Quebec City

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

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

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

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

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 »

Bonhomme Carnaval opens his Winter Beach starting Dec. 21

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

‘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 »

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

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 »

National history museum project voted into law

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

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 »

Electric cars continue to advance by leaps and bounds

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

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.

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

Feds make three Old Port buildings available for housing

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.”

Feds make three Old Port buildings available for housing Read More »

Tramway delays help kill huge Humaniti project on Boul. Laurier

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

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.”

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

Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign begins Oct. 25

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 »

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

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

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

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’

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 »

From Colombia to Quebec: Huge sailboat ships coffee for Café William

From Colombia to Quebec: Huge sailboat ships coffee for Café William

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

For a city known for sailing ships, with even a ship as its symbol, it seems fitting the world’s largest modern cargo sailing ship should make its maiden voyage to Quebec City.

Such was the case last week when the Anemos – Greek for “wind” – docked in the Old Port with a cargo of green coffee beans from Santa Marta, Colombia, in its hold, the first shipment of many in the environmental ambitions of Café William, a Quebec-based coffee roaster and retailer.

The mission, according to Serge Picard, Café William’s co-founder and head of innovation and commercial operations, is to produce the “cleanest cup of coffee in the world, the most environmentally sustainable. Café William wants to one day transport 100 per cent of our coffee with zero emissions.”

The Anemos unloaded some 20 shipping containers of green coffee beans for Café William in Quebec City, which Picard says amounts to about 40 per cent of the company’s consumption. The beans, purchased from an Indigenous co-operative in Colombia, were to be transported to the company’s huge new all-electric roasting plant in Sherbrooke in a Volvo electric truck.

Picard said coffee is the second single largest commodity shipped around the world after oil, with some 90 per cent of production exported to other countries for processing.

The Anemos has a sister ship, the Artemus, which is currently sailing from a Vietnam shipyard to France. Picard said six more of the giant cargo sailing ships are in the works. The ships are the creation of a French company called TOWT (Trans-ocean Wind Transport), which has specialized in sail-powered marine cargo transport since 2011.

Guillaume Le Grand, president and one of the founders of TOWT, said the ship’s masts, towering at 64 metres high, “are probably the tallest in the world.”

The hulls of the ship were manufactured in Romania and then towed to Concarneau on the northwest coast of France, where the final assembly was completed.

It takes a maximum crew of eight to sail the 81-metre-long steel vessels, which are highly mechanized with many automatic or programmed functions. Le Grand said the average ocean speed is about 10 knots (nautical miles per hour) and it takes two weeks to cross the Atlantic. The ship has a backup engine to navigate harbours, but when under sail, the propellers can be reversed to generate electrical power for most of the ship’s systems.

Attending the ceremony to celebrate the ship’s inaugural voyage were representatives of Fairtrade Canada and of the Colombian coffee growers co-operative, known by its Spanish acronym ANEI.

The first voyage of the Anemos followed Café Wil- liam’s first experience with sail-powered shipping when it contracted with a German sail cargo company to ship five containers of beans from Co- lombia to Quebec. A company news release said, “This first voyage confirmed our vision: transporting coffee by sailboat is viable and possible.”

Picard said the company’s big dream is to have all its coffee beans shipped by sail, including from suppliers in Africa and Asia. He said the roasted coffee that travelled by sailing ship costs about 10 cents more per pound than Café William’s other coffees. “It’s minuscule compared to all the other costs that are tacked on when you’re importing raw coffee beans, so I guess you just have to be a tad crazy enough to want to disrupt the status quo and try something different.”

Café William coffee is available in most major grocery stores in Quebec, some U.S. outlets and online.

The “William” in Café William is for the Italian William Spartivento, who invented a rotary coffee roaster. Picard said, “Nobody could really pronounce Spartivento – which we could have kept [as a name] because it would have been cool. It means ‘split the winds’ in Italian.”

From Colombia to Quebec: Huge sailboat ships coffee for Café William Read More »

Learning centres suspend new francisation enrolments

Learning centres suspend new francisation enrolments

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Three Quebec City-area centres offering subsidized French language classes for newcomers known as francisation have announced that they will be forced to stop accepting new students due to a funding shortfall.

The Centre Saint-Louis (CSL) in Loretteville, the Le Phénix adult learning centre in Sainte-Foy and the Cen- tre Louis-Jolliet in Limoilou, which has the largest francisation program in the region, are all expected to stop accepting new students when the new semester begins on Nov. 4, unless a funding solution can be found.

The QCT independently confirmed this information, first reported by Le Soleil, with the Centre de services scolaire (CSS) des Découvreurs, which oversees Le Phénix, and the CSS de la Capitale, which oversees the two other centres. Several similar programs in other regions of the province have also announced plans to close or suspend new student enrolments in recent weeks.

Law 14, better known as Bill 96, the reform to the Charter of the French Language which was passed by the Coalition Avenir Québec government in 2022, opened francisation classes, previously reserved for new immigrants, to newcomers from the rest of Canada and longtime Quebec residents. It also imposed a six-month deadline beyond which new immigrants would have to ac- cess most government services in French only. Demand for the courses increased after the new measures took effect.

However, as Carl Ouellet of the Association québécoise des directeurs d’école previ- ously told the QCT, the funding model used by the Ministry of Education and Higher Learn- ing (MEES) to finance the courses is based on pre-2022 student numbers.

“For reasons related to the MEES funding model, new student registration in francisation at Le Phénix has been paused since July,” CSS des Découvreurs spokesperson Marie-Ève Malouin said.

“When the MEES filed the 2024-25 budget rules, we learned that we will have to limit the number of students in francisation in order to comply with the funding granted for this sector,” said Malouin’s counterpart at the CSS de la Capitale, Jade Thibodeau. “We are currently receiving the same number of groups that we had last June. For the next session, it is impossible for us to welcome new students in order to respect the budgets granted.”

Brigitte Wellens, executive director of Voice of English-speaking Québec (VEQ), said she “almost expected” to hear that the programs would suspend enrolment. “I know there have been very significant delays for people wanting to access courses, and I can’t say I’m surprised.” Wellens said she had a co-worker who had been on a waiting list for a francisation course for a year, and three others who were expected to start courses this fall but would not. She said it was common for a newcomer to wait six, seven or eight months to enrol in a class.

“When someone has to wait for a year to learn French, it delays a whole bunch of other stuff. You can speak whatever language you like at home … but if you want to get a job, make friends, shop for groceries, you have to learn French. You can’t get by without it. That’s the first thing we tell people,” she said.

Wellens said the free classes offered at Le Phénix, Louis- Jolliet and CSL “fill a hole” for newcomers who can’t afford university courses or private lessons.

She called on the govern- ment to suspend the six-month deadline for accessing govern- ment services in French until it could make good on its initial promise of subsidized classes for all Quebec residents who need them. “With the passage of that bill, we were assured that francisation would be available for everyone for free. If we can’t make good on that, we need to remove the requirement … and to communicate that clearly with all the agencies responsible for providing services,” she said. “No one is walking around saying they don’t want to learn French.”

Malouin and Thibodeau said students already enrolled in francisation classes at the three centres would be able to continue their classes.

No one from the MEES was available to comment at press time.

Learning centres suspend new francisation enrolments Read More »

Opposition attacks CAQ for more tramway delays

TRAM TRACKER

Opposition attacks CAQ for more tramway delays

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

Four months after the Coalition Avenir Québec government announced its approval of the first phase of Quebec City’s tramway project, a deal is yet to be signed to restart construction.

