Montréal

Hello everyone. I'm stuck in a rather strange situation right now, so if someone has any advice, it'd be very, very helpful!

I decided to re-do my Cegep in another program, and applied for it last May. When I first applied, I remember I had to send in original documents (birth certificate, official grade transcripts, etc.). The instructions on this application were the same, so I once again handed in the original papers.

Now, still no answer. The thing is, I'm leaving the country in 10 days and I must have my birth certificate at home in case I lose my passport. I went to the registrar's office today and asked for this document, only to be told that all documents, once you hand them in, are the school's property and you can never get them back.

... what are you supposed to do when a Cegep is holding hostage your original birth certificate and official grade transcripts? These are precious documents and I cannot have them printed again (at least not under a couple of months).

That can't be legal, right? Assuming it was indeed my mistake, should they still give it back? What can I do about it in such a short delay?


EDIT: Sorry, just made a fool out of myself. I realize now that it was a dumb question, but I'll leave it up in case someone ever wonders about it too...

It's not exactly about the city, but since I live here and you guys are very knowledgeable, I thought that you might be able to help me:

I am currently in the middle of renewing my passport. Since I wasn't over 16 when I got my previous one, I'm not elegible for this new Quick Passport Renewal thing.
However, as I was filling out the paperwork, I noticed that what used to be called the "referrant" or something like that, is now called the "guarantor". Also, there is no longer a requirement that he/she be a doctor, dentist, CA or any other kind of government-related professional.

So...basically my guarantor can now just be anyone who has known me for over two years? When did this rule change?

Thanks in advance!

Hi folks,

Here's a question; does anyone have the name of a reputable event liability insurer that they'd care to recommend? My friends and I are considering having an event in a public space, and the city requires $3-million in coverage before they'll look at your application; I'd like to price-out what that would actually cost!

Need urgent info please.  I am a new resident in Canada, I wanted to get a car and saw a great deal on Kijijii.   It is a 2004 BMW 325xi only for $6.500.  I was willing to get a loan to buy at such a great price.  But when I contacted the owner he said that he is in the States and he would be shipping back the car to Montreal.  The car was registered in Canada and he made a mistake not selling it before moving to the Staets.   

The deal would be  I give the money to the shipping company who would withhold it till I am satisfied with the car (up to one week) before releasing the money to this guy, if not satisfy they ship him back the car.     

I have no idea how I have to register a used car. Do I need the person to be here to do it? If not what paperwork I would need?  Do you see any glaring problem here that I do not know because I am new to the country?  I am just very wary cause these cars can sell for 4 times as much.   

I am also concerned that the insurance price of this would cost as much as the car itself! 

So a water pipe broke next to my house.. yay! (No.. not really) it doesn't seem bad like, 3 feet of water kind of things.. but, there's no more running water and I can't flush my toilet..

Im about to go buy bottle water but, I was wondering, isnt the city suppose to give jugs of water when there is a problem like that? Or have a white "EAU" van near so we can get water for utilities?

If yes, where am I suppose to go, call..

Being Dec 24th its probably closed but if anyone know, I'd like more info!

Thank you :)

So, according to this page, you don't need a passport to get into the US by train/bus/car/whatever:

What Canadians need to enter the United States by land and sea

Currently, Canadians do not require a passport or visa to visit the United States from Canada by land and sea. Canadians can still enter the United States by providing proof of citizenship and identity, such as a birth certificate and government-issued photo identification (e.g. driver's licence).

My question is, when they say "government-issued photo ID" - does that include Medicare?  Because I don't have a driver's licence, and I've been told by friends that they might not accept the Medicare card because it doesn't include proof of residence.  Last fall all I needed was my citizenship card (and my Medicare in case they wanted a photo ID without a photo of me at six years old), but I assume things are a little different now.  Anyone have any clue?  (I'm applying for a passport renewal just in case, but my trip is in 5 weeks so I might not get it in time.)

Hello Montrealers,

Quick question for you: I have a friend coming up to visit in a couple weeks. This person is a permanent resident of the U.S. but needs a visa to come up to visit. I wrote a letter of attestation that I need to get signed by a notary. I've never done this before.

How do I go about seeing a notary? Are there many places around town? What are the costs like, and are they pretty standard?

Thanks!

Hello.

