Bruno Marchand

Journalist Marianne White runs for Marchand team in St-Louis-Sillery

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Journalist Marianne White runs for Marchand team in Saint-Louis–Sillery

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Veteran journalist Marianne White, most recently a senior editor at Le Journal de Québec, is leaping into municipal politics as the candidate for Mayor Bruno Marchand’s party in the Saint-Louis–Sillery seat.

White made the announcement on June 25 in front of the city library on Ave. Maguire, with nine other Québec Forte et Fière (QFF) candidates and the mayor at her side.

White, 47, will be seeking to succeed current QFF councillor Maude Mercier Larouche, the member of the executive committee responsible for transit, who announced she is not seeking a second term for family reasons.

In an interview with the QCT, White said she was very surprised she had been approached by QFF representatives about running for the party.

“We had lunch with two representatives of the party and when they pitched that to me, my jaw dropped, literally. I didn’t see myself doing that. But they made a really good pitch – and thinking back on it, I think they were right in the fact that I think I’m the right person to do this. I have what it takes to be there.”

White said, “They wanted to have someone who was from the community, and I‘ve been living here for six years. I think I could do that. I’m driven. I’m a good communicator.”

She told the party reps she would consider the proposal, and then she and her partner embarked on a planned three-week island-hopping vacation in Greece. “There couldn’t be a better place to reflect than Greece.”

After weighing the pros and cons, and keenly aware of the demands on politicians from having covered them as a journalist for many years, White decided to go for it.

“At the end of the day, what really drove my decision is I want to get more involved in my community. I want to be in a more active position … part of building the city for the future, for what we want to leave to the next generation.”

Upon her return, she handed in her resignation to Le Journal de Québec, where she had worked since 2012. Prior to Le Journal, White had worked in various French and English- language media for some 27 years after graduating from Université Laval with a communications degree.

In 2018, she wrote a book on Jean Lapierre, the politician and media commentator who died in a plane crash in 2016.

She has also written a foodie column, focusing on restaurants in the city.

White said she had no doubts that if she were to run, it would be for Marchand’s QFF. Part of that is the party’s commitment to the tramway project, which has relatively strong support in the Sillery district, according to polls.

“I think people are looking forward to this project going ahead. We’ve been talking about it for 20 or so years in Quebec,” White said.

“That’s not to say it’s going to be an easy project and there’s not going to be some problems when we try to put that into effect. There’s going to be roadwork and other inconveniences, but the job of the city is to try and make sure that this has the least impact on residents.”

White, whose father John White was a philosophy teacher at Cégep de Sainte-Foy, said her father encouraged her and her siblings to attend French school, and so, despite her anglo ancestry, she identifies as a francophone. Her precise English, however, has allowed her to work in English-language media.

She said she recognizes “there’s a vibrant English community in Quebec,” particularly in Sillery, and “people are proud of their roots.”

When the time came last week to step to the podium and announce her political baptism, White said, “It was fun, exhilarating even. I could say it was very different from what I’ve been doing for the past 27 years. I’ve been used to being on the other side of the podium for most of my life. But it’s a good thing. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I wanted to do something different in my life and now, I think, is a good time to do it.”

The addition of White to the QFF team brings to 17 the total number of candidates the party has in place for the 21 districts.

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

Journalist Marianne White runs for Marchand team in St-Louis-Sillery Read More »

Critics slam Hamad’s transit plan as obsolete

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Critics slam Hamad’s transit plan as obsolete

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Leadership Québec mayoral candidate Sam Hamad denies the coming election will be a referendum on the choice of transit system for the city.

Yet, given his vow to kill the current tramway system and replace it with one based on rapid bus service (SRB), transit is bound to be the central issue of the campaign.

A recent Segma poll showed Mayor Bruno Marchand leading Hamad by six points (38 per cent to 32 per cent) before Hamad released his transit plan last week. The poll also found nearly 30 per cent undecided, so the race for City Hall likely will be a battle to convince voters who has the better plan.

Hence, a day after Hamad unveiled his plan, Marchand delivered a harsh rebuke at a City Hall news conference. Marchand said Hamad’s proposal is “purely a political game. There are no facts, no science, no data to demonstrate that his project – without integration with a major axis – is relevant.”