The prolonged delay has the Quebec Liberal Party transport critic and MNA for Nelligan Monsef Derraji wondering whether the CAQ government is stalling in the hopes a Conservative federal government under Pierre Poilievre will kill the project if it comes to power in the coming months.

Derraji and other opposition members grilled Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault for two hours in the National Assembly on Sept. 27 on the tramway project.

In an interview with the QCT, Derraji said the problem for the CAQ government is “they have no money.” He said the government has been cutting programs and now Guilbault “said she’s waiting for money to come in from the federal government” for the tramway project.

He said Premier François Legault had called on the Bloc Québécois to support a Conservative non-confidence motion to defeat Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government. The premier “wants as soon as possible an election on the federal level.”

Poilievre has said on several occasions “he would give nothing to the tramway project,” Derraji said. The way he sees it, Legault and Guilbault “are waiting for a federal election, and after that they will say we don’t have the money for this project.”

Derraji said Guilbault had promised in June to give a mandate to the Caisse de dépôt et placement infrastructure division (CDPQ Infra) to restart work on the first phase of the $5.1-billion project.

“Why is she waiting? Next year we’ll have Pierre Poilievre.” Derraji noted that while Poilievre opposes the tramway, he has said a Conservative federal government would help finance the CAQ’s plan for a “third link” bridge across the St. Lawrence River.

Besides Derraji, opposition MNAs Étienne Grandmont of Québec Solidaire — whose riding would be home to several tramway stations if the project goes ahead — and Joël Arseneau of the Parti Québécois questioned Guilbault.

For her part, Guilbault said sending a mandate letter to CDPQ Infra is not a simple matter. “They [the opposition] just talk about the letter, but I don’t know if they understand how it works, the preparation and design of a major project. There are several things happening at the same time.”

She said meetings have been taking place between government officials and CDPQ Infra since June, when the agency submitted a report the CAQ government had requested that recommended a sweep- ing urban transit project for Quebec City and Lévis, to be called Circuit intégré de transport express or Cité.

Guilbauilt said the project transition committee last met on Sept. 24. “It’s important for people to know that the project is moving forward,” the minister told the opposition members at the National Assembly session.

As for federal funding, Guilbault said there are “certain people in the current fed- eral Liberal government who claimed in the newspapers that they were on target. That’s their usual claim: ‘We’re on target.’ But what does that mean in real life? For me, a target is money … I negotiate with them, I make my requests and I wait for the cheque, and the cheque doesn’t arrive.”

Jean-Yves Duclos, the federal minister of public services and procurement and MP for Québec, denied Guilbault’s claim (see separate story).  

Opposition attacks CAQ for more tramway delays Read More »

Duclos to Guilbault: Tram money is ‘in the bank’

Duclos to Guilbault: Tram money is ‘in the bank’

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Federal minister and Liberal Quebec lieutenant Jean-Yves Duclos has sharply refuted Quebec Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault’s claim Ottawa has yet to “send a cheque” to help finance Quebec City’s tramway project.

Duclos responded to Guilbault’s comments at a media scrum on Oct. 4 following a Quebec City announcement about loans for small busi- nesses. The minister had taken the swipe at the federal govern- ment a week earlier in front of a National Assembly session focused on the tramway project. “I wait for the cheque and the cheque doesn’t arrive,” Guilbault said, in the context of answering questions from opposition MNAs about the CAQ government’s delay in mandating the resumption of construction of the first phase of the tramway project, as promised in June.

Duclos told reporters the federal government has put “$1.5 billion and more in a bank account for the Quebec [City] region for the tramway.”

As for Guilbault’s comments, “I say this with respect, but sometimes I need to say things more clearly … I explained to her again last week what she should have understood a long time ago. I told her several times. I don’t know why it’s not getting through.”

Duclos, who recently took over as Liberal lieutenant for Quebec in the wake of Pablo Rodriguez’s decision to seek the Quebec Liberal Party leadership, said, “To claim that there is no money from the Canadian government is false, and I think everyone should admit that, including Ms. Guilbault. We have to stop diverting attention and going back over old issues that have been clarified for a long time.”

Duclos said when Guilbault sends the bill for the tramway, “we’ll send her a cheque.”

As for the threat of a future Conservative government under Pierre Poilievre, who has said he would not fund the tramway project, Duclos said the Conservative leader “wants to steal money from the tramway bank account of people in the Quebec City region. We can’t imagine that he would want to do that, but knowing Pierre Poilievre, it’s pure Pierre Poilievre.”

Duclos to Guilbault: Tram money is ‘in the bank’ Read More »

City bike lane network keeps growing

City bike lane network keeps growing

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Quebec City cyclists now have an additional 12.7 kilometres of bike paths to enjoy. The Ville de Québec has added six new sections to its VivaCité* bike path network this summer – the Pente-Douce corridor (from Rue Marie-de-l’Incarnation to Chemin Ste-Foy) and the Ma- rie-de-l’Incarnation corridor (from Rue Guyart to Côte de la Pente-Douce) in Montcalm, the 3e Avenue Ouest/52e Rue corridor (76e Ave Ouest to 4e Ave Est) in Limoilou, the Du Pont corridor in Saint-Roch (from Rue du Prince-Édouard to Rue Saint-Vallier Est), the Quai Saint-André corridor in Petit-Champlain (Rue Saint- Pierre to Rue Dalhousie) and the Neilson corridor in Sainte-Foy (Rue de Marly to Rue André-Giroux).

Two existing bike lanes have also been spruced up with improved lane marking, additional protective barriers and traffic lights adapted for cyclists; they are the Boul. Laurier corridor near the Université Laval campus (Rue des Gouverneurs to Rue Marguerite-Bourgeoys) and the Chemin Sainte-Foy corridor in Montcalm (from Ave. de Vimy to Ave. des Érables).

Safety improvements to an additional corridor (the 4e Ave corridor in Limoilou) should be completed by mid-November, city officials said.

The additional corridors essentially triple the size of the bike lane network, modelled after Montreal’s Réseau Express Vélo, which began with six km of lanes in 2023.

Coun. Pierre-Luc Lachance, member of the executive committee responsible for mobility and road safety, estimated the cost of this year’s improvements at $4.8 million, although the exact cost won’t be known until all upgrades are com- pleted.

Lachance said the bike lanes are “part of the city’s big ten- year plan for mobility,” which includes a 150-km network serving 85 per cent of the city’s neighbourhoods by 2035.

“We are in a new dynamic to make biking a means of trans- portation and not just a way to have fun,” said Lachance, himself an avid cyclist. “Having separated bike lanes makes a huge difference in terms of safety – there are more families with kids taking their bikes to school. With every new installation, we see behaviour change; when we put in the corridor on Chemin Ste-Foy, the average speed of the cars went down by a few kilometres per hour, and that’s a big deal. If we want to encourage people to walk or take their bikes, it has to be safe.”

Over the next few months, the city is planning public consultations about the future of the bike path network. The consultation calendar is available at ville.quebec.qc.ca/citoyens/participation-citoyenne/activites/index.aspx.

*Editor’s Note: The version of this article published in the print edition of the Oct. 9 QCT refers to the bike network by its previous name, Vélo Cité. City officials announced the new name (VivaCité) on Oct. 8 after the print edition went to press. 

City bike lane network keeps growing Read More »

New book offers detailed look at wartime Quebec Conferences

New book offers detailed look at wartime Quebec Conferences

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

According to a newly published book, the first step in the long fight to beat the Nazis and liberate Europe from their grip began in the Salon Rose of the Château Frontenac in August 1943.

