The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph

‘Enweille dehors!’ ‘Go outside!’ for the 71st Winter Carnival

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / December 3, 2024 / Carnaval de Québec, Cassandra Kerwin, Quebec City, tourism

‘Enweille dehors!’ ‘Go outside!’ for the 71st Winter Carnival

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

‘Enweille dehors!’ ‘Go outside!’ for the 71st Winter Carnival

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

Go outside! That was Bonhomme Carnaval’s order for the 71st Winter Carnival from Feb. 7 to 16. Now that snow has started to cover Quebec City, Bonhomme and his team are putting the pedal to the metal in preparing for the beloved winter festival.

Carnival energy was buzzing at the newly refurbished Maurice Restaurant on Nov. 28. The official program was announced, revealing a bundle of new and traditional activities and events. The exclusive Garrison Club will host an all-night pyjama party (Feb. 15). Experienced climbers will have the opportunity to rappel down the Château Frontenac on Feb. 8 and 9 (spaces are limited). At Place George-V, enjoy the view and music from the Philadelphia Ferris Wheel or dance to music at the Kraft Jukebox. On the last day of the celebrations – Feb. 16 – graffiti artists are invited to leave their mark on the Ice Palace.

The night parades will return on Feb. 8 in Charlesbourg and Feb. 15 on Grande Allée. Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale will be transformed into the Zone Loto-Québec with Bonhomme’s Ice Palace and its eight towers. The snow sculpture garden in Place de la Francophonie, the Calgary Flapjack Breakfast on Grande Allée (Feb. 8) and the Ice Canoe Race (Feb. 9) will also attract a crowd.

The popular music and dance dome near the Ice Palace will welcome a variety of performers, including Mariana Mazza and her guests on opening night, Habstrakt (Feb. 8), a New Country party (Feb. 12), Eman and Souldia (Feb. 13), David Pineau and Sara Dufour (Feb. 14) and Karma Kameleons (Feb. 15). Carnival-goers might also spot Bonhomme skating on weekends at the Place D’Youville ice rink.

After so much partying, Bonhomme will need a bath. Anyone brave enough to take a dip in the snow can join him for the Snow Bath on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. at the Tourny Fountain “Whether it’s cold, chilly, sunny or stormy, Bonhomme’s invitation is clear: Get outside!” said Marie-Eve Jacob, general manager of the Quebec Winter Carnival. “In addition to the beloved classics, several extravagant new features are being added to experience our winter differently. During the day, our program is family- oriented, while in the evening, we switch to festive mode!”

Carnival-goers 13 and older need to purchase this year’s effigy to have access to the sites. Until Jan. 12, it is on sale for $25 plus tax at participating Couche-Tard stores and online. From Jan. 13, it will be priced at $39 plus tax. This year, for collectors, there are two versions: the more readily available yellow effigy and the harder-to-find blue effigy.

For more information and to see the full program, visit carnaval.qc.ca/en.

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Guilbault: 23 companies interested in third link project

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / December 3, 2024 / Geneviève Guilbault, Lévis, Peter Black, Quebec City, third link

Guilbault: 23 companies interested in third link project

Peter Black

peterblack@qctonline.com

Calling it “excellent news,” Transport Minister and Louis- Hébert MNA Geneviève Guilbault announced last week that 23 companies have responded to the “international call for interest” in the proposed project to build a third link between Quebec City and Lévis.

The minister convened a news conference on Nov. 27 to make the announcement, less than seven weeks after she had issued the call on Oct. 11. Companies had 30 days to submit a proposal to take part in the process.

Guilbault said 29 companies had requested the required documentation to prepare a proposal, and 23 of those officially threw their hats in the ring.

“Twenty-three companies is a lot,” Guilbault said. “When we look at this type of call for interest procedure, we don’t do it systematically in all projects, we do it occasion- ally in major projects … Of all the times we’ve made calls for interest, this is the time when the most companies have shown interest.”

The transport ministry has engaged consultants KPMG to “organize interviews between interested companies and representatives of the ministry. The results of these meetings will then be analyzed independently,” according to a news release.

Guilbault said that with the application process, “We were ultimately testing two things: interest in a project and inter- est in doing this project in a collaborative mode with the Quebec government, and the response was more than positive. I must tell you, obviously, when we launch these types of procedures, we do not know in advance what the result will be.”

Guilbault rejected talk of adapting the Quebec Bridge, recently repatriated by the federal government, as an op- tion for heavy vehicle traffic. “[D]espite everything I hear from the federal government … about the Quebec Bridge, the reality is that it is not an option for trucking, and we need a third link to ensure the security of freight transporta- tion in particular.”

The minister said she would report back on the results of the vetting process “in early 2025.”

Of the 23 interested companies, Guilbault said 65 per cent are engineering firms, 30 per cent contractors and the rest management firms. Some 13 of the companies are identified on the government’s publicly accessible tender website, although Guilbault only named two, Ingerop, a British-French firm, and Construction Demathieu & Bard, whose head office is in Saint-Jérôme.

If all goes according to plan, Guilbault hopes to see a contract to build the link signed in 2027, construction start the next year, and the structure open in 2034-2035. No budget has been set for the project.

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RTC scales up wheelchair access at bus stops

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / December 3, 2024 / Quebec City, RTC, Ruby Pratka

RTC scales up wheelchair access at bus stops

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Wheelchair users who use the Réseau de transport de la Capitale (RTC) to get around the city will have a much more extensive choice of routes in the coming year, the transport authority announced last week.

All of the network’s 158 routes will feature accessible stops as of Dec. 21. Previously, only 14 routes were considered accessible, comprising less than 10 per cent of the network. About 1,400 of the 4,500 stops throughout the network will be accessible, an increase of more than 950.

A change in RTC rules surrounding the use of wheelchair ramps has led to the increase in the number of accessible stops. A 1.5-metre-wide stretch of pavement is considered wide enough to deploy a wheelchair ramp; the previous requirement was two metres. Changing the requirement, in consultation with disability rights organizations, was enough to multiply by 10 the number of accessible stops without doing any roadwork.

“I am delighted with this major step forward for our wheelchair users, who will now be able to move around our network more freely and efficiently. … With more than 1,400 accessible stops that will be in service on Dec. 21, we will exceed the goal we set two years ago, which was to add 1,000 [stops] by 2028,” Coun. Maude Mercier Larouche, president of the RTC, said in a statement.

“This new approach to accessibility for people using wheelchairs, developed in collaboration with the community, is a concrete demonstration of the RTC’s desire to make its network increasingly accessible to people with reduced mobility. This improved offer will allow greater autonomy and spontaneity in the travel of people in wheelchairs,” said Jean-Michel Bernier, president of the Regroupement des organismes de personnes handicapées de la Capitale-Nationale, in a statement.

Mercier Larouche said the RTC intends to continue working to improve accessibility on the regular transport network in the coming years. The RTC also operates the Service de transport adapté de la Capitale (STAC) on-demand door-to-door transit service for people with disabilities who are unable to use the regular network or who are uncomfortable doing so, or who are travelling to or from a destination without an accessible stop nearby, although STAC users must reserve trips at least a day in advance.

RTC spokesperson Véronique Lalande said about 85 per cent of RTC buses are equipped with ramps. Wheelchair users “can now board any bus equipped with a ramp that is at an ac- cessible stop,” she said. “These additional stops give wheelchair users a lot more flexibility.”

Lalande said further information would be made available on the network’s website and mobile app. In the meantime, transit riders with questions can contact the Service d’aide à la mobilité intégrée (SAMI; Integrated mobility assistance service) at 418-627-2511, option 1. The service is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

RTC scales up wheelchair access at bus stops Read More »

Immigrants, French language advocates protest francisation cuts

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / December 3, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, francisation, Quebec City

Immigrants, French language advocates protest francisation cuts

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

As generations of newcomers to the province have found out, living in Quebec means communicating in French. Without subsidized French courses, known as francisa- tion, immigrants struggle to integrate into Quebec society, find work and take care of everyday tasks. Thousands of students will lose access to their courses on Jan. 24, 2025, due to a misunderstanding over funding between the Quebec government and the school boards and service centres which administer most of the courses. This has upset immigrants and advocates for the protection of French. Tens of thousands marched to protest this decision throughout the province on Nov. 30, including in Quebec City from the Musée National des beaux-Arts du Québec to the National Assembly.

Law 14 has strengthened French language regulations, requiring organizations and businesses to communicate officially in French. Since its passing on June 1, 2022, enrolment in francisation programs has surged. Consequently, funding for these courses was depleted sooner than expected; without extra funding, school boards and service centres were forced to make sweeping cuts or close their adult francisation programs entirely.

In protest, thousands marched to the National Assembly. “We hope that if we make enough noise and often enough, Legault will rescind his decision, find the money for the courses and reinstate them,” said Kasandra Kawan, a francisation student from Colorado.

“This issue affects me personally because I have been taking the francisation courses for 18 years,” said Coun. Jackie Smith, originally from Hamilton, Ont. “It’s a demonstration of how tired we are of always hearing that we have to cut back on human sectors. … We have to inject our resources into the right places and that’s not what we’re doing right now.”

Quebec City-area Québec Solidaire MNAs Sol Zanetti and Étienne Grandmont expressed outrage at the budget cuts. “They’re cutting into the possibility of sharing a common language, they’re cutting into national unity, they’re cutting into something they promised to invest in,” said Zanetti.

According to Martin Hogue, president of the Syndicat de l’enseignement des Deux- Rives, immigrants must achieve a certain level of French to maintain residency – an unattainable requirement for many. Of the 1,227 students studying French as a second language at Centre Louis-Jolliet, only a few will continue learning, while others will be placed on waiting lists for classes offered by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) or look for other solutions.

An additional protest is planned for Dec. 18 at the MNBAQ.

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Battle brewing against QSL terminal in Beauport

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / December 3, 2024 / Environment, Peter Black, Port de Québec, Quebec City

Battle brewing against QSL terminal in Beauport

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The plan for a large new container terminal in the Baie de Beauport is still on the drawing board, but opposition to the project is already mounting.

QSL, the Quebec City-based cargo-handling giant, is float- ing a plan to create the terminal on land on which it already has bulk-loading operations that would handle up to 250,000 containers annually.

The company announced the rough outline of the project in June, having submitted a request to the federal government last year to expand customs operations in the Port of Quebec.

“If this condition is met, QSL will then be able to finalize a detailed business plan that it will submit to senior governments,” a company prospectus says.

There is no indication of when the federal government might respond to the request. Once it does secure the necessary government approvals, QSL said it could have the new facility up and running within six months.

Last week, a spokesperson for Québec MP and federal minister of public services and procurement Jean-Yves Duclos told Radio-Canada, “We will be able to provide more details on the project once it has been submitted to the government of Canada and a thorough analysis has been carried out.”

Guillaume Bertrand said, “Air quality, the environment and the impacts on the residents of Lower Town Quebec remain major concerns for Minister Duclos and the entire government when assessing projects.”

Duclos was the recipient last week of a letter signed by 30 groups and individuals calling for Ottawa to reject the QSL project.

The new container terminal project comes three years after the federal government killed the Laurentia terminal plan in the same industrial area of Beauport because of the threat it posed to the environment. By comparison to the QSL plan, the Laurentia project envisioned handling 700,000 containers annually.

QSL is prepared to make an initial investment of some $30 million to transform bulk cargo handling space into a container facility.

In announcing the plan, QSL president Robert Bellisle vowed it would be “an exemplary project from an environmental point of view … and meeting the principles of acceptability for the surrounding communities.”

Still, QSL and project supporters such as Port of Quebec officials and some municipal leaders will have some persuading to do regarding the environmental impact of the terminal project.

The project has already gotten a thumbs-down from the Port Activities Monitoring Committee, the city-funded watchdog of potentially environmentally negative developments in the port.

According to a Radio-Canada report, at a Nov. 21 meeting of the committee, members approved a resolution opposing the new terminal. The wording of the motion has not been made public.

The two city councillors who are members of the committee were absent for the vote, Radio-Canada reported. Executive committee member Marie-Josée Asselin chairs the committee, and fellow executive committee member Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc is a voting member. The other absent voting member was the representative of the regional environmental council.

Representatives of six neighbourhood councils on the committee voted against the project. There are six other non-voting members of the committee, representing government agencies.

Mayor Bruno Marchand has been cautious in his endorsement of the QSL project. When it was announced in June, Marchand said he “welcomed the intentions” of the project. “The activities of the Port of Quebec are essential to the region’s economy and important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It is normal that they adapt to the changing needs of supply chains.”

Last week Marchand reiterated his conditional support of the project. Speaking to reporters at an event Nov. 25, the mayor said, “The best way to kill the economy” is to op- pose economic development projects “without knowing all the details.”

Limoilou Coun. and Transition Québec Leader Jackie Smith took Marchand to task for his support of the project.

In a statement to the QCT, Smith said, “What I’m hearing is a mayor criticizing the position of neighbourhood councils, telling them to wait until the project is irreversible before opposing it. No, the future of our city does not depend on the growth of port activities. Our citizens have nothing to gain from a new container ter- minal that will increase heavy truck traffic and compromise Phase 4 of the Promenade Samuel-De Champlain.”

Isabelle Roy, city councillor for the Robert-Giffard district in which the QSL project is located, and a member of the official Opposition Québec d’abord party, told the QCT, “I am sensitive to the concerns raised by citizens, particularly the issue of trucking and its impacts on air quality. Currently, I do not have enough information to take a position for or against it. In order to learn more about the project, the official Opposition has requested a meeting with QSL.”

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Marchand, Schuldt, Krampus launch German Christmas Market festivities

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Bruno Marchand, Cassandra Kerwin, German Christmas Market, Quebec City, tourism

Marchand, Schuldt, Krampus launch German Christmas Market festivities

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

The 17th German Christmas Market is now open! Until Dec. 23, locals and tourists can savour German flavours, mulled wine, gingerbread and pretzels, and enjoy puppet shows and parades featuring Saint Nicholas and the Krampus. Even Santa Claus – the real one – will stop in to hear children’s Christmas wishes.

Despite the lack of snow, Old Quebec City has trans- formed into a magical Christ- mas village. The wooden cabins decorated with pine branches and lights create a path from Place D’Youville to the Jardins de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Rue Sainte- Anne and Place d’Armes. The designers of the sites added something different to each one, such as stained glass birdhouse lanterns opposite the Cathedral-Basilica Notre-Dame de Québec, and a light-and-sound show amid a fir-tree backdrop developed by Clemens Schuldt, the musical director of the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec, who officially launched the show.

During the opening ceremony on Nov. 21, Britta Kröger, president of the German Christmas Market, said, “I would like to greet those who have come from far away. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so loyal for 17 years. Compared to the 400 years of history of Christmas markets in Germany, we still have a long way to go, but we’re getting there! Come several times, and each time, you’ll discover something new.”

“I hope you share this Christmas magic with many people,” said Mayor Bruno Marchand. “Britta Kröger believed in it 17 years ago, and year after year, she works hard to make it happen, and we thank her and her team for that.”

To hear a memorable Christmas story, find a seat at the Theaterplatz for the popular French-language marionette show Un Krampus au Village. The story suddenly springs to life as Krampuses, Saint Nicholas, an angel, an accordion player and a ringmaster parade through the market. According to European folklore, Saint Nicholas, the Krampus and an angel visit children on Dec. 5, Krampusnacht, to either give gifts to the good children or beat the naughty ones with a stick. In Quebec City, the Krampus is more of a prankster, handing out potatoes and onions and making people smile and laugh.

Weather permitting, giant marionettes of Saint Nicholas and Krampus will depart from Place D’Youville at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 14, parading up Rue Saint-Jean to the Cathedral-Basilica. This always attracts a large crowd who marvel at the marionettes that seem to come alive in the torchlight.

Over the next three weeks, the German Christmas Market offers a packed schedule – arts and crafts workshops, games and puzzles in the Kinder- chalet Ravensburger; choirs singing carols in Place Royale and on Avenue Cartier; and live music in Place D’Youville. Be- tween activities, taste and sa- vour German-inspired dishes, and drinks like glühwein (hot wine with spices), schnapps and hot cider. The sites are open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday (clos- ing at 6 p.m. on Sundays), and exceptionally on Monday, Dec. 23, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. The light show takes place once an hour after nightfall in front of the grove of fir trees near the basilica.

For more information, visit mnaq.ca/en/program.

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Critics denounce government spending after Quebec economic update

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Eric Girard, Peter Black, Quebec economic update

Critics denounce government spending after Quebec economic update

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Finance Minister Éric Girard has come up with $2.1 billion in new spending over five years while at the same time vowing to balance the province’s budget by 2029-30.

