Author name: The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph

Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest closed for second phase of redevelopment

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest closed for second phase of redevelopment

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Residents and merchants are bracing themselves for another summer of disruption as the second phase of the redevelopment of Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest ramps up.

Asphalt and sidewalks have already been removed from a stretch of the busy east-west artery that runs between Rues Carillon and Saint-Luc. This section will undergo major work, including installation of underground infrastructure such as sewer and water pipes, as well as utility networks.

Also in the plan for this phase is the installation of concrete sidewalks and curbs, new street surfacing and redesigning the street to make intersections safer. New lighting and planting of trees and vegetation will complete the project.

While this phase is underway, workers will be finishing off the first phase of the three-year project, on the section between Ave. des Oblats and Rue Carillon. The third and final phase, slated for 2026, will concern the section between Rue Saint-Luc and Rue Marie- de-l’Incarnation.

The estimated $10-million project has the overall goal, besides upgrading aging infrastructure, of making “a more welcoming thoroughfare that will enhance the quality of life in the area and the vitality of the commercial activities that take place there,” according to the city website.

The project, an initiative of the city in collaboration with neighbourhood groups, is a significant disruption for residents and businesses in the heart of the Saint-Sauveur district.

The city has taken steps to minimize the impact of construction activity, expected to last until November, with mea- sures in place to reduce noise from vehicles and minimize the dust stirred up.

Public information sessions were held on March 31 and April 2, in which city officials explained details of the project and heard comments from affected residents and business owners.

The local business organization, the Société de développe- ment commercial du quartier Saint-Sauveur (SDC), has been working with the city to monitor the situation. Nadia Reghai Gagnon, the director general, said the SDC is trying to moti- vate people to patronize busi- nesses in the affected zones.

In an interview with the QCT, Reghai Gagnon said the SDC is organizing contests and activities to promote the sector during the construction project. One of them is a “bucket list” contest whereby local businesses offer gift certificates for customers who visit several establishments.

Under a city program, businesses are eligible for up to a maximum $30,000 in compensation for revenue lost due to the impact of construction.

Reghai Gagnon said another major effect of the closure of Rue Saint-Vallier is the rerouting of several Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) bus routes. “It’s not very easy for the citizens,” especially for seniors, she said. “Many will have to walk a considerable distance to catch a bus on Boul. Charest.”

Despite the challenges of three years’ worth of disruption, Gagnon said she believes those affected see the long-term benefits of a completely modernized street.

“I would say that it would perhaps be a little premature to presume certain things, but we still feel that there is a desire among those who have settled [on Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest] to believe in the future, to be resilient and rather positive.”

Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest closed for second phase of redevelopment Read More »

Prep work underway for major redo of Parc de la francophonie

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Prep work underway for major redo of Parc de la francophonie

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Work is underway in the Parc de la Francophonie – popularly known as Le Pigeonnier – in preparation for a long- awaited development of the site adjacent to the National Assembly and across Grande Allée from the historic armoury.

A security fence surrounds the site where, according to the little information available from the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec (CCNQ), which owns and manages the site, a project of at least $20 million will unfold over the next few years.

The preliminary work, consisting of archeological digs and soil sampling, will provide data to help plan the eventual transformation of the park, famous for its pigeon house and small pond. Known as the Parc de Grande Allée when it was created in 1972 with the demolition of houses, it was renamed Parc de la Francophonie in 1995 in honour of the 25th anniversary of the organization now known as the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

For years it has been the site of secondary stages for the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). This time, however, in anticipation of the work being done on the site this year and likely the next two years, FEQ will create stages in Place George-V in front of the armoury. That site, owned by the federal government, underwent a complete overhaul in 2023-24 to make it more suitable for hosting large events.

Once the initial work is done on the park over the next few weeks, it will be restored and available for use, according to a CCNQ spokesperson in a Le Soleil report. The CCNQ did not respond to a QCT enquiry by press time.

The project is included in the Société québécoise des Infrastructures planning “dash- board” in the category of more than $20 million. The description says, “The majority of [the structures on the site] have become obsolete and require significant restructuring.

“The complete redevelop- ment of the park has become necessary to provide users with a quality public space whose future developments will reflect the vital nature of this site in the heart of Parliament Hill.”

Prep work underway for major redo of Parc de la francophonie Read More »

Avenir St. Patrick consults the English-speaking Community

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Avenir St. Patrick consults the English-speaking community

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

As the the Central Québec School Board (CQSB) moves ahead with plans to build a single consolidated English high school in Quebec City, members of the English-speaking community and residents of the sur- rounding neighbourhoods are curious about the future of the buildings currently housing Quebec High School (QHS) and St. Patrick’s High School (SPHS) and the land they occupy. On April 30, Avenir St. Patrick invited the English-speaking community to a consultation at the Centre culture et environnement Frédéric-Back to discuss the future of the SPHS property.

Among the 20 or so attendees were current and former SPHS teachers, parents, alumni, members of the Irish community, representatives of local nonprofits, residents and sports enthusiasts. In table discussions, each person gave their opinion, thoughts and ideas for the site. The discussions focused on three main possibilities: non-profit and privately-owned co-operative housing, a community centre and a green space.

For many house hunters and entrepreneurs, Montcalm is a sought-after neighbourhood, with SPHS at its heart. If and when the land and building are sold, members of the local Irish community worry they may lose a major piece of their historical identity and heritage. The use of the property dates back to the 1830s, when it was St. Patrick’s Cemetery, until the cemetery was moved to Sillery to make room for the new school in 1916. With such deep roots, they want to continue to use the space and land, and for it to represent them, which includes conducting activities in English.

The building has two major parts: the school and the gym. The latter is not as easily transformed into housing and requires more engineering and planning. This integrates into existing plans for a community hub with a performance hall and a multipurpose space. As for the outdoor green space, local residents said they appreciate it, and community sports clubs use the soccer field for Gaelic football and hurling, among other sports.

Much of the discussion at the meeting was speculative because the land and building are not for sale at the moment. All that is certain is the school’s eventual move to the new location in Sainte-Foy, the second move in its long history, slated for 2028. Backers of the “super- school” project say it is necessary to allow the school board to sell off the aging high school buildings, stimulate enrolment and offer CQSB students educational opportunities and options similar to their counterparts at local French-language schools.

Avenir St. Patrick indicated that another meeting would be planned in the near future, probably in French, to reach more community members. The group would like to present solid plans to the city before 2028.

Keep an eye on the Avenir St. Patrick Facebook page for further information.

Avenir St. Patrick consults the English-speaking Community Read More »

Morrin Centre gets heritage grant for Cabinet of Curiosities

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Morrin Centre gets heritage grant for Cabinet of Curiosities project

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Visitors to the Morrin Centre will soon be able to delve deeper into the secrets of its 19th-century science lab thanks to a grant through the Supporting Heritage Awareness Recognition (SHARE) program, funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and administered by the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). 

The science lab on the fourth floor of the historic building dates from 1868, when the former prison was renovated to house Morrin College, a postsecondary institution affiliated with McGill University, which offered students the opportunity to obtain a McGill bachelor of arts degree, and also trained pastors for the Presbyterian Church. Incidentally, Morrin College has the distinction of being one of the first postsecondary schools in Canada to grant degrees to women, starting in 1885. The school closed in 1902 due to lack of funds and declining enrolment; over time, the former lab – which has a 19th-century photography darkroom in one corner – became a repository for all sorts of things, from microscopes to pharmaceutical equipment, centuries-old books, archeological finds and preserved animal specimens, bequeathed or given to the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ) by generations of members. The lab was refurbished and reopened to tourists around 2012, and the Morrin Centre put in place a “Cabinet of Curiosities” display – modelled on the displays of unusual and varied objects popular in Renaissance Europe that laid the groundwork for modern museums. 

With the QAHN grant, according to Morrin Centre heritage and tours co-ordinator Hee-Won Son, the Morrin Centre will produce bilingual booklets to help visitors of all ages discover the panoply of objects. Although Son and head of library and collections Kathleen Hulley haven’t determined exactly what objects to put in the booklet, one that will likely be included is the oldest book in the Morrin Centre collection, a 501-year-old German volume about Roman military strategy. 

“People really liked [the display] and we thought there wasn’t a lot of information about the objects,” Son said. Our general theme will be focused on the connections between the LHSQ and natural sciences as demonstrated through the current collection items. Within this general theme, there are many directions we can go … such as specifically focusing on the LHSQ or weaving in stories from the Morrin College era as well. We are still working out which specific [objects] we want to highlight. We welcome suggestions from the public who are curious about certain things. Even if it seems like a random object, everything tells a story, and it will be great to share that story with local anglophones and francophones, some of whom have never heard of this place.”

The Morrin Centre was one of 10 heritage organizations from English-speaking communities across the province that received funding through the SHARE grant program. “I am so impressed with the calibre and variety of original projects that were submitted from all across Quebec,” said QAHN executive director Matthew Farfan. “The selection committee had some really tough choices to make. I can’t wait to see what we get in year two!”

Applications are open for the second round of SHARE grants. Anyone interested in learning more about or applying for the QAHN SHARE grant program should contact Julie Miller (julie@qahn.org). Anyone with suggestions or comments about the Cabinet of Curiosities project can contact Kathleen Hulley (kathleenhulley@morrin.org).

Morrin Centre gets heritage grant for Cabinet of Curiosities Read More »

KWE! showcases First Nations and Inuit cultures

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

KWE! showcases First Nations and Inuit cultures

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

From June 12 to 15 at Place Jean-Béliveau, Quebecers are invited to discover the rich cultures of the 11 First Nations in Quebec through conferences, kiosks, films and music at the KWE! Meet with Indigenous Peoples festival at Place Jean-Béliveau and other sites around the city. The word kwe means “hello” in several Indigenous languages, and the festival is all about connection.

“KWE! is above all an invitation to connect, share and discover in a festive and welcoming atmosphere,” said KWE! executive director Mélanie Vincent. “We are reaching out to the entire population to come and meet us. Thanks to a diverse and interactive program, everyone will be able to enjoy a unique and enriching experience!” She continued, “The purpose of the festival is to meet our neighbours. Sometimes, we travel the world and know more about other nations than we do about our First Nations.”

KWE! is pulling out all the stops for this eighth edition. It opens with Tressages, a fashion show featuring collaboration between renowned Quebec fashion designer Jean-Claude Poitras and First Nations and Inuit designers, on June 12 at the Grand Théâtre. Tickets ($20) are available now.

From movies to conferences and workshops, discussions over tea, and savouring Chef Maxime Lizotte’s menu, there is much to discover and learn over the four-day festival.

“The traditions of the First Nations and Inuit of Quebec reflect exceptional richness and diversity. I am convinced that the event will once again be a resounding success this year,” said Ian Lafrenière, Quebec minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit.

While some people walk through the Forest of 11 Indigenous Languages, others will work with modern and traditional tools at the FabLab Workshop or attend one of many talks about Indigenous life or powwows. On June 13, KWE! will project Anishnabe short films from Wapikoni Mobile, and on June 14, the coming-of-age film Ninan Auassat – Nous, les enfants, directed by Kim O’Bomsawin. To keep people moving, Dr. Stanley Vollant will lead the Puamun Meshkenu (Path of a Thousand Dreams) Walk at 1 p.m. on June 14.

In support of the festival, on June 13, the Gabrielle-Roy Library will present Frétillant et Agile, a play by Wendat author Jocelyn Sioui about two people, young and old, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime to discover humanity.

The festivities will continue on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, with a show at Place de L’Assemblée-Nationale. Wendat composer and film music producer Geneviève Gros-Louis will open the show and be joined by members of the 11 First Nations to sing the festival theme song, inspired by Serge Fiori’s Un musicien parmi tant d’autres. A live tribute to pioneering Innu singer-songwriter Florent Vollant will feature Zachary Richard, Maten, Dumas, Hauterive, Scott-Pien Picard and Vincent Vallières.

KWE! showcases First Nations and Inuit cultures Read More »

Liberals win minority government, Poilievre loses seat

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

Liberals win minority government, Poilievre loses seat

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Voters narrowly gave the Liberal Party of Canada a fourth mandate in the April 28 federal election. Radio-Canada called the race at 10:25 p.m., less than an hour after polls closed in most of Quebec, Ontario and the Prairies. As the online edition of this newspaper went to press, shortly before 3 p.m. on April 29, the Liberals (elected or leading in 169 seats, three short of majority territory) appeared headed for a minority government, with a Conservative Official Opposition (144 seats). Both the Bloc Québécois (22 seats) and a potential NDP-Green alliance (eight seats) could hold the balance of power. Prime Minister Mark Carney, running for office for the first time, won his seat in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.

In a generally gracious speech, Carney said he looked forward to working with MPs from all parties – “particularly Bruce Fanjoy,” the Liberal who defeated Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in his riding. He pledged to defend “humility, ambition and unity,” “recognize, correct and learn from” any errors he might make and govern “constructively” in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples. He pledged to ensure that Quebec “thrives within a united Canada” and protect Canadian sovereignty, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation allusions “are not idle threats.”

“If the Americans don’t want to lead, then we will. We’ll build millions of houses, become an energy power and build one economy, not 13,” he promised. “The next months and years will be difficult, but we will support Canadian workers and businesses. … We will fight with all we have to get the best for Canada.”

Poilievre lost the seat he has held in Carleton since 2004, but looked set to stay on as Conservative leader. “My goal will continue to be restoring the promise that anyone who works hard can have a nice, affordable house in a safe community,” he said, congratulating Carney on “a razor-thin minority government.” He didn’t address the result in his riding; Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus, re-elected in Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint- Charles, suggested another MP could step aside to let Poilievre run in a byelection.

The NDP lost 17 seats but avoided the complete collapse some polls predicted; NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh lost his seat to the Liberals and announced he would resign as leader once a successor was chosen. Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May was re-elected in Saanich–Gulf Islands, but the party won no other seats. In 2021, the Liberals won 160 seats, the Conservatives 119, the Bloc 32, the NDP 25 and the Greens two.

In Quebec City-area ridings, Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos won a fourth term in Québec-Centre, as did Liberal Joël Lightbound in Louis-Hébert. Conservative incumbents Gérard Deltell in Louis-Saint- Laurent–Akiawenhrahk, Paul-Hus in Charlesbourg–Haute- Saint-Charles and Joël Godin in Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier were easily re-elected. Liberal Steeve Lavoie defeated Bloc incumbent Julie Vignola in Beauport-Limoilou. In Montmorency-Charlevoix, Conservative newcomer Gabriel Hardy defeated Bloc incumbent Caroline Desbiens by less than 800 votes in a race that wasn’t called until Tuesday afternoon. 

Lightbound told reporters he was “very grateful” to the people of Quebec City. He said a Liberal government would continue to fund the tramway. “What I regret is that when the tramway [project] was announced in 2018, it was supposed to be built by 2026,” he said. “I think people are sick of going back and forth. Giving Quebec City a structured transit network is a must.”

“If we have a minority government, that’s the mandate we’ve been given, and every party has the obligation to make it work,” he added.

On the South Shore, Conservatives Jacques Gourde (Lévis-Lotbinière) and Dominique Vien (Bellechasse–Les Etchemins-Lévis) easily won re-election. In Beauce, Conservative Jason Groleau succeeded retiring Conservative Richard Lehoux, and People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier finished fourth in his home riding. In Mégantic- L’Érable-Lotbinière, which includes Thetford Mines, Conservative Luc Berthold was re-elected.

As of 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, six races around the country remained too close to call. 

With files from Kevin Dougherty

Liberals win minority government, Poilievre loses seat Read More »

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Mayor Bruno Marchand got to talk transit matters with Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault on April 23, a meeting the mayor had sought to get explanations for recent government moves.

The two, along with Infrastructure and capital region Minister Jonatan Julien, met for 90 minutes at Guilbault’s ministry office. After the meeting, only Marchand spoke with reporters.

The meeting became an urgent matter for the mayor in light of cuts to major transportation projects in the city contained in the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s March 25 budget.

The projects are the construction of a large garage for the city’s fleet of electric buses, the creation of reserved lanes for buses on freeways in the city, and a further phase of the reconfiguration of roads accessing the two bridges.

These cuts came to light just as it became known the CAQ government had awarded a $46-million contract for planning work for the third link – a bridge across the St. Lawrence River.

Marchand told reporters the talks were cordial and “everyone had the courage and strength to tell each other what they thought.”

He said, “We offered them alternative solutions, interim solutions, because the work is currently not progressing. We are working with them to find solutions, particularly to ensure that the money that has been invested is not wasted.”

Some of that money – specifically $203 million for the electric bus garage – comes from the federal government. Federal funding for Quebec City projects was likely on the agenda when Marchand had an impromptu breakfast meeting April 22 with Prime Minister and Liberal Leader Mark Carney.

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault Read More »

Climate activists form Earth Day human chain around National Assembly

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Climate activists form Earth Day human chain around National Assembly

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

On April 22, Earth Day, thousands of Quebecers, including members of the Coalition régionale pour la justice climatique et sociale (CRJCS), formed a human chain around the National Assembly to send a message about climate change, the importance of implementing environmentally friendly strategies, and the need to hold governments and corporations accountable.

“The climate is warming faster than expected, with 2024 being the hottest year in recorded history. Last year, average land and ocean tempera- tures rose 1.3 degrees Celsius. The consequences are already being felt across the planet with increasingly extreme weather events, thawing permafrost and the rampant loss of ecosystems. These consequences have an impact on our food, our health, our income and our quality of life,” said Naélie Bouchard-Sylvain of the Regroupement d’éducation populaire en action communautaire des régions de Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches. “This puts us on a trajectory where the human and social costs will be catastrophic in the next two decades.

