There is a whole lot of heartbreak, disappointment and outrage this week among those affiliated with two of Montreal’s most vibrant yet physically decaying institutions.

Health Minister Christian Dubé’s admission that he might have jumped the gun on announcing a major expansion at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital has infuriated staff trying to save lives and make scientific breakthroughs in a decrepit building where snow infiltrates the intensive-care unit during winter and temperatures spike to over 40 C in summer.

Everyone has been waiting in good faith for long-overdue upgrades that have been announced not once, not twice, but at least three times dating back to 2018. Meanwhile, costs have skyrocketed north of $5 billion, causing the government of Premier François Legault to balk, even as it seeks to increase infrastructure spending to spur an economy hurt by U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war.

Staff at Maisonneuve-Rosemont have treated recent news that the urgent renovations have been postponed — maybe to 2026, fingers crossed — as a profound betrayal.

Doctors who have had to revive crashing patients in frequently stalled elevators and put up with water leaking from crumbling ceilings say the project can be postponed no longer.

Across town, students, parents and staff at FACE school are

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