I was getting some comically unhealthy grub at the local grease hole when I spotted what looked like a community newspaper.

It’s called The Métropolitain, and it’s a bilingual bi-weekly paper of long stories produced by Beryl Wajsman, editor of The Suburban, 940 News show host, president of the Institute for Public Affairs of Montreal and editor of its journal Barricades.

The inaugural issue, dated May 1, features a piece by Wajsman asking us to all get along. I think. It’s kind of long-winded, and distractingly changes language every second paragraph.

The contents are definitely political opinion in nature, though the overall stance is hard to pin down. Its articles look like they could come out of the Fraser Institute policy review or the Concordia Student Union handbook. But mainly the stance seems to be libertarian, pro-capitalist, pro-Israel and against just about everyone in politics.

Writers contributing to the first issue include blowhards like lawyer Julius Grey, National Post columnist Barbara Kay, poet David Solway, blogger Vincent Geloso, photojournalist Robert J. Galbraith, and radio host Sharman Yarnell, along with enough nerdy policy wonks to … I don’t know what you’d do with that many policy wonks, actually. Have a West Wing marathon party?

The paper also has more advertising than you’d expect from a premiere issue, suggesting that it might actually have a future. Its editor, at least, is confident it will.

Most importantly, it’s a new publication bringing thoughtful insight (even if I vehemently disagree with half of it) and a Montreal perspective on international, national and even local issues. Even though it’s not about to put The Gazette out of business (and put me out of a job again), another editorial voice on the Montreal scene is always welcome.

Good luck.