This is Montreal

One Montrealer finds himself asking: What’s the deal with Westmount? How did this suburban enclave grow to become its own city, surrounded by a bigger city? The answer takes us through early French and British colonial history to the 2000s campaign to merge the whole island of Montreal, to the layers of municipal governance that we all live with today.

Gurbaj Singh Multani is just playing basketball when the ceremonial dagger that symbolizes his Sikh faith falls onto the playground of his Montreal school. The next thing the 11-year-old knows, his principal is giving him an ultimatum: hand over his kirpan, a symbol of his Sikh faith, or leave school. This week, This is Montreal shares this episode of the CBC podcast See You in Court. Host Falen Johnson and journalist Sonali Karnick take us through the case of Multani v Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys. It sparks a heated public debate over multiculturalism in post 9/11 Quebec, with grown-ups hurling slurs at the tween, and ends with a landmark ruling for religious freedoms in Canada. Check out more episodes of See You in Court

After weeks of turmoil, Quebec Liberal Party leader Pablo Rodriguez told his caucus he was resigning. It’s the latest twist in a tumultuous session at the National Assembly. So where does this leave the Liberals? Did other parties end the year (mostly) unscathed? Which issues made the biggest impact? CBC National Assembly reporter Cathy Senay dives into a big year in Quebec politics.

If you're stuck in traffic as a driver, you might start looking for another route. Maybe you already know a short cut down a side street, or maybe your GPS even suggests one. Most drivers wouldn’t think twice about cutting through a residential area to avoid traffic. But among transportation researchers, this is sometimes known as rat running. And a recent coroner’s report into the death of a 7-year-old girl is recommending that Quebec do more to discourage drivers from doing it.

Make the Season Kind is CBC’s yearly campaign focused on food insecurity. It’s also a celebration of community spirit, generosity, and kindness. But what does it mean to be truly kind? CBC’s Rebecca Ugolini explores this question with dedicated volunteers, a writer, and a psychologist to find out how we can be kinder to others and to ourselves.