Strangers in the Night

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The sky over Pointe-Claire still carried the last blush of daylight when the first notes rang out beneath the white sweep of tents. For twenty years, Strangers in the Night has been the West Island’s unofficial summer jammer. It is a night that gathers everyone, from lifelong locals to new arrivals, and lets them forget routine in favour of music, food, and a cause that matters.

This year, you could sense the organizers’ intention to push it further right from the start. The usual energy was there, but everything seemed to hum just a little brighter—maybe it was the build-up from the VIP kickoff event earlier in the year, a first for SITN, that primed the community for something bigger. That night at 40 Westt had set the tone: leaders from every corner of Montreal, a palpable sense of anticipation, and the sort of early momentum that carries through to the main event.

Back at the gala, the grounds felt transformed. Over eighty of the city’s best restaurants circled the event, each booth offering a different take on summer—from flame-grilled skewers and sushi rolls to decadent pastries disappearing two at a time. Attendees drifted between tables, swapping bites and stories, debating which dish deserved to be crowned the best of the night. SITN now resembles a food festival as much as a charity gala, with a culinary lineup that’s become a centrepiece in its own right.

Philanthropist Nadia Saputo’s VIP section was impossible to miss; a masterclass in summer elegance. Her tent glowed in crisp yellow and white, decked out with palm trees, glowing string lights, and just the right splash of playful beach balls rolling between tables. The effect was a private paradise within the party, equal parts sophistication and pure, unfiltered fun. “I chose a summer theme to go with the Beach Boys vibe,” Saputo told The Suburban, and her vision was everywhere you looked, there were guests lingering under the lights, cocktails in hand, as the last daylight faded and the music built toward its peak.

Once the crowd had eaten their fill, the attention shifted to the main stage. The Beach Boys walked out to a roar, and for the next hour, Pointe-Claire could have been mistaken for a beach town on the Pacific — every chorus of Good Vibrations and Surfin’ USA met with arms in the air and strangers harmonizing like old friends. The show carried a touch of poignancy, too, as the band played on in the wake of a recent loss — one of the Beach Boys’ own, Brian Wilson, remembered in the music and the mood of the crowd. Meanwhile, the Ultra VIP beach party offered a different rhythm. Exodus brought Bob Marley’s warmth and ease, the sand crowd swayed with every reggae beat, and the night took on that unmistakable SITN glow. The Damn Truth and Ford Miller Band kept the tempo rolling, making sure this year’s anniversary never lost its edge.

The real story always comes back to the giving. SITN is a party, but it’s a party with purpose. This year, instead of a silent auction, organizers went live. Midway through the night, Sophie Lalonde stepped onto the stage on behalf of Kat Beaulieu, delivering a message that cut right through the music and chatter: Kat was personally pledging $50,000 to the event’s causes, and she was challenging everyone in the room to do the same. You could feel the air shift — people leaned in, conversations turned from small talk to genuine plans about stepping up. That’s the hallmark of SITN: the ability to turn a crowd into a movement, and a night out into a catalyst for change.

If collective generosity needed a little extra spark, the champagne glass draw took care of it. Every guest who bought a flute had a shot at a $5,000 diamond. Glasses clinked and anticipation built. When the winner was announced, the celebration was a shared one-a moment that perfectly blended fun and philanthropy, and left people talking long after the music faded.

The heart of SITN has always been the causes it champions. This year’s proceeds, a total of $300,000, are fueling the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation’s $2 million pavilion campaign, giving hope to families across the city. The Make-A-Wish Foundation, with more than 1,200 children waiting for their dreams to come true, is seeing renewed support. The West Island Women’s Shelter continues its vital work, supported by a community that refuses to look away. Corporate sponsors showed up strong: Rolf C. Hagen Group leading as presenting sponsor, Air Canada marking a milestone 15 years, Genesis West Island and Gabriel Groupe joining a who’s who of local backers.

Twenty years in, Strangers in the Night is more than a fundraiser. It’s a West Island tradition-a proof that when this community gathers, it does more than celebrate. It creates momentum, raises the bar, and makes a difference that lasts far beyond a single summer night. As the tents come down and the music echoes away, the spark lingers-and you know, without question, that they’ll push it even further next year. n