Girard made the commit- ments as part of a sweeping package of spending and tax measures in his economic update delivered on Nov. 21.

The increased spending is targeted at priority areas, including forestry, housing, public transit and public safety.

In presenting the update in the National Assembly, Girard said, “Since 2018, the strong performance of our economy has made it possible to narrow the gap in living standards with Ontario. This catch-up is supported by our government’s action to protect Quebecers’ purchasing power and support the growth of our strategic sectors.”

The largest single chunk of new spending, nearly $1.2 billion over five years, is earmarked for “supporting the transition of public transit bodies and contributing to the vitality of Montreal and the Capitale-Nationale [region].”

Some Quebecers will see some modest tax relief as of the new year. The government is indexing personal income tax parameters by 2.85 per cent, which amounts to a $5.2-billion tax cut overall over five years.

On the other hand, some older residents will be losing a tax benefit with the move to increase the age eligibility threshold for a tax credit for working seniors from 60 to 65. Quebec will save $877 million over five years and nearly 200,000 taxpayers will be hit with an average $973-per-year increase.

Families will see a modest benefit, with family allowance payments increasing to $3,006 a year, a boost of $83.

The economic statement drew harsh reaction from political opponents. The Quebec Liberal Party, for example, dismissed Girard’s optimistic forecast.

Opposition finance critic Frédéric Beauchemin said in a statement that Girard’s projection of a doubling of economic growth in the coming months is not realistic, “with significant tariff increases expected, an economic slowdown is more likely.”

Beauchemin said, “The minister inflates the government’s anticipated revenues beyond the private sector average to maintain his deficit, despite substantial cuts. This lacks credibility.”

Official Opposition Leader Marc Tanguay added, “[Premier] François Legault promised prosperity, but instead, he delivered the decline of Quebec’s financial capacity. With his economic update, the CAQ demonstrates its incompetence in managing public finances.”

The second Opposition, Québec Solidaire (QS), denounced the government for not keeping pace with spending increases for social services.

QS treasury board critic Vincent Marissal said in a statement, “There is only one person left in Quebec who still seems to believe that we are not in a period of austerity and that is Éric Girard. It is now crystal clear. The CAQ is cutting spending increases, which will necessarily affect services to citizens as a whole. Quebec has already played this scenario a few years ago and it leaves a bitter taste.”

The Parti Québécois attacked the government for excessive spending. Finance critic Pascal Paradis said in a news release, the CAQ government “has an easy time spending for electioneering: we have counted more than $5 billion in frivolous spending and decisions that have directly affected Quebec’s financial capacity. From $7 million to the Los Angeles Kings to $710 million in Northvolt, including millions in loans to insolvent or hard-to-justify companies, such as jewellers or airships. Wasting Quebecers’ money has a price!”

The Quebec Conservative Party, which does not have a seat in the legislature, went even further, calling for Girard to resign. Finance critic Adrien Pouliot said in a statement that Legault should “reshuffle his cabinet as quickly as possible in order to remove Éric Girard before he causes further damage to our public finances and to Quebec’s financial credibility.”

On a more local level, Quebec City Coun. Jackie Smith said in a release, “Despite the significant deficit it is forecasting, this government has not been able to invest where it was needed. We are experiencing a housing crisis, a homelessness crisis and a public transit crisis. We are disappointed that this spendthrift government is leaving only crumbs for our sectors in crisis.”

Critics denounce government spending after Quebec economic update Read More »

City announces major public safety hiring spree

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Bruno Marchand, public safety, Quebec City, Quebec City fire department, Ruby Pratka, Service de Police de la Ville de Québec

City announces major public safety hiring spree

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Ville de Québec has announced plans for a record increase in the number of police officers and firefighters to keep pace with the growing population, city officials announced last week.

Mayor Bruno Marchand made the announcement on Nov. 19 at City Hall, flanked by Police Chief Denis Turcotte and Fire Chief Christian Paradis. The city plans to hire 101 new police officers and 72 new firefighters by the end of 2026, not counting normal retirement-related turnover – an increase of about 10 per cent – at a combined total cost of about $15 million including equipment. Marchand said the hiring spree was “the biggest wave of new hires at the [Service de Police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ)] in the past 25 years.” The cost will be borne entirely by the city.

“We have public safety at heart and we have to act in consequence,” Marchand said. “A feeling of safety, and safety itself, are sine qua non conditions for citizens to feel safe. The city has changed a lot since the early 2000s and the police and fire departments have to follow the rhythm. The population has gone up by 16 per cent, the police respond to 9,000 more calls per year, and we now welcome 4.3 mil- lion tourists a year. It seems banal … but it brings about a packet of challenges for our police and fire departments. … We want to act fast, to act in prevention, we don’t want to wait for a crisis.”

Marchand, Turcotte and Paradis cited the rising population, homelessness-related challenges, concerns about organized crime and stricter fire safety standards among the reasons new hires are necessary. “We’re sending a message that criminals aren’t welcome, that we want to live by the rule of law and make people feel secure,” said Marchand.

“As a police service, our engagement is to maintain people’s sense of safety … which is a precious asset,” said Turcotte. “If we’re proactive and we take the necessary measures, we’ll keep that trust.” He thanked city officials for responding to the SPVQ’s request for reinforcements, saying that the additional staff would improve the police service’s prevention and data collection capacity. Turcotte and Paradis said they were confident they would find enough new recruits to meet staffing targets.

“This is a very significant gesture, and we’re grateful,” said Paradis. “The population is going to benefit from this increased level of service. We aren’t playing catch-up, we’re planning ahead.”

Turcotte said police officers planned to meet with business owners in the coming weeks to discuss the potential impact of a greater police presence in their neighbourhoods.

City announces major public safety hiring spree Read More »

City to create safer traffic zones for seniors

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City, seniors, traffic, traffic safety

City to create safer traffic zones for seniors

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand has announced a plan to create zones to improve the safety of senior pedestrians, vowing to make Quebec City the first Canadian city to do so.

Consultations are to begin in early December to help determine the specifics of the plan, inspired, the mayor said, by a successful program of this type in New York City.

According to a city document, the measures would see targeted intersections and pedestrian crossings “designed to optimize safety. Extending the duration of traffic lights, automatically triggering these lights and adding street furniture to meet the need for breaks are examples of measures that can be implemented.”

Other ideas include the addition of traffic islands in the centre of an intersection to provide pedestrians with a place to wait safely if they do not have time to cross the entire intersection. The city says such a system has reduced pedestrian deaths among seniors by 25 per cent in New York City.

The first senior-friendly traffic zones could be introduced in 2026.

An online information session on the plan is scheduled for Dec. 4, with discussion workshops planned for Jan. 20 online and Jan. 22 at the Club Social Victoria in Limoilou.

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Health ministry announces grace period for staff with two jobs

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Ruby Pratka, Santé Québec

Health ministry announces grace period for staff with two jobs

Ruby Pratka, LJI reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Ministry of Health and Social Services has put the brakes on a plan that would have required some health workers holding multiple jobs to pick just one and have their hours reduced as a result.

Dozens of health and social services facilities and regional centres across the province are in the process of merging into a single entity, Santé Québec. Workers cannot work a total of more than 40 hours a week for a single employer without getting paid overtime; as a result, employees with two or more jobs who work a total of more than 40 hours per week in the health system were told they could no longer do so. “As of Dec. 1, 2024, you will not be able to maintain an assignment or position in more than one establishment if the total hours of the assignments or positions per pay period exceed the equivalent of full time,” reads a letter dated Nov. 8, shared with the QCT by one of the affected employees.

About 1,300 employees across the province work multiple jobs totalling over 40 hours per week, many of them in relatively low-paid roles. As the QCT and other media outlets reported last week, the announcement was panic-inducing for people who rely on the extra income to pay down debt, raise children on their own or support family members overseas.

On Nov. 20, Santé Québec CEO Geneviève Biron announced that a one-year transition period would be put in place to allow “double- employed” workers to find solutions.

“We are grateful to these employees for their contribution and want to take the time to support them. In the context of a labour shortage and high demand for services, this transition period will al- low the employees concerned to continue their services to users and reduce the pressure on staff. Santé Québec will work with union partners to find accommodations,” Biron said in a statement. “I made a commitment to avoid wall- to-wall approaches. In recent days, I have heard the cri de coeur of several employees in a situation of double employment. I hope that we will take the time to support them and find solutions for the benefit of users and staff. In the coming months, Santé Québec will support the employees concerned to find solutions adapted to their situation while ensuring the safety of users and teams.”

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Dubé wants to end health coverage uncertainty for Ukrainians

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Christian Dubé, immigration, RAMQ, refugees, Ruby Pratka, Ukraine

Dubé wants to end health coverage uncertainty for Ukrainians

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Health Minister Christian Dubé has said the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government will not let Ukrainians fleeing war fall through the cracks in the province’s health insurance system, after many recently arrived Ukrainians reported difficulties renewing their health cards.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, according to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), at least 300,000 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada under two federal emergency programs designed to allow people affected by the war to find temporary safety here. Although IRCC does not keep track of where visa recipients settle after their arrival in Canada, Ukrainian community leaders in Quebec estimate that about 40,000 Ukrainians have settled in the province, 35,000 in the greater Montreal area and several hundred in Quebec City, Lévis and the surrounding rural areas. In light of the ongoing war, many Ukrainians who have settled in Quebec under the emergency measures have applied for work permit extensions or begun the permanent residence application pro- cess. Applicants subsequently learned that their work permit renewals were approved, but their provincial health insurance coverage would not be prolonged beyond early 2025, explained Olga Lacasse of the Alliance Ukrainienne de Québec (AUQ). They are now waiting for clarification from the Régie d’assurance-maladie du Québec (RAMQ).

“It left a lot of uncertainty, because paying for everything out of pocket is very expensive,” Lacasse said. “We have a lot of young mothers and senior citizens. At the beginning, [work permit holders] were told their work permit and their health coverage would be valid for the same amount of time. They had work permits valid into 2024 and 2025. They were told to apply for new work permits. They did that, and the validity of their work permit was prolonged, but not their health coverage.”

“Quebecers opened their homes and their hearts and their wallets to Ukrainians at the beginning of the war, and it was disheartening to hear that that support might be over … telling people they have until February to get things figured out,” said Michael Shwec, the Montreal-based head of the Quebec branch of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.

An IRCC spokesperson noted that health care and health insurance coverage are subject to provincial jurisdiction. A spokesperson for the RAMQ referred a request to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MSSS).

On Nov. 20, Dubé posted on X, “We’re still in discussions with the federal government, but we would like to prolong their coverage. Quebec made a commitment to [Ukrainians] and we will keep it.” Further details were not available at press time.

Local community recognizes historic famine

On Nov. 23, about 30 members of the local Ukrainian community, including several recently arrived refugees, met at the newly established Ukrainian community centre in Beauport to honour the victims of the Holodomor, a Soviet- era engineered famine which emptied Ukraine of a quarter of its population in 1932 and 1933. Over three million people died, thousands of others were exiled and many who remained ate shoe leather and hunted crows to stave off starvation. Ukrainian communities around the world honour survivors in November by lighting candles, breaking bread and reading witness statements from survivors. This is the second time a ceremony has been held for the small and growing number of Ukrainians in Quebec City, explained AUQ cofounder Bohdana Porada. “It’s a wound that will never heal, but we survive and we remember.”

Several speakers made connections between the Holodomor, the 2014 Crimea conflict and the current war. Viktor Grayvoronsky, 84, a university professor from Kharkiv and grandson of Holodomor survivors, arrived in Quebec less than two weeks ago, after the apartment building he was living in was bombed. “There’s no famine now, but we still have our neighbours trying to kill us,” he said. “It’s just so sad.”

Dubé wants to end health coverage uncertainty for Ukrainians Read More »

Dallaire and Michaud visit Ukraine to push mental health resources for military families

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / mental health, Peter Black, Roméo Dallaire, Ukraine

Dallaire and Michaud visit Ukraine to push mental health resources for military families

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

It was a first-time visit to Ukraine for both retired lieutenant-general and senator Roméo Dallaire and his wife Marie-Claude Michaud, former head of the Valcartier Military Family Resource Centre.

The two-week tour across the country a month ago left them with concerns about the resources available for the mental health of military personnel and their families, but also ideas for a plan to address the situation.

In an interview with the QCT from the home she and Dallaire share in Saint-Roch- des-Aulnaies, about 90 minutes east of Quebec City, Michaud described the resources available for military families in Ukraine as “chaos.

“The needs are so urgent and the resources are not ready yet [because] they’re always in an emergency. So they offer counselling services for injured veterans, the ones that are deeply injured physically and their families,” Michaud said.

“But for the rest of the veterans and their families, there’s a lack of resources. They are trying things, but there’s no coordination between the resources. A lot of NGOs are in the field, trying to offer services and activities, but they compete with one another for resources.”

Michaud and Dallaire toured Ukraine at the request of the Global Initiative on Psychiatry and Toronto-based Fairfax Financial, an insurance company with operations in Ukraine.

Dallaire has turned his horrific experience as commander of the U.N. peacekeeping mission during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda into a personal crusade for causes ranging from better treatment for veterans living with trauma to a movement to rid the world of child soldiers. He has written several books inspired by his experience, including the most recent, titled The Peace.

Michaud’s experience dealing with military families at the Valcartier Family Centre, including stints in Afghanistan, led her to develop a different approach to leadership that she described in a 2021 book titled Leadership Without Armour: The Power of Vulnerability in Management.

Michaud said, “I spent 25 years supporting military families in Canada and I have to tell you that what they are going through there, all these spouses and children, it’s quite the same.”

One encounter Michaud found particularly moving was with a psychiatrist working at the Veteran Mental Health Centre of Excellence at Taras Shevchenko University in Kyiv, whose husband was on the front lines with the army.

“She hugged me and she told me this is the first time that I have someone who understands what I’m going through,” Michaud said.

At a meeting of Fairfax employees and families involved in the war, Michaud said, “When I talked to them, a lot of them started to cry because I was explaining to them what it was like to be a military spouse when you have a loved one fighting and being away from home.”

During the visit, travelling 1,800 kilometres by train and 2,000 by road, they visited the front lines, saw a mass grave and witnessed firsthand the destruction the Russian invasion has wrought.

“One of the cities, Borova, was bombarded just an hour before we arrived there and we had to leave quickly because the Russians were very, very close.” The city was evacuated the next day.

Armed with what they learned from the Ukraine visit, where they met with a variety of people, including government leaders, the Canadian ambassador and the staff and patients at a rehabilitation centre, Michaud and Dallaire will prepare a plan to present to a meeting in Toronto next week.

The pair hopes to have Fairfax employees in Ukraine affected by the war serve as participants in a pilot project on dealing with mental health issues for wider implementation.

She said they will be talking with Canadian government officials about bringing help for Ukrainians to deal with the mental health impact of war.

“Roméo and I think Canada can certainly make a difference with this country, because 35 years ago, there were no services in Canada for military families and the members and it’s quite the same for the vet- erans. Roméo was the one who opened the door.”

Michaud said the visit was a particularly moving one for Dallaire, harkening back to when he was a young soldier in the Canadian army, posted in Germany.

“It was kind of emotional when we crossed the border, just realizing that [it was] so many years after him being in Germany and being there because of the Cold War and watching over the Russians,” she said.

She said they also had to be “very cautious” while in Ukraine because Dallaire is on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s list of Canadians barred from entering the country.

As for how and when the war, now past 1,000 days of fierce fighting, might end, Michaud said, “Well, it’s going to end someday, but the damage is so deep it’s going to take generations and generations to get over this.”

Dallaire and Michaud visit Ukraine to push mental health resources for military families Read More »

The 41st Opération Nez Rouge offers a safe ride home starting Nov. 29

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 27, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, Opération Nez Rouge

The 41st Opération Nez Rouge offers a safe ride home starting Nov. 29

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

Looking for a ride home during the holiday season? Call Opération Nez Rouge from Nov. 29 to Dec. 31. For a 41st straight year, thousands of volunteers will safely drive people home for free or for a donation in 70 communities across the country including 50 in Quebec.

Inspired by its mission and history for this year’s theme, Opération Nez Rouge wants to ensure that people have “a night you’ll remember.” Jean- Marie De Koninck, president and founder of Opération Nez Rouge, invited drivers to volun- teer or to call for a ride home.

Last year, 22,600 volunteers gave 24,000 rides, helping take impaired drivers off the road. According to the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ), accidents due to alcohol caused an average of 85 deaths and 200 serious injuries each year from 2017 to 2021.

“There is an awareness among young people compared to my time. In the ‘80s, it was not common and Nez Rouge was just starting, but if I look at my children, it is clear that they already know in advance who will be the designated driver for the weekend,” said the president and CEO of the SAAQ and honorary president of the 41st Operation Nez Rouge, Éric Ducharme.