Calling it a plan drawn up by “volunteers,” Marchand said it would do nothing to reduce the congestion problem in the most heavily populated corridor of the city, along Boul. René-Lévesque.

“We’re talking about Mr. Hamad’s feelings versus 20 years of studies, consultations, science and facts,” the mayor said.

“Do we want another election in Quebec City driven by nostalgia, a return to the past, the dream of 2015? I think the people of Quebec City are fed up,” Marchand said.

Opposition and Québec d’Abord Leader Claude Ville- neuve told reporters, “Who re- ally believes that Sam Hamad can deliver a mobility project? How many mobility projects have progressed in Quebec while Sam Hamad was minister of transport? How many in Quebec City? You know the answer: zero.”

Transition Québec Leader and Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith said she “feels like [she’s] watching a bad comedy” with Hamad’s transit announcement.

“I don’t think what people want is to resume the debate where it was more than 10 years ago, when the idea Mr. Hamad is bringing back was rejected. The [CDPQ Infra] plan already includes the passage of an SRB on Boul. Charest; Mr. Hamad simply wants to start the plan backwards. The heart of the network congestion problem is on Parliament Hill and that’s what we’re tackling first with the deployment of the first phase of the tramway.”

Nora Loreto, co-founder and spokesperson for the pro- tramway citizens group Québec Désire Son Tramway, told the QCT Hamad’s proposal “shows that he’s got no clue about the growth of the city and the planned growth over the next 20 years. Seeing that he wants to push all the traffic onto Charest and leave the status quo in Upper Town is just not an option because at the end of the day the blockage for the traffic [stays] in Upper Town.”

Loreto said, “There’s a reason why all of the experts have not recommended this plan, and we think that it would be very prudent for Mr. Hamad, in an area where he is clearly lacking some knowledge and expertise, to listen to the experts on this one.”

Hamad’s plan did garner the support of Stevens Melançon, leader of Équipe Priorité Québec, who is reported to be considering joining Hamad’s team. He told Le Soleil, “I defend the citizen; I defend a project that respects the citizens’ ability to pay and that will serve my citizens.”

As for Marchand’s dismissal of Hamad’s plan, Melançon said, “I find it hard to understand why the mayor, whose project is not socially acceptable, is lecturing people.”

Critics slam Hamad’s transit plan as obsolete Read More »

Hamad recruits two sitting councillors for City Hall team

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Hamad recruits two sitting councillors for City Hall team

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Mayoral candidate Sam Hamad now has two sitting municipal councillors on his own slate of candidates.

Isabelle Roy, councillor for the Robert-Giffard district in Beauport, and Louis Martin, councillor for Cap-Rouge–Laurentien and former speaker of the city council, will run under Hamad’s Leadership Québec banner.

Both were councillors for the opposition Québec d’abord party, but in March leader Claude Villeneuve booted Roy from the caucus when reports surfaced she had talked to Hamad about joining his party. Martin, who had also had discussions with Hamad, quit the party on his own shortly afterwards.

As members of Québec d’abord, both councillors supported the tramway project, an initiative of the previous administration of Régis Labeaume. Hamad opposes the project in its current concept as a costly system citizens do not want.

Both councillors, when the QCT contacted them, offered explanations for the change of position. Roy said, “I don’t think I’ve been the biggest cheerleader for the tramway project in the last three years. The abandonment of the D’Estimauville branch of the tramway was the breaking point for my support.”

She said, “The citizens of Quebec deserve efficient mobility across the entire territory, and the project Mr. Hamad will be putting forward is a step in that very direction.”

Martin said, “I’ve always been in favour of improving public transit in the city. It does not matter what vehicle – tramway, subway, bus – we need more transit, quickly. I saw Mr. Hamad’s proposal and I am convinced that it’s the best project to improve public transit in the city, quickly, for all neighbourhoods, at a price we can afford.”

Martin said Hamad plans to unveil his alternative transit plan as early as this week.

As far as why she joined Hamad’s team, Roy said the former provincial Liberal MNA and minister “is an authentic leader, capable of bringing people together and moving major issues forward by rallying the right people around the table.”

The addition of Roy and Martin now gives Leadership Québec seven confirmed candidates so far for the 21 districts. Hamad does not plan to run for a council seat as some mayoral candidates have chosen to do.