“Meanwhile, our governments are backtracking on several climate measures,” said Bouchard-Sylvain. “While the majority of the population sees their living conditions worsen, one per cent continue their luxurious lifestyles thanks to their portfolio of polluting stocks and political influence. On this Earth Day, we demand an acceleration of the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises, such as phasing out fossil fuels, and a massive reinvestment in environmentally friendly public and social services.”

Organizers presented a seven-foot-long by three-foot-wide “ticket” to the government for their perceived inaction on climate, which was hung from the ramparts and quickly pulled down by police officers.

Fighting deforestation and pesticide overuse

At the municipal level, Quebec City is encouraging “no-mow May” and pesticide- free movements on most municipal lawns. In addition, the city will distribute free trees on May 1.

In a joint effort with the federal government through a $440-million investment, Quebec aims to plant 100 million trees in public and private forests by 2030-31. The Quebec government restricts deforestation to 278,000 square kilometres of its 834,000 square kilometres of forests. It also requires the forestry industry to rotate lots by continuously replanting. However, environmentalists argue the government is not doing enough and not acting fast enough.

Quebec’s Bill 97, An Act mainly to modernize the for- est regime, was introduced on April 23. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Maïté Blanchette Vézina presented amendments to the bill that aim to create “priority forest management zones.” Environmentalists fear that the forest industry, with the government’s support, is going too far. “In priority forest management zones, the plan even goes so far as to ban protected areas, which means banning conservation. It’s as if the Ministry of Forests is trying to protect itself legally against the Ministry of the Environment,” said Alice-Anne Simard, director general of Nature Québec. “These amendments could be compromising the achievements of our conservation objectives.”

Climate activists form Earth Day human chain around National Assembly Read More »

City to test ‘senior safety zones’ on Ave. Holland

Local Journalism Initiative / /

City to test ‘senior safety zones’ on Ave. Holland

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The first of a planned 43 zones to reduce traffic risks to seniors is to be installed on Ave. Holland at the intersection with Rue Barrin, where the YWCA building is located.

While not giving reasons why this particular sector was chosen for a pilot project this summer, the announcement made earlier this month said the zone would include “the addition of a pedestrian signal and a bench, road markings, geometric adjustments and signage. It will allow for testing of the concept before further implementation elsewhere in the area.”

According to the city, the criteria for a senior safety zone includes “the density of people aged 65 and over, the incidence of collisions involving elderly pedestrians, and the major sources of travel for this clientele.”

Using these parameters, city officials define 43 sectors around the city that “represent more than a third of the residences of this clientele.”

The city announced the $10-million program in November; then, staff embarked on the process to identify target zones. According to Mayor Bruno Marchand, the city got the idea for senior traffic zones from a similar program in New York City.

In a statement, Marchand said, “It is essential for us to implement measures to protect this clientele and other more vulnerable road users. In New York City, where we drew our inspiration, this type of development has reduced senior pedestrian fatalities by 25 per cent – that’s a major achievement.”

City to test ‘senior safety zones’ on Ave. Holland Read More »

Quebec High School students get taste of democracy at election simulation

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Quebec High School students get taste of democracy at election simulation

QHS students get taste of democracy at election simulation

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Webster Auditorium at Quebec High School was transformed into a polling place on April 24 as students took part in an election simulation, co- ordinated by teachers Julie Bown, Gina Gauvin and Fannie Marsh as part of the nationwide Student Vote 2025 program run by Elections Canada and civic education nonprofit Civix. More than 800,000 students at 7,000 elementary and secondary schools across the country are expected to take part in Student Vote 2025.

Students from Secondary I to V discussed the upcoming election in class and received voters’ cards, which they ex- changed for ballots once they arrived at the polling place and were checked in by student volunteer poll clerks from Secondary II and V. The ballots, provided by Elections Canada, displayed the names of the candidates for the riding of Québec-Centre. To make the simulation as simple and inclusive as possible, students voted in Québec-Centre (where the school is located) regardless of their place of residence, and students didn’t have to be Canadian citizens to cast ballots. Other than the date, four days before the actual election, those were the only major differences between the simulation and the actual vote.

Although students were allowed to opt out for religious or philosophical reasons or spoil their ballots, voter turnout appeared very high – at any rate, higher than the 62.6 per cent turnout among adult voters in the 2021 federal election.

Student poll clerks Cédric G. Ratté, Emma Bolduc, Victor Sweeney and Ophélie Bernier said they were looking forward to voting once they turned 18. “If I vote, I’m making a choice that will impact the future,” Bolduc said. Students took the CBC Electoral Compass test – which asks a person a range of questions about social and economic issues and suggests the party whose platform lines up most closely with their responses; some took things further by talking to friends and family and researching the candidates on their own time.

The QCT didn’t ask students who they voted for, but on what issues they based their vote; students mentioned climate change, Canada-U.S. relations, the need for strong leadership and picking a candidate who fits their ideals.

“Voting is a right that we have, it’s like a duty … and one day, it could be taken away,” said Bernier, who appreciated the dress rehearsal aspect of the event, showing teens what an actual polling place looks like and how it works.”

“I heard that in the last [U.S.] election, if ‘did not vote’ was a candidate, they would have won,” Sweeney said. “It’s important to make our voices heard.”

Secondary III voter Sophie Lavallée said she thought voting was important “to show you care about who’s in charge.”

Quebec High School was participating in the nationwide simulation for the first time, after Marsh, Gauvin and Bown heard about it at a conference and were intrigued. “As a teacher, it has been so cool to witness how into it the students are,” Marsh said. “They have had lessons about democracy and elections, been encouraged to have discussions with their parents about whether they vote and about the democratic process. It gives me faith in the future of democracy.”

Student Vote results will not be released until after the April 28 election, to avoid prejudicing the vote. In both the 2019 and 2021 simulations, students around the country elected a Liberal minority government and the NDP edged out the Conservatives to form the Official Opposition.

Quebec High School students get taste of democracy at election simulation Read More »

Duclos, Deltell clash over tramway, third link in local debate

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , ,

Duclos, Deltell clash over tramway, third link in local debate

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The future of Quebec City’s transit was a flash- point between Liberal and Conservative candidates in a debate on local issues organized by Radio-Canada on April 15.

With Téléjournal host Bruno Savard serving as moderator, the debate was a 45-minute exchange between Liberal incumbent for Québec-Centre Jean-Yves Duclos, Bloc Québécois challenger Simon Bérubé, New Democrat Tommy Bureau, running for the third time in the downtown riding, and Conservative Gérard Deltell, the incumbent MP for the Louis- Saint-Laurent–Akiawenhrahk riding.

Deltell represented the Conservatives in the absence of a candidate for the party in Québec-Centre. The intended candidate, Chanie Thériault, had been disqualified for not having filed required documents on time.

The debate was divided into two themes: the economy and mobility. A third segment at the end of the debate featured recorded questions from voters.

While there was a certain amount of back-and-forth about the financing and building of housing in the city, the debate over the two major transit projects in the works – the tramway and the third link – generated sharp confrontations between Duclos and Deltell, both veteran MPs first elected in 2015.

The showdown started with a question from Savard to Duclos, asking whether the federal government was prepared to pay 40 per cent of the cost of the tramway as the Quebec government expects, and, also, if Ottawa is an “ally” of the project, why the $1.5 billion it promised for the tramway was not made official before the election was called.

Duclos responded by listing the economic benefits of the tramway, including an estimated 20,000 construction jobs and stimulated investments of $500 million a year. He then challenged Deltell to answer whether a Conservative government would cancel Montreal’s blue line Metro project like leader Pierre Poilievre said he would do for Quebec City’s tramway.

Duclos said Poilievre wants to take the money for Quebec City’s project and invest in transit in his hometown of Calgary.

Savard then asked Deltell what the Conservatives would propose instead of a “structured” transit system for Quebec City. Deltell said the tramway does not have social acceptance, while the third link bridge project between Quebec City and Lévis does.

Deltell said to Duclos, “I find it really unfortunate that you keep repeating, repeating, repeating a lie. The $1.4 billion will stay in Quebec; is that clear? In Quebec, when Mr. Duclos says that he [Poilievre] is going to steal it from us, that’s a lie.”

When asked about the tramway, Bloc candidate Bérubé said, “There is a bad habit of both parties, which is to interfere in mobility projects here in Quebec. When Quebec decides to move forward with a project, the federal government’s role is simply to provide the money, without interfering in the design or form of the project.”

When Savard later asked whether Duclos supported the third link project, the Liberal MP opted to mention that a $3-billion fund would be available from the federal government to provide additional support for the tramway.

In an ensuing exchange with Deltell, the Conservative asked Duclos why he supports a project the people don’t want.

He then challenged the former minister to declare whether he supported the third link project. “I know you were a political lieutenant in Quebec, but [Liberal Leader] Mr. [Mark] Carney kicked you out. You’re a Quebec MP. Are you for or against the third link? It’s not a venereal disease; are you for or against? Duclos replied that federal funding depends on whether there is a public transit component to the bridge, but the Quebec government has not yet provided “a plan, a route nor a budget.”

The NDP’s Bureau said, regarding the tramway, “The money [from the federal government] should have been giv- en a long time ago to Quebec, which wants this project. And as for Mr. Deltell, I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do with the $1.4 billion. I’m expecting reserved lanes for F150s [pickup trucks].”

In the section for questions from the public via video, Sandra Nodari, a Brazilian immigrant and postdoctoral student at UQAM, asked the candidates how they would “address immigration issues without causing hardship for immigrants who are already well-established in housing, working and doing well?”

Duclos said, “Immigration is good for Quebec, it’s good for Canada; our diversity is a source of strength and pride. … We need to better recognize their expertise, including in health, but that’s done with the Quebec government. It’s not the federal government that will decide these things. The same goes for integration and francisation.”

Deltell, who noted he is the son of immigrants, said, “We currently have 20,000 doctors from abroad who are not yet recognized, and 30,000 nurses. We need this staff. We need all this talent that will meet our needs … We are committed to accelerating the process to en- able successful immigration.”

Duclos, Deltell clash over tramway, third link in local debate Read More »

CAQ attacked for $46-million third link contract

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

CAQ attacked for $46-million third link contract

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The awarding of a $46-million contract for the “third link” Quebec City-Lévis bridge project by the Quebec government is drawing fire from the National Assembly and Quebec City Hall.

The contract, which first came to light in a report in La Presse, was awarded in February to an international consortium called Parsons- Artelia-Hatch. It “includes professional support to determine the route and type of infrastructure,” according to Quebec transport ministry spokesperson Nicolas Vigneault.

“These elements are essential for the tendering phase, which will allow the selection of partners such as the project builder and designer,” Vigneault said.

There were four consortia bidding on the contract.

In addition to the latest contract, some $36 million has already been spent since 2018 on developing plans for the third link.

Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault is expected to give an update on progress of the project next month and announce a chosen route by the summer.

A downtown-to-downtown crossing has been ruled out; the other options being examined are two routes to the east towards Île d’Orléans, and two to the west towards the existing Pierre Laporte and Quebec bridges.

While Lévis Mayor Gilles Lehouillier, a longtime advocate of a third link, welcomed progress on the project, critics denounced it as an affront to Quebec City’s proposed tramway system.

The awarding of the contract for the bridge comes in the wake of recent cuts or delays in existing Quebec City transit projects, such as a network of dedicated urban transit lanes, a highway overpass and reconfiguration of approaches to the bridges.

Transition Québec Leader, mayoral candidate and Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith said in a statement, “I thank Ministers Geneviève Guilbault and [Minister for the Capital Region] Jonatan Julien for demonstrating that all the money for Quebec City’s transportation goes to the third link. This project is not good for Quebec City. We’re tired of being taken for fools.”

Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy said on X, “While Quebec’s credit rating is downgraded and vermin and rodents are taking up residence at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital [in Montreal] … the CAQ is getting out its chequebook for the third link.”

Meanwhile, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand has staked out a more prudent stance on the third link project. He told reporters before last week’s council meeting that he is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“I dare hope that Ms. Guilbault, when she proposes her route, will say, ‘Here’s how it improves [transit].’ They’ll have time to show us that for the citizens of Quebec City, it’s a win-win situation, that it’s not just a win-win situation for the citizens of Lévis.”

Other mayoral candidates have taken a position in favour of a new bridge. Québec d’Abord and Opposition Leader Claude Villeneuve gave his conditional approval to the project. During a media scrum at the National Assembly earlier this month, Villeneuve said, “I commit to acting as a partner in its implementation if it meets the needs of the people of Quebec City.”

His conditions would be that the bridge would not impede ship traffic on the St. Lawrence River, that it would integrate with Promenade Samuel-De Champlain and the urban boulevard on Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency and that it would not add congestion on Highway 40 westbound.

Former provincial Liberal minister Sam Hamad, who jumped into the mayor’s race on April 6, has said he is opposed to the current tramway plan but is open to the building of a new bridge.

There remain many steps ahead before construction would start on a new bridge. Once the route is chosen, a designer and builder of the project would not be selected until next year and a contract not signed until 2027.

CAQ attacked for $46-million third link contract Read More »

South Shore candidates face series of challenges

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

South Shore candidates face series of challenges 

Manuel Cardenas, Lévis correspondent

manuel@qctonline.com

Just days before the federal election, voters in the ridings of Bellechasse–Les Etchemins– Lévis, Lévis–Lotbinière and Mégantic–L’Érable were presented with new options regarding the candidates in their constituencies. The QCT spoke with five South Shore candidates to learn more about their commitments to the local population.

Three candidates from the Conservative Party, the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois in Bellechasse–Les Etchemins–Lévis expressed con- fidence that they were the person for the job.

Conservative candidate and incumbent Dominique Vien said, “Having served 15 years as MNA for Bellechasse at the National Assembly, including nearly 10 as a minister, and having headed four ministries, public governance is some- thing I know well. I also know what it’s like to be an elected official. I’m a native of Lévis and was also raised in Belle- chasse, so I know the riding I now represent very well. That experience alone prepares me well. I’m familiar with the English-speaking community on the ground, and I often meet them at various events. It’s a proud community, a very vibrant one in our region.”

Liberal candidate Glenn O’Farrell said, “The farm and the farmhouse that I own in Saint-Malachie have been in my family for five generations. That’s what allowed me to connect with the English-speaking community in my riding. I’m the fifth generation involved with that property, so we have deep roots, and I think what will help me most is that, through those roots, family ties and friendships, I understand how people are.”

Bloc candidate Gaby Breton emphasized, “I grew up in Bellechasse, then completed a bachelor’s [degree] in sociology and a master’s degree in administration, specialized in international project management and co-operative management, which led me to an international career promoting the co-operative model. I’ve worked extensively with communities to make them autonomous and independent. I have a strong understanding of geopolitics and speak several languages, which allows me to understand various realities, including that of the English- speaking community.”

Vien criticized former prime minister Justin Trudeau’s government for its handling of temporary foreign workers, which she believes limits access to essential labour for many local businesses. She also called for Canadian energy independence through the development of pipeline projects and mining. She expressed her support for the proposed third link project.

O’Farrell, for his part, emphasized that the most important issue is ensuring citizens of his riding are represented in the federal government, not in the opposition, which he said has been the case for the past 10 years under the Conservatives, preventing locals from having a real voice.

Breton stressed her desire for the federal government to respect Quebec’s choices and invest in Lévis. She said she wanted to improve services for seniors, protect local agriculture and the St. Lawrence River, promote sustainable mobility, and tailor immigration to regional needs.

In addition to Breton, O’Farrell and Vien, the candidates in the riding are Mario Fréchette of the People’s Party of Canada (PPC) and Marie-Philippe Gagnon-Gauthier of the NDP. Polling website 338Canada rates Bellechasse–Les Etchemins–Lévis a safe Conservative seat.

In the riding of Lévis–Lotbinière, Conservative candidate and incumbent Jacques Gourde voiced his support for the third link project.

“Our riding sits at the foot of the bridges, and we’re well positioned to understand the issues related to congestion. I believe this is a priority issue that must be addressed quickly,” said Gourde, who has represented the riding since 2006.

Gourde also expressed support for English-language education. “Many children in my riding attend English- language schools, and it’s very important they have that choice. It’s funded at both the provincial and federal levels, and we must always listen carefully to the needs of the riding,” he said.

Lévis–Lotbinière is considered a safe seat for the Conservatives. Five candidates are registered in the riding – Gourde, Molly Cornish of the NDP,  Ghislain Daigle of the Liberal Party, Pierre Julien of the Bloc Québécois and Pier-Olivier Roy of the PPC.

Finally, in the riding of Mégantic–L’Érable–Lotbinière, Conservative incumbent Luc Berthold prioritized the day-to-day concerns of his constituents.

“In this riding, as in many regions across Canada, the cost of living and the housing crisis are the citizens’ top concerns. Inflation caused by 10 years of Liberal overspending has made it harder for people to make ends meet. They want to keep more of their paycheque,” said Berthold.

He also highlighted the importance of the English-speaking community in the region.

“We’re fortunate to have an active English-speaking community in Chaudière-Appalaches, especially in Thetford Mines, with the presence of St. Patrick Elementary and A.S. Johnson Memorial High School. I regularly attend community events when I’m invit- ed, and I ensure that citizens receive all the services they’re entitled to, both through my office and federal agencies,” concluded Berthold.

Gabriel D’Astous of the NDP, Yves Gilbert of the Christian Heritage Party, Réjean Hurteau of the Bloc Québécois, Charles McKaig of the Liberal Party and Marek Spacek of the PPC are the other candidates in the riding. Like its neighbours, it is considered a safe Conservative seat.

With files from Ruby Pratka, LJI reporter

South Shore candidates face series of challenges Read More »

Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at the Musée de la Civilisation

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at the Musée de la Civilisation

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

There was chocolate, an acorn hunt, a sugar shack, chocolate egg decorating, a live show and much more as the Musée de la Civilisation (MCQ) hosted its ninth annual family Easter celebration.