“As Operation Nez Rouge begins its 41st campaign, the importance of our mission remains clear. Without the volunteers’ unwavering commitment, the true pillars of our organization, it could not have been accomplished,” said De Koninck. “Together, we play a crucial role in improving road safety, year after year, by offering a drive-home service that saves lives and raises aware- ness of the dangers of impaired driving.”

Hoping to reach the younger crowd, Opération Nez Rouge partnered with stand-up comic and podcaster Rosalie Vaillancourt. “Nez Rouge belongs to us and is part of us as Quebecers, so I’m happy to get involved. It shows how much it is part of our values to care for our families,” she said. “Nez Rouge helps take a weight off your shoulders, knowing that there’s a plan if my uncle has had too much crème de menthe, if my sister has smoked too much weed behind the garage or if my cousin hasn’t slept for three days because he just had a baby.”

For whatever reason people need a lift home in December, volunteers are key to this operation. “Recruiting volunteers has always been our hobby horse. The more volunteers we have, the better our service will be. It’s always a challenge, but we’re lucky to have a positive reputation and we have a very festive connotation,” said Marilyn Vigneault, the executive director of Opération Nez Rouge

“For now, we’re doing pretty well after 41 years.”

For more information, visit operationnezrouge.com or call 1-866-DESJARDINS.

The 41st Opération Nez Rouge offers a safe ride home starting Nov. 29 Read More »

Repair work to begin on Quebec Bridge this summer

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec Bridge, Quebec City

Repair work to begin on Quebec Bridge this summer

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Now that the federal government officially owns the Quebec Bridge, work will begin next year on the long-term job of repairing and restoring the historic structure.

Minister of Public Services and Procurement and MP for Québec Jean-Yves Duclos convened a news conference on Nov. 12 to announce a deal had been signed that day between the federal government and Canadian National Railway (CN) for the “repatriation” of the bridge.

The federal government announced its intention to purchase the bridge for a symbolic dollar at a ceremony in May attended by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The bridge had been owned by CN since 1995.

Responsibility for the maintenance and repainting of the bridge had been in a stalemate for years before Ottawa, through the work of negotiator Yvon Charest, decided to return the structure to federal hands.

At the news conference, held at a pavilion on Promenade Samuel-De Champlain,

Duclos said, “By repatriating this essential link, we are ensuring that the bridge can continue to benefit not only our country’s economy but also the users and residents of the greater Quebec City region who have been using this bridge for their daily commute for over a century. Today, we’re giving the bridge back to Quebecers.”

Also attending the ceremony were Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound, in whose riding the bridge is situated, and Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand.

The management and rehabilitation of the bridge have been assigned to a federal entity, Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), which, as the title suggests, oversees major bridges in Montreal.

A release said, “JCCBI will work closely with the two other partners and users of the Quebec Bridge, CN, which remains responsible for the rail corridor, and the Quebec government, which remains responsible for the road corridor and bicycle path. A collaboration agreement between these three partners will be drawn up to optimize co-ordination and ensure the completion of all activities on the Quebec Bridge.”

JCCBI spokesperson Nathalie Lessard told the QCT that the first step in a long process will be “an inspection program that will include the assessment of the load-bearing capacity of the structure. All this technical information that we are going to gather over probably the next two years will enable us to prepare a rehabilitation plan for the Quebec Bridge.”

Lessard said a “mode of collaboration” needs to be established with CN and the Quebec Ministry of Transportation (MTQ). “We’re not alone on that structure. The MTQ owns and operates the road deck and the CN owns and operates the train deck.”

At the news conference, reporters asked about the capacity of the bridge to handle heavy vehicles such as transport trucks, a matter that is pertinent to the Quebec government’s plan to build a third link, most likely a bridge.

Premier François Legault has stated a new bridge is essential to the economic security of the province in the event the Pierre Laporte Bridge is closed for any reason.

Duclos reiterated his view, based on studies, that the Quebec Bridge could be adapted to accommodate heavy traffic.

Sandra Martel, the CEO of JCCBI, agreed it would be possible in terms of an engineering challenge, but it is up to Quebec transport officials to consider such an option.

Lessard said, “The bridge itself can handle quite a heavy load because trains already commute on that bridge, so the load-bearing capacity of the bridge is sufficient to handle that. What we don’t know on our side of things is all the technical details regarding the deck itself, that’s really the MTQ that has all of this information and we haven’t talked to them, so it’s really too early.”

As for the long-delayed paint job for the Quebec Bridge, Lessard compared it to how long it took to paint the Jacques Cartier Bridge in Montreal.

“The interesting thing is that the Jacques Cartier Bridge is about three kilometres long and the Quebec Bridge is about one kilometre long, but the amount of steel on the Quebec Bridge is pretty much equivalent to the Jacques Cartier Bridge. It’s pretty easy to compare in terms of the quantity of steel that will need to be taken care of, so it took about 15 years to cover the entire Jacques Cartier Bridge.”

The Quebec Bridge, opened in 1919, handles an average 33,000 vehicles per day, including 400 public transit buses carrying 6,000 passengers daily.

Repair work to begin on Quebec Bridge this summer Read More »

Postal strike halts mail delivery across Canada

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Canada Post, Canada Post strike, Ruby Pratka

Postal strike halts mail delivery across Canada

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Mail delivery across the country has been essentially paralyzed since 55,000 unionized Canada Post staff walked off the job on Nov. 15.

“After a year of bargaining with little progress, postal workers made the difficult decision to strike. … Canada Post left us no choice when it threatened to change our working conditions and leave our members exposed to layoffs,” Yannick Scott, national director (Montreal Metro region) of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), said in a statement on the day the strike began.

In a notice on its website, Canada Post warned people planning to send and receive mail to “be prepared for possible delays.

“Mail and parcels will not be processed or delivered for the duration of the national strike, and some post offices will be closed. Service guarantees will be impacted for items already in the postal network. No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over,” the statement said.

Although people will not be able to send mail for the duration of the strike, those who receive Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan payments from the federal government as cheques will still receive their cheques, due to an essential services agreement between CUPW and the government. Quebec social assistance cheques as well as cheques from the Quebec workplace safety commission (CNESST) and auto insurance authority (SAAQ), the provincial indemnity program for victims of crime and certain other government programs will still be distributed; people can also opt to pick up their cheque in person at a Service Québec centre on presentation of government-issued photo ID or designate a proxy to do so.

Canada Post warned that once the strike ends, it may take some time to fully resume service. “Items will be delivered as quickly as possible once operations resume. All mail and parcels in the postal network will be secured and delivered as quickly as possible on a first-in, first-out basis once operations resume. However, a national strike of any length will impact service to Canadians well after the strike activity ends. Shutting down facilities across the country will affect Canada Post’s entire national network. Processing and delivery may take some time to fully return to normal.”

Federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon has ruled out passing a law to force postal personnel back to work “for the moment.”

“We’re putting all our efforts into [discussions] around the table to facilitate a negotiated agreement,” he told reporters.

No CUPW or Canada Post representative had responded to requests for further comment from the QCT by press time.

Postal strike halts mail delivery across Canada Read More »

Cave-in on building site forces closure of Chemin Saint-Louis

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City

Cave-in on building site forces closure of Chemin Saint-Louis

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A cave-in at a large construction site on Chemin Saint-Louis forced the closing of several blocks of the major artery for several days last week.

The cave-in, along the side- walk and about one-third the length of the excavation happened on Nov. 11 and was the result of a contractor’s miscalculation in the placement of posts supporting the retaining wall, according to media reports.

A city police spokesperson said debris from the collapsing wall fell on a mechanical shovel working on the excavation. A construction worker was given medical attention and a workplace safety investigation will take place.

The city announced at the end of the week one lane would be open in the affected section of Chemin Saint-Louis, allowing for the passage of alternating traffic.

The construction site, between Rue Villeray and Rue de la Forest, is for the first phase of the huge La Forest housing project, announced earlier this year. The plan calls for a 13-storey building comprising 350 residential units.

City spokesperson Karine Desbiens said the contractor has promised to do the work necessary to get the street fully opened by the beginning of December. In a statement, she said, “The city worked jointly with the contractor and leveraged its various areas of expertise to enable a safe re- opening as quickly as possible. Road users are advised to be careful and pay attention to the temporary signage in place. Access to businesses in the area is maintained at all times.”

The closure compounded the difficulties of Michelangelo, a popular local restaurant, situated immediately west of the construction site. Owner Nicola Cortina told the QCT the closure of Chemin Saint-Louis made it even more difficult for patrons to drive to his restaurant.

Because of a major project to reconfigure the approaches to the bridges, drivers are compelled to take detours around the area.

“It’s very complicated, it’s not easy,” Cortina said, noting he had only a handful of customers for lunch that day. “It’s a disaster.” He estimates he has already lost about a million dollars in business due to the bridge project.

Cortina said he is hoping for compensation for lost business but so far has not been informed of any potential payment.

The Ministry of Transport is conducting the bridge approach project and has not stated publicly whether affected merchants will be compensated for lost business.

Cave-in on building site forces closure of Chemin Saint-Louis Read More »

Flexibus service coming to Sillery and Montcalm

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City, transit

Flexibus service coming to Sillery and Montcalm

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The city’s popular Flexibus on-demand mini-bus service is expanding to serve the Montcalm and Sillery districts.

Service in the new zone, the sixth created since Flexibus launched in 2021, started on Nov. 18, with boarding spaces on Rue Verger, Gignac and Maguire as well as on Ave. Cartier in Montcalm.

To take advantage of the service, users need to book a space online in the seven- passenger buses. The service has no fixed routes as itineraries are adapted to customer demand. Passengers can get on or off at regular stops on Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) bus routes.

Passes are the same price as for regular RTC buses.

The expansion of the service requires an investment of $700,000, according to city documents. The entire network is budgeted at $21.5 million into 2027.

RTC president Maude Mercier Larouche said, “The rapid adoption of Flexibus by customers clearly demonstrates how the service meets the needs of citizens in terms of local travel.”

According to a city survey, users are making more than 18,700 trips per month with the service, with students making up more than two-thirds of users. The main customer destinations are secondary schools, local businesses, shopping malls, community centres and transit hubs where riders can connect with regular RTC bus routes.

The other zones served are northeast (Wendake, Saint- Émile, Lac-Saint-Charles and Notre-Dame-des-Laurentides), the northwest (Val-Bélair and Loretteville), Beauport (Courville, Montmorency and Sainte- Thérèse-de-Lisieux), Saint- Augustin-de-Desmaures and L’Ancienne-Lorette.

Plans are in the works to next extend the service to Cap-Rouge, Orsainville, Lebourgneuf and a fourth zone to be determined.

Full information on using Flexibus is available on the city’s website.

Flexibus service coming to Sillery and Montcalm Read More »

Workers to lose second jobs amid Santé Québec restructuring

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Quebec City, Ruby Pratka, Santé Québec

Workers to lose second jobs amid Santé Québec restructuring

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Some employees in the public health system who work more than one job have been told they will have to choose just one as of Dec. 1, due to the Quebec government’s decision to create a single employer (Santé Québec) for the entire public health sector.

“As of Dec. 1, 2024, you will not be able to maintain an assignment or position in more than one establishment if the total hours of the assignments or positions per pay period exceed the equivalent of full time,” reads a letter dated Nov. 8, shared with the QCT by one of the affected employees. In practice, this means employees won’t be able to work over 40 hours a week across more than one health facility.

Laura* has held down two full-time jobs at two different Quebec City-area hospitals since 2019. “I work full-time Monday to Friday … and then at night I work at [another hospital],” she said. “I’m very used to it. … I want to work, but they’re telling me I can’t work two jobs.”

Lucie Gamache is the president of the Syndicat des Travailleuses et Travailleurs du CIUSSS de la Capitale- Nationale (STT-CIUSSSCN) which represents care aides, maintenance and supply shop workers and some administrative and technical staff across the institutions of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale. She said about 130 of the union’s members are in situations similar to Laura’s. Most are in relatively low-paid roles.

“One employer … can’t give two positions for a total of more than 40 hours a week to one person,” she said. “It’s sad, but it’s the law, it’s the Labour Standards Act. Even if we tried to fight it, we can’t go against the law. It’s out of our hands.

“Unfortunately, that’s how fusions have always worked,” she added, alluding to the fusions of health institutions a decade ago that created the current CIUSSS system. “We understand it’s not fun – I wouldn’t be happy if it were me.”

Gamache said employees who want or need to work more hours can pick up extra hours replacing colleagues who are on leave. “We have such a lack of personnel that if [workers] apply for replacements, they’ll get hours,” she said. “We’re telling them not to worry about that.”

That was small consolation to Laura. “For me, it’s a big loss to lose one job,” she said. “I just got a new car, so I have to get another job to pay it off.”

She has considered taking her employer to court to try to keep both of her jobs, but decided against it. “I don’t have the income to pay for my immediate needs, and getting a lawyer will get me even more into debt,” she said. “I have my hands tied, and I can’t help anyone else if I can’t help myself.”

No one from the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale was able to comment at press time.

*The employee’s name has been changed to protect her privacy and job security.

Workers to lose second jobs amid Santé Québec restructuring Read More »

Immigrants rally against cuts to francisation courses in Quebec City

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, francisation, Lévis, Quebec City, Ruby Pratka

Immigrants rally against cuts to francisation courses in Quebec City

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Students across the province rallied on Nov. 12 to call on the Coalition Avenir Québec government to walk back planned cuts to subsidized French courses for adults, known as francisation. More than 250 students assembled at the Centre Louis-Jolliet, the largest francisation course centre in Quebec City.

School boards and service centres across the province have been forced to drastically reduce adult francisation course offerings because of a lack of funding.

“Last year, we sent $104 million to school service centres, and this year, we are sending another $104 million to school service centres. The total budget allocated to francisation, which has been increasing for four years, will reach $251.3 million in 2024-2025. Quebecers’ ability to pay is not elastic,” Jean-François Roberge, minister of immigration, francisation and integration, argued in October. “No one is telling us, ‘Increase our taxes and our duties to francize more people.’”

Demand for the courses has risen significantly in recent years, pushed by rising immigration and changes to the Charter of the French Language which opened the courses, previously reserved for recent immigrants, to longtime Quebec residents and newcomers from other provinces. As teachers’ union representatives previously explained to the QCT, school service centres scheduled courses and hired staff for the current school year based on current demand, but the funding for the courses was calculated based on far lower pandemic-era demand. When it became clear that the government didn’t intend to top up the funding, service centres cancelled classes.

“I understand that they want to do well, but the demand is enormous,” said Roberge. “Every day, 350 people register with Francisation Québec. That is 170,000 people per year. We cannot francize 170,000 people per year.”

“These budgetary restrictions lead to human tragedies. After years of investment, immigrants won’t be able to access the job market, while others will have to give up their plans for permanent residency if they do not master the French language,” said Marianne Bois, a francisation educational advisor and teacher at the Centre Louis- Jolliet who has taught there since 2018. Bois explained that immigrants must complete level seven of 12 to earn a certificate allowing them to apply for permanent residence, a path that has been suddenly cut short.

“I don’t understand Premier François Legault and Minister Jean-François Roberge claiming to be the greatest defenders of the French language and, on the other hand, cutting francisation. It doesn’t take a PhD in quantum physics to understand that this is completely ridiculous, that it’s not going in the right direction,” Québec Solidaire MNA for Taschereau Étienne Grandmont said at the protest.

“We could certainly have let this cohort finish their course. It doesn’t make sense to cut it off in the middle of the process,” said Grandmont. “What are their options? What do they have left?” Government officials suggest applying to programs run by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI), despite long waiting lists for places in those programs.

“If these people had the right to vote, I’m pretty sure the CAQ would take better care of them,” said Grandmont. “Today, I’m very happy to see them come out, to demonstrate, to say that they’ve had enough of this government that mistreats them.”

Francisation student Maria Estevez arrived in Quebec five years ago from Miami, Florida. “These courses are extremely useful and helpful for us im- migrants. They teach more than just the French language. We learn about the Quebec culture, society and how things work here.” Her words were echoed by numerous others at the rally. Students of the Centre Saint-Louis, an adult education centre in Loretteville where francisation courses were also cut, distributed an open letter on the matter; separately, members of the Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE) teachers’ union federation protested against the cuts at the office of Education Minister Bernard Drainville in Lévis on Nov. 15.

With files from Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Immigrants rally against cuts to francisation courses in Quebec City Read More »

Quebec City to get new multifunctional public curling centre

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 20, 2024 / Bruno Marchand, Cassandra Kerwin, curling, Jean-François Gosselin, Quebec City, sports and recreation

Quebec City to get new multifunctional public curling centre

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

The decade-long wait for a new curling centre is coming to an end. On Nov. 15, the Ville de Québec revealed images of the new multifunctional curling centre in Lebourgneuf, and broke ground at the new site.