Québec d’abord now has only two sitting councillors who plan to run again, Patricia Boudreault-Bruyère in Neufchâtel–Lebourgneuf and Véronique Dallaire in Saules–Les Méandres. Longtime councillor Anne Corriveau announced earlier this month she does not plan to run again in her Pointe- de-Sainte-Foy district.

Besides the two incumbents, the other Québec d’abord candidates are Rosie-Anne R. Vallières in Vanier-Duberger, a seat being vacated by Alicia Despins, and Sophie Gosselin in Lac-Saint-Charles–Saint-Émile. Villeneuve, who is running for mayor for the first time, is the councillor for Maizerets-Lairet.

The large field of mayoral candidates became even larger over the weekend when former City Hall opposition leader and mayoral candidate Anne Guérette announced she was running for mayor again under the banner of the newly created Parti du Monde – Équipe Anne Guérette. Since stepping down as leader of the now-defunct Démocratie Québec party in 2017, Guérette, an architect, has become a vocal opponent of the tramway project. She joins incumbent mayor Bruno Marchand, Villeneuve, Hamad, Transition Québec leader Jackie Smith and Respect Citoyens leader Stéphane Lachance on the lengthening list of candidates. Municipal elections will be held across Quebec on Nov. 2.

With files from Ruby Pratka, LJI reporter

Hamad recruits two sitting councillors for City Hall team Read More »

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault

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Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault Read More »

Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor

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Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Municipal elections in Quebec take place on Nov. 2.

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

Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects

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Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors

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Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sam Hamad recruiting candidates for City Hall campaign

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Sam Hamad recruiting candidates for City Hall campaign

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

An effort to “poach” a candidate from another party is providing more proof former Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad is preparing to launch a campaign for the municipal election in November.

Last week, Québec D’abord, the official opposition at City Hall, announced via news release the expulsion of Isa- belle Roy, one of the party’s seven councillors, when it was learned Roy “was in discus- sions with Sam Hamad to run as a municipal councillor on his team.”

Leader and mayoral candidate Claude Villeneuve said in the release, “This situation is causing a breakdown in the bond of trust between Ms. Roy and Québec D’abord. As a re- sult, I have made the decision, with the support of our caucus, to exclude Ms. Roy from our team.”

According to a source familiar with the situation the QCT contacted, Villeneuve became aware of Hamad’s overtures to Roy when a journalist who had learned of the “discussions” called him to get his reaction. Villeneuve then called Roy to confirm her conversation with Hamad.

Roy was on vacation with her family during March Break last week; she told the QCT in a message that she was not ready to comment on the situation. She has represented the Robert-Giffard district since her election in 2021 under the banner of Marie-Josée Savard, the designated successor of longtime mayor Régis Labeaume, who narrowly lost that year’s mayoral race.

Before running for council, Roy had a long career in event organization, including the 400th anniversary celebrations of Quebec City in 2008.

Quebec’s director of elections, meanwhile, has con- firmed it has received a request to reserve the name of a new party, called Leadership Québec, in the name of temporary leader André Simard.

Simard confirmed to Radio- Canada the request had been submitted with the list of at least 100 prospective party members, the names of two leaders and an official representative.

Simard, who ran Hamad’s provincial election campaigns, said, “I won’t hide from you that we would like Sam to launch in the coming weeks, so we are preparing the ground.”

The party name – which could be adapted to include Hamad’s name – has not yet been posted on the Elections Québec website.

In a related development, the Journal de Québec reported last week that two internet domain names had been reserved: samhamad.ca and equipesamhamad.ca. When accessed, both sites are said to be “under construction.”

Reached at his office for comment, Hamad told the QCT he’d “call back later.”

Hamad, 67, was the Liberal MNA for the Quebec City riding of Louis-Hébert from 2003 to 2017. Hamad was a minister in several portfolios in the governments of Jean Charest and Philippe Couillard, including minister of transport and minister responsible for the Quebec capital region. He resigned from cabinet and left politics in April 2017.

Mayor Bruno Marchand said in media reports he was “very eager” for Hamad to jump in the race. He told the Journal de Québec, “It’s about time. It’s been a long time. It’s the longest striptease in history. I can’t wait. He’s been telling everyone for months that he’s going to do it.”