The museum started the festivities at 9 a.m. on April 19 by inviting families in need to a free private brunch, followed by privileged access to the weekend’s activities before the doors opened to the public at noon. “For the foundation, this kind of event is essential because it allows us to continue fulfilling our mission of promoting accessibility for children and families with special needs. It’s a privilege to see families come together and celebrate together in such a warm and festive atmosphere,” said the museum’s executive director, Julie Lemieux.

“It was a wonderful surprise when we got the invitation,” said Elizabeth-Anne Smith- Bélanger. “The brunch was exquisite. My two children loved the activities, especially the chocolate eggs, hunting for the acorns and squirrels and the sugar shack, but now, it’s time to head home to get ready for Easter tomorrow.”

Free access for these families was supported by the Fondation du MCQ. For 34 years, through different events, it has raised funds to make culture accessible to as many people as possible, particularly children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Later in the day, the MCQ invited visitors to enjoy the free Easter activities for the price of admission. Despite the rain, families lined up around the corner.

Due to the bad weather, the outdoor sugar shack did not open April 19. It reopened on sunny Easter Sunday for families to savour maple taffy on snow, barbecued burgers, fries with maple and herb mayonnaise and other delicious treats. A maple taffy stand and a juice stand were also set up just inside the entrance, and hot chocolate was served on the other side of the atrium.

“The line moves surprisingly fast for its length,” said Mark Beaumont. “We are waiting longer to paint the chocolate eggs.” In the basement, children painted chocolate eggs with coloured white chocolate. Once decorated, some children savoured their works of art. Families had their pictures taken in the nearby photo corner.

Other visitors, especially children, rushed around the museum with a pamphlet in their hands, containing the five riddles of the annual Easter scavenger hunt. This year, they helped Eric the squirrel find his lost acorns and friends. “My children love the hunt,” said Valérie Julien. “It’s absolutely genius because we get to see different exhibits in a fun way.”

Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at the Musée de la Civilisation Read More »

More bikes, longer season for àVélo program

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

More bikes, longer season for àVélo program 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The racks are being installed in some 165 locations around the city for a May 1 start for the fifth season of the popular àVélo bike-rental program.

The Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC), which manages the àVélo program, announced several changes at a recent news conference at the Charlesbourg campus of Cégep Limoilou, where bike stations will be added this year.

Besides the stations at the college, about 50 stations will be added in five zones in the city – Le Plateau, Saint- Rodrigue, des Jesuites, du Vieux-Moulin and des Châtels. With the 500 additional bikes for these stations, the total fleet will number 1,800.

The àVélo season will be extended by two weeks this year, with 60 stations near bike paths remaining open until Nov. 15.

Passes and rates remain the same this year, with the addition of a 24-hour pass to allow users to make several trips during the day.

Subscriptions go on sale as of April 30. The first 100 customers to sign up get a free helmet.

For further information on the àVélo program, visit aveloquebec.ca.

More bikes, longer season for àVélo program Read More »

Homelessness on the rise amid housing crisis, public health officials say

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Homelessness on the rise amid housing crisis, public health officials say

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Public health authorities in the Capitale-Nationale region estimate that the number of homeless people in the region is rising by eight to 10 per cent year-on-year amid the ongoing affordable housing shortage. The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale made the estimate on the day of the periodic regional homelessness census, April 15.  

“Every week, there are new faces coming to seek help at [organizations offering assistance to homeless people] – people who are coming for the first time,” said Frédéric Keck, assistant director for homelessness and partnerships at the CIUSSS. “Social assistance for a single person in Quebec City is $829 [per month]. Try to find a place to live for that amount and keep enough left over for your other needs, and you’ll understand why people fail. It’s hard to get and keep a place to live.” 

The homelessness census, funded by the provincial and federal governments and overseen by regional public health bodies with support from volunteers and local nonprofits, has been carried out across the province every three years since 2018 (although the 2021 census was rescheduled to fall 2022 due to public health concerns).  

“The numbers help us give data to the impressions that we have,” Keck said. “People say homelessness is on the rise, and this allows us to quantify that impression. We had an increase of 36 per cent between 2018 and 2022 and it looks like we are at closer to 16 per cent between the [2022 and 2025] exercises. 

“The point is not to get an exact number [of homeless people in a given area] but to get an idea of the size of the situation,” Keck told the QCT after the census. He explained that about 120 trained volunteers fanned out in neighbourhoods across the city, speaking to everyone they crossed paths with for a voluntary survey on their housing situation. The information gathered from the survey, along with data collected by nonprofits serving homeless and housing-insecure people, helps the CIUSSS to paint a picture of the number of homeless people in the region, the situations that lead to homelessness, and how housing-insecure people survive. 

“The census will help us make sure we’re intervening in the right places, understand what the breaking points are that put people on the street and how we can help someone before they become homeless,” he said. 

Although detailed data for the 2025 census was not available as of this writing, eviction (22 per cent), substance abuse problems (21 per cent) and insufficient income (17 per cent) are the three most common reasons participants gave for losing their homes in 2022. When asked how they managed to pay for their basic needs, 60 per cent said they received social assistance, 19 per cent cited “begging, collecting empty bottles, sex work or selling drugs,” and 17 per cent had at least some employment income. 

About one-third of homeless people, and one-sixth of those who had recently slept outside, were women. Members of the LGBTQ+ community and Indigenous people made up larger proportions of the homeless community than of the general population, an overrepresentation which Keck also noticed during the 2025 survey. “We have to see what we can do to better collaborate with the Centre Mamuk or the Centre d’amitié autochtone to help Indigenous people who are struggling,” he said. Across all age, gender and ethnic groups, 56 per cent of respondents said they wanted assistance to get and keep a home and 39 per cent said they wanted places to socialize and meet new people. 

Although the causes of homelessness are multiple, the common denominator is the lack of a place to live. “The current vacancy rate [for rental housing] in Quebec City is 0.8 per cent, and it’s lower than that for [apartments accessible to] vulnerable people,” Keck said. “We have the PRISM project [supervised housing for mentally ill formerly homeless people], the Stabilité résidentielle project [for at-risk young adults] and the Salvation Army project [conversion of the former Salvation Army centre in Vieux-Québec into a shelter equipped to treat people with substance abuse problems]. But the reality is, housing poverty is growing and there are more people in precarious situations than we can help.” 

Keck encouraged people who want to help the homeless community to donate money, time or supplies to a local nonprofit. “Local organizations do an extraordinary job, and it’s important to help them – they’re the ones on the front lines.” 

Homelessness on the rise amid housing crisis, public health officials say Read More »

Four party leaders share agendas at Montreal debates

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

Four party leaders share agendas in debates 

Ruby Pratka, LJI reporter

The leaders of Canada’s four main political parties held two wide-ranging debates this past weekend at the Maison Radio-Canada in Montreal. The French-language debate on April 16 was moderated by Radio-Canada anchor Patrice Roy and the English debate the next evening by Steve Paikin, host of TVO’s The Agenda. 

The French-language debate was overshadowed by several controversies. Less than 24 hours before the debate, it was rescheduled to avoid a potential overlap with the end of a Montreal Canadiens game; the morning of the debate, Green Party co-leader Jonathan Pedneault was ruled ineligible on the morning of the debate because Elections Canada had not confirmed a sufficient number of Green candidates. The post-debate press conference attracted nationwide attention when several right-wing outlets asked contentious questions and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh declined to answer; the following day’s conference was cancelled after two arguments between reporters in the press room, leading Michel Cormier, the director general of the Leaders’ Debates’ Commission, to say the commission “could not ensure a propitious environment” for it. 

It was centered around five themes – cost of living, energy and climate, trade war, identity and sovereignty, and immigration. All four leaders linked the themes to their respective agendas. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre promised to cut taxes by 15 per cent, eliminate federal sales tax on new homes and reduce regulations to speed the building of houses and resource extraction projects such as mines, and linked Carney’s proposals to those of his predecessor, Justin Trudeau. Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet emphasized Quebec’s resource-based economy and cultural and linguistic distinctions; Liberal Leader and frontrunner Mark Carney emphasized the importance of crisis management and the necessity of countertariffs. Singh repeatedly brought up the health system (which Blanchet emphasized was under provincial jurisdiction) and emphasized the NDP’s role in creating the federal dental care program. Carney pledged to reduce taxes for the middle class but defended his decision to walk back a capital gains tax increase.

The trade war segment led to animated discussion. All of the leaders pledged to maintain supply management in the dairy sector, the French language and Canadian sovereignty, and build more homes.

They all weighed in on Quebec City’s tramway and the proposed “third link” between Quebec City and Lévis.  “Quebec City wants a tramway, the Quebec government wants a tramway, the federal government’s responsibility is to send them the money,” Blanchet said. Singh said the NDP supported the tramway but not the third link; Poilievre backed the third link but not the tramway, accusing his rivals of wanting to “ban cars.” Carney said the federal government would continue to support the tramway, but he couldn’t commit to supporting the third link because he hadn’t seen the project yet. 

Issues affecting Indigenous people and linguistic minorities were almost entirely off the agenda, except for Poilievre’s defence of Radio-Canada as a crucial link for francophone minority communities. (He defended his plan to defund CBC and made no mention of Indigenous broadcasting.) 

The English debate was centred around public safety, the cost of living, energy, crisis management and “tariffs and threats to Canada.” The four leaders agreed that U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade policies posed a threat to the country, and both Carney and Poilievre said they supported countertariffs, although not necessarily dollar-for-dollar tariffs. Poilievre criticized the previous Liberal government for weakening the economy and making it more difficult to build pipelines which he argued were essential for the country’s energy independence. Singh criticized the short-lived Carney government for walking back the capital gains tax increase while failing to increase EI. Blanchet argued that Carney’s and Poilievre’s plans for reducing red tape around pipelines and other energy sovereignty projects overrode provincial jurisdiction. 

Poilievre and Singh criticized the Liberals for the cost-of-living crisis. “Only 10 years ago, you could buy a house for $450,000, but in the lost Liberal decade, housing costs have doubled,” the Conservative leader said, saying a Conservative government would build houses on federal land and train thousands of tradespeople. His NDP counterpart suggested putting price controls on grocery staples and banning corporate landlords from buying affordable rental housing units. 

International affairs were also on the agenda, with Singh calling the conflict in Gaza a genocide, Carney calling for an immediate ceasefire and a resumption of aid, and Poilievre coming out in support of a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine.  

Toward the end of the debate, candidates discussed gun control, crime and the notwithstanding clause. Poilievre said his government would use the notwithstanding clause to enact tough-on-crime policies. “In fact, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms exists to protect Canadians from people like us on the stage, politicians who may use their power to override fundamental rights,” Carney argued, before the four leaders made their final pitch to voters. 

The full debate can be watched on the CBC website. Advance polls begin this week; the final day of voting is April 28.

Four party leaders share agendas at Montreal debates Read More »

Elementary school students celebrate 20 years of PAF at Palais Montcalm

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Elementary school students celebrate 20 years of PAF at Palais Montcalm

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

The Central Québec School Board (CQSB) is celebrating an impressive milestone this year: the 20th anniversary of the Performing Arts Festival, better known as PAF. Over the years, the festival has grown from drama festivals in different schools to a major annual event for 18 schools, featuring an array of workshops and student performances, with separate divisions for elementary and high schools.

On April 9, about 250 elementary school students from across the province assembled at the Palais Montcalm for a day of artistic workshops and a climactic PAF show. “We are very proud of our school board. We have staff, students, parents and supporters here. The message I want to share with the students is that I hope they are having fun and that they are making friends with students from our schools in different cities,” said the recently named chairperson of the CQSB council of commissioners, Jean Robert. “It is something special for me to be standing here today, because when I was a student at St. Stephen’s Elementary School, I once performed on this very stage. We had a concert at the Palais Montcalm. Mind you, it was not as nice as we see it today. It is a funny full circle.” That concert was decades before the first PAF, highlighting the importance of art in education in the English-speaking community.

Robert was not the only nostalgic person at the 20th edition. Over the years, past participants have returned as teachers, workshop leaders and parents of current participants. The shared stories and the strong desire of the students to participate each year have helped the festival grow in popularity. Certain workshops like photography were fully booked. Other workshops included dance, animation, manga, wax art, DJ skills, singing and improvisation.

“The students really do love PAF. Once it is over and when the new school year starts, they ask their teachers if they are going to PAF this year. They start thinking about their acts and preparing them,” said CQSB arts education consultant Bronwen Hughes. “It really is varied. Students put on musical shows, plays, dances, singing …”

Once again, the students’ hard work, creativity and talent amazed the audience. The show opened with Holland Elementary School students giving a rocking performance of 1970s hits: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, “YMCA” by The Village People, and “We Will Rock You” by Queen. The drums were amazing for the last song.

From that point on, it was just one great performance after another. Portneuf Elementary School gave “The Greatest Show” with their interpretation of the hit song from the musical The Greatest Showman. A few acts later, Ste-Foy Elementary School thought outside the box by presenting a cinematic production they made at their school. Everest Elementary School gave an outstanding première performance with a cheerleading act. Ste-Foy Elementary School closed the show with incredible dance moves to millennial hits. They danced to “Step By Step” by New Kids On The Block, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet Boys, “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction, “Dynamite” by BTS, and “Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync, made popular again by the 2018 movie Deadpool 2 nearly 20 years after its original release.

This year, for the first time, the PAF high school division is going on the road — to Jonquière. On April 16, workshops for high school participants will be held at Riverside Regional High School. The next day, students will perform at the Palace Theatre in Arvida.

Students, parents and community members can follow the 20th PAF by listening to the podcast Voices of PAF! online at cqsbperformingartsfestival.com.

Elementary school students celebrate 20 years of PAF at Palais Montcalm Read More »

St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu recounts life as humanitarian

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu recounts life as humanitarian

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Despite trying to alleviate an unimaginable amount of human suffering all around the planet, CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu still has hope for humanity.

Liu, a McGill University medical school graduate, former president of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) and longtime pediatric emergency doctor at Hôpital Sainte-Justine in Montreal, spoke on April 10 to a packed auditorium at her alma mater, describing, with the help of images on a screen, her life as a global humanitarian activist.

The content of her 35-minute presentation was essentially the same as the one she had been asked to give to New York University in March; that talk was cancelled at the last minute by university officials over concerns about references to the situation in Gaza and the Trump administration’s cuts to USAID.

Liu had studied her pediatric emergency specialization at NYU.

She began her talk, much of which she deals with in her new book, L’Ébola, les bombes et les migrants, by explaining how the daughter of Chinese immigrants who opened a restaurant in Quebec City 50 years ago ended up as a doctor working in many of the world’s disaster zones.

She explained she had “an existential crisis” as a teenager, during which she read Albert Camus’ The Plague, a fictionalized account of an epidemic in Algeria. Rejecting the main character’s pessimism, she vowed, “I would never trivialize death and I would fight for life.”

From there, her life followed a seeming path of destiny. She participated in the Katimavik youth program, which led to her enrolling at CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence. She recalled how she saw a poster in the campus cafeteria for the Canadian Crossroads International program and decided to sign up.

After three stints working in the West African country of Mali over the summer break, Liu said, “This is it, I want to become a doctor.”

Getting into medical school, however, was not automatic. She said former campus director Jean Robert, her student advisor at the time, had suggested she apply to McGill because admissions are partly based on interviews. “He said, ‘If you get an interview, you’re going to ace it.’ And I did – and you’re going to ace it too,” she addressed the gathered students.

“St. Lawrence gave me everything I needed to become a physician,” Liu said.

From her first mission with MSF in Mauritius in 1996, Liu has worked in more than 30 crisis zones, all the while moving up the worldwide organization’s ladder, serving as Canadian president (2004-2009), then international head from 2013 to 2019.

It was during her stint as international president that she had to deal with an exceptionally tragic incident in a war zone – the bombing by U.S. forces of the MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in August 2015.

Showing before and after aerial photos of the site, Liu noted how the airstrike was so precise the hospital building was destroyed, but “not a leaf was lost” on trees in a nearby grove of trees.

In the aftermath of the incident, which killed 42 people and injured 30, Liu led a campaign at the United Nations for it to adopt a resolution to protect the wounded and medical and humanitarian personnel in war zones.

Despite the measure, Liu said, “not much has changed” with regard to attacks on medical and humanitarian workers.

Liu described other memorable missions, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, where the challenges of treating the injured were compounded by a cholera outbreak caused by UN forces dumping contaminated water; the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, where MSF workers ended up putting bodies in bags more than treating the injured; and the Ukraine war in 2023, when MSF organized a medical train to evacuate people injured in Russian attacks westward.

Liu, now 59, though winding down her international humanitarian missions, is still very active in humanitarian efforts, including as professor at the School of Population & Global Health at McGill University and director of the Pandemics and Health Emergencies Readiness Lab (PERL).

“In terms of the hardcore things I used to do, I’ve slowed down. I’m still going to do some overseas assignments, but probably not at the extent I used to, so I’m going to slow down a little bit.”

As for how it feels to speak to an audience at her alma mater, Liu said, “It makes me believe there will be people who will take over.”

During a question-and-answer session following her talk, a student asked how she could maintain hope given all the suffering and strife in the world.

Liu said, “The last chapter of my book is about hope. Despite the title – Ebola, Bombs and Migrants – it’s a book about hope. … It’s not because you don’t see a solution at the outset that you shouldn’t give it a try. It’s worth the fight because each time you change things, never at the level you wanted, never ever. Life is full of imperfect solutions. But I always say an imperfect solution is always better than no solution, as long as you’re not complacent about the imperfect solution and you strive for more.”

Liu was in Quebec City to participate in the Salon international du Livre de Québec. She was on a panel discussing the topic of finding hope in troubled times.