The new curling centre is estimated to cost $39.5 mil- lion and scheduled to open in January 2027, just in time for the Canada Games (Feb. 27 to March 15). After the Games, city officials hope up to 700 people will use the centre weekly for curling and other activities.

“Local curlers have been asking for their centres to be restored or to build a new one for over a decade,” said Marchand. “The Ville de Québec listened and answered with an investment of $39.5 million. We did ask the provincial government for financial support, but they turned us down. We couldn’t make the curlers wait any longer.

Marchand said funding the curling centre was “a political choice in line with our values.”

“We want to become the most active city, with healthy citizens and fewer people in hospitals,” he said. The price tag is $12 million more than previously announced; this new budget includes all projected costs, according to Marchand and Coun. Jean- François Gosselin, member of the executive committee responsible for sports and recreation.

“The international-calibre facility can host large-scale events while allowing residents to benefit from these multipurpose facilities all year round. The centre will meet the highest quality standards for curling and become the only modern centre with eight lanes of ice – two series of four lanes – in Quebec,” said the mayor.

A CO2 refrigeration system will freeze the rinks. A geothermal system will heat the building. It will have a green roof, a training room, a play area, a multi-purpose room with a capacity of 300 people, a kitchen and a bar. Outdoor facilities will include a parking lot for 125 cars, bicycle park- ing, a picnic area, a synthetic mini-curling space and a small public square with a work of art.

Despite the ceremonial groundbreaking on Nov. 15, construction won’t begin in earnest until spring 2025. “We are working closely with the Jacques-Cartier and Victoria curling clubs in planning this fantastic project and I thank them for their commitment,” said Gosselin. The president of the Club de Curling Victoria, Claude Drolet, and the president of the Club de Curling Jacques-Cartier, François Bouffard, attended the groundbreaking and enthusiastically praised the plans for the new centre.

The Ville de Québec plans to purchase and resell the Club de Curling Jacques-Cartier and the Club de Curling Victoria for an estimated $6 million to offset the cost of building the new centre. The site of the Club de Curling Jacques-Cartier in Montcalm is earmarked for housing and that of the Club de Curling Victoria in Sainte-Foy for industrial use.

Quebec City to get new multifunctional public curling centre Read More »

Province seeks proposals for Soeurs de la Charité land

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 12, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City

Province seeks proposals for Soeurs de la Charité land

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

If all goes according to plan, the sprawling swath of land known as the Soeurs de la Charité farm will once again be growing food, among other agricultural activities.

Last week, the Quebec government launched a call for interested parties to submit applications for managing the 203-hectare site, as well as agricultural projects on allocated plots in what is referred to as l’Agro-parc.

The government hopes to have the project up and running for the 2025 growing season.

The call for interest comes more than two years after Quebec bought the land from the nuns who had run the farm, known as Ferme Saint-Michel-Archange, for 114 years.

The farm, located in the Beauport district, had provided the religious order with fresh food for the staff and patients at the mental institution they operated on the site, as well as offering the patients therapeutic work in the fields.

The city stepped in to acquire the property for $28.7 million amid public and political opposition to a developer’s plans to turn it into a housing subdivision.

A series of consultations on the future vocation of the property began in January 2023, which resulted in a concept proposal in the spring of this year. Further consultation on that concept is the basis for the current call for proposals.

André Lamontagne, the minister of agriculture, fisheries and food, made the announcement in one of the farm buildings on the site, alongside Jonatan Julien, minister for infrastructure and the capital region.

Lamontagne said, “From the moment we acquired these lands, we wanted this project to be as unifying as possible. The chosen representative will take charge of a project that will enhance the value of these high-quality lands, for the benefit of Quebec City and Quebec. I invite interested individuals and groups to come forward in large numbers.”

Mayor Bruno Marchand noted that “[m]ore than 46 per cent of residents practice one or more forms of urban agriculture in Quebec, so I am enthusiastic about the idea of seeing community initiatives emerge to cultivate our know- how and share it with as many people as possible.”

Prospective candidates interested in managing l’Agro- parc, either one organization or a group of organizations, are expected to “assume the governance and development of the Agro-parc in accordance with the future master plan. The site will remain the property of the government of Quebec, but the agent will be responsible for the development and management of the Agro-parc’s operations.”

The call is targeted at non- profit organizations. The dead- line for submitting an expression of interest is Jan. 10, 2025. The government hopes to sign a contract with the successful applicant in the summer.

The deadline is Dec. 13 for those interested in submitting a project for a 10-hectare plot. Proposals must, according to the concept criteria, allow “for the benefit of the population and the surrounding community. In addition, they must make agricultural products accessible with a view to food autonomy and security.”

Full details for applicants can be found online at quebec.ca/agriculture-environnement-et-ressources-naturelles/agriculture/industrie-agricole-au-quebec/protection-mise-en-valeur-territoire-agricole/projet-agro-parc.

Province seeks proposals for Soeurs de la Charité land Read More »

Ships in port in Quebec City will be able to plug into electric dock power by 2027

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 12, 2024 / business, Environment, Peter Black, Port de Québec, Quebec City

Ships in port in Quebec City will be able to plug into electric dock power by 2027

Peter Black

peterblack@qctonline.com

Ships visiting the Port of Quebec will be able to plug into electrical systems on the docks, under a $55-million project announced last week.

With $22.5 million in funding from the federal government, electrical connection stations are to be installed on three cruise ship piers and two piers where merchant ships dock. The connections are expected to be in service as of 2027.

Federal Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos and Port of Quebec CEO Mario Girard announced the dockside electrification project on Nov. 8.

The Port said it will continue negotiations with the Quebec government to secure the rest of the funding for the project. It’s a major initiative of the Port’s mission to reduce emissions from ships in the port territory by 40 per cent by 2035.

Emissions from ships in port account for more than 80 per cent of greenhouse gases generated by all activity in the port territory, according to the release.

The Port said it is adapting to a trend in the cruise ship industry whereby more than 80 per cent of passenger liners will soon be enabled to connect with electrical stations while docked in port.

In other Port of Quebec news, Girard, portmaster for the past 14 years, is heading for a new posting as delegate general for Quebec in Tokyo, Japan, as of February.

In a separate release, Girard said, “I feel a deep connection and admiration for the committed, dedicated and extremely competent people that made up the Port of Québec staff. I am proud of what we have accomplished.”

Ships in port in Quebec City will be able to plug into electric dock power by 2027 Read More »

With new owners, Medicago building to become life sciences hub

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 12, 2024 / Medicago, Peter Black, Quebec City

With new owners, Medicago building to become life sciences hub

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Quebec City’s notorious “white elephant” of a building is getting a new lease on life.

The giant, brand-new Medicago plant in the Beauport sector has been sold and its new owners plan to transform it into a life sciences industry hub. Under a deal signed in early November, a partnership involving Hugues Harvey, president of real estate specialist HarveyCorp, and Marc Lebel, founder of Anapharm, bought the building for $17.5 million.

In an interview with the QCT, Harvey said the plan is to convert the 700,000 square-foot building into a laboratory space for various companies along the lines of several facilities in Montreal.

Harvey said when the Medicago building came up for sale, it was an obvious opportunity for his company. “When an asset like that comes on the market, most of the time we are the first company brokers are calling to offer the buildings.”

The building became avail- able last year in the wake of Medicago’s failure to capitalize on the race to develop and produce a COVID-19 vaccine.

The company, owned by Japanese pharmaceutical giant Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma, managed to develop an effective plant-based vaccine and had a multi-million dollar supply contract with the Canadian government. The World Health Organization refused to approve the vaccine, however, because of the stake tobacco company Philip Morris had in the project.

Mitsubishi subsequently folded Medicago, a company founded by Quebec researchers, leaving questions about the fate of large government investments in vaccine research and manufacturing.

According to a news release from the new owners, the goal of the project is “to house private companies in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical technology fields, in addition to incubators and non-profit health organizations. Discussions are well underway with several companies that have expressed strong interest in establishing themselves in this new hub.”

Harvey said he can’t disclose which companies are interested but “they are all very happy” about the prospect of being involved in such a cluster of enterprises in the biomedical industry.

He said some parts of the building may already be suitable to welcome tenants, but an examination will be done with architects to determine what conversions for laboratories, cleanrooms and office and industrial spaces will be required.

According to the release, “redevelopment work will begin in early 2025, with the first tenants expected to move into the hub starting in 2026.” Harvey said he expects the creation of the life science hub to unfold over the next five to seven years and create the same kind of synergy as similar clusters in the Montreal area.

The price the partners paid is well below the $47-million current city evaluation of the property. The city had sold the land to Medicago in 2015 for $4.6 million. The cost of building the vaccine facility is estimated at $245 million. Construction started in 2018 and was nearing completion as the pandemic hit and the race was on to develop and produce vaccines.

Harvey said that while no level of government was involved in the purchase of the building, discussions are underway with the provincial and municipal governments about financial assistance.

On that score, Mayor Bruno Marchand issued a statement saying, “I am pleased that the efforts of recent years are bearing fruit. The city will actively support the investments needed to revive activities and stimulate this sector of the city.”

The city councillor for the area, Isabelle Roy, said in an email to the QCT, “This is exciting news! I am pleased by this acquisition by Quebec entrepreneurs, which will allow Quebec to position itself as a hub of excellence in biomedi- cal research and innovation – an asset we can be particularly proud of.”

Roy said she was going to meet with Harvey and Lebel this week “to learn more about their project and the development prospects for the sector. They can, of course, count on my full collaboration.”

Harvey’s company, according to the release, “has developed extensive expertise in building and converting properties into laboratory spaces dedicated to life sciences, with over 500,000 square feet of projects com- pleted since 2019 in this field, valued at over $200 million.”

Lebel founded Quebec City- based Anapharm, a contract scientific research and clinical trials company, in 1994. It has

1,200 employees and sales of $150 million with locations in Quebec City; Trois-Rivières; Montreal; Toronto; Princeton, New Jersey; and Barcelona, Spain.

The partners say the deal also involves other private investors, including François Laflamme, founder of OmegaChem in Lévis. The building is now being called the 2300 D’Estimauville Megacomplex.

With new owners, Medicago building to become life sciences hub Read More »

Partisan data shared with MNA’s office, ethics report finds

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 12, 2024 / Coalition Avenir Québec, provincial politics, Ruby Pratka

Partisan data shared with MNA’s office, ethics report finds

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The riding office of at least one Quebec City-area Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) MNA has access to data showing constituents’ voting tendencies, a report by Quebec Ethics Commissioner Ariane Mignolet has found.

Mignolet launched an investigation into Chauveau MNA Sylvain Lévesque after he was accused of having made “inexact statements” during a separate ethics investigation. That investigation looked into an allegation that an employee in Lévesque’s office had suggested that a constituent attend a $100-per-person cocktail fundraiser to meet Finance Minister Éric Girard.

According to Mignolet’s report, released late last week, Québec Solidaire MNA Vincent Marissal requested an investigation into whether Lévesque’s office violated an ethics code restriction on MNAs using “state resources” for activities not directly linked to their parliamentary duties. During that investigation, Lévesque told Mignolet he had transferred a document to Girard’s office when he hadn’t actually done so, the report states. Although Mignolet’s report cleared Lévesque of the violation Marissal alleged, the ethics com- missioner censured Lévesque for making a false statement. “The evidence shows that [Lévesque] attempted to ob- struct and trick the commissioner in the exercise of her duties,” Mignolet wrote.

All MNAs have office staff who take calls from constituents asking for help accessing community or provincial government services or soliciting support for an organization, event or petition. The guidance staff members offer is free and available to any resident of the MNA’s riding, regardless of citizenship, voter registration or party affiliation. During her investigation, Mignolet found that Lévesque’s office used a software platform called Coaliste to verify callers’ addresses to ensure they lived in his riding.

The same software platform is used in Coalition Avenir Québec campaign efforts. “Since Coaliste is used primarily for electoral purposes, the words ‘sympathizer,’ ‘adversary’ and ‘not marked’ appear in boxes located in each voter’s file. Thus, when processing files, members and their staff have access to partisan information about the people who request their assistance,” Mignolet wrote. “This situation indicates a mixture of genres that contributes to blurring the distinction between partisan activities and activities related to the exercise of the office of MNA.”

The QCT contacted several Quebec City-area CAQ MNAs to inquire whether they used the software. A political attaché for Montmorency MNA Jean-François Simard referred a request for comment to Marc Danis, communications director for government chief whip Mario Laframboise. “No one at the CAQ processes constituent files based on party affiliation,” Danis said. “We have dedicated staff in our riding offices.”

Mona Lechasseur, a spokesperson for Charlesbourg MNA Jonatan Julien, said, “The riding office does not use a categorized list of citizens in the handling of citizens’ inquiries.” Neither Danis nor Lechasseur addressed whether MNAs or their staff had access to the list.

No one at the office of Louis-Hébert MNA Geneviève Guilbault or La Peltrie MNA Éric Caire was available to comment at press time.

Partisan data shared with MNA’s office, ethics report finds Read More »

Quebec City German Christmas Market to return Nov. 21

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 12, 2024 / Quebec City, Ruby Pratka

German Christmas Market returns on Nov. 21

Ruby Pratka

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The sights, sounds and smells of the Quebec City German Christmas Market (Marché de Noël allemand de Québec) will return to Old Quebec on Nov. 21. The market will be spread over six sites – Place D’Youville, the City Hall Gardens, Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Place D’Armes and along Rue Sainte-Anne and Rue Sainte-Famille.

The market sites will come alive with bright lights, live music and several bars and food stands offering local specialties. The Aux Traditions D’Alsace restaurant will also return to the City Hall Gardens. The Bavarian Alphorn Ensemble and the glam-rock-tinged Krampus Fantastischer Wunderfunk will also return, giant marionettes will parade through the streets and Père Noël in person will meet families – and their pets! – in his castle at Place D’Armes.

One of the most noticeable novelties will be a light-and-sound show at nightfall using several towering live fir trees as a backdrop, accompanied by recorded Orchestre symphonique de Québec performances of holiday pieces, selected and directed by the orchestra’s German-born director, Clemens Schuldt, which longtime Christmas Market director Olivia Lexhaller, also originally from Germany, called “a really cool collaboration.”

“A few steps away, on Rue Sainte-Famille, [are] charming stained glass cuckoo clocks, backlit and installed on the roofs of the cabins: a typical element of the German Black Forest, reinterpreted in the Quebec style with birds from our region,” Lexhaller added in a statement. The market will also contribute to a neighbourhood-wide holiday light display stretching from Rue Saint-Jean to Rue du Sault-au-Matelot in Petit-Champlain. “Along this route, some commercial windows in Old Quebec, Rue Saint-Jean and Côte de la Fabrique, will come alive with a collection of Christmas automatons, brought directly from Europe,” the statement said.

A record number of 125 exhibitors will offer tasty treats, imported European products and local gift ideas. Access to the sites is free.

“Make it yours, bring your friends, do your office 5 à 7s here, everyone will find something they like,” Lexhaller told the QCT. “It’s a warm, festive ambiance. “

The market’s modest origins 17 years ago have become part of Quebec City’s own Christmas lore. “This is not how we started at all … we started with about 12 German immigrants saying we wanted to get together and eat gingerbread and drink mulled wine and enjoy our traditions at Christmas,” said Lexhaller. “We did it one afternoon at a church in Sillery and there was a line out the door. The following year, we got a little more organized; we talked to [Peter] Simons, who opened the door of the mayor’s office, and we saw the political will the city had [to plan more winter activities]. The stars aligned, and now we can say, wow, we’re a big city event. We take a lot of pride in it, and we’re so grateful.” The market now draws tens of thousands of people each year, about 30 per cent of whom are tourists. The director, who works for the market year round, said she was most looking forward to the smells and tastes of the Christmas market. “There’s something for all the senses, and there are smells and flavours you can only find there once a year.”

Visit mnaq.ca/en for detailed programming information.

Quebec City German Christmas Market to return Nov. 21 Read More »

Santa Claus will be coming to town with the 23rd Parade des Jouets

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, Joujouthèque Basse-Ville, Parade des Jouets, Quebec City

Santa Claus will be coming to town with the 23rd Parade des Jouets

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Christmas is fast approaching, and it’s already almost time for the 23rd annual Parade des Jouets (Toy Parade). In the spirit of Christmas, anyone can bring letters to Santa and new or gently used toys to the parade on Saturday, Nov. 9, starting at 2:30 p.m. The parade will kick off in Charlesbourg and continue to ExpoCité.