Marchand said a Hamad administration would be “a step backward.”

Sam Hamad recruiting candidates for City Hall campaign Read More »

Tea, pastries and pleas for peace mark anniversary of mosque massacre

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Tea, pastries and pleas for peace mark anniversary of mosque massacre

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Eight years have passed since the mass shooting at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec. Some 300 friends, relatives, community members and supporters of survivors and victims gathered over tea and pastries on Jan. 25 at the Manège Militaire to commemorate the event. They celebrated the lives of the six men who were killed and the 19 who were injured on Jan. 29, 2017, and shared messages of peace in uncertain times.

The ceremony opened with a performance by Canadian- Palestinian composer and pianist John Farah, that included a classical piece by Johann Sebastian Bach and “A Lullaby for the Children of Gaza.” No matter one’s position on the situation in Gaza and Palestine, the performance was impeccable and inspirational, reminding attendees of the innocence of children in war zones.

“We feel that every time we talk to people who were there or not, we are revealing our permanent scar. It also reminds us every year that we have to pay tribute to Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti, our six fellow Muslim citizens whose lives were taken on the evening of Jan. 29, 2017,” said Mélina Chasles, member of the 29 janvier, je me souviens citizens’ committee and co-host of the event. “We are also sharing messages of peace, solidarity and hope for a future without Islamophobia, racism and hatred in all forms.”

Mayor Bruno Marchand spoke about the importance of hope amid tragedy and uncertainty, particularly in light of the re-election of Donald Trump. After a brief apology to Danielle Monosson, the U.S consul general in Quebec City, who was in the room, he said he believed “a lot of people had seen their flame of hope flicker” since Trump was elected. “We have to talk about hope – because if we don’t, then these six individuals will have died in vain – and to honour the survivors and their families,” said Marchand. “People are show- ing us that there is something worth building here. Hope is strong within this community and city.”

This is a sentiment felt by Muslims across Canada, according to Amira Elghawaby, Canada’s special representative on combatting Islamophobia. “Muslim Canadians live in constant worry of being attacked on their way to prayer, school, work or the park,” she said, referencing the white supremacist terrorist attack on June 6, 2021, in London, Ont. where four members of the same Muslim family were fatally injured. “The federal government has taken great measures to support the Mus- lim Canadian communities and other minority communities in Canada by putting in place strategies and plans against Islamophobia, hatred and racism. We all have a role to play to protect every Canadian’s right to be who they are and to live in dignity and safety.”

Tea, pastries and pleas for peace mark anniversary of mosque massacre Read More »

Trudeau’s departure draws mixed reaction from local politicos

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Trudeau’s departure draws mixed reaction from local politicos

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

He won’t be gone from the scene until some time in March, but Justin Trudeau’s resignation instantly threw Canadian politics into a whirlwind of change amid the looming threats against Canada from incoming U.S. president Donald Trump.

On Jan. 6, the same day the U.S. Senate certified Trump’s election, Trudeau announced his decision to step down as Liberal Party leader and prime minister once a new leader is chosen.

The Liberal Party executive has picked March 9 as the date members will choose a suc- cessor to the man who revived the party and led it to three election victories but resisted stepping down as his popular- ity plunged and his caucus urged him to exit.

The opposition parties in Parliament have vowed to defeat the Liberal minority government at the earliest opportunity. That could come anytime after March 24, the date Parliament returns after the governor general granted Trudeau’s request to send the House of Commons into recess.

When – not if – that happens, Canadians likely will go to the polls in May.

In the wake of Trudeau’s not-unexpected announcement, reaction was swift and in most cases predictable.

One of Trudeau’s most dependable ministers and his Quebec lieutenant, Jean-Yves Duclos, the MP for the downtown Québec riding, said in a statement that the prime minister “will leave a lasting positive legacy for Canadians.” Duclos lauded Trudeau’s efforts to reduce child poverty and tackle the housing crisis, and on the local level, commit funding to the city’s tram- way project and buy back the Quebec Bridge.

Duclos told reporters at a scrum on Parliament Hill that Trudeau ultimately succumbed to Conservative Party and Official Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre’s “policy of lies, insults and contempt.”