St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu recounts life as humanitarian Read More »

Conservatives lose candidate in Québec-Centre

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Conservatives lose candidate in Québec-Centre

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Conservative Party will not be able to run a candidate in the downtown riding of Québec- Centre after candidate Chanie Thériault’s application was refused by Elections Canada.

Thériault and the Québec- Centre Conservative riding association both referred requests for comment to the party, which did not respond to a QCT interview request by press time; the area’s two local Conservative MPs, Gérard Deltell and Pierre Paul-Hus, also did not respond to requests for comment. However, Paul-Hus did attempt to explain Thériault’s situation to Radio-Canada.

Paul-Hus told the public broadcaster that Thériault’s candidacy had been refused because of a missing document.

“Chanie Thériault showed up with her documents on Monday [April 7, the last day on which parties could register candidates] with our regional organizer. She waited 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the returning officer came to see her and said, ‘Congratulations, you’re going to be a candidate,’” Paul-Hus said. A day later, he said, Thériault learned her candidacy was being refused because of a missing document – an attestation from the official campaign agent. According to Elections Canada, candidates must submit a nomination package including a personal information form, proof of identity, a statement of support signed by 100 voters from the candidate’s riding, signed declarations from a campaign agent, auditor and delegate and a statement of endorsement from their party (unless running as an independent). The deadline to submit these documents was 2 p.m. on April 7.

Elections Canada spokesperson Serge Fleyfel said the agency did not comment on specific cases.

However, he said returning officers are tasked with reviewing a prospective candidate’s nomination documents to make sure all the necessary elements are there. “If the nomination [package] is not complete, returning officers cannot confirm the candidate. If this happens before the close of nominations, another candidate can be nominated. … If this hap- pens afterwards, it’s too late and no replacement can be put forward.”

Paul-Hus told Radio-Canada the party was expecting that Elections Canada would “re- vise” its decision on Thériault’s eligibility in time for the elec- tion. However, Fleyfel said there was no mechanism in the Canada Elections Act to appeal the refusal of a candidate’s application.

“Elections Canada has finalized the list of confirmed candidates who will have their name appear on the ballot. The timelines set in the Act are important to allow enough time for ballots to be printed and have the necessary quality assurance checks done in time for advance polls,” he added.

Québec-Centre is the only riding in the country with no Conservative candidate on the ballot. Voters in the downtown riding haven’t elected a Conservative MP since 1988. Liberal MP Jean-Yves Duclos is running for a fourth term; polling aggregator 338Canada suggests he is likely to keep the seat, with the Liberals polling at 51 per cent support in the riding compared to 36 per cent for the second-place Bloc Québécois. Tommy Bureau of the NDP and Daniel Brisson of the People’s Party are running a distant third and fourth; the candidacy of Félix-Antoine Bérubé-Simard of the Green Party was refused by Elections Canada because of concerns about the validity of some signatures.

The federal election takes place on April 28. Between April 13 and 22, Elections Canada offers a variety of advance voting options. For more information on advance voting, visit elections.ca and click on “Key dates.”

Conservatives lose candidate in Québec-Centre Read More »

Polls suggest another three-way race in Beauport-Limoilou

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Polls suggest another three-way race in Beauport-Limoilou

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Of the seven ridings in the North Shore Quebec City area, surely the most unpredictable would be Beauport-Limoilou.

In the last three elections, the top three finishers were within about five points of each other in the popular vote, separated by a spread of about 3,000 votes.

It is not a bellwether riding, though; not since the 2008 election has it elected an MP on the government side – a Conservative – and you have to go back to the days of Pierre Trudeau for when the riding last went Liberal.

Again, this time around, polls are suggesting the riding will be a close three-way race, with the Bloc Québécois incumbent at risk of losing her seat. Projections from the Canada338 poll-tracking site describe the riding as “CPC leaning” with the Conservative Party ahead of the Liberals by six points, with a seven-point margin of error. The Bloc Québécois is a more distant third.

Such projections, however, are based on provincewide polling data and do not take into account the impact of the local candidates or local issues.

The riding, which spans the area between the Autoroute Laurentienne and the Montmorency River, has been reconfigured somewhat since the last election, which, according to one analysis, could favour the Conservatives.

The incumbent, Julie Vignola, a teacher who grew up in Fermont, first won the riding in the 2019 election, edging out Conservative incumbent Alupa Clarke by about 2,000 votes. In the 2021 election, she snuffed out Clarke’s comeback attempt by about 1,000 votes.

This time, she faces Hugo Langlois, a well-known television host and son of longtime

Beauport mayor and Quebec City councillor Jacques Langlois. The Liberal candidate is also high-profile – Steeve Lavoie, the former head of the Chambre de commerce et industrie de Québec.

The former NDP MP for the riding, Raymond Côté, is attempting to regain the seat he won in 2011. The current election marks Côté’s fifth campaign for Beauport-Limoilou.

Vignola said the current battle for Beauport-Limoilou is “une belle campagne,” compared to 2021 when the pandemic made it hard to meet people, and 2019 when the Bloc needed to reconnect with voters. She said in an interview with the QCT that people are concerned about the threat of the tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed, but they also want to know, “Who is [Liberal Leader] Mark Carney? Who exactly is [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre?”

Vignola said the key local issues in the riding are air quality, affordable housing and homelessness. She sees her role as MP, even though the Bloc can never form a government, as fighting for local issues.

Conservative candidate Langlois, who learned his English through his girlfriend who attended St. Patrick’s High School and CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence, said he chose to run with the future of his teenage daughters in mind.

The longtime host of TVA morning show Salut Bonjour said that even though he had a very satisfying career, he felt “it’s my time.” Noting that he was raised “in a really active political family,” Langlois said, “I have everything to give for the citizens of Beauport-Limoilou. I have a good name, good reputation, I know how it works, so I think I’m offering my best.”

He said, “People are scared” and concerned about such is- sues as the cost of housing. He said he believed Canada has missed opportunities under the Liberals. “We’re a rich country,  we have a lot of natural resources, ambitious businessmen and businesswomen. We have a lot of things that other countries are looking for, but we didn’t do anything to make them work for us in the last 10 years.”

Liberal candidate Lavoie, a former bank executive who lives in Lévis, was not available to speak with the QCT. He recently told Le Soleil, “I spent my career in Quebec City, my children went to school in Quebec City and I’m very familiar with local issues through my former role at the Chamber of Commerce. I want to give the people of Beauport-Limoilou a direct voice in government.”

Lavoie said it was not the arrival on the scene of Carney that spurred him to run for office, “but it’s definitely a plus. He’s an incredible man with an incredible resumé. I had decided to go for it, but let’s just say it added value.”

The NDP’s Côté said he decided to run again because people urged him to get involved and lend his experience to the party’s campaign. He said the “obsession with the dangers of Donald Trump” means “we are forgetting the things that concern people on a daily basis.”

Other candidates registered in Beauport-Limoilou are Dalila Elhak for the Green Party, Andrée Massicotte for the People’s Party and Claude Moreau for the Marxist-Leninist Party.

Polls suggest another three-way race in Beauport-Limoilou Read More »

Historian to present little-known Holocaust story at Sainte-Foy library

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Historian to present little-known Holocaust story at Sainte-Foy library

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

French historian and author François Kersaudy will present a little-known story of humanity amid the Holocaust, in conversation with local journalist Josée Legault at the Bibliothèque Monique- Corriveau in Sainte-Foy on April 24 at 7 p.m.

Kersaudy, a specialist in diplomatic and military history who has written more than 30 books shedding light on lesser-

known aspects of the Second World War, is the author of La liste de Kersten: Un juste parmi les démons. The book recounts the surprising story of Felix Kersten, the personal physician of SS leader Heinrich Himmler, who used his position to save thousands of European Jews – and ultimately, to make sure evidence of the atrocities of Nazi death camps remained for the Allies to find.

French novelist Joseph Kessel told a version of Kersten’s story in the 1960 book Les mains du miracle; Kersaudy said curiosity about the truth behind the plot of the novel sparked his years-long, inter- national journey of discovery.

He explained that Kersten, an eminent private physician, was summoned by the Gestapo in 1939 to treat Himmler, who was suffering from a painful stomach ailment. Over time, he managed to gain the Nazi leader’s trust.

“At one point, one of his other patients said, ‘My fore- man has been imprisoned by the Gestapo. I need my fore- man. Do you think you could intervene with Himmler?’” It was the first of many similar situations. “The next time Himmler told him, ‘We need to

talk about your pay,’ he said, ‘My pay will be the liberation of these people.’ He would pres- ent a list and Himmler would select a few people, a bit at random, without taking a real interest in why they had been arrested. It was very bizarre.” With the help of several accomplices in Himmler’s entourage, he was able to free thousands of people over a period of several years.

In early 1945, Kersten, who was living in Sweden, was contacted by a Swedish diplo- mat who had learned of Nazi plans to blow up the largest of the European concentration

camps as the Allies closed in. “The order Hitler gave to Himmler was, ‘When the Allies arrive within eight kilometres of the camps, the camps must be blown up, along with the prisoners and guards. There will be nothing left [but] ruins, and we can deny everything.’ The Swedes knew this, and they asked Kersten if he could do anything.” Himmler, threat- ened with the loss of Kersten’s services, ultimately decided not to execute the order, sav- ing thousands of survivors and keeping the camps standing for posterity. “With very few exceptions, the people saved by Kersten never knew to whom they owed their freedom. There were resistance fighters who were supposed to be executed and were instead told, ‘Take your things and get lost.’… Only a few Dutch and Swedish resisters knew the full story.”

François Kersaudy’s talk will be presented at the Bibliothèque Monique-Corriveau in partnership with Montreal’s Jewish Public Library and Quebec City’s Beth Israel Ohev Sholom synagogue. See details in the Community Calendar on page 7 and ad on page 5. Please note that the event will be in French.

Historian to present little-known Holocaust story at Sainte-Foy library Read More »

Huron-Wendat Nation mulls dropping “Huron” from official name

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Huron-Wendat Nation mulls dropping “Huron” from official name

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Huron-Wendat Nation of Wendake could soon drop the word “Huron” from its name.

The nation will hold a public consultation on April 26 to get an idea of community members’ attitudes toward a potential name change, and move forward with the change if the consultation indicates support for the idea, Grand Chief Pierre Picard told the QCT.

Picard explained that the name change has been discussed informally for some time. Wendake itself was known as Village-des-Hurons until the mid-1980s.

“The conversations that I’ve had with younger people, they use the name Wendat, although there can be an attachment to the name Huron if you’re an older person who has been calling yourself Huron or Huron-Wendat for 60, 70, 80 years. On April 26, we’ll see whether people are in favour of the change,” Picard said.

Wendat author and anthropologist Louis-Karl Picard-Sioui is one high-profile supporter of the name change. He explained that the word “Huron” was derived from the French word hure, meaning “boar’s head” because French colonists thought the way Wendat men wore their hair, in a ridge down the centre with the sides shaved, resembled a boar’s head; in the 19th century, the word huron became an insult, a synonym for “vulgar.” The word “Wendat,” he said, is likely to have come from a Wendat term meaning “people who all speak the same language;” other sources suggest it might mean “island dwellers.” The important thing, he said, was that the name came from the nation itself, not from outsiders.

Picard-Sioui said the current double-barrelled name is “confusing. … Why call us two names, including one that’s a slur? It’s like calling the Quebec nation the ‘frog-Québécois nation.’ We’re in the era of decolonization and it’s not normal to define ourselves in the colonial sense,” he said.

“I’m 49 years old, and since I was little, the term ‘Huron’ has been on its way out,” he added. “For 150 years, people used it so they would be understood [by outsiders], but by the time my generation were teenagers, 30-some years ago, we were already telling people not to call us that.”

Picard said if the consultation indicates support for the name change, it would need to be confirmed by a band council resolution. The nation would then need to apply to the federal government for permission to enact an official name change. “We’re still under the Indian Act, so there’s a whole process … but I can’t see the feds refusing that in 2025,” he said. Institutions that officially use the double name, such as the Musée Huron-Wendat, could then choose whether or not to incorporate the change in their own names.

He observed that colonial names for Indigenous Peoples are increasingly falling out of use in Quebec – two of Quebec’s larger First Nations are now commonly known by their Indigenous names, the Innu and the Anishnabe, rather than the colonial Montagnais and Algonquin. “Zimbabwe used to be Southern Rhodesia,” he pointed out. “We’re not the only nation that has done this. … It’s a correction of history that has let outsiders define us. We want to define ourselves now.”

Huron-Wendat Nation mulls dropping “Huron” from official name Read More »

Grand Marché marks visitor boost and first-ever profit

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Grand Marché marks visitor boost and first-ever profit

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Thanks to a new business plan where the city assumes some major operational costs, the Grand Marché de Québec has turned a profit for the first time since it opened five years ago.

The market, located on the ExpoCité site near the Vidéotron Centre, is operated by the Coopérative des Horticulteurs de Québec, an association of local food producers.

The CHQ released its 2024 annual report recently; the report laid out the newfound stability and growth of the year-round site, which saw a total of 850,000 visitors, an increase of about 100,000 over the previous year.

Another strong indicator is the occupancy rate of vendor stalls that hit 92 per cent by the end of the year. The market normally accommodates some 30 permanent businesses as well as about 15 seasonal market gardeners.

General manager Mario Goulet said, “We are proud of these financial results and can already say that our goal for 2025 is to surpass them. With the results of the first few months of 2025 being very positive, we are confident that we are on the right track.”

The market opened in 2019 in a completely overhauled century-old former Pavillon du Commerce building. It replaced the farmers’ market that had been situated in the Old Port for many years.

Goulet said that under a new deal signed last year, the city, which owns all the buildings on the ExpoCité site, covers such significant costs as electricity, heating and snow removal in the large parking lot. The city estimates such costs amount to about a million dollars.

Goulet said, with these modifications of the terms of the rental contract, “Our business model is much more viable.” Revenue from sales is still paid to the city as well as about $450,000 in municipal and school taxes.

There are several changes among the market tenants. The Mexican-themed bistro La Cour arrière de Québec has taken over the premises previously occupied by SNO Microbrasserie Nordik and plans to create a lively terrasse over- looking Place Jean-Béliveau during the summer. Mexican music is on the menu as well.

Le Monde des Bières, in partnership with SaucesPiquantes.ca, has moved into a new location and will offer a selection of beers from microbreweries in Quebec City and surrounding areas. The sauce offerings are being called “the largest selection of hot sauces in town.”

Coming this month is Chimney’s Pastry Shop, featuring Hungarian chimney cake as well as other sweets and ice cream. Another new arrival is Origine en Vrac, “an eco- friendly grocery store based on a zero-waste shopping concept, offering local and environmentally friendly products as well as reusable items.”

Alongside the stalls and shops, the market will be offering a wide range of events, including musical entertainment and workshops.

Grand Marché marks visitor boost and first-ever profit Read More »

Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

It’s official. After months of speculation and a certain amount of teasing, Sam Hamad has entered the race for mayor of Quebec City.

The 67-year-old former provincial Liberal cabinet minister and MNA for Louis-Hébert made the announcement April 6 in front of an enthusiastic crowd of some 300 supporters packed into the Salle du Quai du Cap-Blanc meeting hall.

The site for the announcement, on Boul. Champlain, was a particularly symbolic one for Hamad, who said in his 15-minute speech that the creation of the three phases of the Promenade Champlain project was his proudest achievement.

Hamad, introduced by two Cégep de Ste-Foy students and his two sons, Jean-Simon and Louis-Joseph, said, “As you know, I left politics in 2017, but in reality, politics has never left me. Since then, I have found a quality of life, a rewarding job and precious time with my loved ones. It’s true, I have everything to lead a happy life, but I have always had the need to serve my community.”

Hamad was born in Syria and came to Canada in 1978 to study engineering. “I arrived in Quebec alone. Very young. All I had were two suitcases, but big dreams. This city welcomed me, it offered me exceptional opportunities and today, I feel more than ever a duty to give back to this city that has given me so much.”

Under the banner of a new party called Leadership Québec, Hamad said he is “running so that Quebec [City] can regain its momentum. So that it can start dreaming big again. So that we can finally emerge from the uncertainty, the division and the stagnation.”

First elected in Louis-Hébert in 2003, Hamad was a minister in a string of portfolios under Jean Charest and Philippe Couillard, including natural resources, labour, treasury board, economic development and transport, as well as minister for the capital region.

Besides the Promenade Champlain redevelopment, Hamad said he had “delivered the merchandise” for other major city projects, including the PEPS at Université Laval, the Videotron Centre, the expansion of the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and the Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus.

Hamad noted his collaboration with former mayors Jean-Paul L’Allier and Régis Labeaume, former PQ minister and MNA for the downtown riding of Taschereau Agnès Maltais, Conservative MP Gérard Deltell and federal ministers and premiers from all parties.

“What has always guided me is working together in the best interests of the citizens of Quebec,” he said.

Hamad unveiled a five-point program at the launch: “Bring back strong, mobilizing leadership to Quebec City; put citizens back at the heart of municipal decisions; revive Quebec City’s economy with ambition and boldness; uphold its status as the national capital; and manage public finances responsibly, respecting taxpayers’ ability to pay.” As for his position on the current tramway project, Ha- mad said he would be laying out a detailed plan that serves both the downtown and the suburbs during the campaign. He has stated previously the tramway in its current form is too expensive. He told the QCT, “I will come back with this. It’s 210 days [in the campaign], so we have enough time to explain exactly what the project is, what we need.”

As for candidates for Leadership Québec, Hamad said, “I’ll launch with a solid team, rooted in the reality on the ground. We won’t campaign against an administration or another party. We’ll campaign for the citizens of Quebec. We want to rally all those who believe that Quebec can do better.”

Attendees the QCT spoke to cited Hamad’s experience as the main reason for support- ing him, as well as uncertainty about the tramway project.