The Quebec Conference, bringing together British prime minister Winston Churchill and United States president Franklin Roosevelt, committed the Allies to the invasion of Normandy the following spring, code name Overlord, which became known as D-Day.

The momentous Quebec City meeting is chronicled in fascinating detail in historian, retired naval officer and QCT contributing writer Charles André Nadeau’s new book, Churchill et Roosevelt à Québec: Grande et petite histoires des conférences de 1943 et de 1944. (It’s available only in French at the moment, pend- ing translation arrangements.)

The book launch on Sept. 12, naturally, took place in the Salon Rose, little changed from when the chiefs of staff of Great Britain and the United States met there to debate the grand strategy for the rest of the war in Europe 81 years ago. In attendance were Nadeau’s family and friends, his naval comrades, fellow historians and the man who initially proposed the book project, former Château Frontenac director general Robert Mercure, himself a history buff.

Nadeau said the book, initially imagined as a pamphlet, would help Mercure respond to one of the most-asked questions by visitors about the landmark hotel, namely what happened when Churchill and Roosevelt met in Quebec in August 1943 and again in September 1944.

Mercure, who wrote a foreword to the book, applauded Nadeau at the launch for “having succeeded in bringing alive” the events at the two conferences. He confessed to getting a “frisson” each time he enters the Salon Rose, knowing what took place there.

Nadeau said his background as a student of military strategy at the U.S. Naval War College provided the context for the book, which lays out in accessible detail how the president and prime minister approved the “grand strategy” for the reconquest of Europe.

Nadeau notes that by pure coincidence, the 1943 Quebec conference took place at a crucial turning point in the war in Europe, the Allied forces having captured Sicily on Aug. 17, with the Italian boot literally in view across the Strait of Messina.

Churchill, Nadeau said, “was a better politician than a military strategist,” preferring to launch an invasion of Europe through Italy rather than northern France from across the English Channel. Churchill’s reticence, Nadeau said, was partly due to his role as British naval minister in the disastrous and bloody invasion of Turkey in the First World War.

“He saw Normandy as a potential Gallipoli,” Nadeau said. Besides the fascinating account of the strategy for the next crucial stage of the war hammered out by military commanders in the Salon Rose, the Citadelle and other places in the city, Nadeau offers up countless colourful details of the eight-day gathering.

One that boggles the mind is that of British vice-admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten, taking out his revolver in the Salon Rose and firing bullets at a block of ice and one made of a new material called pykrete, developed to clad an aircraft carrier, an experiment that got no further than a lake in Alberta.

The overall conclusion of the Quebec Conference, as Nadeau asserts in the book, is that henceforth the United States would be the dominant force in the selection of the strategy of the war in both Europe and the Pacific.

As Nadeau observes, “kilometre zero” in the long road to win the war in Europe was the Salon Rose in the Château Frontenac.

Churchill et Roosevelt à Québec is available in local bookstores and online.

New book offers detailed look at wartime Quebec Conferences Read More »

ESSC firefighter course brings home awards at gala

K.C. Jordan, LJI Journalist

Emma Rochon and Talira Savard are Grade 11 students at École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC). They’re both teenage girls, and they’re both firefighters. 

Well, technically they’re not certified quite yet, but they hope to by the end of May if everything goes according to plan. 

The pair are students in ESSC’s firefighter training course, a first-of-its-kind initiative in Quebec started last year which allows students to get their Firefighter 1 certification while still attending regular high school classes. 

Once a week, students get together to learn firefighting skills with teacher Martin Bertand, who is also captain of the Bryson and Grand Calumet Fire Department. They run drills with local fire departments, get their first responder certification, and respond to emergencies. Students in the program are working hard in preparation for their final exam in May. 

Last Thursday Rochon, Savard, and Bertrand were in Quebec City for the Forces Avenir gala, an annual event that celebrates the accomplishments of high school students and educators across the province. 

The occasion? Their program had received a silver award in the “projet engagé” (dedicated projet) category, and was up for the “coup de coeur” (people’s choice) award. 

After two and a half suspenseful hours, Rochon and Savard were called up on stage to accept the “coup de coeur” award.

Both girls were nervous, especially because of the interview-style format in which the gala host asked the girls questions about the project. 

“I was in shock and surprised, but I was really proud of us,” Savard said. 

Bertrand, too, was proud. In an interview with THE EQUITY the day after the gala he said seeing the pair on stage brought a tear to his eye. “These girls have worked hard,” he said.

Rochon and Savard represented their class in Quebec City because they were elected co-captains by their classmates — a group that consists of mostly boys.

Savard was proud they got the nod over their male counterparts. “We’re not a lot of girls and it’s really awesome that we were picked by all the guys.” 

According to a 2021 nationwide survey by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, only 11 per cent of firefighters in Canada are women. 

Savard said it can be tough being a girl in a male-dominated profession, and in her short time as a first responder she’s seen her fair share of prejudice. 

ESSC firefighter course brings home awards at gala Read More »

Buyer wants to bring back Provisions Inc. as grocery

Buyer wants to bring back Provisions Inc. as grocery

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Those longing for the return of the popular Provisions Inc. grocery store on Ave. Cartier may get their wish.

Although the deal is not yet signed and sealed, the would-be buyer of the building, rental property owner Jean-François Picard, is talking about his plans. He told the Journal de Québec, “We really want to revive what it was and everyone is converging towards the same thing.”

Picard said, “There were citizen surveys, merchant surveys. I did my homework and [decided] a grocery store will go there.”

Picard, who lives close to Ave. Cartier, said he was a frequent patron of the store. “It brought life; it brought a beautiful magic too because it was very family-oriented. That’s what we want to revive.”

The Drouin family ran the store until the fall of 2022, when cousins Vincent and Bruno Drouin sold it to a couple from France. Stéphanie Bouillon Guessas and Christophe Bouillon operated the store until January 2024 when it was suddenly closed. The building was put up for sale by the National Bank following the couple’s default on the mortgage. Meanwhile, the Drouins are suing the couple for some $450,000 still owing on the purchase.

The three-storey building has two apartments above the grocery. The equipment to operate the store, such as refrigerators, shelves and cashier counters, remains intact.

Picard said he is now looking for a partner to run the grocery. “It’s realistic to think that well before Christmas, we’ll be in operation,” he said. Picard also said he hopes to work with for- mer employees of the grocery to get it back up and running.

The website for his company, Picard Immobilier, describes the business as “proud to be a Quebec company that is 100 per cent manager and owner of its buildings” with “nearly 700 apartments of all styles in the Quebec region.”

Among the company’s holdings are several buildings in the Montcalm district.

The impending purchase of Provisions Inc. was raised at a meeting of the Montcalm neighbourhood council meeting last week. Attendee Paul Mackey told the QCT Picard “may attend the next neighbourhood council meeting at the end of October to discuss his plans, if the sale is formalized.”

Hugo Asselin, the real estate agent who handled the deal, said it might take a few weeks for the sale to be processed by a notary. The listed price for the building, zoned for a variety of uses, was $2 million.

The QCT was not able to contact Picard before press time.

Buyer wants to bring back Provisions Inc. as grocery Read More »

English health services available on request under new ministry directive

English health services available on request under new ministry directive

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Advocates for access to health care in English are breathing a sigh of relief after the Quebec government officially scrapped a directive that was widely seen as laying the groundwork for restrictions on the use of English and other languages in health institutions.

The initial 23-page directive, made public in July, contained a list of situations where it was acceptable for health institutions to use English or other languages, giving rise to concern that the list could be used to restrict the use of English. Minister for the French Language Jean-François Roberge repeatedly denied this was the government’s intention, and promised to replace the directive.