Duclos’ Conservative counterpart, Charlesbourg–Haute- St-Charles MP Pierre Paul-Hus, replied to the QCT’s request for comment with a statement replicating Poilievre’s comments. “Justin Trudeau’s resignation changes nothing, because the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada will come from the same team that supported Mr. Trudeau over the past nine years, marked by disastrous economic policies.

“A federal election must be organized quickly to allow Quebecers and Canadians to choose a new government with a strong mandate, capable of negotiating effectively with the Trump administration.”

Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound, the only other elected Liberal in the Quebec City region, said Trudeau’s exit as leader under pressure from the party caucus is of his own doing.

In several media interviews, Lightbound said “you reap what you sow” with regards to the simmering caucus revolt that prompted the prime min- ister’s resignation. “Loyalty is a two-way street.”

Lightbound said on CBC Radio, “I am grateful for what he has accomplished,” including the acquisition of the Quebec Bridge in his riding, but “the style of Mr. Trudeau became a distraction to what we are trying to achieve as a party and a government.”

Lightbound’s office did not reply to a QCT request for an interview by press time.

As for hopes for the party in the looming election, Lightbound said, “I am still of the opinion the Liberal brand is strong.”

Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand, with whom Trudeau has worked closely on the tramway project, had a low-key and ambiguous response to the prime minister’s resignation.

In a statement, he said, “It is important to highlight the dedication that is required to be elected for more than 16 years in the Canadian Parliament. Time will allow us to recognize the progress Canada has made during Mr. Trudeau’s nine years as prime minister.” Premier François Legault, who has had a hot and cold relationship with Trudeau over the years, said in a statement, “Although our opinions have often differed, today I want to salute Justin Trudeau’s public service and his commitment to Canada. We have significant challenges ahead of us, particularly with the arrival of Donald Trump on Jan. 20. I will continue to work with Mr. Trudeau, his successor and the current government to avoid these tariffs.”

Trudeau’s departure draws mixed reaction from local politicos Read More »

Budget holds line on taxes, ups spending on public safety

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Budget holds line on taxes, ups spending on public safety

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Describing it as a responsible financial plan that shuns electoralist goodies, Mayor Bruno Marchand last week unveiled his third budget, the last one before next year’s municipal election.

As promised, the budget keeps the average property tax increase at 2.9 per cent, below the rate of inflation. It increases spending for hiring more police officers and firefighters, addressing homelessness and building more housing.

The mayor said at a news conference Dec. 4, following a briefing by city finance officials, “The task has been enormous” to deliver sound city finances with a view to the future.

With the easing of inflation and improvement in the labour market, Marchand said there’s been “a certain return to normal” in the current year. That’s allowed the city to “maintain the quality of life and the num- ber of services the city offers free to citizens.”

The city’s overall operating budget for 2025 is $2.015 billion, an increase of $111.3 million or 5.8 per cent over the previous year. Of that amount, the largest outlay is $1.2 billion, or 61.5 per cent, for “expenditures of administrative units,” meaning salaries.

The next largest expense is $311 million to service the city’s debt, which stands at $1.523 billion; the new budget takes a $5.2-million bite out of the debt, the 10th straight year of reduction, totalling $146.7 million.

The budget cuts some $31 million in expenses with various reduction measures.

For residential property owners, the tax hike on an average home valued at $379,000 will be about $93, with only slight variations from borough to borough. The average tax total is $3,348.

The city plans to boost revenue from several sources, including $18.8 million from the new $60 vehicle registration fee to be implemented next year, and $6 million in levies on undeveloped land.

As announced prior to the budget, the city is adding an extra $10 million to fund a major boost in police and fire department hiring next year. The police force will be bolstered by 51 officers and the fire department by 36. There will be additional hiring in 2026 for a total of 173 new positions. The mayor said the beefed-up police force will be tasked with reducing gang violence.

Funds to stimulate housing are nearly tripling in 2025, from $24 million to $71 million. The same goes for funds to fight homelessness, from $2.2 million to $7 million.

The city is dipping into its climate change reserve fund to pay for two environmentally related projects next year: a new covered and refrigerated rink to be built next to the Duberger arena, as part of a plan to have such a facility in each of the city’s six boroughs, and a flood-prevention project along the Lorette River.

