Our Newsletter
THE CONNECTOR
SPRING EDITION 2026
QCNA NEWS
WE'VE MOVED!
When I was first hired as the GM for QCNA in June 2020, the world was in pandemic chaos and everything was upside down. The fact that our office was located in the far reaches of Gatineau didn’t make a difference to how QCNA was doing business. But we had the opportunity recently to partner up with Le Droit and we are now housed – literally, in a house – in the dead centre of the government hub of the city. Come visit us sometime and we’ll do lunch!
NEWS FOR MEMBERS
Your Career in Community Media: A Networking Event and Job Fair
QCNA is proud to present, thanks to funding through the Community Opportunity Fund, QCNA’s first-ever career fair and networking event, targeting students and the public to promote local news careers. This event will take place the afternoon of our AGM and Awards Gala, June 12 in Aylmer, QC.
This event will feature:
- Two Panel discussions: one panel will feature industry pros sharing exciting career stories; the second will be a moderated discussion between profs and publishers on training needs
- Member newspaper “booths” (tables with QCNA publications’ logos) set up in the foyer outside of the conference room
- A livestream component for participants who can’t attend in person
- A free networking lunch for registered participants
QCNA's Better Newspapers Competition Nominees Announced
Congratulations to this year’s newspaper award nominees—your dedication and integrity keep communities across the province informed, connected, and engaged. Your work showcases that local journalism continues to make a meaningful impact where it matters most: where we live.
NOTE: Winners were announced Friday June 12, 2026
Regional Development Network Calls for Stories for Province-Wide Storytelling App
EnRoute is a new bilingual mobile app that brings the rich history and culture of Québec’s English-speaking regional communities to an accessible digital format. Developed by RDN, the app connects travellers and locals to unique stories, places, and traditions through engaging multimedia content—making heritage accessible, interactive, and ready to explore.
Now you can share your stories!
The Quebec Labour Tax Credit for News Media
QCNA encourages member publications to look into obtaining the QC labour tax credit for full-time staff who spend a minimum of 75% of their working hours towards the support of content. A credit of 35% is available for eligible employees.
ON THE CALENDAR
Federal Funding Survey Open Until April 28th
The feds are offering an engagement exercise focused exclusively on direct supports under the purview of the Department of Canadian Heritage: The Local Journalism Initiative and the Canada Periodical Fund. This targeted engagement aims
to inform the future direction of the direct support mechanisms for news and magazines, ensuring that the impact of public funds is maximized, and that future funding models
are sustainable, free from undue influence, and responsive to evolving sectoral needs.
This is your opportunity to weigh in.
If you didn’t receive an invitation to participate, but you would like to submit your comments, please email Ilka at ilka.delaat@qcna.qc.ca.
GET INVOLVED
Renewed: Committees!
QCNA’s committees have been very active in 2025-2026 and the work directly impacts and enriches the QCNA membership experience. We encourage your participation! For more on committee descriptions and time commitments, please email administration@qcna.qc.ca.
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
TALQ’S INTERVENTION BEFORE THE SUPREME COURT ON BILL 21
TALQ appeared as an intervener before the Supreme Court of Canada in the appeal concerning Quebec’s Bill 21, An Act respecting the laicity of the State on Wednesday, March 25, with arguments presented by Me Julius Grey. TALQ’s intervention focused specifically on section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which guarantees minority-language education rights and is the cornerstone right of official-language minority communities across Canada. TALQ argued that Bill 21 infringes these rights by interfering with the cultural, institutional, and community framework that section 23 is designed to protect.
FROM QUEBEC PRESS COUNCIL
The Quebec Press Council published a recent decision against websites whose content is generated by artificial intelligence. Click here to read the decision in French.
The Council also held their AGM last week and published their annual report which you can check out here, again, in French.
To apply as an affiliate member of the Council, please email: pierre-paul.noreau@conseildepresse.qc.ca.
Stay tuned for training from the Quebec Press Council on journalism ethics and more.
Ministry Confirms Subsidy for Community Newspapers
The Ministry of Culture and Communications delivered letters to printed newspapers in the past weeks. The Ministry will continue to exempt smaller publications that reported less than 15 tonnes of newsprint production in 2025. But the large provincial dailies will not be exempt. So although this provides QCNA members some reprieve, the trend continues to penalize the printed format. If your publication has not received a letter from the Ministry, we remind you that all printed newspapers must report tonnage with EcoEntreprisesQuebec (EEQ).
QCNA Member Slack Chat!
Coming out of the in-person strategic planning last year, members asked for an informal chat space to share ideas. Please contact QCNA to be invited and join the conversations!