With help from Les Ateliers Balthazar, Santa Claus thought of a new theme for this year’s parade. He asked all the inhab- itants of the North Pole – elves, snowmen, animals and mythical creatures – to complete the 12 Labours of Christmas. With their help, Santa Claus will show children that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. Spectators along the parade route will marvel at the 15 decorated floats and the 325 costumed performers.

Children can bring their letters to Santa Claus; Canada Post employees will collect them and deliver them to the North Pole in time for Christmas. Santa Claus will, of course, reply.

Starting at 52e Rue in Charlesbourg and making its way down 1ère Avenue to ExpoCité, the parade will be a magical mobile bubble. Children and families can donate good-quality new or used toys to make the holidays more festive for families in need. (Stuffed toys are not accepted this year.) “We will give some of the toys collected to six organizations helping 1,000 children,” said Marie-Anne Comtois of the Joujouthèque Basse-Ville. “Since last year, we have divided the toys into categories. For example, we group all the puzzles, Lego, board games and dolls. It makes the work of the organizations much easier.” The Joujouthèque toy library, with its 545 subscribers and about 900 monthly rentals, will draw on this collection to renew its toy bank.

To help fund the free annual parade, parents can purchase 50/50 tickets for the Christmas Stocking Draw. Tickets are available online (paradedesjouets.ca) and will be sold during the parade until 5 p.m.

The parade route ends at Place Jean-Béliveau, where temporary bleachers have been installed. For $21.14, people can purchase VIP tickets online (paradedesjouets.ca or lepointdevente.com) giving them access to 90 more minutes of entertainment and gifts from Chocolats Favoris. “With the pandemic, we had to reinvent ourselves. The happening at the end of the parade is extraordinary. It’s full of people, it’s moving, and even if the weather isn’t nice, everyone has fun – and for it to work, we need and are thankful for our financial partners and 425 volunteers,” said Pierre Dolbec, chair of the parade’s board of directors.

Santa Claus will be coming to town with the 23rd Parade des Jouets Read More »

Quebec pays $2.2 million to help decontaminate Îlot Dorchester site

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / housing, Peter Black, Quebec City

Quebec pays $2.2 million to help decontaminate Îlot Dorchester site

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The Quebec government is contributing more than $2.2 million to decontaminate Îlot Dorchester in Saint-Roch, in preparation for the presumed construction next year of a major residential and commercial development.

Jonatan Julien, the minis- ter for infrastructure and for the capital region, made the announcement Oct. 28, on be- half of Environment Minister Benoit Charette.

The contribution comes from the ClimatSol program fund, dedicated to decontaminating urban sites, particularly ones suitable for redevelopment.

Frédéric Fournier, a spokesperson for Charette, explained in an email to the QCT that the Quebec government’s contribution amounts to 25 per cent of the estimated cost of the decontamination of the site, owned by developers Groupe Trudel.

“Groupe Trudel pays all costs and ClimatSol reimburses a portion of them according to the terms of the program. The reimbursement by the program for rehabilitation is 25 per cent of the total costs, so Groupe Trudel assumes 75 per cent of the costs,” Fournier explained. Based on that calculation, the total cost of decontaminating the site, bordered by Boul. Dorchester, Rue Saint-Vallier, Rue Caron and Rue Sainte-Hélène, would run approximately $10 million.

The overall budget for Trudel’s Îlot Dorchester project is estimated at $300 million. Plans call for a 20-storey hotel and four other buildings with some 400 housing units and commercial space, including a large grocery store.

In a news release, Charette said, “Supporting contaminated land rehabilitation projects is an important lever for sustainable and economic development for our cities and municipalities. In addition to reducing risks to human health and the environment, soil treatment helps revitalize sectors.”

Mayor Bruno Marchand said, “The Dorchester block has extraordinary development potential. Located in the heart of Lower Town, this site, which currently houses an open-air parking lot, will allow us to increase the supply of residential housing, commercial proximity and services in the Saint-Roch district, in addition to participating in greening and tree planting efforts.”

Îlot Dorchester – Dorchester Block, in English – has had many uses over the years, from farms to shipbuilding manufacturers to shoe factories. The zone has been known for its leather tanning industry.

In the 1970s, according to a city history of the neighbour- hood, buildings were demolished to make way for a central bus station. Eventually, all the buildings on the site were removed and it has been a parking lot for many years, with periodic plans by owners to redevelop the 100,000-square- foot property.

Groupe Trudel had managed the parking lot for the consortium that owned the land until it purchased the site in 2022.

The company has been conducting an architectural dig of the site for the past several weeks. The project is a voluntary effort by the owners and not required by the city. Trudel spokesperson David Chabot told Radio-Canada that artifacts unearthed by the dig might be displayed in the future buildings on the site.

Chabot told the QCT in a previous interview decontamination work would begin in the new year and construction would start in the spring when the ground thaws.

Quebec pays $2.2 million to help decontaminate Îlot Dorchester site Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: Anti-tram mayor would be ‘catastrophe’: Duclos

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / Bruno Marchand, federal politics, Jean-Yves Duclos, Peter Black, Quebec City, Sam Hamad, Tramway de Québec

TRAM TRACKER

Anti-tram mayor would be ‘catastrophe’: Duclos

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

With the next municipal election still a year away, Jean-Yves Duclos, the MP for the downtown riding of Québec and minister of public services and procurement, is warning that an anti-tramway mayor for Quebec City would be a “catastrophe.”

Speaking with reporters at an event on Nov. 1 in Quebec City, Duclos said, “It would be a disaster for Quebec City to deprive itself of money from the Canadian government.”

Duclos was responding to questions about a recent Le Soleil poll that shows support for Mayor Bruno Marchand and the tramway project slumping. The survey found 40 per cent of the sample of 514 online respondents supported the tramway, a drop of five points since a similar poll in June.

Marchand’s approval rating similarly has dropped to 38 per cent, a decline of seven points.

Duclos, who is also the federal Liberals’ Quebec lieutenant, said, “We’ll see what people want to decide, but I think it would be a disaster for Quebec City to miss its chance. We’re already behind all the other comparable cities in Canada. We have the chance to catch up.”

The federal government has already committed $1.3 billion to the initial tramway project and has promised to chip in more with the added costs of the project as proposed in June by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec Infra.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said last week on social media if he becomes prime minister he would not invest in the tramway project but rather the “third link” across the St. Lawrence River the Quebec government is proposing.

Duclos said Poilievre “is misleading the people of Quebec City by making them believe that he could use the tramway money to invest in a third link.”

Marchand and his Québec Forte et Fière party took over the tramway project from the administration of Régis Labeaume when he won the 2021 election. Nineteen of the city’s 21 councillors are from parties that support the tramway, with the two-person Équipe priorité Québec caucus the only outliers. Former Quebec Liberal minister Sam Hamad, who is considering a mayoral bid, has said there are too many questions about the tramway for him to support it.

TRAM TRACKER: Anti-tram mayor would be ‘catastrophe’: Duclos Read More »

City to auction dozens of properties for unpaid taxes

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City

City to auction dozens of properties for unpaid taxes

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The clock is ticking down for property owners who have not paid their municipal taxes to save their property from going on the auction block.

Last week, the city published a list of several hundred properties whose taxes have been in arrears since Jan. 1. Under the Cities and Towns Act, the properties will be put up for sale to reclaim the unpaid amounts.

An auction is scheduled for the morning of Nov. 27 at the Andrée-P.-Boucher building on Route de l’Église. Interested purchasers must sign up in person on the day of the auction.

Although the list is a lengthy one, city spokesperson Wendy Whittom said many owners pay up before the deadline. “It is worth noting that the treasurer’s list is becoming much shorter as the people concerned pay the taxes due. So, in September, the list has several hundred properties for sale, and there will only be a few dozen left on the day of the sale.”

The properties listed are in all parts of the city and all property types, from apartment buildings to vacant land. There are even a few on Grande Allée.

The list of properties destined for auction from the 2023 tax year published last week does not contain the amount of tax owed. However, the list from the previous year does list the amounts, which range from several hundred thousand dollars to smaller amounts under $500.

The failure to pay the “welcome tax” can also result in a property being put up for sale by the city. The same goes for school taxes.

Whittom said the volume of properties risking default this year is about the same as previous years. She said properties not sold at auction remain the property of the owner and the unpaid taxes remain due.

Several on the 2023 list have arrears dating back two or three years.

Whittom said the city “may take other steps provided for in the Cities and Towns Act to force payment of unpaid taxes.”

Successful bidders for properties must prove they have paid the taxes owing plus other taxes pending and then wait a year for a deed of sale.

City to auction dozens of properties for unpaid taxes Read More »

Francisation courses cut in Lévis as Duclos raises funding questions

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / francisation, immigration, Jean-François Roberge, Jean-Yves Duclos, Lévis, Ruby Pratka

Francisation courses cut in Lévis as Duclos raises funding questions

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The subsidized French classes offered at the Des Navigateurs adult education centre (CEAN) in Lévis have become the latest casualty of a dispute over funding between the Quebec government and several school boards and service centres which offer the courses, known as francisation.

The courses are funded by the Ministry of Immigration, Francisation and Integration (MIFI) through the Ministry of Education and Higher Learning (MEES). The Centre des services scolaire des Navigateurs (CSSDN), which oversees the Lévis program, said in a statement that the program had received funding for the 2024-25 school year based on enrolment numbers from 2020-21, Enrolment numbers were far lower that year, owing to the fact that pandemic-era border restrictions had drastically reduced immigration, and classes at the time were still reserved for recent immigrants.

Like several of its counterparts in other regions, the CSSDN planned on the basis of current demand and hit a funding wall. More than 300 students were enrolled in francisation classes at CEAN this fall. As of this week, “two groups, about 30 learners, will receive training from now until June 2025,” the statement said. The other students will be placed on waiting lists.

The Centre de services scolaire (CSS) de la Capi- tale, which covers much of Quebec City, and the CSS des Découvreurs, in Sainte-Foy, announced similar cuts last week. According to teachers’ union representatives, similar cuts have taken place in the Montreal region, in the Eastern Townships, in the Lower St. Lawrence and in Abitibi, with the loss of dozens of jobs and hundreds of classroom places. The Quebec Liberal Party has called for Commissioner for the French Language Benoit Dubreuil to lead an inquiry into the cuts, arguing that Quebec is “breaking a moral contract” with newcomers.

“We are going to announce openings and increases in course offerings in the coming weeks, in the coming months,” Roberge told MNAs at the National Assembly on Oct. 30, without providing specifics.

Brian Gignac is the executive director of the Megan- tic Community Development Corporation (MCDC), a community organization which supports anglophones in the greater Lévis and Thetford Mines areas. “I think when the government starts cutting in certain regions, it was inevitable for this to happen in Lévis. Unfortunately, new- comers are left on their own,” he told the QCT. “From what we’re hearing, newcomers are extremely reliant on these classes … you might be one of the 30 people lucky enough to continue. If not, good luck. There have been a lot of people coming here for work over the years, and that’s a major blow to their whole integration.”

Gignac and South Shore English Network community development co-ordinator Olena Peleshok, herself a recent arrival from British Columbia who has benefited from francisation classes, said the classes were an important stepping stone into the labour market and into Quebec society, enabling newcomers to get jobs, make friends and communicate with their children’s teachers. They also were worried that the abrupt end to classes made it harder for families to plan.

“Now everyone’s just taking stock of what happened. … Will other groups be able to dispense the classes? How will everything be reorganized? I think it’s going to take maybe a few days or even weeks before we have clearer indications of what’s the path forward from now on,” Gignac said.

Duclos wonders where federal funding went

Early last week, Québec MP Jean-Yves Duclos wrote to Minister for the French Language Jean-François Roberge to formally ask how $775 million in federal funding for immigration and integration in Quebec had been spent.

“We sent $775 million, and the ministry invested $475 million, including $104 million in francisation,” Duclos told the QCT. “There’s a difference between $104 million and $775 million. … We continue to trust the Quebec government with these funds, but when we see classes closing, teachers being laid off and programs being interrupted, we ask questions and we don’t get answers.”

Roberge accused Duclos in a statement of “taking shortcuts that don’t help anyone.

“The real problem is the loss of control at our borders by the federal government. There are too many asylum seekers in Quebec,” Roberge wrote on so- cial media. “The costs involved are immense: health care, education, last-resort assis- tance, housing allowance, food assistance, legal aid, to name a few. Mr. Duclos should start by talking to his colleague [federal immigration minister] Marc Miller so that the $750 million promised by Justin Trudeau in June to compensate [the costs engendered by] asylum seekers is paid. The reality is that we have never invested so much in francisation.”

Duclos acknowledged that Quebec had received more than its share of asylum seekers in recent years, but said the proportion of asylum seekers in the province had dropped in 2024. “It’s normal that the Quebec government is asking for more, but we still signed an agreement for $750 million,” Duclos said, adding that asylum seekers “may need help [in the beginning] but in a few weeks, they find a job and feed their family and pay taxes like everyone else.”

No one from Miller’s office was immediately available to comment.

Francisation courses cut in Lévis as Duclos raises funding questions Read More »

Quebec freezes two popular immigration programs

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / immigration, Ruby Pratka

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

On Oct. 31, Quebec Minister of Immigration, Francisation and Integration Jean-François Roberge announced an eight- month moratorium on two popular programs aimed at giving skilled workers and foreign graduates of Quebec universities a pathway to permanent residence and eventual Canadian citizenship.

At a press conference where he tabled the province’s 2025 immigration plan, Roberge announced that no applications for a Quebec selection certificate (CSQ) through Quebec’s regular skilled worker program (known by its French acronym PRTQ) or for the Quebec Experience Program for recent graduates of Quebec universities (known as the PEQ-Diplômés) would be accepted until June 30, 2025. Immigrants living in Quebec who want to apply for permanent residency – a prerequisite for citizenship – must first have a CSQ issued by the Quebec government.

A spokesperson later clarified that applications submitted before Oct. 31 would be processed; 3,090 applications for the PEQ-Diplômés and 9,261 applications for the PRTQ were being processed as of Oct. 1.

The moratorium, coming a few weeks after the government voted to give itself additional powers over im- migration, “gives us room to manoeuvre to carry out a thorough reflection for the next im- migration plan,” Roberge said. He also said the freeze would allow Quebec to keep the num-

ber of permanent immigrants for 2025 “controlled, at around 64,000 people,” adding, “If we hadn’t taken this courageous decision, it would have been around 70,000.”

Employers’ groups and groups advocating for foreign students reacted with alarm. “The issue of labour shortages is still a reality that is holding businesses back,” said Fran- çois Vincent, vice-president for Quebec at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “The lack of qualified employees is the number one obstacle to sales and produc- tion for small- and medium- sized businesses.”

“It’s true that we are facing pressure on housing and that it’s appropriate to adapt im- migration to the needs of the labour market,” Vincent went on. “However, given Quebec’s demographic profile and the need for labour, hasty decisions

that significantly reduce the level of immigration will leave their mark. There will be nega- tive impacts for employers, employers and the regional economy.”

Le Québec, c’est nous aussi (LQNA; “We too are Quebec”), a provincewide youth-led immigrant rights group, ex- pressed its “profound worry.”

“To be eligible for either of these programs, a person needs to show a certain level of French proficiency. Those who are eligible for the PEQ- Diplômés program, by defini- tion, are already in Quebec and have obtained a diploma from a Quebec post-secondary institu- tion. This freeze [is not] an ef- ficient measure to counteract the so-called pressure put on the system by immigrants. It … brutally slams the door on a number of workers already established in Quebec,” LQNA said in a statement.

“The announcement of the suspension of the [PEQ-Diplô- més program] sows concern within our international stu- dent community and raises many questions,” Jérôme Pel- letier, a spokesperson for Uni- versité Laval, told the QCT. “We hope this program will be put back in place as soon as pos- sible so people trained in our universities can contribute to the development of Quebec. A number of students choose to study at Laval in hopes of stay- ing here, and choose Quebec City and Laval because of the PEQ.”

The staff of federal MPs pro- vide free guidance to residents of their ridings who have immi- gration questions and are often the first stop for immigrants worried about their status or that of a family member. Québec MP Jean-Yves Duclos acknowledged the moratorium was “their [the Quebec govern-

ment’s] decision,” but said his staff was “hearing a lot of worries from people who want to make their lives here, who learned French, whose kids go to school here, who have good careers. They don’t know what to do. … We don’t really have a reassuring answer.”

Opposition parties panned the decision, with interim Quebec Liberal Leader Marc Tanguay saying it would deter talented foreign workers and Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, whose party has called for a target as low as 35,000, saying Roberge has “lost control of his targets.”

