: Dan Laxer

Yet another Miller accomplice charged

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Yet another associate of disgraced billionaire Robert Miller has been arrested.

Raymond Poulet’s name has come up before in the ongoing case against Miller. In fact, The Suburban reported on others implicated along with Miller, including Poulet and Sam Joseph Abrams..

The 76-year-old Poulet was arrested last week for allegedly aiding Miller in the crimes for which he stands accused: the sexual exploitation of young women and girls.

Poulet is facing 10 charges, including procuring an individual for sex, sexual interference, and sexual assault. In Poulet’s case, there are three alleged victims, one under the age of 14. The charges cover the period between 1995 and 2001.

Poulet is just five years younger than Miller who, deemed too sick or unfit to stand trial, was granted a stay of proceedings.

In a class-action lawsuit launched against Miller, Poulet, and others last January, women who were said to have been aged 11 to 17 at the time have alleged that a prostitution ring had been operating out of Future Electronics, the company that Miller owned at the time. He has since sold the company after allegations against him came out.

The suit alleges that from 1994 to 2006 Miller exploited about 100 victims who were underage at the time. Those of his employees who are mentioned in the suit are alleged to have aided Miller by recruiting, housing, and transporting young girls. Poulet is said to have acted as Miller’s procurer, with some of the plaintiffs saying that he’d even assault them to test them before bringing them to Miller.

In June, another Miller accomplice, 68-year-old Teresita Fuentes, who lives at the same Westmount address as Miller, asked for her case to be delayed. Fuentes faces charges similar to Poulet. n

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Court did not overturn tuition increases, says Déry

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Quebec Education Minister Pascale Déry took to her X account to denounce the media last Tuesday, accusing two newspapers of publishing “misinformation.”

There were at least two reports, last week, indicating that the CAQ would not be appealing the Quebec Superior Court ruling ordering the government to eliminate the 33 percent tuition hike for students from outside Quebec. It is indeed the case that the government had not filed an appeal by deadline last Monday. But that did not mean, Déry said, that the government accepted the decision.

The ministry argues that the April ruling did not take issue with the 33 percent tuition hike itself, but rather with how the government got there in the first place.

“I want to be clear,” Déry said in her X post, “the court did not overturn the increase; we are sticking to the decision. We firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to education for non-Quebeckers.”

Last February McGill University and Concordia University filed suit against the Coalition Avenir Québec’s plan to charge out-of-province students higher tuition fees ostensibly to protect the French language and to effectively reduce the number of non-Francophone students in the province. They argued that the government’s plan violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour ruled in the universities’ favours, saying the rise in tuition for non-Quebeckers was “unreasonable,” and that the available data did not support Déry’s position on the ability of non-Quebec students to integrate. He also said that the French-proficiency requirement was “equally unreasonable.”

However, he upheld the government’s rules on funding international students.

Déry continued in her X post: “The judgment not only supports the measure aimed at correcting the financial imbalance between English-speaking and French-speaking universities, it also recognizes the government’s responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect French in Quebec.”

“Regarding the arrangements surrounding knowledge of French for students outside Quebec,” Déry added on X, “we will continue discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks.”

The universities have also chosen not to appeal the ruling. For its part, McGill University issued a statement to The Suburban, saying “The judgment is quite clear. We will abide by it, as we hope others will. We remain committed to maintaining a constructive and respectful relationship with the Quebec government.”

Concordia was not as conciliatory. In a statement emailed to The Suburban, spokesperson Vannina Maestracci says the university was “astonished” by Déry’s comments. “We had hoped that the decision by the Superior Court in April could mark a reset of our relationship with the government. The comments made today by the Ministry – one day after the end of the appeal period – make it clear that this is not the case.” She added that it seems “the government simply plans to come back with a new set of arguments to justify an increase of tuition fees for out-of-province students – which would be inconsistent with the judgment.” n

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“We’re pragmatic, not dogmatic”: Ferrada launches Mayoral bid

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

By Dan Laxer
The Suburban

Earlier this month Soraya Martinez Ferrada announced her intention to run for the leadership of Ensemble Montréal. Last Wednesday she made it official.

Ferrada is so far the only declared candidate. There may well be others who might step forward. But with just over a week to go before the nomination period closes, it is unlikely. Which means that she will most probably be elected party leader at their next convention in April, and, come next November, will be the party’s candidate for mayor.