The new document, released Sept. 20, states that “no verification of a user’s identity is needed to access services in English or in another language.”

A language other than French “may be used when the user or their representative requests it, expresses that they do not understand or do not seem to understand French, or according to the judgment of the [professional],” the document says. Health care professionals can communicate in English or another language with a patient or their representative if they have the capacity, or work with an interpretation service if they don’t.

“This basically puts the whole issue to rest,” said Jennifer Johnson, president of the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN). “If someone wants to receive services in English, they just need to ask for it – no certificate of eligibility for English education is required.

“Everyone has the right to ask for services in the language they are most comfortable in,” she added. “If someone asks for service in Spanish, the [professional] needs to do the best they can to provide those services.”

The directive applies to the entire spectrum of health and social services programming, including emergency services; public health; services for vulnerable youth, seniors and people with disabilities; addictions services and mental health, and to both spoken and written communication. It also states that a patient who is unsatisfied with the services they have received has the right to file a complaint with the local complaints commissioner.

“The difference between this directive and the one that came out in July is very clear,” said Richard Walling, executive director of Jeffery Hale Community Partners. “This categorically states that people have the ability to receive services in English or another language in all circumstances when the health of the person requires it, which is a broad definition … and there will be no need to validate the user’s identity.”

Walling, whose organization oversees Jeffery Hale Hospital and Saint Brigid’s Home in partnership with the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, said the directive “confirms our actual practice” with regard to providing care in English.

“Language should not be a political issue in the health system – it is a fundamental tool to be able to communicate effectively to get people services when they are sick and vulnerable,” he said. “This directive recognizes that and gives the user and the [health professional] the latitude to do what is needed to get informed consent and proper treatment that can be understood and followed.”

Walling said he was not aware of anyone being unable to get care in the language of their choice at Jeffery Hale or Saint Brigid’s since the initial directive came out. “I have seen staff make a tremendous effort to be able to find a way to communicate,” he said. “These professionals are people who got into the system to help people – that attitude has to prevail, and we have to find a means of effective communication.”

Creativity needed in regions

Although English speakers in the greater Quebec City area can access a bilingual full- service hospital without leaving town, people in vast swaths of the province cannot. Jeffery Hale is the northernmost and easternmost bilingual hospital in the province. The CHSSN supports access to health care in remote regions and in cities with very small anglophone populations where bilingual staff may be hard to come by. Johnson advises people who are struggling to access service in English or another language to “be gentle and persistent” and request an interpreter if necessary – the service is free, and preferable to relying on untrained family members or only understanding half of what is said.

“This directive doesn’t mean that every service will be available in any language anywhere in Quebec,” Walling cautioned. “It does depend on the capacity of the personnel – but I believe that the system will try everything it can to communicate with a person, although they have to get creative on how to do that.”

English health services available on request under new ministry directive Read More »

Aquarium du Québec to close on weekdays until December

Aquarium du Québec to close on weekdays until December

Aquarium to be closed on weekends until December

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Aquarium du Québec will be open on weekends only until Dec. 15, the Société des établissements de plein air du Québec (Sépaq), which oversees the aquarium, announced late last week.

In a statement, Sépaq officials said, “The extent of the two construction sites in progress near the establish- ment” led to the decision. Work is underway on a new multilevel parking garage for the aquarium itself, and unrelated, extensive construction is ongoing along the Avenue des Hôtels in Sainte-Foy and near the entrances to the Québec and Pierre-Laporte bridges, making the aquarium difficult for drivers to access.

“Heavy vehicles and mechanical shovels are circulating extensively along the route to get from the parking lot to the reception area,” the statement said. “In order to ensure the safety of visitors, it was preferable to close the Aquarium du Québec during this busy period of construction site operations. The safety of visitors and team members remains our highest priority.”

The aquarium will remain open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and over the Thanksgiving holiday, when the construction sites are less active. The Sépaq statement said “expanded programming” would be offered on week- ends, although further details weren’t available at press time.

A pre-booked online ticket is required to visit the aquarium. Clients and groups who had al- ready reserved weekday tickets during the period of the closure will be reimbursed. The expiry dates of annual memberships will also be extended. No job losses are expected.

Aquarium du Québec to close on weekdays until December Read More »

Local English-speaking community comes together at Fall Fest

Local English-speaking community comes together at Fall Fest

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Photos by Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

Several hundred members of the greater Quebec City English-speaking community and friends gathered for Fall Fest at Quebec High School on Sept. 21. The annual fair, organized by Voice of English-speaking Québec, featured dozens of kiosks where people could learn about English-language and bilingual community organizations, churches and hobby groups; a bilingual health and social services job fair in the school library hosted by the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale and Jeffery Hale-Saint Brigid’s (JHSB); an arts-and-crafts market; hot dog and bake sale stands; a small farmers’ market; and a range of fun activities for kids and kids- at-heart including bouncy castles, a Lego tent and a bubble cannon.

The 78th Fraser Highlanders, the cast of the Quebec Art Company’s production of Cabaret, and talented and creative student musicians from Quebec High School and Dollard-des-Ormeaux School performed on the outdoor stage.

Representatives from JHSB, the Wellness Centre and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale told attendees how to access health and social services in English. Although patients or their family members have the right to request service in English or request an interpreter at any health facility, JHSB is the only facility in the region expressly mandated to offer service in both languages.

Volunteers Patricia Odgers and Christy Ruggiero spoke with passersby about their rights within the health system and the importance of getting involved with the governance of their health facility. “People are aware that they have the option of [getting care] in both languages, but we are helping to educate people on how to make themselves heard if they have an issue,” Odgers said. “We’re concerned about people not knowing their rights, not raising their concerns, so they don’t filter down to the users’ committee.”

Deputy Mayor Catherine Vallières-Roland and Coun. David Weiser, member of the city executive committee responsible for immigration and vivre-ensemble, took the opportunity to meet with constituents.

“It’s really interesting to see the evolution of the English- speaking community, from families who have been here for generations to people from everywhere who have chosen to make Quebec City their home,” Weiser said. “It’s a big annual event where you get to see everybody. I’m also a Quebec High graduate, so it’s always interesting to come back here.”

Olena Peleshok moved from British Columbia to Lévis less than a year ago. At Fall Fest, she was busy running the South Shore English Network (SSEN) kiosk and meeting new people.

“My biggest challenges [after moving to Quebec] were not only learning French, but also just understanding how things worked here, things like the health system and applying for jobs. Everything in B.C. is different, even if we’re still in the same country.” Peleshok is now the SSEN community development co-ordinator, helping new arrivals find their feet on the South Shore. “As a newcomer, you’re always looking for connection, for opportunities, for ways to learn new skills and do things for other people,” she said, speaking from experience. She and her SSEN colleagues are busy helping people create those connections, with a range of activities for families, seniors and newcomers.

“Fall Fest was a huge suc- cess! We had close to 50 community groups and businesses in the gym, showcasing the amazing things they do and the services they offer,” VEQ executive director Brigitte Wellens said. “There was a wildly successful mini job fair by the CIUSSS-CN. This was a first at Fall Fest and some- thing that we hope to repeat at future editions. In terms of attendance, we estimate that 1,000 community members enjoyed the day’s activities – a record in attendance in the nine years that I’ve been at VEQ.”

For more information about upcoming activities with VEQ, visit veq.ca. For more about upcoming events on the South Shore, visit mcdc.info/en/events/events-ssen-levis.

