Author name: The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph

Union federation calls on St. Lawrence to drop Birch appeal amid cuts

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Union federation calls on St. Lawrence to drop Birch appeal amid cuts

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The union federation which represents thousands of CEGEP teachers in the province is calling on CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence to drop its contestation of a labour tribunal ruling, amid wider provincial cuts to CEGEP funding.

The Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN) is “dismayed by the misuse of public funds by Champlain Regional College St. Lawrence Campus,” FNEEQ-CSN vice president for CEGEPs Yves De Repentigny said in a statement. “Although arbitrator Julie Blouin delivered a strong and unequivocal decision against the college on May 1, 2024, finding that teacher Lisa Birch had been subjected to psychological harassment, the administration continues to pursue costly proceedings instead of taking the necessary corrective action.”

Blouin, a Tribunal d’arbitration du travail (TAT) arbitrator, ruled last year that the college had failed to ensure a safe workplace for Birch, a long- time teacher and former union representative. The ruling stated that in January 2022, Birch was told she was being investigated for psychological harassment. In response, supported by the faculty union, she filed three grievances alleging psychological harassment and failure to ensure a safe workplace. She alleged that the college never made clear what she was accused of, and subjected her to a drawn-out investigation including no-contact protocols that isolated her from colleagues. She was also led to believe multiple people had filed complaints against her when only one person – director of studies Edward Berryman – had. “The investigation should never have happened,” Blouin ruled.

The college mandated lawyers to appeal the decision in June 2024. The college is also separately contesting a decision by the province’s workplace health and safety board (CNESST) on Birch’s disability claim be- fore the TAT, according to the FNEEQ-CSN, of which the St. Lawrence faculty union is a member.

The Champlain Regional Col- lege (CRC) board, which oversees operations at St. Lawrence and the two other CEGEPs in the CRC system, in Saint-Lambert and Lennoxville, decided at the time to “acknowledge [its] shortcomings,” commission a workplace climate survey for St. Lawrence and explore alterna- tive conflict resolution methods. The survey, obtained by the QCT, raised concerns about teachers’ schedules and workloads and teacher-management relations; it is unclear what has been done in regards to conflict resolution methods.

“It has been a year since [the initial ruling], and we see that not only has [St. Lawrence] not put corrective measures in place, but it’s contesting the TAT decision and the disability [claim] granted by the CNESST,” De Repentigny said. “We don’t understand this insistence. It makes no sense that in a period where we’re imposing budget cuts and hiring freezes, they are wasting taxpayer money to pile onto a teacher who has been a victim of harassment.”

Last month, the Fédération des Cégeps said CEGEPs would have to cut more than $151 million in spending as a result of government cutbacks, an “unprecedented” amount. De Repentigny said St. Lawrence would have to absorb an estimated $325,000 in cuts, although the QCT could not independently confirm that number.

“For 12 months, instead of admitting its faults … [St. Lawrence] has poured its efforts into contesting the arbitration decision, hiring investigators and lawyers, throwing tens of thousands of dollars after the hundreds of thousands it has already spent on this saga. This is money that won’t be spent on serving its students,” De Repentigny said.

CRC corporate affairs administrative agent Nathalie Couderc said the college would not comment on eventual budget cuts. The CRC administration had not responded to a separate request for comment on the Birch appeal by press time.

Union federation calls on St. Lawrence to drop Birch appeal amid cuts Read More »

Quebec City native, astronaut Marc Garneau dies at 76

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Quebec City native, astronaut Marc Garneau dies at 76

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Quebec City native, former cabinet minister and Canadian space pioneer Marc Garneau died on June 4. He was 76.

Marc Roy, Garneau’s former communications director, shared a brief statement from Garneau’s wife, Pamela Garneau, announcing the news.

“Marc faced his final days with the same strength, clarity and grace that defined his life. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family,” Pamela Garneau wrote. “We are especially grateful to the medical team which provided such dedicated and compassionate care during his short illness.”

Garneau was born in Quebec City in 1949 – “in the old Jeffery Hale Hospital, the one in Vieux- Québec,” as he recounted to CBC’s Alison Brunette during the 2023 Literary Feast at the Morrin Centre. When he was a child, his family moved frequently due to his father’s military career. He studied engineering at the Royal Military College before completing a PhD at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, England, and joining the Navy as a combat systems engineer. In 1983, he was named one of Canada’s first six astronauts. The following year, aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger, he became the first Canadian in space.

“Take me back to that moment, you’re sitting there – 10, nine, eight … what’s going through your mind?” Brunette asked Garneau at the Literary Feast.

“If you imagine yourselves tipped over backward looking at the ceiling, that’s what your seat is like,” Garneau said as guests tipped their heads back. “There are people who sit you in your seat … and connect your radio, your oxygen, so you’re ready to go. Then they say good luck and close the hatch … You’re left there for two and a half hours before launch, the longest two and a half hours of your life. A lot of things go through your mind – do I really want to do this? Am I ready? … You realize you are ready, and you’re going to live something that very few people have ever experienced.

“When you see the entire planet, your perspective starts to change,” he said. “You see that this planet is the cradle of humanity … there’s nowhere else to go, and we have to find a way to get along with each other.”

The Challenger mission was the first of Garneau’s three trips to space. In 2001, he was named president of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).

Garneau resigned from the CSA to run for Parliament as a Liberal in 2006. He lost on that first attempt, but won comfortably in Westmount–Saint Louis on his second try in 2008. His engineer’s directness and attention to detail made him popular with journalists and colleagues. He ran for the Liberal leadership in 2013 before throwing his support behind Justin Trudeau. Trudeau named him transport minister in his first cabinet, later promoting him to foreign affairs. He resigned in March 2023; at the time, he said he had promised his family he would step down after the joint committee on medical assistance in dying, on which he sat, had tabled its final report.

In retirement, he wrote an autobiography, A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream. One of his last public appearances was at the Morrin Centre, during this year’s Imagination Writers’ Festival, promoting the book.

Barry McCullough, executive director of the Morrin Centre, described his death from cancer as a “huge shock.”

“He was interesting and interested,” McCullough remembered. “He seemed like a really genuine person, and he had a lot of curiosity, which would be a good quality for an astronaut. He was born in Quebec City, went off and did all kinds of things, and then came back and connected with the English-speaking community, which is cool, because he has lived in both languages so he’s a really good spokesperson for bilingualism.”

Local Liberal MPs Jean-Yves Duclos and Joël Lightbound served alongside Garneau in Parliament. Lightbound called his passing “an immense loss for Canada.”

“I owe a lot to Marc,” Duclos wrote in a social media post. “He generously offered me his mentorship when I first became an MP. I will always remember his intelligence, his sense of duty and respect, and his commitment to his family. He repeatedly expressed to me his pride in being from the Quebec City region – a region whose interests he always helped me defend.”

Quebec City native, astronaut Marc Garneau dies at 76 Read More »

Geophysicist and bell-ringer Micha Horswill runs for Transition Québec

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Geophysicist and bell-ringer Micha Horswill runs for Transition Québec

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

If being a geophysicist on city council wouldn’t be a first, Micha Horswill might well be the first church bell-ringer with a council seat, should she get elected in November.

Horswill, who on June 5 launched her campaign for the Cap-aux-Diamants council seat at a bar on Rue Saint-Jean, is a woman of many interests, now including municipal politics.

Her day job is as a research professional with Université Laval’s geophysical instrumentation group, but she still finds time to attend neighbourhood council meetings, make TikTok videos about “the city’s hidden gems,” and, yes, ring church bells.

As she explained in an interview prior to her launch party, friends had encouraged her to consider a city council run, which she initially rebuffed, but the idea “grew on me and I kept thinking about it and I said ‘why not?’ I was born here, I live here … and I have ideas. So, I decided to jump into the pool.”

Horswill, 31, said she only knew Transition Québec lead- er and Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith from media reports, but she “loved” the social and environmental values of the party. She said the municipal politics bug took hold thanks to her experiences at neighbourhood council meetings.

One of those experiences was pushing for the creation of a mural on a side street off Rue Saint-Jean; the effort was a success and taught her a lot about how things get done in a city bureaucracy.

As she says on her Facebook page: “I’m in love with Quebec City–and I dream of it. I see it bigger, more vibrant, more avant-garde and more fair. I allow myself to dream, but I don’t just have my head in the clouds.

“I have my feet firmly planted, with my geophysicist’s perspective, which requires rigour, consistency and pragmatism. I’m trained to analyze complex systems, read between the layers and find the root causes of problems. I want to bring that perspective to the city as well.” Though her father is an anglophone from British Columbia who moved to Quebec City when he was young, Horswill was raised and educated in French. She said she learned her (fluent) English in school and perfected it in the years she worked in Europe, where “everything was in English.”

She recalls a high school rivalry with Quebec High School, but she said, “Now I’ve made peace with QHS and accepted that my basketball team wasn’t exactly the best.”

Her more recent interaction with the city’s anglophone community was with bell-ringers, a largely English-speaking group. She got involved about two years ago when she heard the bells being rung at the former St. Matthew’s Church on Rue Saint-Jean (now a public library, Bibliothèque Claire-Martin), was intrigued, and after some internet searching, found the change-ringing group and signed up.

“I discovered a nice community that is very vibrant,” she said. She was happy to participate when the city recently welcomed change-ringers from around the world.

“We’re the only city in Canada that has two bell-ringing towers,” Horswill said with some pride. The other bells are in the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in the Old City, where she lives.

Horswill is proud of the his- tory of her city to the extent she highlights many aspects through brief videos on her TikTok channel. One of them features the top three libraries in the Old City, one of which is that of the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec at the Morrin Centre.

Horswill said it “pains her to see” not enough local residents live in the Old City. “It’s the birthplace of an entire nation. People should be living there, we should see children, neighbours.”

She said one measure to encourage people to live in the Old City would be to improve public transportation. “Having a walled city is great for tourists, but it keeps [residents] captive.”

Among other issues on her agenda are homelessness in the central city, the lack of trees in the Saint-Jean- Baptiste neighbourhood and the lack of a large grocery store for Old City residents.

Horswill said, “I think I will win,” although she does have competition in the form of Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc, the incumbent councillor from the ruling Québec Forte et Fière (QFF) party and member of the executive committee for heritage, planning, tourism and quality of life in the Old City.

QFF has announced candidates for all but two of the 21 council seats. Two notable additions to the party’s slate are Marchand’s media attachée Élainie Lepage, running in Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur, and Manouchka Blanchet, who was actually elected in 2021 in Beau- port’s Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux district as the running mate of Jean-François Gosselin, the unsuccessful mayoral candidate for the now defunct Québec 21 party.

Sam Hamad’s Leadership Québec party added three more candidates to its slate last week: Mégy Gagné in Val-Bélair; Donald Gagnon in Louis-XIV and former Équipe Labeaume candidate Émilie Robitaille in Neufchâtel-Lebourgneuf.

Municipal elections are held across the province on Nov. 2.

Geophysicist and bell-ringer Micha Horswill runs for Transition Québec Read More »

Cathedral garden construction should begin this summer

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Cathedral garden construction should begin this summer

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Construction for the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity garden project is expected to kick into high gear this summer.