One supporter was even more specific. Francine DeBlois, active in a Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood citizens group, said, “Hamad is a man who listens to us, which is not the case with the current mayor.” She said her group had gone to a city council meeting to raise concerns, but “it was always the same cassette. Everything was already decided.”

Besides Hamad, the other declared mayoral candidates are incumbent mayor Bruno Marchand of Quebec Forte et Fière, Claude Villeneuve of Quebec d’abord, Jackie Smith of Transition Québec and Stéphane Lachance of Parti Respect Citoyens.

Municipal elections in Quebec take place on Nov. 2.

Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor Read More »

Bill 40 ruling a victory for English school boards

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , ,

Bill 40 ruling a victory for English school boards

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Quebec’s English-language school boards are celebrating a major victory after the Quebec Court of Appeal largely upheld an earlier Superior Court ruling on the English- speaking community’s right to oversee its own school system as guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In practice, advocates say, the ruling means Bill 40 – the reform passed by the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government in 2020 which replaced elected school boards with government-run service centres overseen by unelected volunteer boards with limited power – cannot be applied to English school boards. English boards, they say, will continue to function as they have since 1998, when language-based school boards replaced sectarian ones.

“We’ve been functioning as if Bill 40 didn’t exist, and we plan to continue functioning that way,” said Joe Ortona, president of the Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA), which brought the case along with Montreal’s Lester B. Pearson School Board and a concerned parent.

When Bill 40 was being debated, its backers argued that it would increase efficiency and remove the need for costly school board elections that relatively few people vote in. However, QESBA and its member boards saw an attempt to deprive Quebec’s English- speaking communities of their charter right to control their education system. Several months after the bill passed, a court suspended its application to English-language school boards while the case progressed. In August 2023, Superior Court Judge Sylvain Lussier struck down large parts of the law as it applied to English boards, in line with QESBA’s argument that the law limited the Charter rights of official language minority communities. In September of that year, the government appealed the ruling.

On April 3, the Court of Appeal essentially upheld Lussier’s original verdict. Judges Robert M. Mainville, Christine Baudouin and Judith Harvie found that the school governance scheme set out in Bill 40 infringed on the community’s right to control its education system and disincentivized parent and community involvement. The community is “entitled to independent school boards that must, at a minimum, allow minority language representatives to exercise exclusive authority relating to minority-language education and facilities,” they wrote, in a ruling that extensively cited jurisprudence involving francophone school districts in English Canada. “The court cannot accept the argument that the linguistic minority is represented through the staff hired by a service centre.”

“This is more than we could have hoped for,” Jean Robert, chair of the Central Québec School Board (CQSB) Council of Commissioners, told the QCT. “The major thing is that the ruling recognizes that Bill 40 was infringing on our rights under the Charter, which is the basis of all our arguments.”

“We have local elected representatives who are account- able to the English-speaking community, and that is how it should be,” Ortona said in an interview. “It means the community has a voice, because elected representatives [on] boards managed and controlled by commissioners are accountable to the community, rather than accountable to the minister elected by all Quebecers. Now, we get to cater to the will of the community when it comes to management. The French sector doesn’t have that.”

Eva Ludvig is the president of the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), which was granted intervenor status in the case. “The QCGN had reminded the court that although Quebec has broad authority over education, that authority is not limitless,” she said in a statement. “If a law interferes with minority- language rights, the burden is on the province to justify it … and that is a high bar to meet. This is why today’s ruling is such a landmark win for our community.”

Katherine Korakakis, president of the English Parents’ Committee Association, said the parents’ group was “thrilled” with the “historic victory.” She called the deci- sion “a powerful reminder that our voices matter, and our right to govern our schools is non- negotiable.”

“We will be able to choose our own destiny, and the population will have the opportunity to choose their commissioners and their chairperson,” Robert said. “It will continue what we believe is a very successful way of governing our school system. … We can move ahead knowing the courts have clearly decided we have that right protected.”

The Quebec government has 60 days from the date of the ruling to apply for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice declined to comment on the ruling “out of respect for the judicial process.”

Ortona and Robert said they hoped the government would not appeal, and would instead use the ruling as the basis for a new working relationship with English school boards. “We want to sit down with the government and say, ‘Let’s accept it and move on and see what’s best for the students,’” said Robert. “They may decide otherwise, but we are hopeful that [because] the decision was so clear, the government will accept it and we can work together.”

Bill 40 ruling a victory for English school boards Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: Federal support for tramway in hands of voters

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

TRAM TRACKER: Federal support for tramway in hands of voters

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The fate of Quebec City’s tramway project is at stake in the April 28 federal election.

With the choice of the next federal government, between the Liberal Party of Canada, which supports the project, and the Conservative Party of Canada, which opposes it, in essence, the voters of Canada will decide whether Quebec’s capital gets a structured urban transit system.

It’s uncertain whether the $7.6-billion project could proceed in its current form without federal funding. The federal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, and now current Prime Minister Mark Carney, has committed a total of $1.4 billion to the project, an initial $1.1 billion in 2019 and an ad- ditional $332 million in early March.

The city would like Ottawa to top that up to reach 40 per cent of the cost, the same as what the Coalition Avenir Québec government has promised.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, however, has been adamant about not putting “one cent” of federal money into the tramway. Further, he would take the money already committed and put it towards the Quebec government’s plan to build a third bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

At a March 26 rally in Quebec City, Poilievre repeated his vow “to end the war on cars.”

He took a shot at the position on urban transit taken by Carney and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet. “The Bloc and the Liberals refuse to build a third link – an important project for mobility and the economy of the greater Quebec City region. Worse still, Carney and Blanchet want to impose a tramway on the people of Quebec City – a project that the people of Quebec City reject.”

Poilievre said, “The tramway – it’s a white elephant worth over $7 billion, an unaffordable project, a project that the people of Quebec City don’t want. As prime minister, I will respect your wishes [and] refuse to waste your taxes on this unpopular project. The people of Quebec City need their trucks to get to work, to drive their children to the arena. That’s why I’m going to invest the federal money earmarked for the tramway in a third link.”

The two Conservative MPs in the central Quebec City ridings, Poilievre’s Quebec lieutenant and Charlesbourg– Haute-Saint-Charles MP Pierre Paul-Hus and Louis–Saint– Laurent–Akiawenhrahk MP Gérard Deltell, met Mayor Bruno Marchand last month before the launch of the election campaign. According to the mayor’s office, Poilievre has yet to meet with Marchand.

On the same day as Poilievre’s visit to the Quebec capital, Jean-Yves Duclos, the Liberal MP for the downtown riding of Québec-Centre, issued an open letter denouncing the Conservative leader’s policies for the city, particularly the tramway.

“The Conservative leader wants to steal our money and send it elsewhere in the country, like to his hometown of Calgary – where he proudly celebrates the Canadian government’s investments in public transit that reduce congestion and create housing and good jobs,” wrote Duclos, who is running for a fourth term.

Duclos said, “Pierre Poilievre talks about ‘responsible government,’ yet he is prepared to blindly fund a third link project whose route, de- sign or budget are unknown.”

Duclos recalled, “In September 2010, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives pulled this trick on us. They disguised themselves as Nordiques players wearing hockey jerseys to promise to fund the Videotron Centre. A few months later, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives broke their promise by not contributing a single cent to the centre, leaving Quebec City and the Quebec government to shoulder the entire bill.”

Carney, when he visited Quebec City in January as part of his Liberal leadership campaign, declared his support for the tramway as the kind of infrastructure investment needed in a time of economic crisis.

Simon Bérubé, the Bloc candidate in Québec-Centre, said in an interview with the QCT, regarding the Conserva- tive position on the tramway, “We’re against any interference from the federal government into the decisions of the city of Quebec and the government of Quebec. The project is quite underway, it’s ready to go, so we’re asking that, without any interference, that 40 per cent of the cost will be guaranteed by the federal government.”

Bérubé said the project will bring a lot of investments in the riding, through stimulation of housing developments, for example.

Asked what would happen to the tramway project in the event of Quebec declaring sovereignty should the Parti Québécois win the next election and a promised referendum, Bérubé said the federal money committed to the tramway “belongs to Quebecers who sent it to Ottawa through all kinds of taxes.”

TRAM TRACKER: Federal support for tramway in hands of voters Read More »

Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) govern- ment has quietly killed or postponed indefinitely at least four major traffic improvement projects in Quebec City, valued at some $2.5 billion.

The moves provoked a storm of reaction at City Hall and the National Assembly, with calls for Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault and Minister for the Capital Region Jonatan Julien to be held accountable.

The iced projects are the creation of reserved traffic lanes in the suburbs, a component of the overall tramway plan; the next phase of the reconfiguration of the “spaghetti” of access ramps to the Pierre-Laporte and Quebec bridges; the long-awaited overpass to relieve traffic congestion at the intersection of Boul. Lebourgneuf and Autoroute Robert-Bourassa; and the garage for the city’s new fleet of electric buses on Ave. Newton, which is already under construction.

In the wake of the revelations, Guilbault, claiming a communications error, said the Lebourgneuf overpass project would be reconsidered.

The cancellation of the reserved lanes first came to light when journalists took a close look at documents about infrastructure spending released as part of Finance Minister Eric Girard’s big-deficit budget on March 25.

The 104 kilometres worth of reserved bus lanes had been included in the CAQ government’s global plan for transit in the Quebec City region. At an estimated cost of some $850 million, the lanes would have been introduced on autoroutes Henri-IV, Robert- Bourassa, Laurentienne and Félix-Leclerc.

The Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) reacted by way of a news release, saying it had not been informed of the change before the tabling of the budget.

The cancellation of the massive Newton garage project, under construction on the site of the former Simons distribution centre, caused the city to convene a news conference on April 3 to denounce the move, which the government said was due to the high cost, estimated at $647 million. Instead, the transport ministry is recommending a large shelter for the fleet of 180 electric buses the city was planning on acquiring.

Nicolas Girard, director general of the RTC, said, “It should be remembered that the Newton Centre project stems from the government’s decision to finance only the purchase of electric buses by public transit companies starting in 2025. In line with these government guidelines, the RTC is committed to carrying out this project, respecting all the required steps. The authorizations obtained to date have led us to spend several million, significant investments that have now been abandoned.”

According to the RTC, $94 million of the $146 million already approved for the project has been spent. Liberal MP Jean-Yves Duclos, speaking at an unrelated news conference April 4, said he wants to know what is happening to the $203 million Ottawa has committed to the Newton garage project. “In December 2024, the provincial government confirmed the federal grant to the RTC. We’re in a state of uncertainty.”

Mayor Bruno Marchand, who had not been officially informed of any of the CAQ government cuts to city projects, told reporters, “It’s been a hard week for Quebec City.”

The mayor said, “Planning a city, planning transportation and mobility can’t be done in the short term. You can’t plan for one month, two months, or three months. These are projects that take years to build, years to think about, design and then implement.”

Opposition and Québec d’abord Leader Claude Villeneuve said, “We talk to all the MNAs in the region, including the CAQ MNAs – and no one tells us the same thing. They don’t know what they’re doing.”

Transition Québec Leader and Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith, calling the CAQ “une gang de colons” (a bunch of morons), said, “They take us for idiots. The CAQ doesn’t respect the intelligence of the people of Quebec.”

At the National Assembly, Parti Québécois MNA for Jean-Talon Pascal Paradis said, “What a pathetic week for transportation and sustain- able mobility in the Capitale- Nationale region.”

Liberal interim leader Marc Tanguay said at a National Assembly news briefing, “They’re out of money, so the garage has been shut down. François Legault, to the garage! The CAQ, to the garage; let’s put them in the garage.”

In various media reports, Guilbault defended the CAQ government’s actions, saying it had committed large amounts in the Quebec City region to such projects as the new bridge for Île d’Orléans and the pro- posed “third link,” a new bridge across the St. Lawrence River.

Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects Read More »

Cross-border trade uncertainty rattles Beauce entrepreneurs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Cross-border trade uncertainty rattles Beauce entrepreneurs

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Businesses in the entrepreneurial Beauce region, southeast of Lévis, near Quebec’s border with Maine, have been on edge ever since U.S. President Donald Trump first announced plans to place tariffs on Canadian exports, in early February.

Marie-Christine Lavoie is the director general of the Chambre de commerce et industrie de la Nouvelle-Beauce (CCINB), based in Sainte- Marie de Beauce. The tariff uncertainty and the breakdown of what had been the cross-border status quo “has a huge impact on our companies,” she told the QCT shortly before the latest round of tariffs announced by Trump came into force.

“In Beauce, we’re very close to the border, so for a lot of our companies, geographically speaking, it’s easier for them to work with U.S. clients,” she said. “Boston or Maine is practically the same distance as Montreal. That’s how the market developed.”

The frictionless cross-border trade that made the development of that market possible essentially disappeared on Feb. 1, when Trump announced 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian imports except for energy imports, which would be subject to a 10 per cent tariff. Those tariffs were delayed until March 4, then suspended on CUSMA-compliant imports and auto parts. A 250 per cent tariff on lumber and dairy imports was announced in March but not implemented as of this writing, according to the Toronto Star.

On March 12, the Trump administration imposed a 25 per cent tariff on steel and aluminum imports; on April 3, the day after Trump announced blanket tariffs of 10 to 49 per cent on imports from countries around the world, Canadian- made auto parts were added to the list. Prime Minister Mark Carney has since announced 25 per cent counter-tariffs on U.S.-made auto parts and steel and aluminum products.

The uncertainty over tariff policy “has a huge impact” on the companies which are some of the Beauce region’s largest employers, Lavoie said. “We have businesses that export 70 to 90 per cent of their production to the U.S., and we also have members who import, which is another issue.

“If there’s another 25 per cent tariff starting in April, it will hurt our members, and we’re afraid of closures,” Lavoie said. “We’re hoping for an agreement.”

In the interim, some of the CCINB’s more than 1,700 members have made adaptations, and others have made agreements with U.S.-based clients to be shielded from the full impact of the tariffs. Others have been exploring new markets internationally or in other parts of Canada. A few, which rely on shipping heavy steel products into the United States, “might have to rethink their business model.”

In light of the upcoming election, Lavoie said, “We would like the next ministers to be really listening to our businesspeople, so that the decision made in the office reflects the decision on the ground. Things like counter-tariffs can impact certain businesses which [make] their supplies a lot more expensive.” She called on the next govern- ment to remove barriers to in- terprovincial trade, which both Carney, as Liberal leader, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre have pledged to do. “There are some products that were easier to send to the United States than to Alberta – we should bring those [barriers] down for a strong, united, entrepreneurial Canada.”

She also called on the next government to take the needs of the region (which is chronically low on labour and relies heavily on economic immigration programs) into account when reforming the temporary foreign worker program, and to be more responsive to business owners who have questions about government programs. “We have three per cent unemployment. Our companies are always looking for staff and there are people who need to let their foreign workers go because they can’t renew their work permits. For a region like ours, the loss of these employees hurts more than the tariffs. They could allow a grandfather clause or make it dependent on employment rates instead of imposing a pan-Canadian measure. The realities [from one part of the country to the other] are totally different.”

Cross-border trade uncertainty rattles Beauce entrepreneurs Read More »

Transitional housing community planned for Beauport

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Transitional housing community planned for Beauport

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

If all goes according to plan, six formerly homeless Quebec City residents will move into temporary housing in Beauport in June, as part of a pilot project announced by the Ville de Québec, the city’s public housing authority, the Quebec government and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.

Four modular units similar to portable classrooms will be set up on vacant city-owned land adjacent to the Parc-O-Bus D’Estimauville. Three of the units will be divided into two studio apartments each, and the fourth will house a common area, a laundromat and offices.

“These new transitional housing spaces will provide individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless with a stable and safe living environment for a period of 30 to 60 days, before transitioning to independent housing,” city officials said in a statement.

“The small number of units will allow the CIUSSS de la Capitale- Nationale residential stability team to provide tailored support to residents. Admitted residents will be recommended by community organizations, partners and the healthcare network.”

The apartments will be maintained by the public housing authority, and a yet-to-be-determined community organization will be responsible for social activities. The city will loan the land, waive permit fees, reimburse costs related to site development and connect the units to municipal water and sewer networks. The $1.7-million project will be funded jointly by the Société d’habitation du Québec, the CIUSSS and the city.

Coun. Marie-Pierre Boucher, member of the city executive committee responsible for hous- ing, told the QCT the project takes some inspiration from a similar project backed by the Nova Scotia government; that project, launched in Lower Sackville, N.S. using tiny homes, opened in late 2024 with capacity for 70 people. Since then, two additional “shelter villages” have opened in Halifax, according to the Nova Scotia Ministry of Housing and Social Development. Boucher said a project of that size was not planned for Quebec City, but the city was open to expanding the Beauport project or creating others in other areas if the first pilot project went well. Quebec City chose a version of the “tiny home” model because “it can be installed quickly, and if we have to move it in two years, we can do that,” she said.

“We looked for city land that would be accessible, that was big enough and that could be hooked up [to the power and water networks] quickly, where there were support organizations and where people would have access to public transit and to things like a grocery store and a pharmacy,” she added.

She described the project as “a springboard for people who have lost their home or who are coming off the street … who will go live in an apartment afterward.”

Frédéric Keck, assistant director of partnerships in the mental health, homelessness and addictions division of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, said he hoped the project would help people at risk of homelessness stay off the street. “If we can get people soon after losing housing, that’s a win; after a year in the street it is a lot more complicated to bring people back into housing. Our shelters are overloaded and anything we can do to reduce pressure on them is a good thing.”

He acknowledged that amid the ongoing shortage of affordable rental housing, finding permanent housing for residents at the end of their two-month stay in the studio “will be our biggest challenge.”