“Whatever we do in immi- gration, there will be people telling us we are welcoming too many and people telling us we aren’t welcoming enough, and that’s always how it will be, because we’re not extremists,” Roberge told reporters.

Quebec freezes two popular immigration programs Read More »

Bonhomme Carnaval opens his Winter Beach starting Dec. 21

QCNA NEWS / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / Carnaval de Québec, Cassandra Kerwin, Quebec City, tourism

Bonhomme Carnaval opens his Winter Beach starting Dec. 21

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Even though summer is over, it will soon be time to go to the beach! That’s right! Bonhomme Carnaval is inviting everyone to join him at his Gougoune & Doudoune Winter Beach behind Espace Quatre Cents at 100 Quai Saint-André.

Bonhomme will open the frosty festivities here as early as Dec. 21.

People can once again attempt to conquer the climbable giant iced polar bear, slide down the Blizz Slide, jump into the giant ball pool, try out the snow racer tri-ski trail, or compete in the ice canoe races (weather permitting). There will also be family activities such as mini-golf, beanbag games, snowboard swings and a small obstacle course.

“Even though this event is a production of the Ateliers du Carnaval, it is not part of the 71st Winter Carnival, from Feb. 7 to 16,” said Marie-Ève Jacob, executive director of the Quebec Winter Carnival. This means that the effigie does not give access to the activities. Daily passes cost $15 plus taxes for children (12 and under) and $25 plus taxes for adults; and season passes cost $54 plus taxes for children (12 and under) and $79 plus taxes for adults.

“Our objective is to offer winter activities while waiting for the carnival to start,” said Jacob. “We want to enrich and liven up the city in December and January by offering locals and tourists a new attraction over a long period. It helps that the site is near the popular tourist areas of Place Royale and Quartier Petit Champlain. We are even setting up a shuttle service to get from major tourist areas including the German Christmas Market in Upper Town to our site. The schedule is yet to be finalized.”

The site will be open throughout the holiday season, including on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, on all weekends from Jan. 11 to Feb. 5, and throughout Winter Carnival (Feb. 7 to 16).

For more information, visit carnaval.qc.ca.

Bonhomme Carnaval opens his Winter Beach starting Dec. 21 Read More »

“Would you sleep here?” Lauberivière asks

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / homelessness, Quebec City, Ruby Pratka

‘Would you sleep here?’ Lauberivière asks

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

A question has begun popping up in unexpected places around Quebec City – “Dormiriez-vous ici?” (“Would you sleep here?”) The stencilled messages, in parking lots, public squares and doorways across the city, are part of a campaign by Lauberivière to get more people to put themselves in the shoes of a person experiencing homelessness and support the homeless shelter with financial and in-kind donations.

“More than ever, the shortage of affordable and accessible housing is exacerbating the housing crisis, putting a growing number of people at risk of homelessness. In this context, Lauberivière plays a vital role by providing not only a roof over their heads, but also vital support to those who need it most. Each year, the organization provides more than 45,000 overnight stays to approximately 2,500 different people, and the needs continue to grow,” said Éric Boulay, the longtime executive director and self-described “innkeeper” of Lauberivière.

The shelter in Saint-Roch has 131 beds, which may be used by two or three people sleeping in shifts on any given day, 18 medium-term housing units and a separate facility for intoxicated people who need to “dry out.” It also offers a soup kitchen, a day centre and money management and job search assistance for people coming out of homelessness.

“This year, three out of four people who came through our doors were experiencing homelessness for the first time. This shows how the housing crisis and economic precariousness are affecting more and more people. Lauberivière is here to offer shelter, but also to accompany anyone who needs it. Our greatest desire will always be to make the first time the last,” Boulay said. “We have more tools to help people than we did 26 years ago when I started, but the social safety net is weaker, people’s purchasing power is weaker, we’ve talked a lot about the housing crisis. When you’re anxious about being able to fulfil your basic needs … you’re vulnerable. When you’re vulnerable, when you hit a wall, a challenge – a lost job, a breakup, a major change, having to move because you’ve been renovicted, it’s harder, because you don’t have as many tools to pick yourself up. We used to say people [experiencing homelessness] might have made bad choices, but now, even if you make the best choices possible, there’s no guarantee you won’t end up at Lauberivère.”

Boulay also said he has seen “really difficult, complex situations” that people managed to overcome, with help, to get their own apartments. “I still have hope, but what I find unfortunate is that we don’t do enough prevention.” Economic uncertainty and the fact that it’s increasingly difficult to get medical care and mental health support through the public health care system make prevention harder to access, he said.

“Our staff can help a person find housing, but if they can’t find housing, then they’re going to stick around here,” he added.

Boulay said he hoped the campaign, which aims to raise $1.4 million for the shelter’s core programs, would persuade people to “contribute to the safety net” which they or their loved ones might eventually rely on.

To make a financial donation, visit the Lauberivière website at lauberiviere.org. To volunteer or make an in-kind donation, call 418-694-9316. Boulay anticipates that the need for volunteers will be greater after the holidays.

“Would you sleep here?” Lauberivière asks Read More »

English speakers still face barriers to labour market, report finds

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / November 5, 2024 / Capitale-Nationale, Employment, Provincial Employment Roundtable, Ruby Pratka

English speakers still face barriers to labour market, report finds

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

English speakers in the Capitale-Nationale region lag behind their francophone counterparts in terms of average income, employment and full-time employment, a recent report by the Provincial Employment Round Table (PERT) has found.

Capitale-Nationale encompasses Quebec City and the surrounding rural regions – Charlevoix, Côte-de-Beaupré, Île d’Orléans, La Jacques-Cartier and Portneuf. There are just under 18,000 anglophones living in Capitale-Nationale, about 2.3 per cent of the region’s population. While there are small pockets of English speakers across the region, particularly in La Jacques-Cartier, which includes Shannon and Saint-Gabriel-de- Valcartier, most anglophones (nearly 15,000) live in the Quebec City area.

The report, released at an online event Oct. 30 and based on 2021 census data, provincial government statistics and more recent information gathered from interviews and focus groups, indicates that the unemployment rate among anglophones in the region is 9 per cent, compared to 6.7 per cent for francophones, and anglophones earn a median after-tax income of $36,800 compared to $39,200 for francophones. About 10 per cent of anglophones earn less than the provincial low-income cutoff, compared to five per cent of francophones. Anglophones are less likely to work full time and less likely to hold permanent jobs – 68.2 per cent of anglophone workers hold permanent positions compared to 74.8 per cent of francophones. Both groups have similar age and gender profiles and similar levels of educational attainment – the proportion of anglophones with a high school diploma (90.7 per cent) or a postsecondary degree (70.2 per cent) is slightly higher than that for francophones (86.8 per cent and 66.2 per cent respectively). Anglophones in the region are significantly more likely to be bilingual than their francophone counterparts – 84.6 per cent compared to just under 45 per cent.

“A significant concern among participants from Capitale-Nationale was the misalignment between the competencies and educational attainment of English speakers in the region and the jobs they work in. Participants described the issue of highly qualified English speakers who end up working in jobs for which they are overqualified or mismatched … often unrelated to the industry in which they are formally trained, owing to the difficulty of having their qualifications recognized or a French language barrier,” the report’s authors added.

No shortage of will, but a lack of opportunities

In focus groups of anglophones convened by PERT, participants stressed the need for accessible French-language training adapted to the workplace, initiatives to build up anglophones’ confidence in their French skills and more vocational training opportunities, PERT research lead Morgan Gagnon explained. They also described challenges with international credential recognition and a lack of support for English-speaking job seekers. English-speaking youth faced a particularly high unemployment rate (14.7 per cent), raising fears of “brain drain.”

Gagnon said the recent cuts to government-subsidized French language learning pro- grams in Quebec City, Loretteville and Lévis (see article in this edition) were “definitely concerning.”

PERT announced two new programs to support English speakers in the workplace – a bilingual mentorship program aimed at improving workers’ and job seekers’ French language skills and confidence and a support program for employers who want to launch or improve workplace French- language training programs in partnership with the provincial Secretariat for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers.

“We’re hoping the government can find a solution to improve and maintain access to classes through Francisation Québec, but we’re hoping that these two programs, though relatively small in the grand scheme of things, can help mitigate the loss of that resource,” said Gagnon.

English speakers still face barriers to labour market, report finds Read More »

Targeted by tramway, elm tree ‘Raymond’ falls to disease

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 30, 2024 / Environment, Peter Black, Quebec City, Tramway de Québec

Targeted by tramway, elm tree ‘Raymond’ falls to disease

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

“Raymond,” a tree that became emblematic of the fight against Quebec City’s tramway project, was cut down last week, a victim of Dutch elm disease.

The tree, estimated to be at least 100 years old, stood at the northeast corner of the inter- section of Ave. de Bougainville and Boul. René-Lévesque until a forestry crew took him down, branch by branch.

The elm was named Ray- mond by local resident and tramway opponent Gaetan Nadeau, who in spring 2022 affixed a sign to the tree saying “Sauvons Raymond” as well as another sign saying “Tramway au milieu de René Lévesque? Super! Pourquoi donc me couper, tuer, moi?? 102 ans…” (Tramway in the middle of René-Lévesque? Super! Why cut me, kill me? 102 years…)

Nadeau had also erected on the corner a billboard with a photo of the tramway in Montpellier, France, where trees are allowed to grow less than two metres from the tram tracks.

Quebec City’s tramway plan, however, does call for the removal of a certain number of trees along Boul. René- Lévesque, and Raymond was indeed on the execution list.

City spokesperson Wendy Whittom told the QCT, “Unfortunately, that tree was meant to be cut one way or another.”

Raymond is one of 12 ash and elm trees the city has identified on Boul. René-Lévesque and Chemin des Quatre-Bourgeois to be taken down over the next few weeks. All were terminally afflicted with emerald ash borer infestations or Dutch elm disease. Pruning work is also being done on some ailing maple trees in the city.

Whittom said, “Fortunately, each tree will be replaced by another species that is more resilient in an urban context and more immune to insects and diseases.”

The city plans to plant some 130,000 new trees by 2029.

In announcing the program to cut the diseased trees, the city also notified residents who have trees affected by emerald ash borer infestations or Dutch elm disease “to plan now for the removal of their trees to avoid further decline.”

The city offers a grant of up to $2,000 or about half the cost of removing diseased ash or elm trees and disposing of the wood.

Targeted by tramway, elm tree ‘Raymond’ falls to disease Read More »

Duclos slams Tory MP who wanted English answer in Commons

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 30, 2024 / federal politics, Jean-Yves Duclos, Peter Black

Duclos slams Tory MP who wanted English answer in Commons

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Calling it “an insult to all francophone members of the House, including the Conservative members opposite,” Liberal MP for Québec and minister Jean-Yves Duclos demanded that a Tory MP apologize for asking him to answer a question in English.

The episode erupted during question period on Oct. 24, when Larry Brock, the MP for the Ontario riding of Brantford–Brant, asked Duclos, the minister of public services and procurement and Quebec political lieutenant, about contracts to a company he claimed were corrupt.

Duclos replied in French, saying, “I am going to say something in French that my colleague has already heard several times in English,” asserting that the auditor general and RCMP are independent and “doing their job” to investigate allegations about the contracts.

When Brock replied, saying, “My question is in English, but I digress,” there was an outburst in the House that Speaker Greg Fergus tried repeatedly to quell, reminding members, “It is a very important and basic fact here that questions can be asked in English or in French and that questions can be answered in English or in French.”

Conservative MP for Lévis–Lotbinière Jacques Gourde followed up Brock’s question with one in French, to which Duclos replied, “I want to congratulate my colleague on asking his question in French. He could have asked it in English because in the House we are free to speak either of the two official languages. I would like to invite his colleague [Brock] to apologize for asking me to answer his question in English.”

Afterwards, Duclos posted the video from the exchange on X, saying, “A francophone should never have to apologize for speaking French in Ottawa. I invite my opposition colleague to retract his statement, quickly.”

Fellow minister Pascale St-Onge reposted Duclos’ message, saying, “Bilingualism is a fundamental principle of our country. We have the right to express ourselves in the language of our choice. Disappointed, but not surprised that another Conservative MP has shown no regard for francophones.”

St-Onge was alluding to an incident in April when Tory MP Rachel Thomas asked the heritage minister to answer a question in English at a Parliamentary committee.

Brock issued an apology on X “for the comments I made dur- ing Question Period … Every member of Parliament has the right to express themselves in the official language of their choice and my comment was inappropriate.”

The Liberal Party of Canada followed up with its post on X: “Liberals will always de- fend bilingualism in Canada – whether the Conservatives like it or not.”

Duclos slams Tory MP who wanted English answer in Commons Read More »

National history museum project voted into law

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 30, 2024 / Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, First Nations Education Council, Indigenous, Institut Tshakapesh, Musée des civilisations, National History Museum of Quebec, Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network, Quebec City, Quebec English-speaking Communities Research Network, Ruby Pratka

National museum project voted into law

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

A third major museum will open in Quebec City in spring 2026 if all goes according to the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government’s current plans. The Musée national d’histoire du Québec will open in the Camille-Roy Pavilion of the Séminaire du Québec, near the Notre-Dame-de- Québec Basilica-Cathedral.

Premier François Legault and Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe announced the project at the Musée de la Civilisation du Québec (MCQ) in April. At the time, Legault said the new museum would trace the story of the Quebec nation “from the First Nations, who were here before us and helped us” to the present day.

The project, which was voted into law by the National Assembly earlier this month, initially drew criticism from Indigenous and anglophone groups for its focus on white, French-Canadian historical perspectives.

However, after 14 hours of hearings in front of the National Assembly standing committee on culture and education, First Nations Education Council (FNEC) executive director Denis Gros-Louis said he believes “we got the train back on track.”

The FNEC, the Assembly of First Nations Quebec–Labrador (AFNQL) and the Institut Tshakapesh submitted a joint brief laying out recommendations for how the project could better incorporate Indigenous perspectives. CEPN representatives also testified before the committee last month.

The brief called on the committee to ensure that Indigenous perspectives, educational approaches and artifact conservation practices were built into the project and that Indigenous groups were regularly consulted.

“There were 14 hours of discussion before the committee and in 10 of those hours, First Nations and Inuit issues were discussed at some point,” Gros- Louis said.

“We [the CEPN, the APNQL and the Institut Tshakapesh] have always worked together to make sure that teachers have access to relevant content [about Indigenous people] because the content [in textbooks] is old and clichéd. It’s our main purpose to make sure things are well thought out and relevant.” Gros-Louis said he believes the Indigenous groups’ recommendations “will be part of the DNA of the project.”

He said he saw the museum as “a great opportunity to talk about [Indigenous] teachings and spirituality and ceremonies … where does the word Quebec come from? What does it mean when someone says they are from a clan? We have had great political leaders, and artists, and major achievements, like how we got our own schools back [after the residential school era]. We want [museum goers] to see Indigenous people as coming from a different culture and language, [but] not as UFOs or as a threat to the [Quebec] nation.”

The Quebec English-speaking Communities Research Network (QUESCREN) and the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN) also submitted memoranda, although neither was asked to speak before the committee. “Given our preoccupations, we thought it was really important to ensure that the notion of the Quebec nation, or let’s say the collectivity of Quebec, include realities of English-speaking Quebecers, among others,” said Concordia University historian and QUESCREN co-ordinator Lorraine O’Donnell. In the group’s memorandum, co-authored by O’Donnell and fellow historian Patrick Donovan, they noted that one in five Quebecers speaks English at home and the English presence in Quebec dates back to 1668. They called on the government to go beyond stereotype-driven “tokenism” when telling the stories of English-speaking Quebecers and their interactions with the francophone majority and other groups.

“English speakers are often reduced to the image of a minority of conquerors and privileged people. Although there was indeed a small English-speaking elite holding a dispro- portionate share of power, the majority of English-speaking Quebecers are descendants of immigrants from modest origins who arrived well after the conquest of 1759,” they added. Like Gros-Louis, they said they saw the project as an opportunity to improve mutual understanding.

“I’m confident that at the very least, [committee members] took note of the fact that our brief was submitted and took a look at it,” O’Donnell added, saying it was “heartening” to see that groups like the Fédération d’Histoire du Québec had also called for improved representation of minority groups.

The MCQ is expected to play a central role in the development of the new museum; no one there was immediately available to comment.

National history museum project voted into law Read More »

Firefighters’ union rejects proposed collective agreement

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 30, 2024 / labour, labour unions, Quebec City, Quebec City fire department, Ruby Pratka

Firefighters’ union rejects proposed collective agreement

Ruby Pratka

editor@qctonline.com

Representatives of Quebec City’s firefighters’ union and city officials will return to the negotiating table after 75.6 per cent of union members rejected a proposed collective agreement on Oct. 22.