Rev. Christian Schreiner, dean of the cathedral, told parishioners in a recent news- letter to be prepared for “a number of major works” over the next few months, including continued landscaping of the cathedral close, renovations to the wall facing Rue Sainte-Anne, archeological excavations in the vicinity of the wall and completion of exterior painting work on the cathedral.

As a result, the newsletter warned, some areas will be inaccessible, there will be more foot and vehicle traffic around the cathedral as construction and excavation crews move in and out, and no-parking signs may be posted. Parishioners will still be able to access the lot for Sunday services, and the cathedral’s summer crafts market will go ahead. Construction of the cloister garden will get underway in early August, subject to the availability of a city archeologist. By law, any construction site in the Old City must be inspected by archeologists before planned work can go ahead.

The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, the oldest Anglican church outside the British Isles, was built between 1800 and 1804 on the site of a Récollet monastery which had been destroyed by fire. The Récollets grew vegetables, flowers and medicinal herbs in a large garden on the land where the cathedral now stands. The Ursuline convent had its own garden just up the street, and the Jesuits had one nearby. Today, all that remains of the gardens are the names of the street in front of the cathedral and City Hall – Rue des Jardins – and the public square behind City Hall – Les Jardins de l’Hôtel- de-Ville. In 2022, the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Foundation announced plans to build a public garden on the cathedral property, with support from the Ville de Québec, the Anglican Diocese of Quebec and individual donors. Last spring, a work by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz was unveiled on the site of the future garden; at the time, Schreiner said the project’s goal was to “bring the gardens back to Rue des Jardins.”

Historian David Mendel, president of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity Foundation, explained that the foundation planned to build two gardens – a main garden in front of the cathedral and a smaller “cloister garden” in the former enclosure between the church hall and the former bishop’s residence. The cloister garden “is inspired to a certain extent by the French formal gardens, which the Récollet friars had on the site prior to the construction of the cathedral,” Mendel said.  “It’s … a smaller, intimate contemplative garden, which will complement the bigger garden, which will be more English-style, more informal.” Mendel said he expected the cloister garden to be inaugurated later this year.

Meanwhile, Mendel said, work will begin on the wall along Rue Sainte-Anne, “which is in bad shape and was never intended to support the earth which comes up against it.” An underground concrete support will be built to shore up the centuries-old wall. “The stone outside wall will be removed temporarily and put back in 2026.”

“Almost everything is in place, but nothing can start until we have confirmation of when the archeologists are available, because they have to be there. Once we have that, then the rest falls into place,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of work on the cathedral and the church hall over the years, but we haven’t had to co-ordinate it with so many other moving parts as is the case right now. Everyone is working together to iron out the inconveniences as much as possible.”

He said he expected construction of the main garden to get underway in earnest in late 2027 or early 2028.

“It’s part of the philosophy of our congregation to be welcoming, but also we are stewards of something that is very special,” he said. “This is one of the most important historic sites in Canada. The cathedral is filled with history and beauty, but it’s surrounded by a very unattractive, muddy mess. So [we have] a sense of responsibility to improve that, but also an opportunity to do something special which will be inspiring to people – and if people know about a place, then they want to get involved,” he concluded.

To learn more about the cathedral gardens or to donate to support the project, visit jardinsdelacathedrale.ca/en.

Cathedral garden construction should begin this summer Read More »

Time to TALQ: Community groups federation unveils 30th-anniversary rebrand

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Time to TALQ: Community groups federation unveils 30th-anniversary rebrand

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The province’s largest federation of English- speaking community groups is hoping to get Quebecers talking with its rebrand. The Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) is now TALQ. The name change was announced last week as the group celebrated its 30th anniversary, and the new visual identity was unveiled at a cocktail reception in Montreal on June 4. The group has switched out its orange and black logo for two-tone Québécois blue.

“In our advocacy, in helping to build a more vibrant English-speaking community, in helping individuals navigate government services, TALQ will continue to serve our community while broadening our appeal,” TALQ president Eva Ludvig said. “Throughout our lengthy process of reflection that led to this moment, we looked for ways to strengthen the QCGN. Our goal was to solidify our brand and, more important, the community’s understanding of the work we do. A key takeaway was a desire to dispel the ‘us-versus- them’ perception once and for all. We celebrate the vibrancy of the English-speaking com- munity in a proudly French Quebec. We are citizens and neighbours, enthusiastically integrated into the fabric of Quebec society.”

The letters in TALQ repre- sent the phrase “Talking, advocating and living in Québec” but the group does not intend for TALQ to be thought of as an acronym. “We needed a name and branding that would help us move forward – within the community, across the two solitudes and in Quebec City and Ottawa. TALQ is English in origin, anchored in Quebec, and proud of its bilingual spirit. It is not an acronym; it is a simple, powerful word that we have made our own (and made Québécois) by deliberately adding a ‘Q,’” they explained in a statement.

“We’ve had enough change in the past 12 months that it has become expected,” Ludvig said at the launch event. “In the future, we’ll need to keep talking and keep engaging ourselves with other groups … we are a community of communities. We are TALQ.”

TALQ emphasized that a bilingual, bicultural design team worked on the rebrand, which had been in discussion for the better part of five years. Montreal-based branding consultant Trevor Ham, a bilingual lifelong Montrealer and a member of that design team, said that a series of workshops allowed them to “map the DNA” of the organization’s brand, as “stewards of the English voice, a community of communities and what it means to be English-speaking in Quebec.

“It’s not English versus French; we love living in a French province and [engaging with] French culture,” said Ham. “We wanted to have a name and brand identity that connected with English identity within a proudly French Quebec. We wanted to dispel the whole idea of ‘us versus them.’”

TALQ has 47 members across the province, including the Morrin Centre and the Quebec Community Newspa- pers Association, of which the QCT is a member.

Time to TALQ: Community groups federation unveils 30th-anniversary rebrand Read More »

Quebec applies to appeal Bill 40 decision to Supreme Court

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Quebec applies to appeal Bill 40 decision to Supreme Court

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Quebec’s English-language school boards are preparing to defend their continued existence before the Supreme Court of Canada. On May 30, multiple sources confirmed that the Quebec government planned to request leave to appeal a ruling in support of the school boards to the country’s highest court.

In February 2020, the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government passed Bill 40, which replaced elected school boards in both the francophone and anglophone sectors with government-run service centres overseen by volunteer boards with limited power. At the time, English boards argued the new law infringed on the English- speaking community’s right to control its education system, afforded to official-language minority communities in the federal Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Quebec English School Boards Association (QESBA) took the government to court, obtaining first an injunction which suspended the law’s application to English boards, then a ruling by a Superior Court judge which found the law did infringe on the community’s charter rights. The government appealed that decision, and in April of this year, an appeals court panel essentially upheld the Superior Court ruling. At the time, QESBA and its member boards hoped the government would accept the ruling and lay the groundwork for a new working relationship with school boards. That hasn’t happened.

The association said its members were “deeply disappointed” by the government’s decision to appeal.

“We were hopeful that the government would accept the unanimous ruling of the Court of Appeal and finally respect the rights of the English-speaking community,” said QESBA president Joe Ortona. “At a time when Quebec faces serious financial pressures, it is disappointing to see public funds used to continue a legal battle that so clearly infringes on the rights of minority communities.”

“As I said at the time, [the Appeals Court ruling] was a really wonderful decision for the English boards – there was a recognition that the Constitution gave us the right to govern our schools,” said Jean Robert, chair of the Council of Commissioners of the Central Québec School Board (CQSB), the QESBA member board which oversees English-language public schools in the Quebec City region and on the South Shore as well as in Mauricie, Saguenay and large swaths of northern Quebec. “The environment is such that I wasn’t surprised [an appeal was made] … but we were really hopeful that at the end of the day, the government would see that the decision was clear.

“I don’t know the timeline, but we’re talking about years of time and expenses and uncertainty,” he added. “We are convinced we will win – we have the two judgments in our favour, the last one was unanimous and they supported us on nearly every point.”

Robert told the QCT school boards would have to “rely on the generosity of the community” to continue the court challenge.

“They [the government] have all the legal resources in the world, and in our case, we’ll have to do fundraising for this,” he said. “When you go to the Supreme Court, you’re talking about over $1 million in expenses. The government has a slew of lawyers at their disposal, but we have to hire our own lawyers and do fundraising.”

Robert said representatives of QESBA member boards would meet on June 2 to plan next steps. “We will be looking at potential donors in the community, parents and graduates who are ready to donate,” he said. “We always said we didn’t want to use money that has been set aside for services to students. There have been some generous donors for the last Bill 40 case, but we can’t always [turn] to the same people … and the money has to come from somewhere.”

In the coming weeks, “our role will be to inform people on what this really means – it is about being the master of what we do,” Robert said. “It is a slippery slope to having our schools potentially become wings of the francophone system … we will continue to fight this with everything we can.”

The Quebec government does not generally comment on ongoing court cases.

Quebec applies to appeal Bill 40 decision to Supreme Court Read More »

Hamad announces first two candidates for City Hall campaign

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Hamad announces first two candidates for City Hall campaign

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Mayoral candidate Sam Hamad introduced the first two candidates for his Leadership Québec party, both of whom have backgrounds working within the provincial government.

At a news conference held in a crowded chauffeur’s cottage at Domaine Cataraqui on May 29, Hamad said Justine Savard and Jean-Stéphane Bernard “embody the strong, unifying leadership we want to offer the citizens of Quebec City. They each have an impressive track record, deep roots in their communities, and are ready to fully invest in improving the quality of life in their neighbourhoods.”

Savard, a lawyer who has worked in the office of Coalition Avenir Québec ministers Sonia LeBel and the late Nadine Girard, ran for the party in the 2022 election in the Montreal riding of Viau.

Savard will be running in the Beauport district of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Lisieux, a seat currently held by executive committee member and former mayoral candidate Jean-François Gosselin, who has announced he will not run again for city council.

Bernard, a CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence graduate who went on to earn degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the École nationale d’administration publique (ENAP) and Université Laval, is a former deputy minister of international relations and Canadian relations, who has also served as Quebec’s representative in Washington and New England.

Bernard will run in the Saint-Louis–Sillery district, currently held by executive committee member Maude Mercier Larouche, who has also said she is not running again.

Bernard, a resident of Sillery since he was a child, said the leap into politics is “just a continuity of what I’ve been doing for the last 30 years, working for the people of Quebec City, working for the people of the district that I wish to represent.”

In an interview with the QCT, he said he is “honoured, to be honest, to have this op- portunity to work with some- one who’s the leader that Quebec City needs.”

Savard, for her part, said she got back into elected politics at the municipal level, because “I’m a working mom and I’m really, really fond of my community and I saw a couple of things in the city that weren’t sitting well for me. So I decided that may- be with Sam Hamad we can change the course of things.”

Asked what she learned as a provincial candidate three years ago, Simard said, “I think I’m a better listener now,” having had the experience of knocking on doors to hear what citizens have to say.

During the news conference, neither candidate was willing to venture a specific opinion on the tramway project, whereas Hamad, who op- poses the plan, said he would release his party’s detailed platform “before the [summer] holidays.”

