Terry Mosher, known as Aislin, has been capturing the essence of the Montreal Canadiens through his cartoons for over fifty years. His work, which includes a famous cartoon that equates hockey to a new religion in Montreal, reflects the city's unity through the sport despite political differences. As the Habs reach the Stanley Cup finals, Mosher reminisces about the team's past successes and his critical yet affectionate portrayal of them. He continues to draw Habs cartoons and is working on a book of his favorite cartoons during the pandemic, abstaining from making predictions about the finals but expressing his support for the team and the city.

Leonardo Da Vinci Academy in Montreal held its annual fundraiser for the Montreal Neurological Institute, which was particularly meaningful as gym teacher Daniel Gaudette returned after brain tumour surgery. Gaudette, diagnosed last December, is recovering and aims to return to teaching in September. The school raised close to $16,000, marking their most successful campaign to date, inspired by a teacher who lost her father to cancer. The students and principal Nadia Sammarco expressed joy and pride in Gaudette's resilience and inspiration.

Montreal restaurateurs are preparing for a reopening of terrasses in June after a meeting with provincial officials. While the official announcement is expected on Tuesday afternoon, there is speculation that terrasses could open as early as May 28, even in red zones. Industry groups CPBBTQ and UTBQ oppose opening terrasses before dining rooms, citing profitability and discrimination concerns. Jean-Jacques Beauchamp of the Quebec Bars Association expressed satisfaction that the industry's message is being heard. Dr. Donald Vinh and Mayor Valerie Plante emphasized the importance of public health and vaccination in the context of reopening.

The Longueuil Police Service is seeking to increase diversity by recruiting more officers from minority communities. Police Chief Fady Dagher emphasizes the importance of building trust with youth and addressing the lack of diversity within the force. Despite challenges such as racial profiling and the need to overcome negative perceptions, the initiative aims to reflect the community better. Currently, racialized officers make up about five percent of the force, with plans to increase this number. The effort comes in the wake of heightened tensions following the police killing of George Floyd and is part of a broader movement to address racial biases in law enforcement.

In Laval-des-Rapides, Montreal, Jamol Ross and his friend, both Black men, were confronted by two men and a woman in a condo garage, leading to an altercation that Ross believes was racially motivated. The condo board claims ignorance of the individuals' identities, while the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations' Fo Niemi described the situation as racially charged. Ross is considering legal action and wants the trio charged.

A Montreal study with preliminary results suggests that vaccines, including Pfizer's, likely provide some protection against the U.K. variant of COVID-19. The study, led by researcher Andres Finzi at the Centre Hospitalier de l'Universite de Montreal, followed 32 health workers who received the Pfizer vaccine's first dose. Infectious disease specialist Matthew Oughton emphasized the importance of such studies, especially as more transmissible variants become prevalent. The study's next phase will examine the vaccine's efficacy against other variants, such as those from South Africa and Brazil. Concerns were raised about the Astrazeneca vaccine's effectiveness against the South African variant.

Brainbox, a Montreal-based company, has been included in Time Magazine's 100 best inventions list for being the first in the world to use artificial intelligence to control a building's energy output.

Health-care workers in Montreal, including Dr. Vincent Bouchard-Dechene of Notre-Dame Hospital and orderly Helina Asumadu of Royal Victoria Hospital, reflect on the challenges faced during 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Bouchard-Dechene recalls the arrival of the first COVID-19 patient and the shock of the positive test result. The knowledge of treating COVID-19 patients has improved, but the heartbreak of patient loss, particularly among the elderly, remains. Asumadu and nurse Naveed Hussain discuss the personal toll of confronting death and dealing with their own COVID-19 symptoms. Health-care workers face a different worry in the second wave, with a shortage of staff rather than physical resources. Despite the official end of the year, they anticipate that the worst may still be ahead.