Local English-speaking community comes together at Fall Fest Read More »

City, province differ on approach to organized crime

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 »

DND putting Sewell House and St. Louis barracks up for sale

DND putting Sewell House and St. Louis barracks up for sale

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

More than four years after the Department of National Defence (DND) declared it as “operationally surplus,” the future of the historic Sewell House on Rue St. Louis is still unknown. Also declared surplus is the St. Louis Barracks building behind Sewell House, on Rue D’Auteuil.

DND spokesperson Kened Sadiku told the QCT, “DND must complete Indigenous and local community consultations and complete the priority circulation with other levels of government and Indigenous groups before making a decision on the future of these properties.”

According to a DND document, the properties were declassified on Aug. 20, which triggered “the divestment process.”

The overall size of the property is 3,934 square feet, and according to the new city evaluation role, Sewell House is valued at $3.3 million.

Both buildings have federal heritage classification, which Sadiku said, means “the new owner[s] of the properties will be responsible for maintaining and preserving their heritage value.”

The St. Louis Barracks were built in 1856 as an armoury and artillery storage space, then expanded into stables and dormitories in 1887. They were used as the offices of the Royal Canadian Engineers until 1998, when the building became vacant. The building is protected because of its history as military infrastructure and its architectural importance. Sewell House has seen a lot of history since it was built in 1804 and occupied for several years by its namesake, Jonathan Sewell, chief justice of what was then Lower Canada. Parks Canada’s description of the house notes: “The original owner, Jonathan Sewell, may have been involved in the design, which placed the home within extensive grounds he owned through inheritance from his father-in-law, the former Chief Justice of Lower Canada William Smith.”

“In 1808, he became Chief Justice and Chairman of the Executive Council. In 1854, his estate sold the house to the Crown. The buildings were then inhabited by the officers of the Quebec Garrison Club, served as offices of the lieutenant governor and the Post Office Department and also as a school.”

The two-and-a-half storey building is still used as an officer’s residence. One former resident, QCT journalist Shirley Nadeau, lived in the lower half of the building for five years. She commented, “The rooms are enormous – the kitchen measured 26 feet long – and ceilings are 14 feet high on the first two floors.”

The house was of such dimensions, according to biographies of Sewell, to accommodate the large family he had with his wife Henrietta, which numbered 16 children.

The city’s inventory of architecture describes the building as “a fine example of the development of the Upper Town of Quebec City in the early 19th century under British rule. It evokes the establishment of the wealthy administrative class that chose the Upper Town during the boom and development of the area.”

Both the barracks and Sewell House are adjacent to the Quebec Garrison Club National Historic Site.

DND spokesperson Andrée- Anne Poulin told the QCT in an email: “Through pre- circulation, early expression of interest has come up from various groups from within the community.”

She added, “It’s important to note that the analysis required for divesting a property is intensive and thorough as described in the Treasury Board’s directive on the management of real property. These projects take an average of three to five years to complete. We take this deliberate, considered approach to ensure we consider the full value of these properties and make an informed decision.”

DND putting Sewell House and St. Louis barracks up for sale Read More »

Provisions Inc. building on Ave. Cartier sold

Provisions Inc. building on Ave. Cartier sold

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The “Vendu” sign is in the window, but people will have to wait a few weeks to know the identity of the new owner of the Provisions Inc. building on Ave. Cartier.

The “For Sale” sign went up in the three-storey building on Aug. 21, the result of a court decision to sell the building to resolve a legal roadblock. The building had become the property of the National Bank when the purchasers, a couple from France, defaulted on the mortgage after fleeing the country.

The pair, Christophe Bouillon and Stéphanie Bouillon Guessas, had acquired the grocery in 2022 from cousins Vincent and Bruno Drouin, whose family had operated the popular store since 1949.

The bailiff handling the sale mandated Remax agent Hugo Asselin to list the building, which, besides a fully equipped grocery store, has two apartments on the second and third floors.. The asking price was $2 million, and a one-week deadline was set for submission of offers.

Asselin told the QCT there were four interested purchasers and the winning bidder is currently going through the legal process with a notary to make the sale official.

When the QCT visited the building the day after the “Vendu” sign went up, two men and a woman were seen talking at the building doorway. Asked if they were the new owners, one said “possiblement” but had no further comment.

Provisions Inc. building on Ave. Cartier sold Read More »

Joan of Arc statue on Plains gets fix-up

Joan of Arc statue on Plains gets fix-up

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Joan of Arc is getting her armour burnished.

The famous statue of the French saint and warrior in the Plains of Abraham garden that bears her name has been barricaded with scaffolding, part of a repair and renovation plan staged over five to 10 years.

A spokesperson for the National Battlefields Commission that maintains the garden said specialists from the Centre de conservation du Québec have been working on the life-size statue and base for two weeks. The scaffolding was to be removed by Sept. 20.

The cost of the makeover is estimated at $30,000.

The statue was a donation from the American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband, Archer M. Huntington, who were enamoured with Quebec City. It commemorates the soldiers who died in the Sept. 13, 1759, Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

The statue is an exact replica of the original one of Joan of Arc on her mount in Manhattan, New York City, erected in 1915. There are three other copies, in Los Angeles; Gloucester, Massachusetts; and Blois, France.

The Quebec City statue was inaugurated in 1938 along with the garden created to surround it.

There is one other statue of a mounted Joan of Arc in the city, located on the grounds of the former Soeurs de Sainte-Jeanne-d’Arc convent in Sillery, now a residential complex.

Joan of Arc statue on Plains gets fix-up Read More »

City to change ‘purple bag’ collection schedule for winter

City to change ‘purple bag’ collection schedule for winter

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Most Quebec City residents participating in the city’s “purple bag” food waste program will have to adjust to a modified schedule as of the week of Oct. 7.

Starting that week, the city will shift from a weekly to a bi-weekly collection schedule for food waste. This change affects all boroughs of the city, except La Cité-Limoilou, the Montmorency sector of Beauport and Maguire Avenue in Sainte-Foy– Sillery-Cap-Rouge.

The collection of garbage and purple bags will alternate with the collection of recyclable materials. The recycling collection week remains the same.

The new schedule will be in effect until March 30; weekly pickup will resume after that and continue until fall 2025.

The city began rolling out its residential compost collection program in La Haute-Saint- Charles in November 2022 and gradually expanded it over the following year. In April 2024, after the city’s biomethanization plant was expanded to process additional food waste, the city opened the program to shops, restaurants, other businesses, public institutions and indus- trial facilities. At the time, Mayor Bruno Marchand said participation in the residential program had been “beyond our expectations.”

“Currently in winter, the majority of bins placed at the curb in the targeted sectors are not full,” Coun. Marie-Josée Asselin, member of the city executive committee responsible for waste management, said in a statement announcing the schedule change. “We can now adjust collection frequencies to real needs, which no longer justify a weekly visit by trucks in the winter period. This is good news!” Asselin did not respond to a request for further comment by press time.

In the statement, city officials said shifting purple bag collection to once every two weeks reduced noise, dust, safety risks and greenhouse gas emissions caused by truck traffic.

The city invited anyone with questions or concerns about waste collection to call 311 or consult the Info-Collecte web portal (ville.quebec.qc.ca/services/info-collecte).

City to change ‘purple bag’ collection schedule for winter Read More »

Male caregivers are welcome in the Shedquarters

Male caregivers are welcome in the Shedquarters

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

English-speaking men in the Quebec City region who are caregivers will soon have access to a new Wellness Centre program aimed at creating social connections and making the experience of being a caregiver less isolating.