The budget does not ignore the tramway project, which has dominated City Hall politics since Marchand’s Québec Forte et Fière party came to power three years ago. The budget allots $262 million for tramway work in 2025, while the city awaits the final agree- ment on the project, possibly next week.

“We’re ready for 2025,” the mayor said. “It’s going well. Quebec needs it. The money is there. The partners are there. We’ve got a good vibe.”

Asked to explain why he calls the budget “non-electoralist,” Marchand said, “We’re not giving gifts that will make people happy for a while. We’re not taking the easy way; it’s about being responsible and rigorous. It’s not our money, it’s the money of the citizens.”

Budget holds line on taxes, ups spending on public safety Read More »

Marchand, Schuldt, Krampus launch German Christmas Market festivities

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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.

Marchand, Schuldt, Krampus launch German Christmas Market festivities Read More »

City announces major public safety hiring spree

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

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 »

Quebec City to get new multifunctional public curling centre

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

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 »

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

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

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, province differ on approach to organized crime

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City, province differ on approach to organized crime

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Mayor Bruno Marchand and Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel agree that an increased police presence is necessary to crack down on a recent uptick in gun violence in the city and surrounding areas, much of it linked to organized crime. They disagree on who should provide the personnel and how the operation should be funded.

Marchand has pressed the provincial government for greater funding for the Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ). Bonnardel, for his part, has resisted calls for more money for the SPVQ but repeatedly offered to send Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers to the city as reinforcements.

Bonnardel wrote a letter to Marchand on Sept. 20, which was shared with several media outlets. “I am, like you, deeply concerned by the recent demonstrations of armed violence in the Capitale-Nationale and its surroundings. However, these events to which you refer are associated with organized crime and raise issues that not only go beyond the strict limits of your territory, but also require national-level police co-ordination in the interventions carried out to combat this phenomenon – a clearly established jurisdiction of the Sûreté du Québec,” the letter said.

The letter was sent to Marchand’s office minutes before a scheduled City Hall press conference the same day, and the mayor hadn’t received it before he met with reporters.

The day of the press conference, the SPVQ and the Service de Police de Lévis were among dozens of municipal police services working in collaboration with the SQ on a provincewide crackdown on organized crime.

“We have no problem collaborating with the SQ, on mixed units, on collaborative projects,” the mayor said. “We do that already. We help them, they help us, they do their job very well and we have a lot of respect for them. But the SPVQ doesn’t need the SQ beyond the collaboration we’re already doing. We need additional resources for the city police to do work that is ongoing, not for a week, not for a month, but sustainably. We have been attacking organized crime for a long time.”

Earlier this year, the SPVQ released statistics showing a 6.6 per cent increase in violent crime in the city from 2022 to 2023, and a 29 per cent increase in “crimes against persons” between 2020 and 2023. The Quebec Liberal Party is among those backing Marchand’s call for increased funding for the municipal police service. “I find it very surprising that [Bonnardel] is talking about calling in the SQ when they have a major personnel shortage themselves. The city needs constant support, and that’s not going to happen if [the Quebec government] sends the SQ in once,” said Liberal public security critic Jennifer Maccarone. “It isn’t fair to compare Quebec City to Montreal and Laval – it’s not the same situation at all, but you need to trust the city if they are saying they need support. The government needs to have a conversation with the mayor – not just to stand up and say no, but to listen.”

Marchand appreciated the support, telling reporters, “So much the better; [crime prevention] should be a trans-partisan issue.”

“We aren’t in the same situation as Montreal, but we don’t want to wait for the situation to get worse,” Marchand said. “We have a good police service. I believe in them and I thank them. We need more resources to help them, and I hope the provincial government will be present present for that.” As of Sept. 23, media reports suggested that despite the disagreement, the Ville de Québec intended to accept the offer of SQ assistance.

Chief Denis Turcotte of the SPVQ declined to comment. Martine Fortier, president of the city’s police union, told Radio-Canada the union sup- ported Marchand’s demands, but that the mayor “can’t hide behind the fact that he’s being refused additional funding.” She would not go into detail on the union’s demands due to ongoing negotiations.

City, province differ on approach to organized crime Read More »

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