Hamad also responded to questions about the CAQ government’s “third link” bridge project, the location of which is supposed to be announced in June. He downplayed a comment he had made previously in favour of a bridge to the west near the current spans.

He said, “I will let the specialists decide technically where it should go, with acceptability and [the least] in- convenience” for the citizens of the city.

Hamad, incumbent mayor and Québec Forte et Fière Leader Bruno Marchand, Transition Québec Leader Jackie Smith and Québec d’abord Leader Claude Villeneuve are the declared candidates for city hall so far. Respect Citoyens Leader Stéphane Lachance has also said he plans to run for mayor, although recent reporting by Radio-Canada has cast doubt on whether he meets the residency requirement.

Municipal elections will be held across Quebec on Nov. 2.

Hamad announces first two candidates for City Hall campaign Read More »

City to install anti-ramming barriers in Rue Saint-Jean pedestrian area

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

City to install anti-ramming barriers in Rue Saint-Jean pedestrian area

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Ville de Québec is investing nearly $100,000 in a pilot project involving barriers to prevent car- and truck- ramming attacks on the city’s pedestrian streets, officials announced on May 30. Over the next few weeks, the barriers will be placed along the section of Rue Saint-Jean that is being pedestrianized for the summer.

The pilot project comes in response to concerns raised by residents and tourists about the vulnerability of the city’s pedestrian streets to terrorists or rogue drivers using cars, trucks or vans as weapons – an increasingly common threat. In 2016, 86 people were killed when a terrorist drove a truck through a Bastille Day celebration in Nice, France. In 2018, 10 died when an anti-feminist extremist drove a van down a Toronto pedestrian street; in March 2023, two people were killed and nine were injured in Amqui, Que., by a man with untreated mental health issues behind the wheel of a small truck; and on April 26, in Vancouver, 11 people were killed when a man behind the wheel of an SUV ploughed through a Filipino heritage festival.

“We have an obligation to protect people who participate in events,” Marc Des Rivières, director of transport and intelligent mobility at the Ville de Québec, said on the Radio-Canada drive-time show C’est encore mieux l’après- midi. “We’ve been evaluating the risks for the past several years and deploying various means. However, we have to acknowledge, events like these are multiplying around the world … whether it’s religious radicals, lone actors, impaired drivers or people with mental health issues. It does create a risk, because ‘zero risk’ doesn’t exist. So we have the obligation to put in place adapted measures.”

City crews will install four Swiss-made Armis One antiramming barriers and nine concrete planters on the road and along the pavement of the pedestrianized portion of Rue Saint-Jean, at the corners of Rue D’Auteuil and Côte du Palais. According to a city information document, the barriers can stop a nine-ton truck, but don’t create any additional obstacles for pedestrians, cyclists or wheelchair users, and don’t require constant surveillance. First responders who need ac- cess to the street will be able to deactivate them remotely, Des Rivières explained. When activated, the barriers deploy “big red metal teeth” which rip through the front of a vehicle.

“This pilot project will assess the effectiveness of the device during assembly and disassembly operations, as well as access for emergency vehicles. The city will then be able to evaluate the feasibility of deploying this system on a larger scale,” the city’s communications and citizen relations department said in a statement.

City to install anti-ramming barriers in Rue Saint-Jean pedestrian area Read More »

Avenue Maguire springs into festivities with Les Printanières

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Avenue Maguire springs into festivities with Les Printanières

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

Celebrations of Avenue Maguire’s 125th anniversary continued with Les Printanières de Maguire on May 30 and 31. The shops, restaurants and performers adjusted to the evechanging weather.

Despite rain in the forecast for May 30, the sun was out, yet not many people showed up. Due to the forecast, the SDC Maguire announced a change in the schedule. Festivities ran from noon to 5 p.m. on both days, rather than 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 30 and 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. on May 31. These changes displeased some people who planned to celebrate on the terrasses and in the shops on Friday or Saturday evening.

MP for Québec-Centre Jean-Yves Duclos, MNA for Jean- Talon Pascal Paradis, city councillor Maude Mercier Larouche and director general of the Caisse Desjardins Saint-Louis- de-France Kathleen Bilodeau visited Avenue Maguire on Friday afternoon. SDC Maguire director general Brian Aubé gave them a tour, visiting a few merchants.

“It is important to start the spring and summer season on the right foot,” said Aubé. “The weather has not really been on our side, these past few weeks, dropping buckets of rain over our heads. For our events, we have taken measures. We modified the schedule a bit, and we are ready to set up tents. We asked certain merchants and shops to hold their kiosks inside rather than on the side- walks.” This explained the lack of crowds on the streets on Friday, despite the sun and warm temperatures. On Saturday, rain poured down.

“My grandmother has been doing the family grocery shopping at Roset’s since it opened in 1947,” said Alexandra Bélanger. “I have so many memories on this street that I am happy to share them with my own daughters.”

During the weekend, visitors sampled foie gras and duck rillettes from Canard Goulu, shopped at Boutik Suisse, savoured chocolates at Eddy Laurent or enjoyed a refreshing ice cream at Chocolats Favoris or the Bar Laitier Maguire. Street performers were invited to showcase their skills and talents.

The history of Avenue Maguire dates back to 1900, when Father Alexandre-Eustache Maguire requested a shorter route to the St-Colomb–St- Michel de Sillery cemetery on Boul. St-Cyrille (now Boul. René-Lévesque). Over time, businesses opened along this newly constructed road. The first tramway reached it in 1910, passing along another new street, Rue Sheppard. Today, RTC bus 11 follows this route.

Since his passing in 1934, Father Maguire has been forgotten by the general public, and the pronunciation of the name of the street has shifted from “Maguire” to something closer to “Magoirre.” No matter how it is pronounced, it has a lot of options for local shopping and dining.

Editor’s note: To learn more about the history of Avenue Maguire, see Bill Cox’s July 7, 2021 Street Views column.

Avenue Maguire springs into festivities with Les Printanières Read More »

‘Unique’ school for deaf students plans $7-million expansion  

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

‘Unique’ school for deaf students plans $7-million expansion  

Peter Black

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

It’s called the only school of its kind in North America, dedicated to giving francophone children with hearing and speech impairments a chance to get a normal education and have a fulfilling life.

The École Oraliste, located on Boul. René-Lévesque across the street from Collège Saint-Charles-Garnier, is a victim of its own success in providing specialized education for deaf children. 

The school’s board has embarked on an expansion project to allow it to accommodate dozens more students whom it currently has to refuse for lack of space. Students at the school are from four to 18 years old, with either a hearing disability or a non-deafness-related speech impairment. 

The Fondation Sourdine unveiled the $7-million project earlier this month at a fundraising gala which featured some 59 of the school’s 76 students hopping on stage and performing roles at full voice.

Foundation executive director Sandra Ferguson, herself the mother of a 22-year-old deaf son now completing studies in administration at Université Laval, said she was moved by the moment when students received a standing ovation for their performance.

“They get confident. ‘I can do that.’ They realize it’s possible to do something,” instead of facing rejection or ridicule for their disability.

The foundation has been working on an expansion project for the past three years, and has architects’ designs and engineering plans ready to go. 

The school, founded by a group of researchers at Université Laval, was authorized by the Quebec government in 2002. In 2012, the foundation acquired the building where the Institut St-Joseph private primary school was located. That school moved into a new building on the grounds of the college. 

Symptomatic of its need for expansion, the École Oraliste has been renting space at Collège Garnier to accommodate some 35 students. The maximum class size is four to six students. 

“This is the next step,” Ferguson said of the expansion plan. “Now people know the school better, know that this is a unique place for those kids. Since the past five years, 95 per cent of the kids who come [here] go back to a regular school with success.”

Ferguson has been lobbying government officials to obtain a substantial financial commitment to the project, but faces the same situation of financial scarcity as public schools. Regardless, she is confident the government will recognize the unique role the school plays, particularly with public schools struggling to provide services for students with additional needs.

The school receives funding from the Quebec government per student, including an amount for specialized education, but Ferguson said there is no government program for infrastructure for such a school.

She said, “We’ll cross our fingers” that the Ministry of Education will come through with funding that will encourage other private donors to contribute. Should government funding come through promptly, she said, “We’re ready to go.”

The building would be erected along Ave. Joffre in a section of the current parking lot and play area. The foundation has acquired an adjacent property on Ave. Cardinal-Rouleau to give it space for an expanded play area and courtyard.

The addition will contain 10 classrooms, a library and other multi-purpose spaces, bringing the classes together under one roof and boosting the capacity of the school to 125 students, a 40 per cent increase.

Ferguson said the school is having to refuse more and more students as awareness of its success spreads. Last year, 24 students were turned away, and so far this year, more than 30 have been denied a space.

“Our objective,” Ferguson said, “is to make these kids future contributors to society.”

With the end of the school term around the corner in June, Ferguson said the students “are not happy to go. They want to stay here. They don’t want to go because for the first time, it’s fun to learn.” 

‘Unique’ school for deaf students plans $7-million expansion   Read More »

Local shadow cabinet appointments ‘show respect for Quebec,’ Deltell says

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Local shadow cabinet appointments ‘show respect for Quebec,’ Deltell says

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Nearly a month after the federal election which painted much of the greater Quebec City region Tory blue, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has named two Quebec City-area MPs and three members of the South Shore caucus to the 48-member shadow cabinet led by House Leader Andrew Scheer.

On April 28, Conservatives were elected in four of the seven ridings in the Quebec City area (the exceptions being the central Liberal strongholds of Québec-Centre and Louis-Hébert, and Beauport-Limoilou, where the Liberals defeated a Bloc Québécois incumbent), in Beauce and in all three ridings on the South Shore. The Conservatives picked up one seat (Montmorency–Charlevoix) from the Bloc Québécois and kept their hold on the other area seats.

The shadow cabinet announced on May 22 included Luc Berthold (Mégantic– L’Érable–Lotbinière) as deputy house leader, Pierre Paul- Hus (Charlesbourg–La Haute-Saint-Charles) as Quebec lieutenant, Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent–Akiawenhrahk) as shadow minister for national revenue, former Quebec Liberal MNA Dominique Vien (Bellechasse–Les Etchemins– Lévis) as shadow minister for women, gender equality and youth, and Jacques Gourde (Lévis-Lotbinière) as shadow minister for agriculture. All are veteran MPs.

Deltell, a former CAQ MNA who made the jump to federal politics in 2015, told the QCT in a brief English-language interview that he and his colleagues were “blessed to be part of this team.”

“I was pleased [to be named to the national revenue portfolio]. I got into politics – both provincial and federal politics – for fiscal issues, and I am motivated by spending people’s tax money correctly,” said Del- tell. “My opposite number [in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s cabinet] is François-Philippe Champagne. I know him very well. We have a frank and honest relationship, and I’m looking forward to working both with and against him on specific issues. I spoke with him yesterday and we are excited to work together.”

The Conservatives won 144 seats to the Liberals’ 169 in last month’s election, leaving the balance of power in the hands of the Bloc Québécois (22 seats) or the NDP (seven). Deltell seems unruffled by the uphill battle ahead with regards to pushing the Conservative agenda. “Anyone can have influence as long as they have good arguments – the important thing is not your position; it’s the depth of your argument.”