“This result is not a surprise for our organization, which had taken stock of the concerns and expectations expressed by its members throughout the negotiation process,” union representatives said in a statement. “During the consultations, it became clear that several major issues, both in terms of working conditions and salary and regulatory aspects, had not found satisfactory answers. Our members expressed their desire to see significant changes, and this refusal reflects their determination to obtain conditions that meet their expectations and needs.”

“We fully respect the decision of our members, which demonstrates the importance of the unresolved issues in this agreement,” said Alexandre Arturi, president of the Association des pompiers professionnels du Québec (APPQ), which represents about 500 firefighters, fire prevention specialists, dispatchers, in- structors and communications staff serving in the Service de protection contre l’incendie de Québec (SPCIQ; Quebec City fire department). “This vote sends a clear message: we must return to the negotiating table with the objective of obtaining concrete and lasting changes for all of our members.”

The APPQ “remains determined to continue discussions with the relevant bodies, with the same rigour and determination, in order to reach an agreement that meets the legitimate expectations of its members,” the statement said. “We hope this vote will be an opportunity for all parties to engage in a constructive and solution-oriented dialogue that reflects the realities on the ground. We would like to highlight the commitment and mobilization of our members throughout this process and assure them that their voices will continue to be heard in the coming proceedings.”

Under the Quebec labour code, it is illegal for municipal fire or police departments to strike; it’s also illegal for municipalities to lock out police or fire departments during labour disputes. The QCT was not able to obtain clear answers on what pressure tactics are available to firefighters in the event of a labour disagreement.

“In this context, [the Ville de Québec] will have to initiate the mediation process provided for by the law, despite the fact that the monetary and working conditions offered were, in our opinion, more than interesting,” city spokesperson François Moisan said in a brief statement.

Neither city officials nor APPQ representatives commented further, citing the ongoing negotiations.

Firefighters’ union rejects proposed collective agreement Read More »

CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence holds first TEDx Talk

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 30, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence, Education

CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence holds its first TEDx talk

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

CEGEP student Tristan Massicotte brought TEDx to CEGEP Champlain–St. Lawrence. Under his guidance, on Oct. 24, nine students and two guest speakers gave presentations on the theme of “What’s Next?” For nearly two and a half hours, they touched on the future of cancer research, genomics, technology, population growth, the Arctic, geopolitics, the psychology of good, rethinking work culture, adaptability, entrepreneurship and dance.

Over the past 40 years, experts in various fields have given over 44,000 conferences and lectures under the banner of TED (Technology, Entertain- ment, Design) or TEDx about recent developments in business, science and global issues, many of which are available on YouTube.

Inspired by his own TEDx Talk when he was 12, Massicotte organized one for his fellow students, along with class- mate Louis Théoret. “We had to move fast because things move fast in CEGEP. I started planning this talk last semester by applying for a TEDx Talk licence and then searching for our guest speakers. At the start of this semester, we held an open call for student speak- ers,” said Massicotte. “After screening the applicants’ vid- eos, we selected nine [people] to speak about ‘What’s Next?’ They had about two weeks to prepare their eight-minute talk.”

Louis-Philippe Gervais used statistics to follow and predict population growth. Jordan Tchouamou Tchiadjeu shone a light on the BRICS alliance (named for the first five countries to join the bloc — Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). Abraham Eyestone looked at the benefits of opening the Arctic region for better global shipment and naval traffic.

The next speaker, Abigail Esther Mendez Mora, took a more personal approach in her talk on adaptability and its role in this ever-changing world. A key part of adaptability involves having good coping skills – like dancing, as explained by professional Ukrainian dancer and PW Sims Business student Sofia Gagné. Sarah Luger talked about social media as a coping mechanism. Justin Simard speculated on whether these behaviours are good and what it means to be, do and feel good. Dominic Gaumont looked inside people to find how genomic cells become cancer, while Tassnym Echchahed presented her research on artificial intelligence and its potential benefits for humanity.

To close this TEDx Talk, artificial intelligence specialist Dev Aditya, who was unable to attend in person, gave a video presentation on his own work. He spoke about how he and his team created the first digital human artificial intelligent teacher. This was their answer to the teacher shortage, especially in remote and less developed parts of the world.

Guest speaker Thomas Eckschmidt, chair of the board of business consulting firm CBJourney, advised business students, “There are four principles for a highly successful organization: a clear cause, a recognized leader, understanding of interdependence and creating a responsible culture.”

CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence holds first TEDx Talk Read More »

Electric cars continue to advance by leaps and bounds

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 30, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, Environment, Quebec City

Electric cars continue to advance by leaps and bounds

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Thousands of Quebecers visited the fifth Salon du véhicule électrique du Québec (SVEQ; Quebec City electric car show) from Oct. 25 to 27. The latest models from Porsche, Mazda, Tesla, Volvo, Mercedes and Audi made visitors dream of owning eco-friendly vehicles.

Meandering through the 20-odd brands of cars, visitors noticed that electric vehicles are still more expensive than gas-powered vehicles, although subsidies can help offset some of the cost for the time being. “With the [Quebec government’s] Roulez vert program subsidies set to be reduced in 2025, the SVEQ is perfect for those who were hesitant to go electric,” said SVEQ general manager Charles Drouin. “The $7,000 subsidy for purchasing a 100 per cent electric vehicle will drop to $4,000 in 2025 and gradually disappear in 2027. The subsidy for purchasing a plug-in hybrid vehicle will suffer the same fate. The fed- eral government’s financial assistance, which can be up to $5,000, is still available. To obtain the full provincial subsidy, electric vehicles must be registered by December 31, 2024.”

“[The SVEQ] is a unique opportunity to compare the majority of electric vehicles available in Quebec while taking advantage of current government credits,” said Drouin. Besides eyeballing the newest models and getting the latest information from sales representatives, visitors could test-drive any of the 75 available vehicles on a five- kilometre circuit.

“I’ve owned gas-powered vehicles all my life. I am a manual transmission guy. You don’t get the same pleasure out of maneuvering an electric car as you do driving a manual transmission car. You don’t feel or hear the engine,” said Jerry Deslauriers. “My 30-year-old son here is trying very hard to convince me of the many benefits of these electric ve- hicles. Since we are here, he had me test-drive the Volvo EX30. Despite my preferences, I greatly enjoyed the drive. Was

it enough to convince me to go to the green side?”

Besides the driving experi- ence, the freedom to roam long distances is another major factor for car shoppers. Tesla continues to be a leading brand in terms of battery life, with models able to cover about 650 km between charges. Although fully charging a vehicle still takes hours compared to minutes to fill a gas tank, more and more service stations are investing in electric chargers. For this reason, hybrid cars remain an interesting option for many drivers, especially in Quebec winters. According to CAA, electric cars lose 25 per cent of their power when the temperature falls below -15, and 45 per cent at -25.

Charging costs, however, often tip the balance in favour of electric vehicles. According to Hydro-Québec, it costs about $0.11892 per kilowatt hour to charge an electric car, compared to $1.50 per litre of gas. In other words, on aver- age, to drive 100 km, it costs drivers of electric cars $2.50 for a 21-kilowatt hour charge and drivers of gas-powered cars $10.65.

Whether to run errands in town or to drive leisurely through the countryside, electric vehicles continue to cover more and more ground.

Electric cars continue to advance by leaps and bounds Read More »

Tens of thousands of Quebecers walk in the 10th Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie, health, Quebec City

Tens of thousands of Quebecers walk in the 10th Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Large crowds of energetic, cheerful people assembled at the Fontaine de Tourny early on Oct. 19. They were there for the 10th annual Grande Marche of the Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie. Starting at 11 a.m., they walked five kilo- metres to and from Gilmour Hill. The sun was out to encourage the thousands of participants who leisurely walked or jogged on the Plains of Abraham and down Grande Allée.

By Friday midday, nearly 100,000 people across the province had registered for this walk. Event founder Pierre Lavoie expected over 120,000 registered participants with countless other unregistered walkers. He said he believed that over the past decade, more than one million people have joined him in the annual walks.

Supported by family doctors, Pierre Lavoie encourages Quebecers to participate in the annual Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie.

On Oct. 19, thousands of people walked five kilometres from the Fontaine de Tourny, across the Plains of Abraham to Gilmour Hill and back under a cloudless blue sky.

It was a beautiful day for a walk. Over the weekend, people across the province participated in the 10th Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie. In Quebec City, the walk is a loop from the Fontaine de Tourny through the Plains of Abraham to Gilmour Hill and back.

“Throughout our lives, no matter our physical health and our age, there are only two sports that we can always do: swimming and walking. All the other sports, we will be forced to stop at one point or another,” Lavoie said on a stage overlooking the crowded Fontaine de Tourny and Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale. “We each have a responsibility to maintain our physical and mental health. Walking can do wonders for both, and it is free and fun! People greatly appreciate what we are doing. They want to live longer, healthier lives.”

Thousands of family doctors joined the movement in their respective cities, showing by example the importance of integrating physical activity into their busy lives.

Respecting a longstanding tradition, the Grande Marche officially started on Friday, Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m. in Lavoie’s hometown of Saguenay, fol- lowed by a second walk in the provincial capital on Oct. 19 and a third one on Oct. 20 in Montreal. Numerous other cities, towns and villages across the province held their own Grande Marche at different times.

For more information about the Grand Défi, visit, onmarche.com.

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Feds make three Old Port buildings available for housing

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / housing, Peter Black, Quebec City

Feds make three Old Port buildings available for housing

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Three Canadian government buildings in the Old Port could be transformed into housing under a new federal program.

Last week, the buildings – 94, 104 and 112 Rue Dalhousie – were added to the federal government’s Canada Public Land Bank portfolio of properties being made available to be transformed into residential units.

Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement and MP for Québec, made the announcement in an Oct. 16 news release.

The three buildings are adjacent to each other and comprise an entire block of Rue Dalhousie. They were all built in 1983-84 by the federal government.

The René-Nicolas Levasseur Building at 94 Dalhousie is an L-shaped, three-storey structure with a stone exterior, 1,362 square metres in area, according to city records.

The Louis Pratt Building at 104 Dalhousie is the tallest of the three at six storeys, with a red brick exterior and an area of 1,264 square metres.

The John Munn Building at 112 Dalhousie is three storeys with an area of 1,630 square metres.

All three buildings have been deemed to have “potential for housing” under the federal government’s Canada’s Housing Plan, announced in this year’s budget, with an aim to build four million more homes in the country.

The release said, “Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.”

Public Services and Procurement Canada spokesperson Sonia Tengelsen provided information on the three buildings, all of which have windows at the rear facing the St. Lawrence River and the Port of Quebec cruise ship terminal.

The Rene-Nicolas Levasseur Building is one of three surplus buildings on Rue Dalhousie the federal government wants to see turned into housing.

The John Munn Building at 112 Rue Dalhousie is targeted to be transformed into housing.

Tengelsen said the John Munn Building “was declared surplus in 2018, with Depart- ment of National Defence personnel as the main occupants. They have been moved to other offices and the building has been vacant since autumn 2021.”

The Louis Pratt Building (104 Dalhousie) was declared surplus in January 2022 and houses employees of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The current occupants will be relocated to other offices.

The René-Nicolas Levasseur Building currently has three sets of occupants: the Canada School of Public Service, the Quebec Port Authority and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Tengelsen said, “The occupants have been notified of the decision to dispose of the building, and plans are under way to relocate them.”

These three Quebec City properties, as well as 11 others elsewhere in the country announced last week, bring the total of federal buildings now on offer for housing projects to 70, the equivalent of 2,500 hockey rinks, according to the release. The list can be viewed on the Canada Public Land Bank website.

There is progress on proper- ties put on offer in August with the launch of the federal hous- ing land bank. The release says evaluations are underway for proposals submitted for properties in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montreal.

Duclos said, “The launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024 laid the foundation for our efforts to unlock public lands for housing at a pace and scale not seen in generations.”

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand also contributed a quote to the release, saying, “In recent years, Quebec City has played an important role in the housing issue … It’s great news to be able to count on concrete announcements from the federal government like the one today. The collective awareness of the housing issue now makes it a key issue for our economy and for the vitality of the Capitale-Nationale region.”

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Tramway delays help kill huge Humaniti project on Boul. Laurier

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City

Tramway delays help kill huge Humaniti project on Boul. Laurier

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The massive Humaniti project slated to rise at a key intersection on Boul. Laurier is dead, the victim, according to the developer, of delays in the city’s tramway project, among other factors.

Radio-Canada broke the news last week that Cogir, the Montreal-based company behind the four-tower project, had let its offer to purchase the land from developer Michel Dallaire expire.

Dallaire, head of major developer Groupe Dallaire, now says the property at the intersection of Boul. Laurier and Ave. de Lavigerie is once again for sale.

Cogir president Mathieu Duguay told Radio-Canada the Humaniti project, comprising 1,500 housing units, a hotel, offices, a public square and retail shops, was predicated on the presence of a tramway line through the site.

“We needed the tramway interchange hub to justify the project,” Duguay explained. The uncertainty repeated delays and changes in the tramway plan caused, along with the rise in interest rates, inflation and construction costs, led to the decision to pull the plug, he said.

The Humaniti project replaced another ambitious plan called Le Phare, which had been proposed by Groupe Dallaire.

Coun. David Weiser, the city councillor for the Le Plateau district where the Humaniti site is located, told the QCT, “This is a clear demonstration of the negative impact that the delays caused by the provincial government concerning the tramway project have on both our city’s economic development and the housing crisis.”

Weiser, who also is the executive committee member responsible for economic development, said, despite the termination of Humaniti, “We are confident that a real estate developer will propose a new project on that exceptional property.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by Dallaire. “It’s the gateway to the city. I’m convinced that we won’t have any problem finding people to do a large- scale project.”

With the CAQ government recently giving the green light to planning and construction of Phase 1, which includes the route on Boul. Laurier, a clear decision could be forthcoming on the nature of the Ste-Foy exchange hub.

Tramway delays help kill huge Humaniti project on Boul. Laurier Read More »

No joke: Quebec City to get English ‘Just for Laughs’ show

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / business, entertainment, Just for Laughs, Peter Black, Quebec City

No joke: Quebec City to get English ‘Just for Laughs’ show

Peter Black

Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Quebec City-based entertainment company ComediHa! is becoming Just for Laughs (Juste Pour Rire) under a rebranding plan announced Oct. 17. ComediHa! bought the financially troubled Montreal company in June.

Company founder and CEO Sylvain Parent-Bédard said in a statement, “After careful thought and analysis, I decided that the Quebec City festival should bear the name of Quebec’s favourite comedy brand, Just For Laughs – the province’s favourite entertainment brand along with Cirque du Soleil.”

As of next August, the popular ComediHa! festival in Quebec City will be called Festival Juste Pour Rire – Québec. Parent-Bedard said, “The festival will also feature an impressive English-language lineup to welcome an increasingly diverse audience from around the world.”

The various ventures of former ComediHa! and Just for Laughs will be consolidated under a new umbrella company called Just for Entertainment Group/Groupe Juste pour divertir.

Among the assets of the company are Just for Laughs branded festivals in Bermuda, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney, Australia. The company said, “Other major international cities will soon be announced as part of the brand’s new strategic plan.”

The statement says, “This new chapter for the festival is testament to Parent-Bédard’s strong commitment to the Quebec City community and underscores the city’s potential as a dynamic cultural hub ready to shine on the international stage.”

Parent-Bédard previously told the QCT he takes some personal satisfaction in taking over Just for Laughs because he started his company after the Montreal comedy outfit rejected his idea of mounting a festival in the Quebec capital.

The company says with the newly created Just For Entertainment company, which employs 200 permanent and 6,000 temporary workers, “our brands and products now captivate hundreds of millions of viewers around the world via our broadcast partners, festivals, social media and digital platforms, which are followed by over 70 million engaged fans and have accumulated over 100 billion views so far.”

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Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign begins Oct. 25

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / Canadian Forces, military, poppy campaign, Quebec City, Remembrance Day, Royal Canadian Legion, Ruby Pratka

Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign begins Oct. 25

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Over the next two weeks, poppy boxes will begin popping up in shopping malls, box stores and coffee shops across the region as the Royal Canadian Legion 2024 Poppy Campaign gets underway. The campaign begins Oct. 25 and runs until Remembrance Day, Nov. 11.

Richard Roger is the poppy campaign director for Branch 265 of the Legion, based in Sainte-Foy, which covers the Quebec City region. He said that in the past few years, the Legion has run into challenges running the Poppy Campaign, due to a lack of volunteers and fewer business owners offering to distribute poppies to their customers and collect donations. “There are still volunteers [who hand out poppies in person] in major stores or at the Château Frontenac on weekends,” he said. In recent years, local cadet corps members and their parents have handed out poppies, along with veterans, their spouses, family members and friends.