An information session on the Beauport project was planned for April 8, after this newspaper went to press. “We’re not catapulting this project into people’s backyards,” Boucher said. “We’re working with the CIUSSS and the community sector to have a safety net around these people.”

“Just because someone is homeless doesn’t mean they’re a delinquent,” Boucher said. “But a lot of people with chronic homelessness can have mental health problems or drug problems … and there’s an element of fear of the unknown – if you or I dress differently and hang out in a park, we might provoke anxiety and fear in some people,” she said. “The fear is legitimate and we need to understand where it comes from.”

Although Mayor Bruno Marchand campaigned on a long-term plan to reach “zero homelessness” in 2021, the city is dealing with a stubborn homelessness problem which advocates say is exacerbated by inflation, the ripple effects of the pandemic and an acute shortage of affordable housing. A recent report by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services indicates that the number of homeless people in the Capitale-Nationale region living in shelters or other emergency resources rose by 16 per cent between 2022 and 2024.

On April 3, the city announced a campaign in collaboration with philanthropist Claude Choquette and his family and the Fondation Dufresne-Gauthier to raise $3.2 million to shore up the Porte-clés program, an initiative run by nine local organizations, including Lauberivière and YWCA Québec, aimed at offering people coming out of homelessness a place to live with no preconditions; the same week, Le Soleil reported that the CIUSSS had revived a plan — shelved when the pandemic hit — to open a shelter with medical services and social support in the former Salvation Army facility on Côte du Palais. That facility, with space for 30, should open in early 2026.

Transitional housing community planned for Beauport Read More »

English-speaking community groups welcome support in Quebec budget – with caveats

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

English-speaking community groups welcome support in Quebec budget – with caveats

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Presenting the Quebec budget on March 25, Finance Minister Eric Girard, who is also the minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, announced that the Quebec government would receive $343 million from the federal government over the next four years aimed at funding education and other services for the English-speaking community.

According to the budget, the government plans to invest an additional $10 million over the next five years through the Secretariat for relations with English-speaking Quebecers to improve access to services for the English-speaking community, particularly health and social services, community- based mental health services and legal information.

While they say it’s still early to see how the funding will translate into concrete programs, advocates for access to services in English say they’re optimistic about the fact the funding has been promised.

“I’m happy to say that the government listened to the community and put money into resources the community suggested,” said Jennifer Johnson, executive director of the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), a Quebec City-based organization which advocates for access to health care in English in the regions.

“Historically, the Canada- Quebec Agreement [involved] a very small transfer from Canadian Heritage to the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services. The Quebec government said we’re not interested in doing this much work for this little money. The Secretariat [for relations with the English-speaking community] has worked very hard to make it worthwhile, and they succeeded.”

Johnson said CHSSN will receive a yet-to-be-determined portion of the funding and use it to support community-based mental health services and programs such as the patient navigator program, aimed at making it easier for vulnerable English speakers to access health care in Quebec City, Laval and Gaspé.

“I can say with some confidence that [some funding] will go to local or regional community organizations working in the area of mental health to support their population,” she added.

“Research indicates that people prefer to speak to a health care professional in their mother tongue, because of the personal nature and the emotional component [of those conversations],” Johnson said. “There are very few resources off the island of Montreal to support anglophones, and anglophones do have higher levels of stress associated with lower incomes and difficulty finding jobs to match their skills.”

While the CHSSN and the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) said they were pleased with the health funding, other organizations such as the Provincial Employment Round Table (PERT) and Montreal-based Youth Employment Services (YES) expressed alarm at the lack of investment in training and job search services targeted at the English- speaking community.

“There was nothing for employment for English speakers in this budget,” PERT executive director Nicholas Salter told the QCT, noting that for the past many years, unemployment has been higher among anglophones than francophones. In 2022, 8.9 per cent of working- age anglophone Quebecers were unemployed, compared to 7.2 per cent of all Quebecers. “Between 2016 and 2021, the employment gap between anglophones and francophones doubled and there has been no funding to address that. Things are not necessarily getting better.”

(QCT version)

English-speaking community groups welcome support in Quebec budget – with caveats Read More »

‘Civic duty’ compels Glenn O’Farrell to run for Liberals in Bellechasse

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

‘Civic duty’ compels Glenn O’Farrell to run for Liberals in Bellechasse

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Glenn O’Farrell, a senior communications executive, lawyer, St. Patrick’s High School graduate, Order of Canada recipient and native son of Saint-Malachie, is running for the Liberal Party in the Bellechasse–Les-Etchemins–Lévis riding on the South Shore.

O’Farrell, 66, will face Conservative Party incumbent Dominique Vien, a former provincial Liberal cabinet minister who was defeated in the 2018 provincial election. She switched to the federal Conservatives in the 2021 election and won the seat held since 2006 by Conservative Steven Blaney.

Blaney, who served for many years in the cabinet of Stephen Harper, is now running for mayor of Lévis.

In 2022, Vien had been one of several Conservative MPs to urge former Quebec premier Jean Charest to run for the party leadership that he lost to Pierre Poilievre.

In a telephone interview with the QCT, O’Farrell ex- plained why he chose to leap into politics. “Very, very honestly and transparently, it was nothing more or less than a sense of civic duty at a time of what I would call an existential crisis for our country.”

He said, “Our former best partners, closest ally, certainly a nation that was related to us in more ways than we can imagine … [has] turned their backs on us and this new administration threatens us with economic terrorism that is designed to dismantle the very fabric of Canada.”

O’Farrell said, as a close observer of the political scene, he decided to get involved in Mark Carney’s campaign for the Liberal leadership. Carney’s team approached him about running, and “I was honoured by that, to be very honest with you. I said, well, maybe at this point in time, it’s time for me to exercise my civic duty and stand for election in a place that means a lot to me, that’s my home – Saint-Malachie, Bellechasse – where I was brought up, it’s been our home all our lives.”

O’Farrell said he still stays at a farm that’s been in the family for five generations.

After high school, O’Farrell got a degree in economics from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia and in law from Université Laval. He joined a Quebec City law firm and in 1987 began a career in communications law and management that included TVA, Global Television, Canwest, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters and TFO, Ontario’s independent French-language television channel.

He was a member of the board of governors for Ontario’s new French-language university and special adviser to the Ontario government on francophone economic development.

He received the Order of Canada in 2020 for his “vision for education and for his leadership in communications, having positioned a media outlet as a global symbol of French language and culture,” according to the citation.

Among the non-corporate boards he has served on are the Fondation du CHUL, the Jeffery Hale Foundation, the Théâtre du Bois-de-Coulonge in Quebec City and the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal.

In December, he gave a TED Talk in Montreal on the role of the media in shaping civil society.

As far as his chances of winning a riding that has not gone Liberal since a two-year blip in 2004, O’Farrell said the people of Bellechasse “need to make a choice.”

He said he respects the incumbent, but “my quarrel is with the leadership of that party that’s not in keeping with Canadian values.”

O’Farrell said Poilievre is “in no way, shape or form able to measure up to the competence, the experience, the calmness and the strength of character that Mark Carney brings — and I’m not trying to wax lyrical here. I mean this. We’re very fortunate as Canadians that a person of his calibre, with his networks, his background and experience, at this stage in life, would raise his hand and say ‘yes, I will serve and stand for prime minister.’” Besides O’Farrell and Vien, the nominated candidates in Bellechasse are Gaby Breton for the Bloc Québécois, Marie- Philippe Gagnon-Gauthier for the NDP, Raphaël Boilard for the Green Party, Mario Fréchette for the People’s Party of Canada and Yannick Lévesque for the Rhinoceros Party.

‘Civic duty’ compels Glenn O’Farrell to run for Liberals in Bellechasse Read More »

Still some holes to fill in local federal ridings

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Still some holes to fill in local federal ridings

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

With the federal election less than a month away, parties are still scrambling to find candidates for the seven Quebec City-area ridings.

Candidates have until Monday, April 7 at 2 p.m. to register with Elections Canada.

As of March 31, the main parties had chosen candidates in all but one riding, with the Liberals having not named a standard-bearer in Montmorency-Charlevoix.

The Bloc Québecois has candidates in all seven ridings. By contrast, the New Democratic Party has nominated only two, in Beauport-Limoilou and Québec-Centre.

Poll projections suggest most incumbents, all of whom are running again, are likely to be returned. The two exceptions are the two seats held by the Bloc – Caroline Desbiens in Montmorency-Charlevoix and Julie Vignola in Beauport-Limoilou.

That latter riding features well-known candidates for the Liberals and Conservatives. Hugo Langlois, a media host and commentator, has joined the Pierre Poilievre team, and Steeve Lavoie, a prominent entrepreneur and former head of Quebec City’s chamber of commerce and industry, will run for Mark Carney’s Liberals. Former MP Raymond Côté is running for the NDP.

The seat has bounced back and forth between Bloc and Conservative since 1993, with Côté and the NDP winning it in the 2011 Orange Wave. The last time it was Liberal was 1988.

The 2021 election saw a tight three-way race; Vignola edged out incumbent Conservative Alupa Clark with Liberal Ann Gingras a close third. Current poll projections, according to Canada338, have the candidates for the three parties within eight points of each other, with the potential result described as “CPC leaning.”

The same poll cruncher has Montmorency-Charlevoix as “CPC likely” with the Bloc well back in second place. Gym owner Gabriel Hardy is the Conservative candidate. Desbiens first won the riding in 2019, defeating Conservative Sylvie Boucher.

Still some holes to fill in local federal ridings Read More »

Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The race for mayor of Quebec City in November is shaping up to feature at least four candidates, with former provincial Liberal minister Sam Hamad preparing to jump into the fray.

Several media outlets re- ported last week that Hamad, the former MNA for the suburban Louis-Hébert riding, has set April 6 as the date he will launch his campaign.

There are also reports Hamad has been in discussion with Équipe Priorité Québec (EPQ), the second Opposition at City Hall with two seats. The new interim leader of the party, Coun. Stevens Melançon, told reporters he would not be the party’s candidate for mayor. Former councillor Patrick Paquet had been party leader without a seat on council.

EPQ is the current name for the party that ran in the previous two elections as Québec 21, under the leadership of Coun. Jean-François Gosselin. Gosselin came a close third in the 2021 mayoral race, behind winner Bruno Marchand of Québec Forte et Fière and Marie-Josée Savard, running for what was the party of longtime mayor Régis Labeaume.

Gosselin joined the Marchand administration as executive committee member responsible for sports and recreation. He has decided to finish his term and not run again.

Hamad had been courting sitting councillors to join his team, including Louis Martin of Québec d’abord, who left the party two weeks ago and was voted out as council chair.

Another Hamad target was Isabelle Roy, councillor for the Robert-Giffard district;  Québec d’abord leader Claude Villeneuve kicked her out of the party caucus for having talks with Hamad.

A central plank of Hamad’s platform, according to his statements, will be opposition to the tramway project.

With this game of musical chairs underway, other councillors are joining Gosselin in departing City Hall. Pierre-Luc Lachance, the executive committee member responsible for finance and councillor for Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur, announced his departure several weeks ago.

Longtime councillor Steeve Verret of Lac-Saint-Charles–Saint-Émile has also let it be known he plans to leave city hall once his current term is up. He replaced Martin as chair of council following the latter’s ouster.

The other confirmed departure from Marchand’s team is Maude Mercier Larouche, the first-term councillor for Sainte-Foy–Sillery-Cap-Rouge and member of the executive committee responsible for the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC), as well as large projects.

She told reporters she is taking a break from politics to spend more time with her family and to take care of her mother.

Meanwhile, Québec d’abord has officially confirmed the party’s four remaining councillors will be running for re-election. They are Patricia Boudreault-Bruyère in Neufchâtel–Lebourgneuf, Anne Corriveau in Pointe-de-Sainte-Foy, Véronique Dallaire in Les Saules–Les-Méandres and Alicia Despins in Vanier-Duberger.

Despins, a St. Patrick’s High School graduate, told the QCT “it’ll surely be a few weeks” before the party announces new candidates for the open seats on council. She said the party recently held its general assembly and “we voted on the overarching political orientations.”

The party now called Québec d’abord elected 10 councillors in the 2021 election, with Marchand’s QFF winning seven seats and Québec 21 four.

Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith ran unsuccessfully for mayor as leader of Transition Québec, but won her council seat. She is running again for mayor. The only other declared mayoral candidate as of this writing is Stéphane Lachance of the newly created Parti Respect Citoyens.

Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors Read More »

Smith moves vote to oust council chair Martin

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Smith moves vote that ousts city council chair Martin

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

There was a bit of drama to start off the regular Quebec City council meeting on March 18.

Jackie Smith, the councillor for Limoilou and leader of Transition Québec, proposed a vote to remove Louis Martin, the councillor for Cap-Rouge–Laurentien, as the chair of council sessions.

Martin had recently left the opposition Québec d’abord caucus over unspecified differences, and had been courted by potential mayoral candidate Sam Hamad.

Another Québec d’abord councillor, Isabelle Roy, who represents Robert-Giffard district, also now sits as an independent after being booted from the party caucus for having discussed her political future with Hamad.

The motion to remove Martin was approved, with three councillors, Roy and the two members from Équipe priorité Québec, voting against.

The vice-chair of the council, Steve Verret, the long-serving councillor for Lac-Saint- Charles–Saint-Émile, accepted the proposal to replace Martin. Verret was elected in 2021 under the banner of former mayor Régis Labeaume’s party, but defected to the ruling Québec Forte et Fière (QFF) party of Mayor Bruno Marchand. Verret has decided not to run again in the November election.

Contacted by the QCT, Martin said about his ouster, “I’m surprised and disappointed. A few months ago, Ms. Smith asked for my removal because I was ‘too partial.’ This time she mentioned it was because I am too independent. But it’s a decision made by the city council; I respect it.”

In explaining her move to remove Martin, Smith said, “It was not a question of competence” and that Martin had done “an excellent job as chair.” She said that it was “a question of the role of chair” of the council, and now that Martin has shifted allegiances, council needs to know where the chair stands on certain issues.

Smith said, “I was uncomfortable with some of the actions you took as chair, but at least we could see [where you stood]. With the political decisions you made, we’re not certain.”

Équipe priorité Québec Coun. Stevens Melançon, angered at the removal of “a neutral and rigorous chairperson,” took a shot at Smith, saying she is “ready to denounce the authorities in place and political manoeuvring, except when it suits her.”

Melançon said, “Our role is to defend a healthy municipal democracy, not to be extras in a theatre where everything is predetermined.”

Roy said, “It’s hard not to see reprisals in this gesture from Québec d’abord, Transition Québec and Québec Forte et Fière … I expected a little better from my colleagues on city council.”

Opposition and Québec d’abord leader Claude Villeneuve said, “To judge the chair’s neutrality, you have to know … at what point … there is a bias or not.”

Villeneuve said Martin’s change in political affiliation “leads us to have doubts about” meetings chaired “by someone whose intentions and point of view we do not know.”

No one from the ruling QFF party spoke to the motion to remove Martin.

Losing the position means Martin will have $10,000 less remuneration for council service.

When he left the chair after his ouster, Martin took the seat next to Smith and they exchanged a few polite words.

At many points during the meeting, councillors were drowned out by blaring truck horns from a group of protesting blue-collar workers outside City Hall.

Smith moves vote to oust council chair Martin Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: More federal money, big contracts coming for TramCité project

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

TRAM TRACKER: More federal money, big contracts coming for TramCité project

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A boost in federal funding for Quebec City’s tramway project was one of the flurry of announcements made within hours of the federal election call on March 23.

The additional $332.2 million from Ottawa is on top of the $1.1 billion committed in 2019 when the initial version of the tramway project was announced. The total contribution of $1.4 billion is still short of the target of 40 per cent of the total $7.6 billion cost the city had hoped for.

Mayor Bruno Marchand told reporters while on a visit to Texas, “We definitely want more. We want the full 40 per cent. But it’s definitely a step up the ladder. … It allows the Quebec government and CDPQ-Infra to count on it and spend.”

While funding the project is firming up, preparations are accelerating to get the TramCité project under construction.

Last week the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec Infra (CDPQ-Infra) agency, which is managing the project, issued a call for expression of interest for contracts to build two major components of the system.

By far the largest contract would be for the civil engineering work for infrastructure and buildings for the rail network. That would include, for example, excavation of the tunnel between Saint-Roch and Upper Town and three underground stations. Also included would be other structures such as interchange hubs, bridges and viaducts.

The other contract, accord- ing to the tender specifications, would be for “systems” associated with the main tramway infrastructure. This includes “the supply, integration, commissioning and maintenance of assets such as railway tracks, the overhead contact line, traction energy systems, electrical, communication and signalling systems.”

When the Quebec government gave the official green light to the project in December, CDPQ- Infra said there likely would be eight separate contracts with private sector interests to build the system,

The call for expression of interest is the first step in what could be a drawn-out process. Once the government has received responses, the potential bidders will be evaluated for their ability and qualification to take on the job.

A CDPQ-Infra spokesperson said the results of the call for interest would be known later in the spring. Some 120 companies are known to be ready to enter the bidding process.

The group of two or three bid- ders selected would then enter the “co-development process” with CDPQ-Infra and transport ministry officials to draw up proposals with cost and timelines. No contract is likely to be signed until well into 2026.

While construction of the tramway line won’t likely begin in earnest until next year, work already done on the now-aborted eastern leg of the tramway route has cost many millions of dollars.

According to a report in Le Soleil, $34.4 million has been spent on work to prepare the D’Estimauville tramway line and hub. The initial plan for the tramway presented under former mayor Régis Labeaume called for the line to run north to Charlesbourg.

The Coalition Avenir Québec government imposed the choice of D’Estimauville, which was then switched back to Charlesbourg in the June 2024 CDPQ- Infra report on the tramway project.