The Shedquarters project is inspired by the pan-Canadian Men’s Shed movement, ex- plained project co-ordinator Elise Arsenault. Men’s sheds are autonomous community initiatives that provide a safe and friendly environment where men can work on meaningful projects at their own pace, in their own time, in the company of other men. Arsenault, a master’s student in social work at Université Laval, explained that women tend to be more at ease than men when it comes to discussing difficulties they face openly, whether with a professional or with a friend or family member. “We know there are male caregivers around who are not using existing support services. When men talk about what’s bothering them, they tend to do it shoulder to shoul- der, rather than face to face,” she explained.

Shedquarters intends to give participants the opportunity to do just that. Arsenault said she hoped participants would take ownership of the project, creating “a community of English-speaking male caregivers, by and for the participants.”

The project is open to English-speaking and bilingual men of all ages who are caregivers, the schedule is flexible and the definition of “caregiver” is not restrictive. “You could be caring for a spouse or family member, or helping out a friend or neighbour – it’s a very wide definition,” said Arsenault. Men from around the greater Quebec City, Valcartier and Lévis areas are welcome to join. Arsenault said the program has already had several expressions of interest, and activities were expected to begin later this fall.

If you would like more information about the Shedquarters program for English-speaking male caregivers, either for yourself or someone you know, contact Elise Arsenault directly by phone (418-928-8388) or email (elars18@ulaval.ca).

Male caregivers are welcome in the Shedquarters Read More »

City to jack tax on vehicle fee by $60 to boost transit service

City to jack tax on vehicle fee by $60 to boost transit service

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Vehicle owners in Quebec City will be paying $60 more when they renew their registrations, a move by the city to raise money to expand urban transit service.

Mayor Bruno Marchand announced at a Sept. 11 news conference that the hike will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025, when the public transit contribution of vehicle registration will jump from $30 to $90, on top of the regular fee.

The $30 fee has been in effect since 1992; motorists in the Montreal region have been paying a special transit fee since 2011.

The measure, which the Quebec government made available to all municipalities in the province earlier this year, will affect some 300,000 vehicle owners in the Quebec City region. It is expected to raise $18.4 million in the first year, all of which, the mayor said, will be targeted to public transit improvements.

“We are waging a war on congestion,” Marchand said. “The longer we wait to develop the public transport network, the more congestion increases.”

Saying he was not happy to announce a fee increase, the mayor argued, “There is a cost associated with conges- tion. The family that has to buy a second or third car for their child who has to go to CEGEP represents an annual expense of thousands of dollars. The hours lost in traffic are time that people don’t have with their families and for themselves. Congestion has an economic cost and an impact on quality of life.”

The trade-off for the fee hike is an expansion of the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) network with a plan rolled out over the next three years.

Each year, according to a press release, the RTC plans to add a new fast, high-frequency Metrobus-type route to serve the northern suburbs, a new peripheral sector served by Flexibus with local routes revised accordingly, extension of the àVélo bike-sharing network, and a new Parc-O- Bus lot.

Coun. Maude Mercier Larouche, RTC president and executive committee member, said, “Year after year, the same problem arises: the RTC wants to develop and improve its services, but the funding is not there. Today, we are taking steps to remedy this and are presenting you with an ambitious development plan that meets the needs of our citizens and users.”

Opposition councillors had a variety of reactions to the fee hike, a step dozens of other municipalities have already taken, with fees higher than Quebec City’s $60. Opposition Leader and Québec d’Abord Coun. Claude Villeneuve, whose party is the successor to former mayor Régis Labeaume’s Équipe Labeaume slate, convened a press conference to show plans for RTC network expansion that the Labeaume administration had drawn up – which he said were very similar to the plan Marchand unveiled.

Villeneuve told reporters, “We clearly have a mayor who is waving this plan around with his left hand and who, with his right hand, is going into the pockets of families to get more money – money that will not deliver more mobility and fluidity.”

Transition Québec Leader and Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith, meanwhile, while sup- portive of the increased fee, offered other suggestions. In a news release, she proposed “the city offer the Opus card [transit pass] free of charge to residents of the neighbourhoods on the northern out- skirts of Quebec City who will pay the registration tax.

“The city is presenting us with an interesting project for what it will do with the money collected for the development of the public transit network in Quebec City, but I’m increasingly wary of these plans that are being dangled before us. As long as the CAQ is in power, I’m afraid that all mobility projects in Quebec City will remain imaginary projects,” said Smith.

To encourage drivers to try RTC services, the city plans to offer eight free bus tickets, a $30 value, upon request as of Jan. 1.

City to jack tax on vehicle fee by $60 to boost transit service Read More »

City buys historic Saint-Jean-Baptiste church building

City buys historic Saint-Jean-Baptiste church building

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Nearly 140 years after it opened its doors to worshippers and nearly 10 years after those doors closed, Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste, one of Quebec City’s most distinctive religious landmarks, may reopen soon following the city’s purchase of the building on Rue Saint-Jean.

On Sept. 9, Mayor Bruno Marchand and executive committee member and local Coun. Mélissa Coulombe-Leduc announced the acquisition, for $175,000, of the monumental church, in the square in front of the building which is often used for cultural events. Marchand said Saint-Jean- Baptiste is one of eight religious structures the city is committed to preserving, following recommendations in a 2018 study led by former Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) head John Porter. He said saving the churches was among his party’s election promises.

The other churches are the Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral in Old Quebec; the Anglican Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, also in Old Quebec; Église de La Nativité de Notre-Dame (Beauport); Église Saint-Charles-Borromée (Charlesbourg); Église Saint- Roch, Église Saint-Sauveur and Église Saint-Charles-de-Limoilou. Saint-Jean-Baptiste is the only one of the eight churches currently unoccupied.

Coulombe-Leduc said the city is awaiting the results of a study by consultants to evaluate the investments required to convert the structure for new functions, already identified as “community, touristic and cultural.” She said, “There is enough space for the three to exist together.”

The estimate of the overall cost to repair and maintain the structure is $34 million over 15 years, Coulombe-Leduc said. The city would be the owner of the building, but the provincial and federal governments would contribute to the project. She said she already has assurances from Québec MP Jean-Yves Duclos that the federal government would be involved.

Coulombe-Leduc said she wants there to be at least temporary activity in the building “as soon as possible” while the details of a development plan are settled. “It is not a good thing for a heritage building to be unoccupied,” she said.

She said the overall structure of the building “is very good” and the windows and roof are in good condition. The parish has managed to do renovations over the years since the church ceased to be a place of worship in 2015. The building has had a heritage designation since 1991.

No one from the Saint-Jean-Baptiste parish council, which still oversees the maintenance of the church, spoke at the press conference or was immediately available to comment.

City buys historic Saint-Jean-Baptiste church building Read More »

Anglican parish program brings cello lessons to community

Anglican parish program brings cello lessons to community

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

St. Michael’s Anglican Church in Sillery is starting the new school year on a bright note with a new program offering free, bilingual after-school cello lessons.

“The way we do things at St. Michael’s is we work with the gifts of people who are part of our community, and one of those people is Tomohisa Toriumi, who is a cellist with the Orchestre symphonique de Québec and a cello teacher,” said Rev. Jeffrey Metcalfe, the parish priest of St. Michaels, who is also the canon theologian of the Anglican Diocese of Quebec.

Metcalfe is an amateur cel- list who has been taking lessons from Toriumi for several years. “My son, who was three [when I started playing], said ‘I want to play too,’ and we weren’t going to buy him a $1,200 instrument,” Metcalfe recalled. He himself wanted to learn cello as a child but was discouraged from it by a music teacher, not picking up the instrument until his wife bought him one years later.