Deltell said he believed the Carney government “did not get off to a good start” when Carney announced plans to wait until fall to table a detailed budget.

“Autumn is too late,” Deltell said. “We need to do a budget right now. We are ready to sit in the House in the summer to achieve some of our agenda; we’re opening the door to sit in the House as long as we can to get a serious budget. This is what Canadians are asking for … and it’s what Canadians deserve.”

“Affordability and housing is our biggest priority – we talked about that during the campaign and we’ll keep talking about it,” he added. “We will welcome it if the government incorporates our priorities – they took inspiration from our platform [during the campaign] and they can do it again.”

Deltell said the appointment of five MPs from the region to the shadow cabinet represented “a show of respect for Quebec” from the party leadership.

“As local MPs and as francophones, we have a job to do, and we have a lot of people with a lot of experience. Most of us were elected 10 years ago, and the leader appreciates our contribution,” he said.

Parliament is expected to resume sitting this week.

Local shadow cabinet appointments ‘show respect for Quebec,’ Deltell says Read More »

City signs deals to clarify TramCité project management

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

TRAM TRACKER: City signs deals to clarify TramCité project management

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

It may still be many months before any tramway track is laid, but the city has now put in place an agreement on how the project will be managed going forward.

In an apolitical statement released May 22, the city’s executive committee announced “two agreements representing important operational and administrative milestones for the advancement of the TramCité project.”

The agreements between the city, in co-ordination with the Réseau de transport de la capitale (RTC) and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec infrastructure division (CDPQ Infra), set out joint responsibilities in four areas.

These include collaborative decision-making, allocation of roles and responsibilities in the planning phase and beyond, interface management to ensure co-ordination on technical aspects, and commitment to the community to “maintain regular communication with citizens and to implement measures to mitigate the impacts of the work on daily life.” The statement notes that the city and the RTC “retain responsibilities related to their expertise (acquisitions; work on urban and municipal technical networks, operating and mobility systems; project manager support activities).” A second agreement, between the city, the RTC and the government of Quebec, spells out the details of financing of the project regarding “activities and works during the planning phase, which runs until June 2027.”

Some preparatory work for the $7.6-billion project will be underway this year, and then ramp up in 2026, to make ready for the full-blown construction phase in 2027, lasting five years.

The all-electric tramway system will run a total of 19 kilometres, with 19 stations connecting the Le Gendre, Sainte-Foy, Université Laval, Parliament Hill, Saint-Roch and Charlesbourg sectors.

Overall management of the project, as per a December 2024 agreement, is in the hands of CDPQ Infra, as decided by the Quebec government.

City signs deals to clarify TramCité project management Read More »

Two 20-storey towers on Grande Allée among city’s housing surge 

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Two 20-storey towers on Grande Allée among city’s housing surge

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The city administration is accelerating approvals of 18 residential projects in many sectors of the city, including two towers on Grande Allée, aimed at addressing what it identifies as a looming housing crisis.

Armed with statistics showing significant population growth in the coming years, Mayor Bruno Marchand announced at a May 20 news conference the fast-tracking of construction that will create some 2,850 housing units.

The projects are to receive approval from city council over the next two council meetings, and be under construction over the next year. Some 420 of the units are to be designated social housing.

Marchand, making the announcement at the Videotron Centre, said, “The housing crisis in Quebec City requires us to make a major push for housing creation, not only to meet current needs, but also to anticipate future needs.”

A chart contained in a presentation at the news conference showed the city’s population grew by 40,000 people over the past three years, an increase of 2.4 per cent.

Coun. Marie-Pierre Boucher, executive committee member responsible for housing, said Bill 31, which gives municipalities the power to ignore some regulations to encourage the construction of housing, also allows the city to “require construction conditions that ensure a distinctive architectural quality as well as the implementation of innovative and sustainable features, among other things, in terms of development, mobility and planning.”

She said the units being jump-started, after negotiations with developers, are part of the city’s grand plan for housing, which aims to build 80,000 new units by 2040.

Part of the criteria for approval of the projects was their proximity to urban transit services, including the proposed tramway.

Of the 18 projects, with a total estimated value of $819 million, the one destined to create the most units is that planned for 3155 Chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois, a site now occupied by a deconsecrated church, where a 401-unit structure is to be built.

Two of the projects are on Grande Allée, and both of them have controversial aspects. One of them will be a new building on what is now an empty lot on the corner of Rue de l’Amérique-Française and kitty-corner from the Hôtel Le Concorde. The long-deconsecrated Saint-Coeur- de-Marie church had been on the site since 1920 until it was demolished in 2019 due to its deteriorating condition.

The property owners, Société Immobilière Lessard, had proposed several residential projects for the prime location, but the city refused each as being too high for that site. The developers’ latest proposal, a nine-storey parking garage, was also rejected, and the stalemate ended up in the courts.

Now the city has dropped its opposition to height restrictions for the site and will authorize a 20-storey residential building which could be under construction as of next year. The building would contain 200 residential units, according to the city.

Loïk Lessard, president of the development company, declined to comment on the project pending a public consultation session scheduled for June 16. All 18 projects will be presented to the public over the coming weeks, with details available on the city’s website.

A few blocks west, the city is prepared to approve a 10-storey addition to the new 11-storey apartment building at 155 Grande Allée Est, adding 74 units to the existing 150 units.

According to a building resident who did not want to comment publicly, the developers, Bilodeau Immobilier, informed tenants of the impending project at a recent meeting. A request to the company for comment had not been answered as of press time.

Bilodeau also owns the building behind the Grande Allée property, the Montmorency, as well as several other rental buildings around the city. The company recently purchased the Catholic diocese’s property on Boul. René-Lévesque with plans for a residential complex.

The city’s acceleration of these particular housing projects did not receive unanimous plaudits. Transition Québec leader and mayoral candidate Jackie Smith, the councillor for the Limoilou district, said Marchand had “sold his soul to developers.”

Official Opposition and Québec d’abord leader, mayoral candidate and councillor for the Maizerets-Lairet district Claude Villeneuve said the jump-started housing initiative smelled of “pre-election panic.”

Marchand denied charges of “giving the keys to the city to developers.” He said, “If cities start building housing themselves, it is a financial disaster. This is not our level of expertise, this is not our level of competence. We must work with people who have this level of competence and who take the risks.”

Two 20-storey towers on Grande Allée among city’s housing surge  Read More »

Mail delivery maintained as postal workers’ union declares overtime ban

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Mail delivery maintained as postal workers’ union declares overtime ban

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) opted out of resuming a general strike on May 22, instead announcing a national overtime ban until further notice. In practice, this means mail will continue to be delivered across the country, although Canada Post is warning Canadians to expect delivery delays, because postal workers will not work beyond their planned shifts.

The previous collective agreement between the CUPW and Canada Post expired in August 2024. CUPW members began a general strike on Nov. 15; on Nov. 27, the parties declared they were at an impasse. Then-federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon ordered postal personnel back to work on Dec. 15, appointing an outside mediator to try to resolve the dispute. At the time, MacKinnon decreed that the previous collective agreement would remain in force until May 22. Canada Post submitted a detailed proposal to the union on May 21, which is still being analyzed, according to a CUPW statement. The union requested a two-week “truce” to review the proposal in detail, but Canada Post rejected that offer. With no agreement reached by the May 22 deadline, the CUPW appeared poised to resume the strike. Instead, the union opted for an overtime ban as negotiations grind on.

“As far as I know, the parties are still negotiating, and there is no general strike,” Jean-Philippe Gagnon, second vice president of CUPW local 370, which covers the greater Quebec City region, Beauce, Charlevoix and the South Shore as far south as Lac-Mégantic, told the QCT. “We have been told the employer would continue to respect [the previous collective agreement]. They made us an offer 48 hours before the end of the agreement, which is 716 pages long.”

“Before Christmas, we were far apart, but there have been some steps forward since then,” Gagnon said.

CUPW national president Jan Simpson said in a state- ment that at first glance, several aspects of the proposal sent to workers on May 21 failed to pass muster. Simpson argued the proposed wage increase of 13 per cent over four years does not keep pace with inflation, the inflation threshold to trigger payment of a new cost-of-living allowance was too high and new measures aimed at increasing efficiency will involve hard-to-manage, short-notice changes to workers’ schedules and workloads. The union is also skeptical of Canada Post’s plans to hire more part-time staff.

Canada Post, for its part, has said the changes are needed to prevent insolvency.

The May 21 proposal goes “further on wage increases and would protect employees’ benefits and entitlements” while “reflect[ing] the corporation’s current realities,” the Crown corporation said in a statement. “Canada Post has proposed important changes to its delivery model to increase its flexibility and help address the corporation’s significant financial and operational challenges. Canada Post and CUPW are negotiating at a critical moment for the postal system. Since 2018, the corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024.”

Gagnon, the Quebec City- based union officer, said members are not closed to changing the delivery model, “but it needs to be done respectfully.”

He said the last few months have been “super difficult” for members. “It’s very tiring not to know our future, and to see the employer not collaborating. There’s a lot of uncertainty, anxiety, nervousness … this is a battle for our future.”

Mail delivery maintained as postal workers’ union declares overtime ban Read More »

Advocates push for improved interpreter access

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Advocates push for improved interpreter access

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Health care advocates are calling for improved access to interpreters in Quebec City hospitals after it emerged that an English-speaking immigrant mother was not offered interpretation services while hospitalized at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHU) for an emergency cesarean section last year.

For members of the English-speaking community, the right to receive health care services in English is enshrined in the Health Act, although only designated bilingual institutions systematically provide care in both languages; the CHU is not a designated institution. The sole designated institution in the region, Jeffery Hale Hospital, does not have a labour and delivery unit.

Patients across the province have access to an “interpreter bank” co-ordinated by Santé Québec, with interpreters in more than 100 languages, including English. However, evidence suggests that the bank is relatively little used by English speakers in the region – only 159 requests for English interpretation were made at the CHU from 2020-2025, compared to 4,456 for Spanish and nearly 1,400 for Swahili, according to Santé Québec. In the 2021 census, 10,130 people in the Quebec City area named English as their first official language spoken, while 7,850 said they spoke Spanish as a primary language and only 950 were Swahili speakers.

Anecdotal reports also suggest that health care providers don’t always ask patients whether they want an interpreter, leaving it up to the patient or their caregiver to request one.

“When you’re having contractions, you don’t have the headspace to ask for an interpreter,” said Marielle M’Bangha, co-ordinator of the Service de référence en périnatalité pour les femmes immigrantes de Québec (SRP- FIQ), which filed a complaint with the CHU on behalf of the anonymous patient, known as Mary. The SRPFIQ provides resources and support for immigrant women during and after pregnancy, including accompaniment for hospital visits. “Some people say it’s infantilizing [to suggest to a patient that they might need an interpreter] but it’s the other way around; the patient needs to understand.”

“The mothers won’t always name their needs … and [the interpreter bank] depends on the availability of the personnel,” she added. “Once, we needed someone in Ukrainian, and that took a while.”

Access to English-speaking hospital staff is “very case by case,” said M’Bangha’s colleague, Hélène Lepage. “Those who speak English will do it, and they’ll do it happily. You can’t expect everyone to speak English, but it would be good to have someone on call for critical moments.”