Roger, who is a veteran, said he took “great pride” in seeing people wearing poppy pins around town. The poppy “says that people recognize our sacrifices and are supporting us,” he said.

“In Quebec, in past years, Remembrance Day was less taught in schools, but more and more schools have requested speakers in classrooms and entered the Legion’s national poem and poster competitions,” Roger said. “The English-speaking schools participate more, maybe because parents and teachers have heard about [in-school Remembrance Day events] from elsewhere in Canada.” He speculated that seeing soldiers help out during wildfires, floods, COVID outbreaks and ice storms in Canada in recent years has made the military’s contribution more obvious to Canadian civilians. “In those communities [where the army helped evacuate wildfire and flood survivors], I don’t think we’ll have any trouble handing out poppies,” he said.

Roger said Branch 265 raised more than $80,000 after expenses from the 2023 Poppy Campaign, of which about $33,000 went to organizations providing support to veterans, such as the Maison Paul-Triquet seniors’ home, more than $15,000 went to scholarships for the children and grandchildren of veterans and $5,000 went to veterans and their families in immediate need. Local cadet corps also received funds. Thousands of poppies appeared on scarves and lapels across the region.

“Wearing the poppy is a way to keep people’s memories alive, to respond to the sacrifices made in Korea, in Afghanistan, in Bosnia. During the two weeks before Remembrance Day, that’s our time,” said Roger’s colleague, André Lavallée, also a veteran, who is co-ordinating this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cross of Sacrifice.

“If we stop wearing the poppy, in 10 years, people will forget,” Roger said.

Grande Allée to close for Nov. 11 ceremony

Lavallée said the traditional ceremony will take place once again in front of the Cross of Sacrifice on Grande Allée, starting at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11.

“Grande Allée will be closed from 9:30 onward, [soldiers] will march down from the Citadelle, there will be prayers and a wreath-laying by federal and provincial dignitaries, dip- lomats and civilian groups,” he said. A cannon will be fired at 11 a.m., to mark the armistice which ended the First World War, signed at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918. A flypast by military helicopters is also planned, weather permitting. “It is a public ceremony; the best place to watch is on the north side of Grande Allée in front of the National Assembly,” Lavallée said.

“If you are a veteran and you want to participate in the ceremony, there are two buses that will bring people from the Legion hall on Boul. Hamel to Grande Allée and back,” said Lavallée. “After the ceremony, if people would like to stop by the Legion hall and have a coffee and a chat, they’re very welcome.”

Branch 265 looking for new home

In addition to the poppy campaign, Branch 265 is also running a Chase the Ace lottery to raise money for a larger hall. “We’ve rented the current hall on Boul. Hamel for the last 10 or so years, and we’d love to be owners and to have a bigger space. We are starting to have more people show up at our activities, which is a good problem to have, but if we have 60 people coming to a supper, it gets a bit tight. We want to be able to welcome everyone,” Lavallée said.

To learn more about the Legion, find out where to get a poppy in your neighbourhood, volunteer with the Poppy Campaign, attend the Remembrance Day ceremony as a veteran, involve your school or cadet corps in Remembrance activities, buy Chase the Ace tickets or contribute to the Jean-Charles Forbes Fund to support Branch 265’s relocation, call 581-742-9267 or email coquelicotlegion265@outlook.com.

Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign begins Oct. 25 Read More »

Nurses, government accept new collective agreement

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / FIQ, Hospitals, labour unions, Ruby Pratka

Nurses, government accept new collective agreement

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Fédération inter- professionnelle de la santé de Québec (FIQ) has accepted a collective agreement proposed by a mediator, bringing an end to more than two years of negotiations with the provincial government.

Members of the FIQ, the province’s largest nurses’ union, voted in an online poll held Oct. 15-17 and briefly paused due to technical difficulties. About two-thirds – 66.3 per cent – of voting members chose to accept the agreement. Voter turnout was estimated at 75 per cent. The FIQ rep- resents about 80,000 nurses, nursing assistants, respiratory therapists and IV technicians in public-sector health facilities across the province.

The vote came six months after members rejected an initial proposed collective agreement by a similar margin. One of the major sticking points in the negotiations, union representatives said, was staff mobility – the idea that a nurse could be assigned, on short notice, to fill in at a facility far from her home or in a capacity that didn’t correspond with her experience (for example, an ER nurse being given a shift at a CHSLD).

“We’re not in celebration mode right now, we’re in ‘we got to the end of it’ mode,” FIQ vice-president Jérémie Rousseau told the QCT. “Two years is a very long time. There’s a huge difference of visions between the government and the health professionals [which creates] an issue with retention. I hope the government will take time to see what is going on on the ground.”

Rousseau noted that the union made some “important gains” in terms of holiday and overtime pay, and secured a 17.4 per cent pay raise over the next five years, identical to the raise public sector workers in the Front Commun union bloc received in their most recent collective agreement.

Nurses secured some concessions from the government around mobility – under nor- mal circumstances, a nurse can only be asked to fill in at a second facility if it’s less than 40 kilometres away from her primary facility and if she will be asked to provide the same kind of care. However, members also agreed to be part of voluntary “flying teams” sent as an occasional stopgap to understaffed facilities in remote regions.

“In addition to helping improve working conditions and providing increased flexibility, the agreement will enable government objectives to be achieved while improving the services offered in the public network,” Treasury Board president Sonia Lebel, Health Minister Christian Dubé, min- ister responsible for social services Lionel Carmant and minister for seniors’ affairs and associate health minister Sonia Bélanger said in a brief joint statement on Oct. 18.

The agreement will be in force until March 31, 2028.

Nurses, government accept new collective agreement Read More »

MNBAQ presents Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 22, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, Indigenous, MNBAQ, Quebec City

MNBAQ presents Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Early Days: Indigenous Art from The McMichael Canadian Art Collection at the Musée National des Beaux-arts du Québec (MNBAQ) shines the spotlight on First Nations art. Until April 21, this exhibition displays 110 works of art by 50 artists from 13 nations across Canada.

The moment visitors to the museum enter the main hall, they are drawn to the welcoming mural of words and phrases in various Indigenous languages. Behind the glass doors, they will find creative and intriguing works of art spanning from the 18th century to the present day.

“This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity to strengthen [our] ties with the Huron- Wendat Nation community,” said MNBAQ director general Jean-Luc Murray. “This exhibition reflects the museum’s desire and actions to ensure better representation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis artists in the museum’s exhibitions and collections.”

Early Days allows visitors to take in art by the lesser- known artistic communities of First Nations across Canada. “These are large sections of art history that people have tried to remove from museums,” said Ève-Lyne Beaudry, director of collections and research at the MNBAQ. “We are part of a won- derful and fortunate trend that is rising in popularity in the museum world to rediscover this history. When we put this exhibition together, we chose not to display the works in a linear aspect. Everything is mixed up, with old and new pieces often placed side-by- side,” said Ève-Lyne Beaudry, director of collections and research at the MNBAQ.

To bring history and context to these works of art, Abenaki columnist, actor and exhibition spokesperson Xavier Watso is the voice of the audio guide. Through him, visitors will hear the eloquent tales behind the works and discover the 20 stops of Early Days, the major themes and key works and artists. Among the 50 artists, visitors will find works by Dana Claxton (Wood Moun- tain Lakota), Duane Linklater (Omaskêko Ininiwak), Faye HeavyShield (Káínawa), Caro- line Monnet (Anishinabeg and French) and Annie Pootoogook (Inuit) among others. One section is completely dedicated to women artists.

For more information, visit mnbaq.org.

MNBAQ presents Early Days: Indigenous Art from the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Read More »

Quebec City celebrates street art and artists with Réverbère

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 16, 2024 / Cassandra Kerwin, Quebec City

Quebec City celebrates street art and artists with Réverbère

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

During Thanksgiving weekend, the heart of Old Quebec City pulsed with performances by street artists at the first edition of Réverbère. Inspired by late 19th- and early 20th- century Parisian artists who performed under street lamps at that magical time when day turns to night, the Ville de Québec funded over 200 acts by 80 local and European artists from Oct. 11 to 14.

As the sun set over the Jardins de l’Hôtel-de-Ville on Oct.11, Mayor Bruno Marchand inaugurated Réverbère. “With an investment of $400,000, this weekend, we are encouraging our street performers. They live among us and we must sup- port them. We are super proud of this event and to encourage these highly talented, skilled and entertaining artists,” he said. “Every event contributes to the vitality of Quebec City. A city without cultural events is a city without a soul. It is a city that does not share its culture.

“Street art has always been free to the public. It is im- portant that it remains that way,” said Marchand. “Quebec City has numerous theatres and performance halls where performers from here and elsewhere come to perform for which we have to pay. It is fun to have free activities like these, especially in these difficult economic times for families.” He continued, “I am so excited to invite the people of Quebec and thousands of tourists to discover and watch our performers in eight locations.”

Even before the mayor began speaking, street performers had already begun entertaining the public. Dressed as oversized vegetables turned Renaissance aristocrats with colourful, illuminated outfits, the group Louve put on the charming and funny improvisation act Les Follies Potagères. While passersby were mesmerized by their act, another couple wandered by – Charlot and Edna (a.k.a. Charlie Chaplin and Edna Purveyance). The Transcontinental Tricycles then pedalled in with blazing horns attached to their rear wheels. It was a challenge to follow each act.

Across the street at Place de l’Hôtel-de-Ville, Julia Perron Laflamme attracted a large crowd with her act, Plaf! She performed acrobatics with a circus wheel and pyrotechnics, drawing oohs and aahs. In front of the City Hall steps, Imagicario stilt-walkers dressed as human street lamps for their silent act, Parédolïa. There was all this and so much more throughout the weekend from Place D’Youville to the Château Frontenac.

Quebec City celebrates street art and artists with Réverbère Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: CAQ mandates Caisse Infra to build tramway Phase 1; RTC to run it

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 16, 2024 / Peter Black, Quebec City, tramway, Transportation

TRAM TRACKER: CAQ mandates Caisse Infra to build tramway Phase 1; RTC to run it

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The Coalition Avenir Québec government, under political and time pressure, has given the green light to the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec Infra (CDPQ Infra) to kickstart Quebec City’s paused tramway project.

The decision came after a regular cabinet meeting on Oct. 9, communicated officially via a carefully worded CDPQ Infra news release, saying the pension plan agency “today accepted a new mandate from the government of Quebec to plan the first phase of the CITÉ plan and set up the organization required to ensure the proper development of the next stages of the tramway project.”

CITÉ stands for Circuit intégré de transport express, the name CDPQ Infra gave to the three-phase project it recommended in a study, released in June, of transportation needs in the Quebec City region the CAQ government ordered last fall.

The release notes: “CDPQ Infra will soon confirm the composition of the project team, which will include all the expertise needed for the mandate to move forward.”

The first phase would be a 15-kilometre tramway line linking Cap-Rouge and Boul. Laurier in the west with Saint- Roch and Charlesbourg in the east. An expansion of the South Shore (Lévis) bus service is also in the plan.

Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault told reporters after the cabinet meeting that CDPQ Infra is “being given the keys to planning Phase 1 of the tramway, so this is a very important step. This is confirmation that we are moving forward and taking the next step.”

While CDPQ Infra will be in charge of building the tram- way, its actual operation will be the responsibility of the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC), which manages the city’s existing transit network.

Coun. Maude Mercier Larouche, city executive committee member and RTC president, said in a statement, “We are pleased to see that the tramway project is progressing. … Our teams have all the experience and expertise needed to bring this crucial transportation project for Quebec City to life.”

The government mandate to CDPQ Infra contains a Dec. 15 deadline to file a final draft agreement containing more details on the roles of various players as well as the financial structure for the project.

Some political commentators see the deadline as hard to meet and a potential escape hatch for the CAQ government to delay and abandon the project with the prospect of a Conservative federal government on the horizon.

Québec Solidaire MNA Étienne Grandmont, who represents the Quebec City riding of Taschereau, said via an Oct. 9 news release, “Confirming partners is one thing, but I’m still waiting for the funding to be secured. The Dec. 15 deadline worries me; it’s the minister’s hand on the plug, and I fear she’s ready to pull the trigger.”

Limoilou Coun. and Transition Québec Leader Jackie Smith said, “We must immediately get the teams back to work by resuming the work that was interrupted a year ago. We want to see the funding promised for our city translate into new infrastructure as soon as possible.”

Nora Loreto, co-founder of Québec désire son tramway, told the QCT, “We’re very happy to see movement on the tramway file and look forward to this project being managed by the RTC.”

Mayor Bruno Marchand, whose revised higher budget for the tramway triggered the CAQ’s intervention, made a brief statement applauding the project restart. “I am delighted that the Quebec government is confirming with this gesture the implementation of the CITÉ plan. This is an essential project for the Quebec City region in the context of very strong population growth. We cannot wage an effective war on congestion without investing in the development of public transportation,” he said.

TRAM TRACKER: CAQ mandates Caisse Infra to build tramway Phase 1; RTC to run it Read More »

CAQ commits to ‘third link’ with call for ‘international interest’

Local Journalism Initiative / The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph / October 16, 2024 / Lévis, Peter Black, Quebec City, third link, Transportation

CAQ commits to ‘third link’ with call for ‘international interest’

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The Coalition Avenir Québec government is moving ahead with its off-again, on-again pledge to build a third link between Quebec City and the South Shore.

Transport Minister and Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault made the announcement on Oct. 11 of an “international call for interest” to parties to be considered as a partner in the development of the project.

Vowing that whatever option is decided will be “the best project at the best price,” Guilbault said if all goes according to plan a contract would be signed to build the link in early 2027.

Addressing a news conference in Complexe G following a technical briefing by transport ministry officials, Guilbault said the call for interest “marks an important step in the third link project, which will allow us to confirm the market’s interest in our project. I am convinced that we will arrive at the best solution to meet the fluidity needs of our citizens on both shores.”

The minister said the two principal objectives of the third link would be to ensure economic security for commercial transport in the event of the Pierre Laporte Bridge being closed and to reduce traffic congestion in the region.

Guilbault said the choice of which corridor the link would take would be decided by next summer, based on options identified in the report by the Caisse de depôt et placement Infra presented in June.

In a previous announcement of a third link proposal, the CAQ government had envisioned a bridge between the eastern ends of Lévis and Quebec City. A proposal prior to that envisioned a tunnel between the downtowns of the two cities.

Asked by the QCT how much influence politicians would have on the ultimate choice of a corridor, Guilbault said, “It’s too early to determine a specific corridor,” pending the submission of recommenda- tions from interested parties.

She also said having a bridge with enough clearance to allow for cruise ships to enter port in Quebec City or Lévis “would be taken into consideration.”

Transport officials and the minister did not exclude a tunnel as a preferred option, nor would they commit to the third link being used for public transit such as the tramway system.

Guilbault said in two years, after the next scheduled pro- vincial election, “we will be at a level of the evolution of the process [where] it will be irreversible.”

She said since all the op- position parties are opposed to the third link idea, the CAQ is the only one that is pursuing it. “People will realize we are actually doing it for real.”

Guilbault acknowledged the CAQ’s “credibility is at stake” with the third link project. “We have to demonstrate we are resolutely committed to the realization” of the project.

Opposition critics were quick to denounce this latest move by the CAQ. Liberal transport critic Monsef Derraji said in a statement, “It’s clear that this announcement is more about diverting attention from other issues than it is about genuinely advancing mobility in the greater Quebec City area. Should the CAQ lose power after 2026, this commitment could easily crumble. It all appears more like a campaign promise than a real solution.”

Québec Solidaire MNA for Jean-Lesage Sol Zanetti told reporters, “We will talk about it [the third link] for decades as the symbol of the promise of the electoral bauble that will never happen, that is irresponsible, that costs a lot, and that is useless.”

Parti Québécois MNA for Jean-Talon Pascal Paradis said, “There will be no project. It won’t happen. What we are being presented with today is a fabrication, a smokescreen.”

Guilbault would not commit to a price tag for the potential bridge or tunnel, saying it would be determined as the planning process proceeds. She highlighted the new collaborative approach the government is taking, saying, “[T]he government will work closely with the designer and the builder from the first stages of the project design.”

A series of calls for tenders will be launched in the spring “to obtain the professional services and support required throughout the project. A first call for tenders aimed at ob- taining consulting services in insurance and financial guarantees will be published in the coming weeks.”

The building of a third link was a CAQ promise in the 2018 election that brought the party to power. At the time, the party vowed that the project would be underway by the end of its first mandate.

CAQ commits to ‘third link’ with call for ‘international interest’ Read More »

Author name: The Quebec Chronicle Telegraph