“[Toriumi] and I were talk- ing about how it can be difficult to start cello, how it’s expensive and how it’s a high bar … he said he would get some cellos and see if anyone is interested in learning.” With a few loaner cellos and a willing volunteer teacher in Toriumi, Les Anges Cordistes – the working title of the cello program – was born.

Metcalfe said he and Toriumi planned to start slowly, with brief weekly after-school gatherings to learn the basics, and then potentially move for- ward with more involved projects, such as a performance ensemble.

Metcalfe said he has gotten expressions of interest from children as young as seven and from adults. He hopes the program will help build community, foster intergenerational learning and engage children and young adults with classical music.

“A few generations ago, if you wanted to listen to music, you got together with your friends and you played or sang,” he said. “There are still some people who do that in Quebec City, but it isn’t the norm. It’s important to find ways of engaging young people in music. By starting younger, kids develop a sense of ‘I can do this!’”

Metcalfe, who cofounded the Anglican diocese’s Chapeau Vert ethical technology education program two years ago, said he sees Les Anges Cordistes as continuing in a long Anglican tradition of sup- porting the arts and as bringing more people in contact with the church community, with the “beautiful space” of St. Michael’s Church and with music as a potentially spiritual practice. “The cello is such a resonant instrument, and people say it has a range similar to the human voice. It’s important for people to find space for practices that bring them joy,” he added. However, he emphasized that participants in the music program didn’t need to be Anglican parishioners or to have anything to do with the church community. “This is for everyone.”

To join, support or learn more about Les Anges Cordistes, contact Rev. Jeffrey Metcalfe directly at jmetcalfe@quebec.anglican.ca.

Anglican parish program brings cello lessons to community Read More »

Student apartment project set for Jeffery Hale clinic site

Student apartment project set for Jeffery Hale clinic site

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Amajor student housing project is in the works that will transform an already busy sector of Saint- Sacrement.

Construction is expected to start in January on a 234-unit building on the site of the former Jeffery Hale Medical Centre on Chemin Ste-Foy. The structure is adjacent to the building that houses the offices of organizations serving the English-speaking community and the Jeffery Hale Hospital.

The as-yet-unnamed build- ing is a project of UTILE (l’Unité de travail pour l’implantation de logement étudiant), a Montreal-based non-profit organization that already has 13 projects built or in development in Montreal, Sherbrooke, Rimouski, Trois- Rivières and Quebec City.

The group’s first project in the capital is called L’Ardoise, a 205-unit building on Chemin Sainte-Foy across from the Université Laval campus. Completed in 2023, the facility was an instant success, according to Maxime Pelletier, UTILE’s assistant director of public affairs.

Rents in L’Ardoise range from $618 per month for a studio to $1,600 per month for a four-bedroom apartment. When units become available, the group said, there is a flood of applications.

Pelletier said UTILE chose the site on the Jeffery Hale property because of its access to transportation and other amenities in the Saint- Sacrement district, plus its proximity to Laval.

The group bought the land for $3.45 million from the owner, Sobeys, the food and real estate giant. Pelletier said construction will begin in the new year once zoning issues are resolved with the city and financing secured for the new project.

Regarding the zoning, Pelletier said, “The main exemptions required for our projects are regarding the height of the building, which is slightly higher than what is currently permitted, as well as the parking-to-units ratio (since many students do not own a car and we want to encourage active and public transit, we have fewer parking spots in our projects).”

Pelletier said he is confident discussions with “multiple levels of government” will secure the financing for the new building. Once construction begins, he said the building should be ready to accept tenants for the 2026 fall semester.

Pelletier said the goal of UTILE is “to provide afford- able housing to students be- cause increasingly housing is the main source of financial debt and stress for students and therefore we believe that providing students with an adequate place to study that is affordable will improve their well-being as well as their capacity to concentrate on their studies.”

The group got its start as a result of the 2012 university student strike, Pelletier said, when there was a movement for a student organization to take over a corporate housing project in the works in down- town Montreal. The takeover didn’t happen, but the move- ment created UTILE, which launched its first project in 2017 in Montreal.

Pelletier said UTILE pours some of the rental income from existing buildings back into new projects but is committed to keeping rents affordable.

As for which students will be granted a lease on an apartment, Pelletier said priority goes to students in the most financial need.

The soon-to-be-demolished Jeffery Hale Medical Centre building currently has only one tenant listed, a dental clinic. The building opened in 1964, a project of five doctors, according to city records: Samuel L. Pollack, John W. Kelly, Peter E. Kozak, Denis Gendron and Ian C. Wilson.

The city inventory of buildings describes the structure as of “little heritage interest … [that] corresponds to a time of multiplication of medical clinics linked to the demographic boom.”

Student apartment project set for Jeffery Hale clinic site Read More »

Faubourg elevator to close in spring for upgrade

Faubourg elevator to close in spring for upgrade

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

One of the city’s more distinctive features is about to undergo a major overhaul. As of Sept. 4, work began on the exterior of the Faubourg public elevator, connecting Rue Saint-Vallier Est in the Saint-Roch district with Rue Saint-Réal in the Saint-Jean-Baptiste neighbourhood in Upper Town.

The exterior work will continue into December; all the while both the elevator and the restaurant will continue to function.

Come spring, though, the iconic Art Deco tower will be closed for about 10 weeks to allow for the replacement of the elevator machinery.

In a Sept. 3 news release, the city said it planned the $1.975-million elevator makeover in two phases “to limit the impacts on citizens as much as possible, in particular by keeping this important mechanical link operational during the winter period.”

Some short-term closures may be necessary during the first phase, and the city has said it will give notice when they are about to occur. Dur- ing the long-term closure in the spring, “measures will be put in place to allow citizens to travel from Upper Town to Lower Town.”

The elevator has considerable historical as well as functional value, according to the city’s architectural directory. It was designed by prominent architect Wilfrid Lacroix, who designed the Gérard-Morisset Pavilion of the Musée national des Beaux-Arts du Québec and collaborated on the design of Collège des Jésuites and the Édifice André-Laurendeau on Parliament Hill.

The structure has undergone various renovations over its 80- year lifespan; the most recent, in 1997, gave the exterior its current look of beige brick.

The city said up to 400 people use the elevator each day.

Faubourg elevator to close in spring for upgrade Read More »

City doesn’t plan to cash in on rise in property evaluations

City doesn’t plan to cash in on rise in property evaluations

Peter Black

peter@qctonline.com

The city’s new property assessment roll for the years 2025-2027 features some major increases in the value of buildings and land. Taxpayers need not worry about a bigger tax bill, the city says, since increases in value will be offset by a decrease in the tax rate.

City officials unveiled the new roll at a media session at City Hall on Sept. 5. The highlights include an average increase of 27.4 per cent on residential properties, 25.3 per cent on multi-residential housing of six units or more, and 24.4 per cent on vacant but serviced land. The overall increase in property value is 23.5 per cent.

Mayor Bruno Marchand said at the news conference, “There is no reason to be afraid. There will be no tax shock.”

That said, given a range of cost pressures, the mayor said, “It is impossible for the city not to raise taxes next December,” although he vowed such a hike would be less than the rate of inflation, as it was in the last two budgets.

Marchand said, “Depending on the increases we are experiencing, depending on the costs that are rising – because we are also experiencing inflation – we are going to make a colossal effort this year to make difficult choices to ensure that we are below inflation in the growth of taxes.”