She already has the support of several members of the party, including several key borough mayors, such as Christine Black of Montréal-Nord, Jim Beis of Pierrefonds-Roxboro, Laurent Desbois of Outremont, and Doug Hurley of Île-Bizard-Sainte-Geneviève. She also has the support of three city councillors – Pierrefonds‘ Benoit Langevin, Stephanie Valenzuela (Darlington) and Julien Henault-Ratelle (Tetreaultville), and of the party’s interim leader Aref Salem who praised Ferrada’s “flawless record.”

“She has all the qualities and experience needed to lead this metropolis,” Salem said, “and meet the challenges that lie ahead.”

Most recently Ferrada was a Liberal Member of Parliament for Hochelaga and Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. She had also been a city councillor for both Vision Montreal and Union Montreal, so she is no stranger to municipal politics. In her video announcing her intention to seek the party leadership, she assured her constituents “I’m not going anywhere. I’m actually coming back home, coming back to Montreal, because I choose Montreal.”

As to where she hopes to succeed where Projet Montréal has failed, she highlighted housing. Ferrada points out that Montreal is the only city in Canada that has decreased construction. “Having more housing requires a new sense of priorities, for one, working with boroughs, working with the private sector, working with the community organizations to really make it happen.”

Homelessness has also been a priority for Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante, who has called on the provincial government to do more to solve the problem. However, Ferrada says that pointing the fingers won’t do anything. “We have to be partners, everybody at the table, to really concretely work collaboratively with all (levels of) governments in place. But it’s not one government’s fault; everybody has their own role to play.”

Ferrada characterizes Ensemble Montréal as a party that listens to Montrealers. “We’re pragmatic, not dogmatic,” she says. “We want to make sure that Montrealers will see an alternative in our party in terms of…social and economic development.”

She appears confident that, with the coming months, Ensemble Montréal will be able to win over Montrealers under her leadership. “Campaigns matter, and I’m a really good campaigner,” adding that it will come down to “a contest of who is the best to serve Montrealers, and I think we’re the best team to do that.”

“Together,” she said, “we are building a strong vision for our city.” n

“We’re pragmatic, not dogmatic”: Ferrada launches Mayoral bid Read More »

More families in need of food banks

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Dan Laxer

Food insecurity is on the rise, as is the number of families in need of food banks. That’s according to a study released by Banques Alimentaires du Québec. It’s a trend that saw a sharp rise in 2023 and 2024, and will continue over the next years, through to 2027.

According to their statistics, the BAQ has seen 2.9 million requests for food assistance per month in the province, with the highest proportion – 907,597 – in Montreal. The organization says it’s never seen a situation like this since it’s been collecting statistics (2011), and it is calling on the provincial government to do more.

The difference now is that while food insecurity is indeed a problem for low-income households, the BAQ says now they are seeing families will full-time salaries asking for help. And they’re raising a red flag.

“Since 2019, demand for food aid has risen by 51 percent exceeding the capacity of BAQ members to meet it,” the study says. The lack of resources has been making it more difficult for food banks to respond to the needs of those in need of aid.

Food costs represent the second biggest expense for families who still need housing and other costs that don’t change month to month. “Your food budget is really one of the last things you control,” says Véronique Beaulieu-Fowler, the BAQ’s director of philanthropy.

Over the next year, the BAQ says, they will need $38 million to meet the needs of Quebecers. Government funding “has been essential to make up the shortfall and buy enough food to meet growing demand.” The BAQ would prefer to be able to rely on “predictable funding rather than continually knocking on the government’s door.”

“The situation is unacceptable,” says Désirée McGraw, the Official Opposition Critic for Social Solidarity and Community Action. “But even more worrying is the complacency of the Premier and his government, who plan to cut food bank assistance in 2025.”

Beaulieu-Fowler tells The Suburban that the government is aware of the new study, and of the challenges food banks will be facing over the next two years. At the very least, she says, the study gives the BAQ a predictable idea of how the next couple of years will evolve, and they will be able to prepare accordingly.

BAQ Director-General Martin Munger says they hope to reach an agreement with the Quebec government to meet the challenges ahead. “As long as structural measures and actions that tackle the roots of poverty and social inequality are not implemented,” he says “we will continue to face this rise.” n

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