Service “needs to be more widely known”

“The 24/7 emergency interpreter service is available throughout all departments of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, and several programs regularly offer interpretation services to patients,” said CIUSSS spokesperson Mariane Lajoie in an email. “Sometimes, the patient or their representative may request interpretation services themselves, but when an appointment is scheduled and the staff member knows there is a language issue, an interpreter will be provided.” No CIUSSS representative was available for a follow-up interview at press time.

“The system failed this woman,” said Jennifer Johnson, executive director of the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), which advocates for health care access in English in the regions. “The resources and tools that should have been able to help her are in place … although [services] are supposed to be organized in advance, so I can see how that process could fail in a crisis situation.”

Johnson said the existence of the interpreter bank “needs to be more widely known among English speakers.” She cited a recent survey of English-speaking Quebecers which showed that nearly 30 per cent of English speakers in the Capitale-Nationale did not feel comfortable asking for help in English at health institutions. Forty-seven per cent had language assistance, although only one-fourth of those used a professional interpreter. One-third relied on friends and family, which Johnson said was a risky decision. “Friends and family don’t have medical training and may misinterpret something or omit an important detail. [Asking friends and family to interpret] is a very bad practice that people are resorting to because they don’t understand that interpreters are available to them.”

“If you ask for an interpreter, it’s the health institution’s responsibility to get one,” Johnson said. “If you don’t ask for [an interpreter], you most likely will not get one. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it, because it’s your health [on the line].”

Advocates push for improved interpreter access Read More »

Irish ambassador Concannon makes official visit to Quebec capital

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Irish ambassador Concannon makes official visit to Quebec capital

Peter Black

peterblack@qctonline.com

To put a twist on a familiar song, Irish eyes seem to be smiling on a new relationship between Ireland and Canada, a bond that could lead to greater trade opportunities.

So says John Concannon, Ireland’s new ambassador to Canada, who made his first official visit to meet Quebec government officials in the provincial capital on May 20.

The visit, during which he met several ministers, toured a local robotics company run by an Irishman and did the rounds of local media, including a Radio-Canada interview en français, was actually his third trip to Quebec City since he presented his credentials to Governor General Mary Simon in October.

Concannon, accompanied by Quebec City honorary Irish consul Bryan O’Gallagher, talked with the QCT over coffee at an Old City restaurant about the opportunities for co-operation between Canada and Ireland in light of “huge geopolitical changes happening.”

The energetic Concannon comes to his first diplomatic posting fresh from leading the Global Ireland initiative, a 2018 program to expand the country’s presence around the world, opening some 27 missions, including three in Canada.

Bringing a background in business to government, Con- cannon has worked as a senior diplomat in the foreign service, with the national tourism bureau, the department of culture and heritage and in the Taoiseach’s (prime minister’s) office. The father of three daughters with his wife Mary, he has also served as vice- president of his alma mater, the University of Galway.

Concannon sums up his background, saying, “What all these things have in common is the promoting of Ireland.” When the position of Irish ambassador to Canada became open last year, he was considered “a good fit” and offered the job. So far, he can report “it’s been a really remarkable and really, really positive experience, I have to say.”

Promoting trade, of course, is at the top of the ambassador’s agenda, and he hopes to boost further trade between Ireland and Canada that has already seen a sharp rise since Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union (EU) in 2017.

Although Ireland is one of several countries that has yet to officially ratify the agree- ment – Concannon says the new Irish government is committed to it – trade between Canada and Ireland has soared from $4 billion a year to $16 billion since CETA was signed.

Concannon notes Ireland is Canada’s 10th biggest investor, with some 350 Irish businesses with operations here. In turn, Canada has about 100 companies with European headquarters in Ireland.

He said Ireland has everything it takes for Canadian businesses looking towards Europe for opportunities for expansion – “a business-friendly environment, attractive tax regime, really good talent and English-speaking.”

He said, “If you’re thinking about Europe, we can be pathfinders to help explain the bureaucratic, the legislative, the legal dimensions.” Concannon’s new mission as ambassador to Canada coincides with the rise to power of a prime minister who has not only Irish roots, but Irish citizenship – until he recently renounced it – as well as his British passport.

Concannon, who has met Mark Carney on several occasions, said the prime minister “very strongly identifies with his Irish roots, and we are immensely proud of him, and we very much see him as one of the family.”

The ambassador notes Carney’s first public appearance as prime minister was to march in the St. Patrick’s parade in Montreal on March 16, which happened to be his 60th birthday. “It was electric. The love on the streets was tangible.”

After marching in Montreal’s St. Patrick’s parade with Carney, Concannon came to Quebec City the following weekend to take part in the city’s own Irish parade and celebrations.

Though Concannon has now visited Quebec City three times since he became ambassador, he will be returning to the region soon for an event at the Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site.

He describes the welcome people in Quebec City and Montreal accorded to tens of thousands of desperate and sick Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine beginning in 1847 as “just a gargantuan act of compassion and humanity.”

Concannon will travel to the site on June 11 to place pairs of bronze shoes at the island memorial. The shoes were cast from those found in a bundle in an abandoned cottage in Roscommon, Ireland, as part of a program called the National Famine Way.

Barely six months into the posting, Concannon is full of optimism for future Irish-Canadian relations. “It’s a time of great change in the world, but it’s also a time of great opportunity – and we’re up for it, and we will always have Canada’s back, and we see ourselves as great, great friends.”

Irish ambassador Concannon makes official visit to Quebec capital Read More »

Lightbound joins Carney’s first full cabinet

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Lightbound joins Carney’s first full cabinet

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The procession of 28 cabinet ministers and soon-to-be ministers and 10 secretaries of state filing into Rideau Hall in Ottawa to be sworn on May 13 featured a mix of established senior ministers and new faces.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first full cabinet featured Dominic LeBlanc as president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister for Canada-U.S. trade, intergovernmental affairs and one Canadian economy; former foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly as minister of industry and regional economic development for Quebec and Carney’s de facto Quebec lieutenant François-Philippe Champagne as minister of finance and national revenue. Former defence minister Anita Anand received the foreign affairs portfolio, Sean Fraser became justice minister, Da- vid McGuinty was named to national defence and Carney’s one-time Liberal leadership rival Chrystia Freeland was appointed minister of transport and internal trade. Steven Guilbeault was named minister of identity, culture and official languages.

Among the newcomers to Carney’s cabinet was Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound. Lightbound, 37, former secretary of state for emergency preparedness, was shuffled out of Cabinet in 2022 after a public disagreement with then-prime minister Justin Trudeau over pandemic policy. In his first ministerial post, as he himself pointed out, Lightbound will take over responsibility for the government’s oldest ministry (public services and procurement) and one of its newest (governmental transformation).

“I’ve never approached a cabinet shuffle with any kind of expectations, and I’ve always been happy as an MP … but to receive the call was a huge honour,” Lightbound told the QCT.

Lightbound said his brief as minister of governmental transformation was to find “another angle, another im- pulsion, on how we can have a more efficient state” by leveraging new technology, including but not limited to artificial intelligence. His mission includes looking into how best practices from around the world can be implemented in Canada to keep costs from rising. His stated goal is to bring the annual increase in government spending down from an average of nine per cent to two per cent.

On the public transportation front, he said the government planned to deploy a $3-billion nationwide fund for public transit, and “part of that” would be set aside for the federal government’s ongoing contribution to the Quebec City TramCité project. He added that the Quebec government also “needs to prioritize” the project.

Lightbound will be the only minister from the Quebec City region in the Carney cabinet. Neither former health minister Jean-Yves Duclos (Québec-Centre) nor Steeve Lavoie (Beauport-Limoilou), the former head of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Québec, received a cabinet post. In public statements since the April 28 election, both Duclos and Lightbound have emphasized the importance of working as a team – “le trio de Québec” – to move forward on regional priorities. “Teamwork is fundamental, and it was a blessing to have two Liberals in Parliament to advance regional files,” Lightbound said, describing Duclos as a “very classy person” from whom he has learned a lot over the years. Newcomer Lavoie is “one ally more.”

Lightbound said his other major priorities included working to increase housing availability in his riding and maintain federal support for research institutions such as Université Laval. “I want to thank the people of Louis-Hébert for their renewed vote of confidence,” he added.

Other notable newcomers to cabinet included Haitian-born psychologist, former Trudeau chief of staff and first-time MP Marjorie Michel as health minister; Julie Dabrusin as minister of environment and climate change; former Nova Scotia immigration minister Lena Metlege Diab as federal immigration minister; and Trudeau critic Wayne Long as secretary of state for Revenue Canada and the banking sector. Mandy Gull-Masty, MP for Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou and former chief of the Cree Nation Government, was named minister of Indigenous services, the first Indigenous MP to hold that position.

Lightbound joins Carney’s first full cabinet Read More »

Massive dump truck rally drives through Quebec City

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Massive dump truck rally drives through Quebec City

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

On May 14, over 2,500 dump trucks rolled into Quebec City to demonstrate against the most recent changes to Bill 62, giving more flexibility to Quebec companies to hire truckers from outside the province. Quebec truckers worry they may lose contracts, especially in the current hard economic times.

The truckers were rallying against the recent modifications to Bill 62, an act mainly to diversify the acquisition strategies of public bodies and offer them greater agility in carrying out their infrastructure projects, adopted by the National Assembly on Oct. 8, 2024. It is meant to improve project performance and provide better services at lower cost.

After seven months of following these modifications, the Association nationale des camionneurs artisans (ANCAI) and its members and its members, who were gathered at an annual assembly in Chicoutimi earlier this month, voted to rally in Quebec City to protest the legislative changes.

Over 2,500 of the 5,200 members of the ANCAI answered the call and drove into town, creating traffic disruptions all day, particularly on Pont Pierre-Laporte, Autoroute Henri-IV, Boul. Charest Est, Ave Saint-Sacrement, Boul. Wilfrid-Hamel and Autoroute Laurentienne. Several Quebec government departments and agencies encouraged their employees based in the capital to work from home. When drivers stuck to alternative routes, driving around town was manageable. It was quite a sight to see the long line of dump trucks with passing drivers honking in support.

In preparation for the rally, city crews blocked both ends of the street in front of the National Assembly, forcing trucks to line up along Boul. René-Lévesque from Boul. Honoré-Mercier to the Grand Théâtre. In abnormally warm, sunny weather, truckers came prepared for a long day. The Sûreté du Québec and the Service de police de la Ville de Québec were both advised of the rally and its route and helped redirect traffic.

Everything went peacefully and according to plan. “We didn’t want to make too much noise or disturbance because we are not associated with — nor do we want to be assumed that we are with — the convoy truckers of the last major strike that took over Quebec City and Ottawa,” said ANCAI director general Gaétan Légaré. “We don’t want to take the city hostage. We just want to demonstrate that we mean business, which is why we asked our drivers to stick to one lane on the roads and not to honk their horns.”

Massive dump truck rally drives through Quebec City Read More »

Bus passenger island will put people at risk, safety expert says

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Bus passenger island will put people at risk, safety expert says

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A traffic safety expert and former city councillor is sounding the alarm about a bus stop island now under construction on Chemin Ste-Foy at the intersection with Ave. Brown.