The new tax roll shows the average value for tax purposes of a single-family home rose from $296,205 on the previous roll to $378,964 on the new one. Buildings with up to five units rose from $382,897 to $489,082 on the new roll.

The category of buildings that saw the largest increase was non-residential (hotels, motels and tourist accommodations) which leaped by 38 per cent. The city lists 145 buildings in this category.

Office buildings, on the other hand, actually decreased in value on the city roll by 7.6 per cent.

The new roll is now available for viewing on the city’s website.

City doesn’t plan to cash in on rise in property evaluations Read More »

Pride Solidarity March celebrates freedom


Pride Solidarity March celebrates freedom

Pride Solidarity March celebrates freedom

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Hundreds of people of a wide range of ages and backgrounds gathered in Place D’Youville on Sept. 1 to mark the 20th anniversary of LGBTQ+ Pride celebrations in Quebec City and call for vigilance in the fight to protect the rights of sexual and gender minorities.

The march was the marquee event of four days of Pride celebrations, which included drag performances, outdoor concerts (despite erratic weather), parties at Le Drague, Le Saint-Matthew and other queer-friendly venues, an artists’ market, a community fair and a “gender exploration” activity at the Palais Montcalm, where people could try on new clothes and appearance-altering prosthetics and get free haircuts, discounted tattoos and style advice from eager volunteers.

While the festival has undergone a rebrand in the past year, changing its name from Fête Arc-en-Ciel de Québec to Fierté de Québec and add- ing more activities for queer, non-binary and young audiences, the traditional Sunday afternoon Solidarity March has remained the same. Organizers are adamant that the march is not a parade. Although the odd political party, labour union or church banner or pin could be seen among the throng of flag- bedecked marchers streaming through Vieux-Québec, there were no organized delegations.

Participants chanted “Pride was a riot!” alluding to the first Pride celebrations in North America, which were protests against a lack of of- ficial recognition, respect and protections for gay, lesbian and transgender people. They chanted slogans in French and English in support of the rights of transgender youth, Palestin- ian sovereignty, the Black Lives Matter movement and boycotts of multinational corporations. A touching open-mic session at Place D’Youville, where people could read poetry or speak about whatever was on their minds, followed the march.

“That platform [at the Soli- darity March] is there for people in the community to express their views, and the only rule is that they do it respect- fully,” said British Columbia- born Johnson Bresnick, who celebrated his first Quebec City Pride in 2008 and recently became secretary of the Alli- ance Arc-en-Ciel, which organizes the annual celebration.

Jean-Yves Martin came from St. Lambert, near Montreal, with his partner, Pierre Poisson. The two men in their 60s, dressed in colourful butterfly outfits, drew admiring looks from the younger marchers. The admiration was mutual. “I love seeing this,” Martin said, gesturing to clusters of people in their teens and 20s with brightly coloured hair and colourful signs. “I have four kids and six grandkids and I raised them just like this, so they can be free.”

Quebec City resident Katharina Urbschat was attending her first Pride, in solidarity with gay family members and to see what it was like. “I love this–Ifeelsofree,likeIcanbe anyone I want to be,” she said. “I can finally say that I belong to this community, and I’m proud of that,” said Hortense*, a recent immigrant from Cam- eroon, where homosexuality is a criminal offence. “There are places in the world where you can’t make that choice, to live out your sexual orientation or your gender identity.”

“As a person who has had to come out a few different times … it’s important for me to have a world where our kids won’t have to come out, where they can just be themselves from the beginning,” said Alexandre Bédard, a father of two young children and Alliance Arc- en-Ciel board member who is transgender.

At the microphone, speakers emphasized the joy of coming together, but also the fragility of LGBTQ+ rights in an increasingly polarized political climate. A Quebec City resident named Dominic, who gave only his first name, stepped to the mic and drew the audience’s attention to his wedding ring. “I’ve been married for 15 years, and to get us to that point, there are people who have been through torture, who have been put in prison, who have died.” He concluded by adapting a quote from French feminist author Simone de Beauvoir: “Never forget that it will only take a political, economic or religious crisis for our rights to be called into question. These rights are never acquired. You will have to remain vigilant throughout your life.”

*last name withheld for safety reasons

Are you new in town and trying to get more involved with the LGBTQ+ community?

• Volunteer with the Alliance Arc-en-Ciel and make your mark on Pride 2025! Email info@arcencielquebec.com to learn more.

• Discover Roller Derby as a player or volunteer and let your competitive side shine through with Roller Derby Québec. “It’s a contact sport on skates with a lot of people – one of the first contact sports developed for women,” explains Élodie Drolet of Roller Derby Québec. “We have a nice bilingual community and a lot of the jargon is in English.” Although teams are only open to women, transgender people and non-binary people, cisgender men are welcome to get involved as officials or volunteers. Follow them on Facebook (Roller Derby Québec).

• Join a queer-positive, creative community with Toustes Doux, a Lower Town-based nonprofit which organizes all-ages, pay-what-you-can queer-friendly community events such as picnics and arts-and-crafts nights. Follow them on Instagram (@toustesdoux).

• Open Zoom and join the Violet Hour Book Club, a bilingual, mainly English-language hybrid book club hosted by Montreal author Christopher Di Raddo. Email him at diraddo@gmail.com to learn more.

• If you enjoy French-language poetry and performance art and want to discover some new venues in Lower Town, follow the Collectif RAMEN on social media.

Pride Solidarity March celebrates freedom Read More »

Samuel-De Champlain beach will stay open into October


Samuel-De Champlain beach will stay open into October

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Samuel-De Champlain beach will stay open into October

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The Promenade Samuel-De Champlain beach area, in only its second year of operation, has proved so popular it will be staying open until October.

The Commission de la Capitale-Nationale last week announced the decision to extend the season beyond its originally planned end on Sept. 3, after the Labour Day weekend.

The beach now will be open on weekends until Oct. 6, depending on weather condi- tions, those being a tempera- ture above 18 C and a forecast without heavy rain or a full day of precipitation.

If the weather co-operates, that could mean a total of five bonus weekends at the beach, which features an unheated swimming pool, a “mirror pool” with water jets and access for a dip in the river.

While the pool will be open only on weekends, the mirror pool and water jets will be open to the public throughout the week.

The CCN is betting on a repeat of last September’s weather, where the average temperature was 21.8 C, 3.9 C above the 17.9 C average. That made for 20 days above 20 C, well above the average nine for the month.

According to weather watcher David Page, “The way things are going, September is likely to mirror recent months and temperatures will be above normal. Environment Canada’s outlook for September is above normal temperatures for al- most the entire country.”

Page said, “While the temperatures are definitely rising with climate change, it will take a while to affect the averages. But it’s probably a good bet to predict averages of one or two degrees above average.”

CCN spokesperson Jean- Philippe Guay told the QCT it takes a small team to keep the beach site open. That includes the site manager, beach attendants, housekeeping attendants and lifeguards, depending on traffic and time of day. The snack shop at the pavilion will be open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Promenade Champlain beach is not the only city swimming area to have a prolonged schedule this September. The Gerard-Guay pool in Parc Saint-Charles-Garnier in Sillery will remain open until Sept. 22, depending on weather conditions.

The reason for the extension, according to the city, is the shortage of swimming pools, due to the temporary closure of most indoor pools in the city for regular maintenance. A quick survey shows the only non-institutional indoor city pool open is Bourg-Royal in Charlesbourg.

Information on opening hours for municipal indoor pools is available on the city’s website.

Samuel-De Champlain beach will stay open into October Read More »

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