The work included relocation of a water main, demolition of buildings, relocation of underground infrastructure and reconstruction of a railway viaduct, as well as an archeological inventory and survey of trees affected by the work.

City officials say most of the work would need to be done eventually, but the tramway project made it more of a priority.

The D’Estimauville extension is still in the CDPQ-Infra plan as part of a second phase, although the current government has made no firm commitment to moving it forward.

CDPQ-Infra spokesperson Claudie Côté-Chabot said the decision to favour the Charlesbourg route was based on data showing a much higher bus ridership rate.

The agency estimates it will cost about $480 million to build the Charlesbourg line, compared to $620 million for the D’Estimauville extension.

TRAM TRACKER: More federal money, big contracts coming for TramCité project Read More »

Alexander Reford to run for Liberals in Rimouski

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Reford Gardens’ Alexander Reford runs for Liberals in Rimouski

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Concern about the future of Canada and a personal connection with Liberal Party Leader Mark Carney convinced Alexander Reford, the soon- to-be former director of the Reford Gardens (known in French as the Jardins de Métis), to be a candidate in the April 28 election.

Reford, 62, was acclaimed as the candidate in Rimouski- La Matapédia on March 21, two days before Carney called the federal vote. He has been a resident of the area for 31 years, ever since he took on the task of transforming his family’s estate and gardens on the St. Lawrence River into a world-class botanical and tour- ism destination.

A historian by training and author of several books and other publications, Reford had hit the campaign trail early, meeting with crab fishermen and ski resort operators, from whom he learned “there’s a general anxiety over the future of the economy, which is going to be pushed in a different direction.”

It’s not likely to be an easy race for the rookie politician. Although the riding was re- configured since the last election, the seat has not had a Liberal member since the 1980 election, which brought a majority under Pierre Trudeau.

The current MP is Maxime Blanchette-Joncas of the Bloc Québécois, who wrested the seat from the NDP’s Guy Caron in 2019. Blanchette-Joncas, a former call centre worker and Parti Québécois youth activist, beat the second-place Liberal in the 2021 election by nearly 25 per cent of the vote.

The last time the area had a member in government was when Monique Vézina was a minister in Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservative government from 1984-93. Vézina died in December at age 89. The riding voted Bloc until Caron – now mayor of Rimouski – won it in the 2011 Orange Wave.

Reford said, “Frankly, the riding has chosen to be in voluntary exile for a very long time. But I think things have changed, you know, the mood has swung.”

He added, “It’s a new challenge, and I realistically think that with the leadership shown by Mark just over the last two weeks in government, it’s clear that there’s a new orientation, a new direction and hopefully I can be part of that new thing.” Reford’s connection to Carney goes back to when the two were Canadian students at Oxford University – Reford in history, Carney in economics. “So, following his career and having had occasion to read his publications and chat with him, it was easy to convince me that he was the right person for this job.”

It was another mutual Ox- ford friend, former Trudeau justice minister and Montreal MP David Lametti, now an advisor to Carney, who called Reford and said, “It’s time. What do you think?’

The timing coincidentally worked well for Reford, as he is in the process of handing over management of the Reford Gardens to a new team. Preparations are in the works to celebrate the centennial of his great-grandmother Elsie Reford’s gardens this summer.

Reford, recipient of the Order of Canada in 2021, said he’s learning the ropes as a novice political campaigner. “I think this is very interesting, you know. I met more people yes- terday than I had in a month.”

Besides Reford and Blanchette-Joncas, the only other nominated candidate in the riding as of March 23 was Taraneh Javanbakh of the People’s Party of Canada.

Alexander Reford to run for Liberals in Rimouski Read More »

City announces $2-million plan for St-Roch

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

City announces $2-million plan for St-Roch

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

On March 18, arguing that “the house has to be in order before company comes,” Mayor Bruno Marchand announced plans to invest $2 million in city funds on a range of projects aimed at shoring up “safety and cleanliness” in the Saint-Roch sector of Lower Town.

City officials announced that a team of five people would be hired to clean public spaces in Saint-Roch, including the Jardin Jean-Paul-L’Allier, the Place de l’Université-du- Québec and the forecourt of Église Saint-Roch. Four seasonal graffiti removal workers, hired through the Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi youth employment bureau, and four additional cleaners, part of a “cleanliness brigade” man- aged by the local Société de développement commercial (SDC), would also be hired. The Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ) will receive funding to add an undisclosed number of personnel to its Équipe MULTI community policing division, which patrols the area on foot. The remaining funds – $27,000 – will go toward planters and other urban decor to beautify the area in summer.

In recent months, residents, business owners, people who work in Lower Town and labour unions have raised concerns about safety and hygiene problems in Saint-Roch, including visible drug use and violent behaviour. Benjo, the city’s largest toy store and a Saint-Roch landmark, closed late last year, and Le Soleil recently reported that the Office québécois de la langue française is considering moving its office to another part of the city.

“When I first came here, I met some members to discuss their concerns, and what kept coming back was cleanliness and safety – not just from our members [business owners] but from their employees,” said SDC Saint-Roch director general Marie-Pier Menard. “They have to pick up the trash. When something comes up security- wise, they are told to call 311 or 911 or hire a security guard. I know of a few major employers who have hired a guard or invested in a security system.”

Menard said she hopes the measures will make a difference in the neighbourhood. “Now, people keep themselves from coming here because of the safety and cleanliness situation,” she said. “We hope residents and tourists will want to come here.”

Coun. Pierre-Luc Lachance, who represents the district of Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur, said the measures were put in place to help “give quality of life back to residents and businesspeople.”

The Réseau d’aide aux itinérants et itinérantes de Québec (RAIIQ), a network of organizations supporting homeless and marginalized people in the city, has raised concerns about the potential negative impacts of cleanliness drives and an increased police presence on the area’s poorest residents. Lachance has an office across the street from Lauberivière, the city’s largest homeless shelter, which moved into the area in 2022. He said he sees the shelter as an “ally” in the fight against homelessness and desperation.

“I recognize that people are dealing with safety issues, I recognize the situation and I recognize that a lot of people who are homeless or intoxicated or dealing with mental health issues can be out of control,” he said. “The pandemic was a bigger catalyst [for the homelessness crisis] than the moving of Lauberivière. People in need need resources, and Lauberivière is one.”

Lachance rejected the argument that by investing in cleanliness and beautification, the city is sweeping the localized homelessness cri- sis under the rug. “We’re not just investing in cleanliness,” he said, noting that the city had invested $1 million in homelessness prevention and outreach efforts in 2025, and had repeatedly called on other levels of government to invest more in social services, supported housing and support for community organizations. “We want to have more workers and residents, more resources in place to help people in crisis, and a clean neighbourhood.”

City announces $2-million plan for St-Roch Read More »

Quebecers speak out about long COVID at National Assembly rally

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Quebecers speak out about long COVID at National Assembly

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Five years ago, life on Earth seemed to stand still as a new disease spread from person to person and continent to continent. Hundreds of millions of people around the world contracted COVID-19 and millions died from it. Many people contracted it more than once, leading to a post-COVID-19 condition commonly known as “long COVID,” which as yet has no cure. The condition can lead to debilitating fatigue, breathing problems, cognitive struggles and other symptoms which persist for months or years after a COVID infection.

On March 15, several dozen people affected by the condition, doctors and supporters gathered in front of the National Assembly to mark Long COVID Awareness Day. They placed some 200 pillowcases with written testimonies from long COVID sufferers of varying ages and backgrounds on the sidewalk in front of the National Assembly building. Athletes have been forced to quit their sports and drop out of school. Adults have been forced to find less demanding employment. Parents have been forced to choose between caring for their family and keeping a job. Some patients have become handicapped, adding yet another challenge to their lives. These are only some of the devastating stories.

The World Health Organization, Health Canada and the Ministry of Health and Social Services remind Canadians that five years after the beginning of the pandemic, coronavirus is still infecting people, some of whom will develop long COVID. Although many long COVID patients appear healthy, they are more susceptible to contracting other infections, forcing them to self-isolate for long periods.

“Long COVID is invisible. [Patients] have chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating and fogginess,” said Dr. Marie- Michelle Bellon, an internist and member of the board of directors of the Canadian COVID Society. As a doctor and a mother, she has observed patients with these symptoms daily since her son was diagnosed with the condition in July 2022, and her daughter is also showing symptoms.

Dr. Amir Khadir, a microbiologist and specialist in infectious diseases, shares Bellon’s concerns. “Since the 10 to 15 per cent of patients who develop COVID are affected to varying degrees, these numbers could misrepresent reality because the symptoms are wrongly attributed to other medical conditions … lifestyle and stress. Their condition can worsen, especially for those who are unaware of their diagnosis, overwork their health and infect others.

“Since the first diagnosed cases of COVID-19, governments have been doing re- search. It is important to continue because we have yet to find a cure for long COVID,” said Khadir, a former Québec solidaire MNA who returned to his Montreal medical practice after leaving politics in 2018. “Currently, we do not know the precise mechanism by which some people become infected with symptoms and remain ill, while others don’t. We need to do more research. To do that, we need the help and investment of the government. If we don’t invest in clinical research, we won’t be able to offer anything for years.”

On March 15, the Association québécoise de la COVID longue (Quebec Long COVID Association) officially established plans to eventually offer home care, psychological sup- port and a dedicated helpline, as announced in August 2024. For now, the association has a basic website and about 10 trained people working on the support line. It even has a ready-to-print two-page letter for elected officials, explaining everything from diagnosis to the current state of research to fundraising and awareness-raising suggestions. Members hope that if more voters bombard elected officials with these letters, they will be more inclined to invest in long COVID research and care.

For more information in English, visit longcovidtheanswers.com or covidsociety.ca.

Quebecers speak out about long COVID at National Assembly rally Read More »

Quebec to form civilian disaster response force

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Quebec to form civilian disaster response force

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Anywhere disaster strikes in Quebec, the Réserve d’intervention d’urgence en sécurité civile (RIUSC) will be there. At a press conference in Quebec City on March 21, Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel announced that the emergency response force would be fully functional on April 1, with 200 men and women ready to be deployed across the province.

“Climate change is hitting us. The year 2023 was immensely difficult with the floods in Baie-Saint-Paul, where we lost two firefighters, and with the forest fires,” said Bonnardel. “The government is preparing for future disasters with concrete means to protect Quebecers, their property and infrastructure. RIUSC crews could be called upon install sandbags to protect infrastructure, for example, during a flood. They could also set up an emergency shelter.”

According to Bonnardel, this provincial emergency force is a first for Canada. It will allow municipalities and regions to be less reliant on the Canadian Armed Forces for assistance in case of natural disasters. The RIUSC is currently training 200 volunteers in four qualification camps set to last from Feb. 21 to March 29, for them to be deployed as early as April 1. The majority of these trainees are already part of the Quebec Search and Rescue Volunteer Association, while others are members of the Société de Protection des forêts contre le feu (SOPFEU), the Canadian Red Cross and other emergency management organizations.

Bonnardel hopes to attract another 1,000 trained volunteers in the coming years. The province has set aside a budget of $30.5 million over five years for the RIUSC.

The Union of Quebec Municipalities (UMQ) supports this initiative, but is calling for clarifications around the funding. After establishing their disaster response coordination structure, municipalities requesting this aid must accept paying for a portion of it and will receive a bill, according to a statement from the RIUSC.

According to a report by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, bilingual personnel are especially helpful in disaster response, because people often resort to their native language in stressful situations.

For more information or to apply to become a RIUSC member, visit quebec.ca/securite-situations-urgence/securite-civile/soutien-municipalites/reserve-intervention-urgence-securite-civile-riusc.

Quebec to form civilian disaster response force Read More »

Irish flag flies over City Hall for St. Patrick’s Day 

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Irish flag flies over City Hall for St. Patrick’s Day 

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

The green, white and orange flag of Ireland was raised at City Hall on March 17, the feast day of Saint Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. For the occasion, the mayor, city councillors, consuls of Ireland and Spain, members of the organizing committee of the Défilé de la Saint-Patrick de Québec (DSPQ) and two Irish wolfhounds were present.

“This flag on this mast is a decisive beacon so that people understand that we are wel- come here in Quebec City,” said the grand marshal of the 2025 DSPQ, Bruce Kirkwood. “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!”

“Heritage, history and the Irish community are very im- portant for Quebecers,” said Mayor Bruno Marchand. “It is important to renew and celebrate it annually and to repeat it again and again. We can talk about St. Patrick’s High School, Saint Brigid’s Home, the Celtic Cross, the Irish culture, Irish food, the pubs, the music, the festivities, et cetera. Quebec was and will continue to be influenced by the green, by what made us.”

The Irish community has been an integral part of Quebec City’s social fabric since the early 19th century. Countless St. Patrick’s High School alumni have left their mark on Quebec City, Quebec and Canada. Irish Quebecers celebrate their rich heritage and complex history loudly on the days leading to and following St. Patrick’s Day.

Among the numerous 2025 festivities in Quebec City, from March 15 to 22, is the DSPQ on March 22. The parade leaves St. Patrick’s High School at 2 p.m. Participants will march up Avenue Cartier and along Grande Allée and Rue Saint- Louis up to the Château Frontenac, where they will turn on Rue du Fort and Rue de Buade, ending at Place de l’Hôtel- de-Ville. Before and after the parade, families can search for the leprechauns who play tricks throughout the Old City.

Local historian Steven Cam- eron and his guests will give a talk at McMahon Hall on March 19 at 7:30 p.m. about Irish history in Quebec City. Celtic bands from near and far will perform throughout

the week, including Rosheen on March 20 at the Théâtre du Petit Champlain; the Pipes and Drums of the Chicago Police Department at the Blaxton on Avenue Cartier on March 21; the Toronto Fire Services Pipes and Drums at Le Trèfle on 3e Avenue the same evening; and Irish Moutarde at Grizzly Fuzz on March 22.

For more information, visit ville.quebec.qc.ca/saintpatrick.

Irish flag flies over City Hall for St. Patrick’s Day  Read More »

Possible mayoral candidate Hamad slams cost of tramway

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Possible mayoral candidate Hamad slams cost of tramway

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

He’s not yet officially in the race for mayor of Quebec City, but former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad appears to be staking his campaign on killing the tramway project.

Hamad’s concerns about the cost and nature of the mega-project are well known. In August, as reports surfaced of his interest in a bid for mayor, Hamad told the QCT, “There is a lot of missing data, so I can’t judge it. How much is it going to cost citizens? Nobody knows that.”

Now, in a Radio-Canada report, Hamad has declared himself ready to fight for an alternative. He said, “We have completely lost control of this project. I will propose a vision of mobility that respects the ability of Quebec citizens to pay.”

As of last week, Hamad has yet to set a date for the anticipated launch of his campaign.

His stance against the tramway, however, may have cost him a potential candidate. Isabelle Roy, the councillor for Québec d’abord in the Robert-Giffard district, had been booted from the party caucus by leader Claude Villeneuve for having had discussions with Hamad about possibly running for a party he would form.

Roy, who now sits as an independent, had told the QCT she is keeping her options open regarding the next election, and not ruling out running on a Hamad ticket.

In the wake of Hamad taking a public stand against the tramway, though, Roy may avoid hopping on board his possible campaign. In a message to the QCT, Roy said, “Quebec [City] needs a structuring transport network. It needs to be done! For four years, we’ve been going around in circles, and the project isn’t moving forward. We need to get a project off the ground!”

A “structuring transport network” is assumed to mean a system of light rail cars running on tracks.

Another former Québec d’abord councillor, now sit- ting as an independent, is taking more of a wait-and-see stance regarding Hamad and the tramway. Louis Martin, who represents the Cap-Rouge–Laurentien district, told the QCT in a message, “I haven’t seen any official statements from Mr. Hamad on the tramway, so I can’t comment on that.” Martin is a first-term councillor, having won the seat vacated by Marie-Josée Savard, former mayor Régis Labeaume’s hand- picked successor for mayor leading the party he created. Savard, who chose not to have a running mate in her district, lost the 2021 mayoral race by a slim margin to current mayor Bruno Marchand, head of Québec Forte et Fière.

Martin left Québec d’abord last week following what he told the media were “decisions and directions taken by Québec d’abord in recent months, with which I was less comfortable. Preparations for the election campaign are progressing. I found it more elegant to withdraw before all the decisions, platforms and directions were made.”

With the departure of Martin and Roy, Québec d’abord is left with five councillors, including leader and mayoral candidate Claude Villeneuve. In the 2021 election, Savard’s team won 10 of the 21 council seats. Since then, three councillors defected to the governing QFF caucus.

Hamad approached Roy and Martin directly about running for his party should he decide to run for mayor. In a telephone interview with the QCT, Roy said she met with Hamad for a cof- fee at his invitation. She said, although she does not know how, Hamad had heard she was having misgivings about Québec d’abord.

“I was drifting apart” from the party, she said. “I was considering many things. I love my colleagues and I respect them. It has nothing to do with them.”

Roy said, “I’m very, very comfortable being an independent right now.”

Of Québec d’abord’s four remaining councillors, only Alicia Despins (Vanier-Duberger) has officially declared she is run- ning again for the party. As of this writing, Anne Corriveau, Véronique Dallaire and Patricia Boudreault-Bruyère had not stated their intention to seek another term.

Possible mayoral candidate Hamad slams cost of tramway Read More »

Local Liberal MPs absent from Carney cabinet

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Local Liberal MPs absent from Carney cabinet

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

As Prime Minister Mark Carney and the 23 ministers of his Cabinet were sworn in at Rideau Hall on March 14, several faces and portfolios were noticeably absent. Former public services and procurement minister and MP for Québec Jean-Yves Duclos and former fisheries minister and Gaspésie–Îles- de-la-Madeleine MP Diane LeBouthiller, both of whom had served continuously in outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet since 2015, were not part of Carney’s cabinet; of the seven Quebecers in Carney’s cabinet, none was from a riding east of Montreal. The official languages; seniors; women, gender equality and youth; labour and regional economic development port- folios were among those that went unfilled or were consolidated into other ministries.