There is an absolutely immense pile of branches/dead tree beside my apartment, on the sidewalk. It's been there for close to two weeks. It is hideously ugly. Who do I call to get this removed?

Thanks!

Does anyone know the process for becoming a legal resident of Quebec? I'm from Ontario but I've been here 5 years. One of those years I was only in school part time.

Thanks!

six months? eight months? nine months? a year? how long does it take to become a quebec resident?

i've heard all of those today alone and i don't think we've ever gotten a clear answer on this comm... but i know a few people are saving up rent receipts to declare residency now... anyone got a clear, definite answer? not like "well i heard from my cousin's dog that it's three weeks". how long. exactly. thanks lovelies :)

So i was thinking about this the other day, sitting on the bus, handling my carte reduit/bus pass combo with care seeing as it is the only piece of picture ID i have left since i lost my wallet a month ago (for those of you who are avid montreal post readers and remember me, hi!)
A couple of days ago, I got a letter in the mail from the Health Insurance people telling me I need to renew my card, which is good i guess, since i need to get a new one anyway. The pamphlets within are familiar enough, telling me that i need to bring this paper in, along with 2 pieces of ID one including a picture. They list the acceptable pieces of ID.

As i man-handled the measly piece of plastic that shows that i am a person with an identity, I remembered what i had done to get it; I had to bring in a proof of address/residency and a picture ID. The STM lists the same list of acceptable pieces of ID as i the Health Insurance peeps.

So in reality, getting my STM card is exactly the same process as getting my health card and so in theory they represent exactly the same validity as ID. They are both pieces of plastic that proove i once showed someone a proof of residency and a "valid" picture ID.

This afternoon, I went to Biftek and the barmaid asked me for some ID. I showed her my single piece of picture ID à la Carte Réduit and she said, "That's not acceptable ID." I spared her my rant, but she reminded me of how it makes no sense.

I guess my question is: who do i need to fuck in this city to get La Carte Reduits considered as valid picture ID?

Because it's pretty much the equivalent of a Driver's License. Notice how if you have a driver's license your life is easier because you have an added piece of plastic in your wallet that says you're recognized by the bureaucracy. But what if i don't want to drive! What if i like fresh air and I believe adamantly in public transportation in the city for the good of the environment and for the good of society. WHY ISN'T THAT RECOGNIZED? Just because i choose to transport myself within the public service provided to me by the city, the ID they supply me with isn't worth shit?

And i suppose someone is going to tell me that it's because a lot of people make fake STM cards, and it's almost impossible to make a fake Medicare Card or Dirver's License, but I don't know if you've ever seen a phony STM cards but it's not like people make them very well since they're usually only viewed from a distance. Bus drivers don't carefully inspect them but if someone did, it'd be pretty obvious that they are fake.

And well then maybe my complaint is that the STM should make their cards less forgeable so that they can be recognized as "valid" IDs, since they demand you give them the same things that "valid" ID cards ask for.

Ya!

Please excuse my ignorance...

I am leaving montreal for 2 years to study in toronto, then returning to live here again hopefully. How do i notify the government? Do i need to inform other people? do i have to change things like medicare and insurance?
any information for a really lost confused anxious person would be appreciated
thanks

has anyone gone to get a passport recently? i know that the lines were huge a while ago. is that still the case? i have the option of going to wait at the passport office in laval or the one in montreal. which would probably be a shorter wait? thanks!

When I moved to Montreal in January, I didn't sign the lease for my apartment. I want to become a resident of Quebec and my landlord assured me that if she gives me receipts that I can use them for residency.  I found this a little sketchy so I just asked her  if she would back sign a lease. My question to you is: Is that legal? Will that work to become a resident next January? If not, what are my options? Is  the lease supposed to be registered somewhere to be valid? Cuz she seems to think it just needs to be signed and then it's legal. 

                                                                                                                                         Thanks in advance

At approximately 7:30am, the City of Montreal cut off my water. Not just mine, the whole darn area! They just put out notices yesterday afternoon! I suppose that is a 24hr. period, but I think they need to give a little more time than that before cutting off a major essential. It is supposed to be this way till 3pm.

Is this all they really need to do something like this - handout a paper that looks like I could have printed off my own computer and 24 hours?

Hi,

I'm trying to figure out the public pool system in Montreal but the city website is missing some important information. Can anyone tell me:

1) which indoor swimming pools are free to non-Montreal residents?