Paul Mackey has been picketing the site almost daily since April 28, when city workers began building a “boarding bay” or quai d’embarquement pour les arrêts d’autobus, as it’s known in French.

According to a city presentation on the project, the objectives of the “boarding bays” are to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, maintain universal accessibility to bus stops, limit conflicts between cyclists and buses by avoiding encroachment into the bike lane, and limit conflicts between buses and vehicular traffic when merging and disengaging while stopped.

Mackey told the QCT in an on- site interview that the structures violate safety norms and put at risk students, senior citizens and people with visual impairments wanting to cross the street.

“The project itself has some good objectives,” Mackey said. “It’s to not have cyclists have to wait behind stopped buses. The project is to transfer the bus stop onto an island between the bike lane and the traffic lane. But that raises a number of issues.”

Among those issues, he said, is that “cyclists approaching the intersection will not see the pedestrians, because the stopped articulated bus will block sight lines.” He said cyclists often do not follow traffic signals and may run the red light, putting elementary school students crossing from École Anne-Hébert, for example, at risk.

Mackey said visually impaired people wanting to cross at the intersection will also be at risk. At an information session on the project held on April 22, he asked city officials whether “a blind person on the bus going west and heading to École Anne-Hébert would have to cross the bike path when getting off the bus and recross the bike path at the intersection. The answer was yes. The blind person will be put at risk twice within a short time. There are no tactile warning strips to be installed at the intersection itself.”

He said the association for the blind in Victoria, B.C. sued over a similar boarding island design and won, resulting in a moratorium.

Mackey said he has also raised concerns about the width of the boarding islands, which is 1.6 metres under the city’s plans. He said the standard, according to many sources and guides, is 2.4 metres. The lesser width, he said, poses a hazard for the boarding of passengers in wheelchairs.

With construction well advanced on the installation, Mackey said the city shows no indication of recognizing his warnings and suggestions. “I think the consequences are so serious that there’s not really any choice” for the city to make changes.

“The city council says, ‘well, it’s a pilot project, we’ll adjust as we go along,’ and I said that’s not really an appropriate response, because you’ll make changes if there have been incidents – and we don’t want incidents.”

Once the island on the north side of the intersection is complete, an island is to be installed on the south side. Eventually, the city plans to install islands at several other intersections along the Chemin Ste-Foy bike path.

The city said in its presentation that it chose the Ave. Brown intersection for the pilot project because of the “ease of implementation [and the] opportunity to secure an area with high traffic of vulnerable users (school zone). The project was developed by city teams, in collaboration with the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) and the consultation table on universal accessibility.”

A series of consultations and assessments is planned to evaluate the impact of the pilot project.

Mackey said, “There’s tons of problems with this project, and if it stays in effect, it’s going to be a safety problem for years on end.”

The QCT requested a response to Mackey’s concerns from city officials and did not receive a response by press time.

Bus passenger island will put people at risk, safety expert says Read More »

EXMURO unveils latest public art exhibit

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EXMURO unveils latest public art exhibit

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

On May 14, EXMURO unveiled its latest public art exhibit in Lower Town, which will remain until Jan. 10, 2026. Starting within EXMURO’s headquarters in Place Royale, three artists – Martin Bureau, Isaac Cordal and Pipilotti Rist – expose their works in the building and on the streets.

Curious passersby get a glimpse of Quebec artist Bureau’s latest piece in the building. The waving flags are of his own creation, inspired by five actual flags found at the United Nations. They are part of his piece, Counterfeit Edens for Times of Chaos/Feindre l’Éden Pour un temps le chaos, found on the second floor, where visitors will find a large circular conference table surrounded by fake national flags and burnt, charred office chairs. Bureau created this two-part installation in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada. “This is a sinister reproduction of an international committee, similar to the Security Council at the United Nations,” he said. “It is my interpretation of them being unable to regulate the chaotic world in which we live.”

More mysteries are unveiled beneath the stone arches in the vaults and behind the closed doors of EXMURO’s facilities. To fully appreciate Rist’s work, one needs complete darkness. The Swiss artist created a series of videos projected onto screens and the stone walls of the gallery: Ever is Over All and Sip My Ocean. Visitors can sit on the floor or on large beanbag cushions. Her third piece, Open My Glade, is visible outdoors on the Côte de la Montagne side of the building, from across the street after the sun goes down.

Whether within the building or throughout Lower Town, Spanish artist Cordal invites the public to Follow the Leaders through the Cement Eclipses. “It is my take on the destruction of the capitalist world, what happens to businessmen when the world around them is destroyed,” he said. On one diorama located on the floor in the building, he placed a large frame filled with a destroyed city, in which he placed countless businessmen in varying positions. Focusing on the different individuals and groups from various angles encourages viewers to reflect on the modern world.

More surprises await the public this summer, the first of which is Minigolf Belleville Plaisirs from June 20 to Sept. 1. This first collaboration between EXMURO and the Ateliers Belleville (a.k.a. Lab-545), the Montreal-based artistic hub, had 18 Quebec artists create an artistic twist on a popular summer pastime. Other surprises will be unveiled throughout the season.

In addition to the outdoor installations, EXMURO has opened a coffee shop, Café de l’Aire publique, in the lobby of its headquarters, inviting visitors to discuss art over coffee, tea and treats made by local businesses.

For more information, visit exmuro.com.

EXMURO unveils latest public art exhibit Read More »

Festival Carrefour brings the world to theatre-goers

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Festival Carrefour brings the world to theatre-goers

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Festival Carrefour (formerly known as the Carrefour international de théâtre) returns for a 25th edition from May 22-June 7, with performances at the Théâtre Périscope, the Théâtre de la Bordée and Le Diamant and a range of free outdoor shows.

The festival offers immersive multidisciplinary experiences, festive cabarets, urban dance performances and original theatrical creations.

This year, the festival celebrates its quarter century with 11 shows and nearly 40 performances, both indoors and outdoors. Productions from Quebec, Canada, Belgium, France, Greece and Rwanda will be featured.

Highlights include Merci d’être là, an original interactive performance from Belgium; Maurice, inspired by the life story of a man with aphasia; Michel(le), an intimate tale about queer identity; Hewa Rwanda, Lettre aux absents, a poignant tribute to the victims of the Rwandan genocide; and La Petite dans la forêt profonde, a dark fairy tale for grown-ups presented in Greek with English and French surtitles.

Three other previously announced creations complete the program: the multilingual (French, English, Tamil and sign language) LACRIMA, a reflection on fashion; the surreal French-language spaghetti western The Rise of the BlingBling; and Kukum, based on the award-winning novel by Michel Jean.

Except for LACRIMA and Kukum ($55), tickets for the indoor shows are priced on a sliding scale from $10 (targeted at job seekers, people with low income and people who rarely attend cultural events) to $45 (targeted at people with stable incomes who want to show their support for the cultural sector).

Requiem pour Pupulus Mordicus, a free outdoor puppet parade through the streets of the Old City on June 1 (postponed to June 7 in case of rain), is not to be missed. The festival also features activities such as a movie night, creative workshops and a conference on new magic. Keep the party going on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the festival’s pop-up bar, Le Zinc, at La Charpente des Fauves (206 Christophe-Colombe Est).

The popular free outdoor immersive show Où tu vas quand tu dors en marchant (Where do you go when you Sleepwalk) will bring back last year’s four interactive tableaux (tableaux typically change every other year) in a new setting, with support from the Ville de Québec. The show will be moved from the area around ExpoCité to Upper Town in a nod to the festival’s history. Place D’Youville will host Le grand marché de l’influence, Vésuve will take over the Îlot des Palais and La Nuit nous appartient will share Place de l’Artillerie with the Wendat mythology-inspired Yahwastsira’.

To explore the full program and reserve tickets, see the festival website at carrefourtheatre.qc.ca.

Festival Carrefour brings the world to theatre-goers Read More »

Youngest councillor, St. Pat’s grad Alicia Despins leaving City Hall

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Youngest councillor, St. Pat’s grad Alicia Despins leaving City Hall

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Stories abound of people leaving municipal politics for negative reasons. Then there’s the rare departure motivated by something positive. It’s what might be called an intermunicipal love story.

Coun. Alicia Despins (Vanier-Duberger) dropped a bombshell last week, announcing her decision to not seek a second term under the banner of Québec d’abord, the remnants of former mayor Régis Labeaume’s party.

Despins made the announcement via a news release on May 8, saying she “will not be seeking a third term, in order to begin a transition to a new chapter in my life focused on my studies and family projects.”

Despins, first elected in 2017 at age 23, was the youngest person ever elected to Quebec City council. On top of that distinction, Labeaume promptly named her to the executive committee with the culture portfolio.

In 2022, the Union of Quebec Municipalities awarded her the emerging leader award for her efforts in providing a role model for young people.

Despins is a graduate of St. Patrick’s High School, and also attended Holland School and St. Vincent School; her English education eligibility is courtesy of her father, a native of Ontario.

Although she had previously said she planned to run again in November, she recently made the decision to quit politics – at least temporarily. She plans to move in with her boyfriend, who lives in Val-d’Or, and start a family with him.

The boyfriend is Benjamin Turcotte, a first-term city councillor in Val-d’Or who also teaches literature at Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The two met a year ago at the Union of Quebec Municipalities convention in Montreal. Since then, Despins said, they’ve been discussing ways to move forward with their long- distance relationship.

Then, she said, sparked by Turcotte’s opportunity to acquire a house near his parents in Val-d’Or, she came to the decision.

Speaking to the QCT while driving to Val-d’Or, Despins said, “A series of coincidences and other things all of a sudden made it clear that that’s what we have to do. We have to buy the house and move in together and start a family and [I’ll] finish my PhD. And it all happened very quickly. So I’m still kind of processing everything.”

She said, “I think it’s the right decision for me right now. I’ve been in elected politics for eight years now, and I also feel the need to maybe have a less stressful life.”

While she’s been a councillor for nearly two terms – she plans to finish out her second mandate – Despins has been involved in politics since her teens. While a student at CEGEP, she took part in the 2012 student protests against tuition hikes. She later formed a municipal political party with fellow students called Alternative Québec.

After working in the of- fice of former Quebec Liberal education minister Sébastien Proulx, she made the leap into municipal politics in 2017 with Équipe Labeaume in the Vanier-Duberger district, winning the seat with 57 per cent of the vote, the highest margin of the 21 winning councillors.

Despins said her proudest moment of her time at City Hall was being named to the culture portfolio. “I did not expect that in 2017, at 23 [years of age]. That was the proudest moment and then everything that hap- pened from then on.”

In Labeaume’s recently re- leased memoir, Le Code Labeaume (see review in this edition), Despins recalled, “When Régis met with me to announce it, he explained that he wanted to make room for young people, that he thought it was important to have women in politics and that he wanted to entrust me with real responsibilities. He also told me, ‘You’re going to have to deliver.’ It wasn’t complacent at all. It was an exceptional opportunity he of- fered me, but it wasn’t handed to me on a silver platter.”

Asked whether she thought she had met her mentor’s expectations, Despins said, “I think I did – and also he told me I did – so that was important for me.”