In a brief address to reporters, Carney said his slimmed- down cabinet would “focus on the essentials and focus on action to [address] challenges which we face … changing the way we work so we can deliver better results faster.” He said the “smaller but more experienced team” of ministers was “made to meet the moment we were in.”

Opposition leaders were quick to spotlight what they saw as omissions in Carney’s cabinet. Conservative Lead- er Pierre Poilievre and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet criticized the lack of eastern Quebec representation, presenting it as an indication of lack of respect for francophones. NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, for his part, said the lack of ministers for women and gender equality, youth and labour sent the message that issues important for women, minorities and workers “didn’t matter” to the Carney government. “His plan is to ignore the plight of working people … to cut services and cut workers, which is not the right plan for Canadians,” he said.

Louis-Hébert Liberal MP Joël Lightbound, who was named parliamentary secretary to the minister of public safety and emergency preparedness before a public disagreement with Trudeau over COVID policy in 2022 cost him his Cabinet seat, said he understood Carney’s desire for a smaller Cabinet.

“I understand the desire for Mr. Carney to have a very lean cabinet focused on the challenges that we’re facing and have a clear and sharp focus on how we build resilience,” Lightbound told the QCT. “This a special circumstance given that we are heading into an election, probably in the next few days.

“I’m very honoured to have worked with Mr. [Jean-Yves] Duclos. I’m proud of the work he has done over the years and I’m not worried about the weight of Quebec City in the Carney government,” said Lightbound. “The two of us, the two Liberal MPs [in the region] for the last 10 years, we have done a lot more than Conservative ministers in the region have done in the previous decade, and certainly more than the Bloc have done.” Lightbound highlighted the federal government’s preservation of the Quebec Bridge and the inclusion of the Davie Shipyard in Lévis in the long-term naval strategy as achievements he was particularly proud of.

Both Duclos, who could not immediately be reached for comment, and Lightbound have announced their intention to run again in the upcoming election, widely expected to take place this spring.

“We want to make sure that the government is there to finance the TramCité project [and] to fund research at Université Laval in my riding,” Lightbound said. “Top of mind for me will be to make sure we are smart in the way we address tariffs, so Quebec entrepreneurs and jobs are protected.”

Lightbound said he was “really looking forward” to working with Carney and his appointees. “He is the right person at the right time for this extraordinary junction in our country’s history,” he concluded.

Local Liberal MPs absent from Carney cabinet Read More »

Few party candidates nominated in city as federal election looms

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , , , , , ,

Few party candidates nominated in city as federal election looms

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

With a federal election call expected sometime soon, only the Bloc Québécois has candidates nominated in all seven ridings in the Quebec City region.

The Bloc, with leader Yves- François Blanchet in attendance, introduced its slate at a news conference in the city on March 13.

In addition to its two incumbent MPs – Caroline Desbiens in Montmorency-Charlevoix and Julie Vignola in Beauport- Limoilou – the Bloc has nominated Simon Bérubé in the riding of Québec-Centre (formerly Québec), Christian Hébert in Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier, Valérie Savard in Louis-Hébert, Bladimir Labonite Infante in Charlesbourg–Haute-Sainte-Charles, and Martin Trudel in Louis-Saint-Laurent–Akiawenhrahk.

That latter riding is one of several in the country whose name has been changed to reflect Indigenous heritage.

Conservatives hold three seats in the region, and all three incumbent MPs are nominated to run again: Pierre Paul-Hus, the Quebec lieutenant of leader Pierre Poilievre, in Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint- Charles; Gérard Deltell in Louis-Saint-Laurent–Akiawenhrahk; and Joël Godin in Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier.

According to the party website, no other candidates have been nominated. Paul-Hus’s office had not returned a call by press time.

The Liberals are only slightly more advanced in finding and nominating candidates. The two incumbents are running again: Jean-Yves Duclos, recently excluded from Prime Minister Mark Carney’s slimmed-down cabinet, in Québec-Centre; and Joël Lightbound in Louis-Hébert.

The only other nominated candidate for the Liberals as of late last week was Denise Coulonval in Beauport-Limoilou. The seat has seen close three- way races between the Bloc, Conservatives and Liberals over the past three elections (2015, 2029, 2021).

A Liberal party official who asked to remain anonymous said there has been an increased interest in Quebec from potential candidates now that Mark Carney is leader and prime minister.

The New Democratic Party, which swept most ridings in the city in the “Orange Wave” of 2011, has nominated two candidates so far, both repeat candidates. Former Beauport- Limoilou MP Raymond Coté is making his second attempt since the 2015 election to recapture the riding. Tommy Bureau is running for a third time in Québec-Centre, after coming fourth in 2021 and 2019. The NDP won the seat in the 2011 election, ending the Bloc’s Christiane Gagnon’s 18-year hold on the downtown riding.

Maxime Bernier’s People’s Party of Canada has no seats in Parliament, but it has can- didates nominated in five of the seven ridings in the region. The Green Party, which has yet to elect a candidate in Quebec, has so far nominated candidates in three area ridings.

On the South Shore, Conservative incumbent Jacques Gourde and Liberal challenger Ghislain Daigle are nominated in Lévis-Lotbinière. In Bellechasse–Les-Etchemins–Lévis, Conservative MP Dominique Vien is nominated, as is Marie-Philippe Gagnon- Gauthier for the NDP.

Few party candidates nominated in city as federal election looms Read More »

Christmas Hamper Campaign in final push to meet 2024 goal

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Christmas Hamper Campaign in final push to meet 2024 goal

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

More than two months after delivering its last hamper, the 2024 Quebec Community Christmas Hamper Campaign is still striving to reach its $50,000 fundraising goal. As of March 11, the campaign had raised $45,157.

“We are not too far off, but expenses are a bit more significant than in the past, so even with $50,000, we are a little bit in the hole,” campaign spokesperson Brigitte Wellens told the QCT. Wellens, who has been involved with the annual fundraiser for about a decade, said 2024 was “one of the first years” that the $50,000 goal hadn’t been reached by the end of the campaign, although organizers were still waiting for numbers from the last few fundraising events.

In previous years, she said, “We’ve always reached the goal with donations that have trickled in over the holidays.”

Wellens said the rising cost of living and the postal strike which kept people from mail- ing in donations through much of November and December might have had an impact on donors’ giving habits. Demand for food aid has also risen – more than 280 households received a Christmas hamper in 2024, a 12 per cent increase from the previous year.

What Wellens has witnessed echoes current trends – over the past decade, according to Canada Helps, the number of Canadians making charitable donations has gone down continually, while the number of people relying on the services of Canadian nonprofits has continued to rise. “With the current financial situation across the country, with everything costing more – food, rent, interest rates – it was kind of like a perfect storm,” Wellens said. “Things have not stabilized and people have been hurting financially a bit more than they have in the past. It’s a sad reality.”

She added that the number of people who donated to this past year’s campaign is about the same as in previous years. “Maybe potentially, some people had to give a little less because costs were rising. Those who were able to give more did give more, and others gave what they were able.” She said the difficulty the hamper campaign faced in meeting its goal was “maybe a wakeup call that our community isn’t doing so well” financially.

The CCHC is not the only lo- cal nonprofit which has struggled to raise funds amid the rising cost of living. “We had an objective to raise $100,000 with our [year-end] campaign, but we aren’t reaching it,” said Karina Painchaud of the SPA de Québec, which relies heavily on donations to care for more than 7,000 stray animals in the city every year. “It’s hard to say without a doubt why we didn’t reach our goal – the postal strike has hurt us, and the other thing is the amount of money in people’s pockets. The cost of living has gone up, the cost of food has gone up, and there’s a limit to what people can pay.”

Neither Painchaud nor Wellens intends to let fundraising struggles impact the support given to those who need it. “If the annual campaign doesn’t work, we’re going to have to think of something else,” Painchaud said.

“No one who has asked for a hamper has ever been told they couldn’t receive one, and that is going to remain our goal going forward,” Wellens said. “Things are not getting less expensive, but that doesn’t mean we’ll start turning people away. We’re going to have to strategize.”

Christmas Hamper Campaign in final push to meet 2024 goal Read More »

Pôle Montcalm explores future of QHS building

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Pôle Montcalm looks to the future of QHS building

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

As the English-speaking community anxiously awaits the opening of the new consolidated English high school resulting from the merger of Quebec High School (QHS) and St. Patrick’s High School, residents of the surrounding neighbourhoods are exploring plans for the future of these buildings. On March 12, the Montcalm Community Hub (MCH) held its first annual general meeting at QHS to inform the public about its mission and projects, as well as the current situation surrounding this specific property.

After seeing many culturally and historically significant buildings abandoned and demolished in favour of more modern urban projects, residents of Montcalm, Saint- Sacrement, Saint-Sauveur and Sillery who spoke at the event do not want this fate to befall the QHS building. With that in mind, in 2024, five people created the MCH. Their mission, according to their website, “is to protect and enhance an essential community space. It is committed to supporting the transition of the QHS building and its green space into a sustainable community-use area.”

The cofounders “are calling on the community and all three levels of government to preserve this unique space in the face of real estate development projects. This place is not just a plot of land; it represents a gathering space, a hub for recreation and valuable con- nection between generations.”

Before any plans can be discussed, there is much to consider. This plot and its building are currently zoned institutional, meaning that the QHS lot can only be used for schools, hospitals, fire stations, libraries or government buildings. The zoning will have to be modified for any other use.

The MCH is inspired by similar successful projects, like the city’s Plan particulier d’urbanisme (PPU) for the Pôle urbain Belvédère. According to the city website, this plan favours harmonious development, respects the local population and fulfills the city’s overall objectives.

Pôle Montcalm explores future of QHS building Read More »

Star lawyer Olga Farman is new Port of Quebec boss

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Star lawyer Olga Farman is new Port of Quebec boss

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Once touted by former mayor Régis Labeaume as a worthy potential successor, lawyer Olga Farman now heads another major city institution, the Port of Quebec.

Farman, 46, replaced Mario Girard as CEO of the Port as of Feb. 1. Girard, who has held the position for the past 14 years, has accepted the post of Quebec delegate general in Tokyo.

The Port board announced Farman’s appointment on Jan. 22. Until last fall the managing partner of Norton Rose Fulbright, one of Canada’s largest law firms, Farman is no stranger to Port operations. She has been a member of the Port board since 2020 and chaired the board since June. Farman, who was not yet giving interviews about her new role as of this writing, said in a news release, “My involvement with the Port of Québec’s board of directors has given me a closer look at the fascinating world of Québec as a local and international port city.

“It also allowed me to better understand the unique issues of vital cohabitation among the various stakeholders within the social, economic and community fabric of the greater Quebec City region. I am very grateful for the opportunity to devote myself to it full-time.”

Farman’s decision to accept an administrative position, although an important one, would seem like a detour to those who saw her destined for elected office. She has admitted to having been courted by various political organizations but has so far resisted.

In 2020, Labeaume, then pondering his exit as mayor, had named Farman as having “everything it takes to be mayor of Quebec.”

Her list of corporate and community involvements is staggering, especially for some- one who headed up a sprawling law firm with offices around the world. Beside sitting on the Port board, Farman is at the governance table of the Beneva insurance and finance giant, the Caisse de dépôt et place- ment du Québec, the Musée de la Civilisation, Festival d’été de Québec and Centraide, among many others.

She has received a heap of awards, according to her resumé. She was named Avocate émérite by the Quebec Bar in 2021 and one of Lexpert’s Top 40 Under 40 Lawyers in Canada in 2010. In 2011, she was named one of the 20 Young Women in Power by Canadian Business magazine, and one of the leading US/Canada cross-border corporate lawyers in Canada by Lexpert.

Farman is the daughter of immigrants from Iran who in the 1970s settled in Rivière-du- Loup, where her father taught literature at the local CEGEP. She obtained a law degree and masters of business administration from Université Laval.

In announcing her appointment, François Amyot, chair of the Port’s governance committee, said, “Olga has demonstrated beyond any doubt her ability to mobilize teams, develop talent, manage innovation and implement concrete solutions to ensure the sustainable growth of organizations.”

The Quebec Port Authority, one of seven port bodies in Quebec and 10 elsewhere in Canada, is a non-profit organization operated at arm’s length from the federal government.

Star lawyer Olga Farman is new Port of Quebec boss Read More »

Musée de la Civilisation explores the teenage brain

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Teenagers’ minds are full of wonder. Even though they might appear to be lazing around, their minds are active, creative and inventive, as demonstrated in the latest exhibit at the Musée de la Civilisation (MCQ), Teens: Creative Minds. Within the 170 square metres, 11 Canadian teens and their creations are showcased to educate and inspire future inventors.

The source of this exhibit sprouted from one of Quebec’s most innovative and renowned inventors, Joseph-Armand Bombardier, who, at the age of 15 in 1922, built the prototype of what would become the snowmobile. “We wondered how adolescence is creative. [Looking at Bombardier], we wondered why he is so creative and what drove him to be so,” said Antoine Laprade, manager of exhibits at the Musée de l’ingéniosité J. Armand Bombardier (MIJAB) in Valcourt.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of this invention, the MIJAB created this exhibit in collaboration with the Université de Sherbrooke by researching other ingenious Canadian teens. Visitors will discover 11 young Canadian inventors and their inventions, from the airless baby bottles created by Jean Saint- Germain, then 16, in 1953, to the QualyL, the robotic heart adaptable to patients’ efforts devised by Jonathan Lévesque, then 17, in 2018, to other innovations such as self-heating ski poles. The MCQ even invites visitors to test some of these inventions. The exhibit also takes a closer look at how teenagers’ brains work. At the heart of Teens: Creative Minds stands a giant structure representing the shape of the brain. Stepping into it, visitors will discover the parts of this vital organ and learn how it keeps developing right through adolescence up to around age 25, despite reaching its full size by the time a child turns six.

“By presenting this exhibition, we wanted to reach and engage an audience that is dear to us: teenagers,” said MCQ general director Julie Lemieux. “We wanted to offer a space where their dynamism and ideas take on their full dimension. It also allows us to discover unsuspected inventions, purely from our region, to which we had not previously paid attention.”Until Sept. 1, the MCQ invites the public to discover and even test these inventions.

For more information, visit mcq.org/en/discover/exhibitions/ados-cerveaux-inventifs.

Musée de la Civilisation explores the teenage brain Read More »

Bruce Kirkwood is the Grand Marshal of the 2025 Défilé de la Saint-Patrick de Québec

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Bruce Kirkwood is the Grand Marshal of the 2025 Défilé de la Saint-Patrick de Québec

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Green season is in full swing in Quebec City and around the region. Green, white and orange flags are being raised everywhere. Irish jigs and reels are heard loud and clear. Traditional emblems decorate Quebec City in preparation for the 2025 Défilé de la Saint- Patrick de Québec (DPSQ).

The organizers of the annual parade traditionally choose a grand marshal who has been deeply involved in the local Irish community. This year, the selection committee chose Bruce Kirkwood, a career volunteer.

“[When I was told that I was this year’s Grand Marshal], I didn’t believe it. I thought it was a joke or that someone was pulling my leg,” said Kirkwood. “But when I saw the seriousness in the president of the committee, Félix-Antoine Paradis’s face, I realized that the time was now. It is big. When you are named grand marshal, you are walking in some big shoes, following Dennis Dawson, Pauline Bigaouette McCarthy and the original [grand marshal], Marianna O’Gallagher, to name a few.

“Having been on the committee for a number of years, I have the list, but I did not consult it to see how I’d fit in,” said Kirkwood. “It is interesting to know that being a professional volunteer gets recognized. That is what is appreciated.”

Kirkwood is everywhere and involved in almost everything in the Irish community. He is a handyman, musician, photographer, sound engineer, driver, genealogist and more, known for his intelligence, quick wit and diplomacy. He has lent a hand at Shannon Irish Shows, Irish dancing shows and com- petitions, parades and a multitude of other events over the years. He was on the board of the DSPQ until 2023, when he stepped down as vice-president of operations.

“It is a wonderful recognition of all I have done for the Irish community and the DSPQ,” said Kirkwood. “I re- tired because I felt that I had done my part, and my role had run its course after 10 years. I had been part of the committee during the pandemic, which was a little rough, to say the least. Should I mention that [Terry Kerwin’s] passing cut my legs out from under me?”

Kerwin*, as president of the DSPQ, and Kirkwood, as vice-president of operations, complemented each other. Kirkwood said they had hit their stride to bring the DSPQ to its full potential when Kerwin died in January 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic hit a few weeks later, and the parade didn’t return until 2023.

Kirkwood and Kerwin were behind one of the parade’s most cherished traditions – the visit of five police pipe- and-drum bands from Chicago, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Toronto, as well as the civilian Montreal Pipes and Drums, to Quebec City. The Quebec City parade is always held a week after St. Patrick’s Day, to allow all bands to march in their respective hometown parades.

Kirkwood was born and raised in Quebec City and baptized at St. Patrick’s Church. He has been volunteering since the age of 12, starting as an “in-house” DJ at the original Shannon Hall for weekend dances and events. In 1974, his family settled in Shannon, “a move that helped forge a sense of community spirit and belonging,” he wrote. “It takes a village – in this case, two: Shannon and Valcartier – to raise a passionate volunteer.” Having felt at home in Shannon, he built a home in neighbouring Saint-Gabriel- de-Valcartier, where he resides with his family and continues to volunteer.

*Disclosure: The late Terry Kerwin, former president of the Défilé de la Saint-Patrick de Québec committee, is the author’s father.

Bruce Kirkwood is the Grand Marshal of the 2025 Défilé de la Saint-Patrick de Québec Read More »

Scroll to Top