2) which indoor swimming pools are free to non-Montreal residents that don't reside in that particular burough?

3) if all outdoor swimming pools are free no matter what?

4) the website for public swimming pool hours?

5) what id/proof of address is needed to get a Montreal resident card?

Where does one go, who does one call when they need to get a copy of their birth certificate? I mean one issued from the government (basically the type that the saaq accepts).

THANK YOU!

right. i've been trying to find the answer to this for awhile. does anyone know who and/or where to go to about getting a busking permit here? is it true that the fee went up to something like 400 bucks? so far, i've only found conflicting answers to these questions..
thanks as always!

here's a longshot:

did anyone find my wallet? it dropped out of my pocket at some point today, it could've been along atwater, around the market, along the canal, downtown . . . it was a nice day, i was walking a lot... the wallet is a collage of buspasses, pretty colorful, pretty unmistakable. i bought it off someone in this community who was making them (if you're still out there, reading this, i'd be interested in buying another one, it really was a great wallet).

okay... well next question:
so now that i've lost my wallet, i have to replace all my cards, including my driving permit.
the idea of all this bureaucracy confrontation makes me quite queasy.
and what about my sin number? how do i make sure i'm not gonna get fucked? i guess i can't, can i?

ugh.

Does anyone know exactly who I would address concerns regarding the safety precautions being taken (or not being taken) at a construction site, in the Cotes-des-Neiges region? Specifically, the following pictures were taken tonight on the west side of Victoria Avenue, just south of Van Horne.

It appears as though some half-hearted attempt may have been made to barricade and/or put wooden planks over this hole, but it is apparent that this effort was not very durable or long-lasting.

It is rather disconcerting, as a blind person, to discover such unprotected holes in the middle of a sidewalk. Never mind the rather obvious safety concerns which come about when there is a schoolyard not 200 feet from this location!

I'd rather not play phone tag and bounce through every city department tomorrow morning trying to find out who the person responsible for such things really is, so if anyone happens to know off-hand - it'd be greatly appreciated.

( This could hurt! )

I'm a new Notary and I'm looking for clients.

What I can do: Last Wills, Estates, Mandates, Sales, Hypothecs, Wedding Celebrations, Wedding Contracts, Corporate Paperwork, Travel Affidavits, etc.

If you're interested by any of these products, contact me at pe.jolicoeur@notarius.net

Thanks!

**********

Je suis une nouvelle notaire et je cherche des clients.

Ce que je peux faire : testaments, successions, mandats, ventes, prêts hypothécaires, célébrations de mariage, contrats de mariage, corporatif, affidavits de voyage, etc.

Si vous êtes intéressés par l'un de ces produits, contactez-moi au pe.jolicoeur@notarius.net

Merci!

Hi,
I got a US Visa waiver green form when I was going to the states last december, it allows me to go in and out without a Visa but it expires in April. The official at the US customs told me I could re-apply for another one. I know they give those green forms out at the airport, but is there any other place I could get it? Thanks.

I have a 2-year contract with Fido which should end in April.
Should I inform Fido in advance that I would not prolong the contract or the company will inform me about the termination of the contract and the further possibilities?

Hello,
Does anyone know a place where they make ISIC Cards on the spot for you? And if you don't have one, will you still get discounts when you buy tickets from Greyhound, travelling to the states? Thanks.

Has anyone here ever busked in the metro? Does anybody know what the rules are, if there's a fee to pay or anything like that? If there is, will they fine you if they find you playing without a license? How much cash have you made?

Dear knowledgeable members of this community:
I remember reading two or three months ago in a paper that I have long since forgotten (it was either the West Island section of the Gazette, The Chronicle or The Suburban), that there was a group of people trying to get an Eco-Quartier going in Pierrefonds-Roxboro East (I'm in Pierrefonds-Roxboro West, but same difference pretty much...). (There isn't one, full list is available here if you're interested). Since several months have past, and google isn't telling me anything:

Does anyone know:
a) how Eco-Quartiers come into existance
b) who was trying to create one in Pierrefonds? (I'd like to get involved).

Thanks in advance (I hope!).

(Also: in case anyone who reads this is wondering, apparently the Borough Mayor Monique Worth, and/or the Borough Council didn't want to fund it).