Once established in Val-d’Or, Despins plans to complete her PhD thesis on the international relationships of cities, a topic she says has heightened relevance currently with the American tariff war.

As she completes her term at City Hall, Despins said, “I’m going to enjoy every day because I don’t know if it will ever come again; being proud of representing people. I see the end coming with lots of feelings mixed together.”

With the departure of Despins, Québec d’abord, the official opposition party at City Hall, now has only three incumbent candidates running again, besides leader and mayoral candidate Claude Villeneuve.

In a news release, Villeneuve said of Despins, “While her departure saddens me, I respect and understand her decision. Politics is an intense profession. Alicia has always done her job well, and I learned a tremendous amount from working with her. It has been a privilege to work with her over the past few years.”

Municipal elections will be held Nov. 2.

Youngest councillor, St. Pat’s grad Alicia Despins leaving City Hall Read More »

Jackie Smith enters mayoral race for Transition Québec

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Jackie Smith enters mayoral race for Transition Québec

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith and the Transition Québec party she leads have officially jumped into the mayoral race. The party held a launch event on May 10 at Le Bivouac in Limoilou, which was also broadcast on Facebook Live.

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd, Smith said she planned to run for mayor in 2025 and keep pushing her party’s progressive platform.

She looked back on the 2021 election, where she came third in the mayoral race but won her Limoilou council seat. “I felt so proud and lucky – not only to be elected as the only woman to lead a party, and to represent Transition Québec, but my God, we worked hard … we proposed bold ideas and bold citizens pushed us forward. These are shared victories.”

Among the “shared victories,” she counted the inauguration of Place Karim-Ouellet in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a tax on abandoned buildings, a tax on motor vehicle registration to fund mass transit, two new bike paths and a subsidy program for eco-friendly menstrual products and diapers. “It makes women’s lives easier and it keeps waste from going to the incinerator – it’s a feminist, ecologist policy that clearly has the Transition Québec stamp on it, so thank you for that!

“There are people who say ‘Your policies are a bit nutty,’ but the number of times people have said it’s impossible and then it becomes possible … I don’t give up,” she said, referencing the transformation of disused city offices in Saint-Roch into the Répit Basse-Ville warming centre for homeless people, which the party championed.

Speaking over Mother’s Day weekend, in a crowded restaurant where laughing children and crying babies could be heard over the din, the mother of two young children said it was “very difficult” to balance raising children and being a politician. “There are very few women of childbearing age who are in politics … and at City Council, at public consultations, who do we hear from? From men, and sometimes from women who don’t have kids. They are the ones we listen to. But that doesn’t mean women [with children] have nothing to say. Speaking with moms at the park, those are the real public consultations – why has this bench been broken for three years? Where are our kids supposed to pee if there’s no washroom in the park?

“We’re facing a lot of challenges, and there is a whole transition that came with the pandemic that we are just now getting out of, questions about democracy, supply chains, and the climate that hasn’t stopped changing. But we will be equal to the challenge, because we know where we are, we know where we’re going and we’re resilient,” she said.

Transition Québec has announced three council candidates in the past week in addition to Smith – activist and Maizerets neighbourhood councillor Martial Van Neste in Maizerets–Lairet, Camille Lambert-Deubelbeiss in Robert-Giffard and Espérance Mfisimana as Smith’s running mate in Limoilou.

Mfisimana was born in Burundi and arrived in Quebec City as a refugee in 1993. She now works in human resources. Like Smith, she’s the mother of young children. She spoke about the importance of making working-class and racialized people feel more represented by the political system. As Smith’s running mate, Mfisimana would take her seat as councillor for Limoilou in the event Smith be- comes mayor. If this happens, she would be the first Black woman, and only the second Black person, to serve on city council. “I mistakenly believed for a long time that politics was something for the elite,” she said. “I think politicians do try hard to represent working- class and minority citizens, but we don’t see those citizens. I don’t see many people like me on city council, and even fewer racialized women in [decision-making] roles. I hope I can be an inspiration for women from minority groups to run for office,” she said.

Jackie Smith enters mayoral race for Transition Québec Read More »

FEQ offers up passes from anti-scalping crackdown

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FEQ offers up passes from anti-scalping crackdown

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

There’s hope on the horizon for people who were unable to buy passes for the Festival d’Été de Québec (FEQ) when they quickly sold out in February.

An unspecified “limited number” of general admission passes will be made avail- able through a lottery. Those interested need to fill out a form through the FEQ website. Passes will be released for sale starting in mid-May and continuing until July 2, the day before the event begins.

In a May 7 news release, organizers said that when passes become available, they will be offered by random selection to registered participants.

The newly available passes are those recovered from anti- scalping measures and unused corporate allocations. Those who win the “lottery” can purchase up to four passes and have 48 hours to complete the transaction.

BLEUFEU, the parent company of FEQ, said in a statement, “In its ongoing commitment to fair access, BLEUFEU closely monitored transactions and flagged suspicious activity. In accordance with established procedures, some passes were recovered and will be resold at standard pricing. BLEUFEU continues to support government-led initiatives aimed at reducing ticket scalping.”

All 125,000 general admission passes for the 11-day festival were sold within three hours.

The festival lineup this year features Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Benson Boone, Def Leppard and Rod Stewart, among dozens of others. The festival runs from July 3-13.

FEQ offers up passes from anti-scalping crackdown Read More »

Duclos attends fish ecology talk by B.C. exchange student at QHS

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Duclos attends fish ecology talk by B.C. exchange student at QHS

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Ava Zielinski, a visiting student at Quebec High School (QHS) from Hornby Island, B.C., gave a memorable presentation in front of fellow students and Québec-Centre MP Jean-Yves Duclos to raise awareness of the devastating impacts of overfishing on Pacific herring stocks.

QHS participates annually in the YMCA Student Exchange Program supported by Heritage Canada. This year, they partnered with Hornby Island Community School (HICS), on Hornby Island, off the east coast of Vancouver Island. Twenty QHS students travelled to Hornby Island from March 3 to 10, while 10 HICS students visited Quebec City from May 1 to 8. During this visit, Zielinski, whose father is a sea captain, gave a presentation about the Pacific fishing industry.

The Pacific herring is a small silvery fish, measuring on average 33 cm in length and weighing about 405 grams. The herring has been fished for centuries by the Japanese and Pacific Coast Indigenous people for its roe, oils and meat. It spawns in estuaries and coves, like those found along the Georgia Strait be- tween Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.

“Being a visitor from the traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, I would like to start my presentation by acknowledging that we are on the unceded territory of the Wendat First Nation,” said Zielinski. “Hornby Island is one of the few remaining and largest places where the Pacific herring still spawn.” She then displayed a time-lapse map of the Georgia Strait, showing the rapid decrease of spawning zones. In early March, the dark turquoise waters of the strait transform into milky turquoise as over six million eggs per square metre are laid, attract- ing various species of whales, birds and mammals. As a result, only two of the 20,000 eggs laid by each female Pacific herring make it to adulthood. Hornby Island holds an annual Herring Fest to celebrate this natural phenomenon; the most recent edition, the ninth, ran from March 13-15.

Since the early 17th century, the roe of the Pacific herring has been a highly popular delicacy in Japan. Due to overfish- ing in the 1950s, the industry collapsed in Asia, creating opportunities for B.C. fishing families, like the Zielinskis, to make a living. “There are some intensive industrial fisheries for herring on Canada’s west coast,” said Zielinski. “These are very wasteful fisheries. They catch thousands of tons of herring, but only a small amount for human use. Most are used for pet food, fish farm food and garden fertilizer. There are other less wasteful ways to get the roe, including traditional First Nations ways, like letting herring spawn on kelp or tree branches.

“There may be concern that pausing the herring fishery will cause people to lose their jobs,” said Zielinski. “Many jobs depend on healthy herring populations, like other commercial fisheries, sport fishing and tourism. So you could say that protecting herring protects jobs.” She continued, “Our big ask is to help us pause the industrial Pacific herring fisheries to allow its populations to rebuild. Please help us advocate for our cause to the federal Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard minister, Joanne Thompson. I also encourage you to speak to my Member of Parliament, Gord Johns.”

Following the presentation, Duclos congratulated Zielinski for her work and her courage.

He then turned to the students to ask for their input and solutions. They mentioned that fish harvesters may be able to rotate their fishing zone from year to year, establish a weight limit or find less wasteful ways of fishing. They also spoke about developing different industries like tourism, to allow the community to thrive.

Duclos attends fish ecology talk by B.C. exchange student at QHS Read More »

Photo radar, lower speed limit coming to slow Old Port traffic

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Photo radar, lower speed limit coming to slow Old Port traffic

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The city is stepping up measures to try to slow down traffic through Old Quebec and Lower Town.

City and Port officials un- veiled the new measures, including lower speed limits, photo radar and greater vigilance around heavy truck traffic, at a media conference on May 8 in the Espace Quatre Cents building in the Old Port.

Coun. Mélissa Coulombe- Leduc, the executive committee member responsible for quality of life in the Old City and councillor for Cap-aux-Diamants, said, “These measures demonstrate our commitment to providing a safer, calmer urban environment that is more respectful of the unique character of Old Quebec.”

The speed limit is to be reduced as of this summer from 50 to 40 km/h on Rue Dalhousie, on Rue du Marché-Champlain and on Boul. Champlain as far as the Coast Guard base.

According to Marc Des Rivières, the city’s director of transportation and smart mobility, “The large number of pedestrians [in the Old Port] justifies reducing the speed limit.”

Mobile photo radar units will be used more intensely to enforce speed limits along Boul. Champlain from Rue de la Nouvelle-France in the industrial zone as far as the northern intersection of Rue Champlain.

Signage indicating heavy vehicle traffic is prohibited is to be reinforced in the axis formed by Boul. Champlain, Rue du Marché-Champlain, Rue Dalhousie and Quai Saint- André. There will also be a campaign to raise awareness among truck drivers regarding speed and the use of engine brakes.

According to the city, each day between 25 and 35 truck drivers use an illegal route through the Old City. Regarding truck traffic in the zone managed by the Quebec Port Authority, new CEO Olga Farman said it was among the first things she learned people were worried about when she took over the job in March.

Asked by the QCT how she will manage the challenge of increased truck traffic, particularly in light of the QSL terminal project in the works, Farman said, “I have a limited impact on those trucks. However, I want to make sure that we give them as much information as possible when they are on our facilities at the port. I want to work with the city to make sure that both of us have the proper influence and impact on those trucks coming in and out.

“So, the idea is not to limit the number of trucks. The idea is to make sure that they respect the legislation and also the community and the consequences of what they impose on this community when they come to such a place.”

The city began implementing measures to restrain traffic and reduce risks two years ago. The campaign was in part prompted by the death of a pedestrian on the Marché- Champlain curve a few years ago. Improvements were made last year to make the zone safer.

This summer, a “temporary secure zone” will be created at the northwest corner of the intersection of Rue Dalhousie and Rue du Marché-Finlay.

Another measure is the installation of signage to identify Old Quebec heritage sites along Boul. Champlain, Rue Dalhousie and Rue Saint-Paul.

