA
Toronto Sun
09-06-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
Montreal bus, subway services disrupted as transit maintenance workers strike
Published Jun 09, 2025 • 1 minute read A nine-day strike by STM maintenance workers is underway in Montreal on Monday June 9, 2025. Photo by Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette MONTREAL — Montreal's transit maintenance workers have started a nine-day strike that is causing widespread disruption in the network. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 2,400 workers began striking today after more than a year of negotiations. For the first three days of the strike bus and subway service will be limited to morning and afternoon rush hours and late at night. Regular service will be maintained from Friday to Sunday for the Canadian Grand Prix, but will be restricted on other days until the strike ends June 17. The head of the maintenance workers union is warning that the strike could escalate if a deal isn't reached. Bruno Jeannotte says his team is in talks with the union representing bus and subway drivers, who have also voted for a strike mandate. Canada Sunshine Girls World Golf Editorial Cartoons
Toronto Sun
08-06-2025
- Climate
- Toronto Sun
Air quality alerts ease across much of Quebec and Ontario after days of haze
Published Jun 08, 2025 • 1 minute read Anglers fish under hazy Montreal skies from wildfire smoke to the wildfires in northern Quebec on Friday, June 6, 2025. Photo by Dave Sidaway / Montreal Gazette GATINEAU — Environment Canada says air quality has improved across most of Quebec and Ontario as changes in wind and rain ease the situation east of the Prairies, where wildfires continue to rage. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The federal department lifted alerts for most parts of both provinces Sunday after two days of poor air quality warnings and a haze that hung over cities including Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. But special air quality warnings or statements remain in place for some areas, including communities east of Montreal, south of Quebec City and in parts of northern Ontario, especially those near the Manitoba border. Poor air quality continues to envelop the Prairie provinces this weekend, as swaths of six provinces and the Northwest Territories are experiencing poor air quality and reduced visibility due to forest fires. Environment Canada says a low pressure system passing through the Prairies and into Manitoba and northwestern Ontario by Monday is expected to bring rain to areas hit by the out-of-control blazes. Authorities recommend those in affected areas stay indoors when possible and avoid strenuous outdoor activity. Read More Sports Canada Sunshine Girls World Crime