I have to go to Berri-UQAM tomorrow and get a new privilege card because mine has disappeared! I got mine at a rather informal booth over the summer, and they just wanted my student card and a piece of mail. I brought a driver's license and a form from Concordia saying I'm a full-time student and they didn't even look at them. I was in and out of there in under two minutes. During the off-season, do they actually want:

* Proof of age : Health insurance card, passport, birth certificate, or driver’s license.
* Proof of residency : Tax account, Hydro-Québec or Bell invoice featuring your name or civic address, driver’s license, or any other official document from the educational institution stating your civic address.
* Proof of full-time school attendance : "Proof off full-time school attendance" form or an official document (bearing the stamp or seal of the educational institution) attesting full-time school attendance such as :
o payment receipt
o certificate of enrollment.

Or can I just show them my student card and a piece of mail again?

The only way to see a doctor anywhere near where I live is to go to a walk-in clinic. I used the closest one last year when I had a bad respiratory infection, and although I signed in at 9 a.m. I wasn't seen till after 2 in the afternoon. That wasn't a good day.

I haven't a health emergency now, but there are a couple of things I'd like to ask a doctor about. Losing an entire day of work for a ten-minute encounter with a doctor is a nuisance, though.

I can't help wondering if one quietly handed over a couple of $20 bills with one's carte-soleil, if it wouldn't get one seen a little sooner. Anyone tried this? Downsides?

Hey guys, bonjour,

Can anyone tell me where can I get an affidavit that replaces my birth certificate? I wasn't born here and I don't have a certificate, but need one for applications and stuff. 
Thank you so much!

Hi!

Does anybody know how I could find out who the owner of a property is here in Montreal?

Cheers!

Hi, I have a question about school.

I'm currently attending Cegep, and I've registered for the Winter 2007 semester. However, I need to switch to a different cegep.

There's one month left before the Winter 2007 semester starts. I know it's possible to apply in January if there's space available, but how? The SRAM website tells me that "Autumn 2007 admissions will start in January". What about Winter 2007?!

Is there a way to transfer from one cegep to another without going through the SRAM?

Any help is greatly appreciated; I've searched the internet in vain, and I'm still looking. Thanks.

Does anyone know what those "Mettez Vos Culottes [...]" signs downtown are about? They're all along Ste-Catherines, have been for a while. And I can't figure out what they're about.

Something about a governmental error? They have a picture of a kid named Alexandre on them...

I'm so confused. (Thanks!)

i was wondering,
do we get a tvq check sometime in december? i'm thinking yes, but i'm not 100% sure.

thanks :)

hello dahlings!

i need some information about a specific building (church on the corner of st-urbain and st-viateur) for a class. where is the best place to get this information? should i go to city hall? is that even possible? and where is city hall!

thank yas!

a few weeks ago i wrote an email to mayor tremblay voicing my concern (disgust, anger, severe emotional distress) over parc avenue's name change. today i got this in reply from one of his lackeys:

( behind the cut: )

this just fuels my fire more. it is arrogant and, frankly, disrespectful of the wishes of the community.

i can't be there so i beg of you - keep writing letters, keep protesting. i know there are those amongst you for whom this name change is negligible but there are also those who understand. parc has always been the centre of my montreal, even before i lived here, and i will be heartbroken if i return and it's gone. i know a name change won't necessarily change the character of the street, but it will discredit the heritage and culture that we take for granted. can you imagine taking the 80 bourassa? or telling someone to meet you at mont-royal and bourassa? i can't, and i don't think i ever could.

(x-posted to my journal)

quelqu'un sait où se trouve les bureaux où je dois aller si je veux faire une demande d'assurance-chômage ?

so tomorrow i'm supposed to go for my driving theory test thingamabob. you know, for a permit.
and of course, because i am the way i am, only at the last minute did i realize that i can't find my birth certificate.
i know you're supposed to bring a photo id, and a document (a birth certificate, or something), but now that i can't find it, i'm wondering if there is any other type of document that i can bring that will tickle their fancy.
they listed the stuff i could bring when i confirmed my date but since i thought i had my birth certificate i wasn't paying attention.

so what do you guys know about this?

I have a question concerning the school system in Quebec.

Is it possible for someone to take a few University classes while going to cegep during the same semester (to complete a few missing classes for their DEC)?

It seems awkward to attend both cegep and university simultaneously, but my only concern is the legitimacy of it.