Photo radar, lower speed limit coming to slow Old Port traffic Read More »

Surprises surface as Union Bank project advances

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Surprises surface as Union Bank project advances 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Llew Price holds a clay bottle unearthed from the labyrinth of stone walls, vaults and columns in the bowels of the Union Bank building, the subject of a massive renovation by the owners of the Auberge Saint-Antoine on Rue Dalhousie.

“There’s a stamp on it in German. It’s written ‘the Duchy of Nassau,’” Price said. The Duchy of Nassau was once a province of Prussia. While Price initially thought the bottle might have contained eau-de-vie or alcohol, it turns out to have been mineral water.

“So back in the 19th century, you can imagine Quebec was importing mineral water from Prussia, which is actually quite, you know, astonishing in itself. It was supposed to be medicinal, and supposed to be very good for you.”

Further research revealed the company that made and exported the mineral water still exists today, Price said. “It’s actually owned by a German conglomerate [Dr. Oetker], and part of their business is the hotel business – they own, for example, the Bristol in Paris.”

That bizarre bottled connection between upscale hoteliers on both sides of the Atlantic is but one of the seemingly end- less surprises the Prices have encountered in transforming the landmark bank building into a luxury hotel adjacent to and connected with the already famous Auberge.

The pleasant surprises have been the 50 cases worth of artifacts extracted from several sites below the building as excavation of stonework, some dating back to the 1600s, proceeds.

“We have 17th, 18th, 19th- century vestiges in this building. So restoring that [building] there’s always surprises. You know, we were expecting surprises, but when they arrive, it’s still a surprise.”

The Price family acquired the building in 2020, having owned a floor in it for years for its paper company. The complete gutting of the structure, whose last ground-floor tenant was a restaurant which closed in 2019, began in 2022. The project initially had a target for completion this year, but Price now says the hotel is expected to be completed two years from now.

A major step forward will be the installation of a crane on a side street to begin work on the exterior of the building and the construction of additional stories on a secondary building. Price said he has reached an agreement with the neighbouring Royal Dalhousie hotel to use a portion of its parking lot to erect the crane and provide a security perimeter.

That work has required the closing of one lane of Côte de la Montagne to create a delivery area in addition to the security zone. As a consequence, the street will be one-way between Rues Saint-Pierre and Dalhousie for the duration of the construction period.

Price said, “Up to now, we’ve been doing what we call preliminary work, which is the gutting of the building [and] a lot of the masonry work that had to be done. We’re pretty much near the end of that.

“We’re taking an old building and really going from bottom to the top. So when we’re finished, this building will be good for another 400 years,” he said. As for the estimated cost, Price said the “scary expensive” project has an overall budget of around $50 million. When it is eventually completed, the hotel will have meeting rooms on the first floor, seven guest units each on the next three floors and four units on the top floor, a total of 25. A spa with a swimming pool will be installed in the basement.

Despite the delays and mounting costs, Price said he is undaunted by the project as it nears the halfway point. He said his and the Price family’s mission is the same it was when it embarked on creating the Auberge Saint-Antoine in 1992.

“My motivation was to try to build a unique hotel that I would enjoy going to, and that was what drove us. I believe that if you’re able to achieve that, the business side will take care of itself.”

Surprises surface as Union Bank project advances Read More »

Longtime mayor Labeaume pulls no punches in memoirs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Longtime mayor Labeaume pulls no punches in memoirs

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

True to his reputation as a straight-shooting politician with a healthy blend of hubris and humility, former Quebec City mayor Régis Labeaume’s memoirs pull no punches and tell his almost rags-to-riches story with stark honesty and humour.

Labeaume had no interest in writing his memoirs when he retired from City Hall in 2021. He changed his mind in 2023, and contacted Journal de Québec journalist Karine Gagnon, who had pitched the idea two years earlier. The condition, Labeaume said, was that it be in a format “outside the box.”

That it is, with a collection of caricatures from cartoonist Yannick Lemay (YGreck) and testimonials from a wide range of characters from Labeaume’s life and career, including Jean Charest, Pierre Karl Péladeau, Serge Fiori and Justin Trudeau. There are also several dozen priceless photos of Labeaume from his youth and career. A particularly moving picture taken during the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2008 features Labeaume with his mayoral predecessors Jean- Paul L’Allier, Jean Pelletier and Gilles Lamontagne. All have since died, as has Andrée Boucher, whose sudden passing in 2007 opened the door for Labeaume to run for City Hall. Each of the 25 cleverly named chapters begins with a brief reflection penned by Labeaume before Gagnon, who covered all 14 of the Labeaume years, takes over and fills in the details of the story.

The former mayor has acknowledged that it wasn’t an easy process. In an interview with the QCT following the book’s launch in April at Le Diamant theatre – one of the many projects built on the mayor’s watch – Labeaume talked about how digging into the personal elements of the memoirs made for “two or three weeks of bad times.”

As for his time at City Hall, “it was a good summary of what we’d done and I had the chance to explain some things that were not clear.”

Among those many items were the discussions and events behind the staging of the 400th anniversary celebrations, the road to the building – under budget – of the Videotron Centre, and of course, the tramway project, which has become Labeaume’s successor Bruno Marchand’s nightmare.

Labeaume is blunt in recounting his relationship with the Coalition Avenir Québec government and its handling of the tramway and third link projects. In his preface to that chapter, he writes, “I can hear or read the political ‘observers’ who have their headlines ready – ‘Labeaume takes revenge on the CAQ!’ We’re all in, folks! I don’t know how I could claim to be happy with my relationship with François Legault’s government. The truth is, it went very badly, period.”

“Need I remind you that the CAQ declared its agreement with the Quebec City tramway project during the 2018 election, which it won? As for the third link, history will remember it as a major political hoax. A case to document for political science courses in the coming years, the epitome of political cynicism.”

As for Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, who has been the CAQ government’s point person on the tramway and third link, Labeaume recalled with bitterness the minister’s comment when he announced his retirement: “It’s going to feel good,” which became the headline in Le Soleil.

“This is the worst insult of my political life and of my 14 years as mayor, coming from a woman who had only been appointed minister for two years and who clearly thought she was above it all. All she could think of to do was throw up on me.”

Labeaume said he is not optimistic about the tramway, although the election of Mark Carney as prime minister might help. “The CAQ never wanted the tramway,” he said, because caucus members from the region oppose it. “With this provincial government, we won’t get any tramway here.”

In the book, Labeaume, who was active in politics with the Parti Québécois before em- barking on a business career, opens up about his views on Quebec sovereignty. Although his political allegiance was well known, he was highly dis- creet about it during his years at City Hall.

While he would still like to see an independent Quebec, Labeaume recognizes the province has changed irreversibly and must adapt to these changes inclusively. “We have no choice but to take into account Quebec’s new demographic reality when thinking about its future if we don’t want to end up with a socially and ethnically divided Quebec. And as for me, my choice is made: I would never want to live in that kind of society.”

Now, Labeaume said in conversation, “I’m a political orphan. I’m more humanist than sovereigntist.”

As for his proudest achievement over 14 years as mayor, Labeaume said it was putting the city’s financial house in order. To that, one might add, particularly after the smashing success of the 400th anniversary celebration, making the city “the place to be” and giving the diminutive mayor confidence to think big.

Longtime mayor Labeaume pulls no punches in memoirs Read More »

CEGEPs honour Indigenous achievement at St. Lawrence

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CEGEPs honour Indigenous achievement at St. Lawrence

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

For the first time, the four CEGEPs of Quebec City honoured Indigenous students at a recognition gala for the Indigenous college community of Quebec. On May 2, the ceremony welcomed recipients, family, friends and community members for a cocktail, gala dinner and show at CEGEP Champlain- St. Lawrence.

The ceremony opened with a land acknowledgement followed by an opening prayer by Wendat elder Yolande Picard. “Throughout my life, I never considered higher education important, but now, after re- flection, I have realized that it is greatly important in today’s age because my education has allowed me to tour the world and to be here this evening,” she said after the prayer. “Thanks for recognizing the value of our youth and their hard work. Thanks for recognizing our peoples, because they’re just as important and valuable as any other people.”

“In a spirit of friendship and solidarity, inspired by Université Laval’s territorial acknowledgement, I pay tribute to the First Peoples who welcome our college and all of its activities onto their ancestral territories,” said Edward Berryman, director of studies at St. Lawrence. “Since we are at the crossroads of the Nionwentsïo of the Wendat people, the Ndakina of the Wabanaki people, the Nitassinan of the Innu people, the Nitaskinan of the Atikamekw people and the Wolastokuk of the Wolastoqey people, we honour our relationships with one another.

“Dear students, this gala is an opportunity to recognize your remarkable journeys of resilience and commitment, to celebrate your voices and, through them, those of your families and communities, and to highlight your unique contributions that enrich our college and community life,” said Berryman. “You bring knowledge, cultures, visions and dreams that transform our institutions, step by step. Tonight’s event, which brings us together around you, is a magnificent example of how far we have come and the hopes we can nurture for generations to come!”

To celebrate the students’ hard work and dedication, the Indigenous community organized the first Recognition Gala for Indigenous CEGEP students in Quebec City, inspired by a similar ceremony at Cégep de Sept-Îles, created by Innu author Naomi Fontaine. The gala ceremony was held in English, French and several Indigenous languages.

Members of the community and alumni from the four participating CEGEPs (St. Lawrence, Garneau, Sainte-Foy and Limoilou) distributed four awards to the 16 participants: Leadership and Community Engagement; Promotion of Indigenous Cultures; Resilience and Perseverance; and Solidarity and Collaborative Spirit. The Puamun Meshkenu organization also awarded a Coup de Cœur scholarship. After the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a buffet dinner and a concert with a live band.

The full list of award winners is below:

Leadership and Community Engagement

– Frédérique-Christina Picard (Innu Nation; Cégep Limoilou)

– Hugo Picard Copeau (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep Limoilou)

– Laurence Vollant-Vachon (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

–  William-Frédéric Bacon-Hervieux (Innu Nation; Cégep Garneau)

Promotion of Indigenous Cultures

– Émilie Labbé-Hervieux (Innu Nation: Pessamit, Que.; Cégep Limoilou)

– Janie Fontaine (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Kimi Ottawa-Flamand (Atikamekw Nation; Manawan, Que.; Cégep Garneau)

-Logan Morsillo (Ojibway Nation; Matachewan, Ont.; St. Lawrence)

Resilience and Perseverance

– Anne-Marie Riverin Rousselot (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Ève Jean (Wendat Nation; Cégep Garneau)

– Jennifer Côté-Wapachee (Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Julianne Labbé (Wendake, Que.; Cégep Limoilou)

– Stecy Jourdain (Innu Nation; Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, Que.; Cégep Garneau)

Solidarity and Collaborative Spirit

– Aiden Aqpik-Savard (Inuit Nation; Iqaluit, Nunavut; Cégep Limoilou)

– Amélie André (Innu Nation, Maliotenam, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Louis-Félix Morin (Abenaki Nation; Odanak, Que.; Cégep Garneau)

Puamun Meshkenu Coup de Coeur award

Laurence Vollant-Vachon (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Ste-Foy)

CEGEPs honour Indigenous achievement at St. Lawrence Read More »

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.”

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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.

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