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fete nationale

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day (aka Fête nationale du Québec) falls on Tuesday, June 24 this year, giving many Montrealers a midweek break to enjoy the city, attend festivities, or just sleep in. As Quebec's official national holiday, it's a statutory day off for most, meaning government services, stores, and transit could be operating on modified schedules.

Whether you're planning to catch a parade, grab brunch, or just wondering if the SAQ will be open, here's a handy breakdown of what's open and closed in Montreal this Saint-Jean.

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With Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day aka Quebec's Fête nationale (national holiday) fast approaching, you may be gearing up for a long weekend filled with festivities in celebration of la belle province.

Or, perhaps you've got no plans at all other than sitting at home — whether to contemplate the province's complicated history or watch reality TV as you revel in a day off work. Either way, it's important to keep in mind that Monday is a statutory holiday so not everything will be up and running as per usual.

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As Canadian passport hopefuls line city blocks to get their travel documents, the Parti Québecois is offering a solution: independence. To mark the Fête nationale on June 24, the party has produced a draft passport for the would-be independent country of Quebec.

The passports, available online, feature images of Quebec landmarks, including the Parliament Building in Quebec City, the Sir Georges-Étienne Cartier monument near Montreal's avenue du Parc, and the Île-d'Orléans Bridge.

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A 62-year-old man is in the hospital in critical condition Friday after sustaining a stab wound, Montreal police say.

Officers found the man after responding to a 5:25 a.m. 911 call about an injured individual in a home on boulevard Côte-Vertu Ouest near rue Cardinal in the borough of Saint-Laurent. The 62-year-old was injured in his upper body.

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Pat yourself on the back — you've made it through yet another week. And there are tons of things to do in Montreal this weekend to celebrate that fact!

Between fireworks, food and music events and of course, Saint-Jean-Baptiste festivities, it's bound to be a good time in the 514. So, here are all the riveting things to do in the city that will certainly make your long weekend one to remember.

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Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day is here again. Quebec's Fête nationale will see most of the province shut down as revellers gather in celebration of la belle province.

In Montreal, several institutions will remain open, and some city services will continue. But many purveyors of critical holiday supplies and liquid fun will close their doors.

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Police will be paying closer attention to the roads over the next two weekends. The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) says its officers will be out on roads and highways to catch travellers who are speeding or driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The Quebec police force says speed and impaired driving "remain the main causes of fatal collisions" in the province.

Last year, authorities recorded nine fatal crashes during the Saint-Jean and Canada Day weekends.

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Environment Canada has issued a rainfall warning for parts of southern Quebec, including Montreal, Laval, the Montérégie region, and parts of the Laurentides and Lanaudière regions.

The federal weather agency forecasts 10 to 25 millimetres of rain in much of the province. Some areas, it says, already got as much as 60 millimetres between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

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