Quebec City

Mail delivery maintained as postal workers’ union declares overtime ban

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Mail delivery maintained as postal workers’ union declares overtime ban

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) opted out of resuming a general strike on May 22, instead announcing a national overtime ban until further notice. In practice, this means mail will continue to be delivered across the country, although Canada Post is warning Canadians to expect delivery delays, because postal workers will not work beyond their planned shifts.

The previous collective agreement between the CUPW and Canada Post expired in August 2024. CUPW members began a general strike on Nov. 15; on Nov. 27, the parties declared they were at an impasse. Then-federal labour minister Steven MacKinnon ordered postal personnel back to work on Dec. 15, appointing an outside mediator to try to resolve the dispute. At the time, MacKinnon decreed that the previous collective agreement would remain in force until May 22. Canada Post submitted a detailed proposal to the union on May 21, which is still being analyzed, according to a CUPW statement. The union requested a two-week “truce” to review the proposal in detail, but Canada Post rejected that offer. With no agreement reached by the May 22 deadline, the CUPW appeared poised to resume the strike. Instead, the union opted for an overtime ban as negotiations grind on.

“As far as I know, the parties are still negotiating, and there is no general strike,” Jean-Philippe Gagnon, second vice president of CUPW local 370, which covers the greater Quebec City region, Beauce, Charlevoix and the South Shore as far south as Lac-Mégantic, told the QCT. “We have been told the employer would continue to respect [the previous collective agreement]. They made us an offer 48 hours before the end of the agreement, which is 716 pages long.”

“Before Christmas, we were far apart, but there have been some steps forward since then,” Gagnon said.

CUPW national president Jan Simpson said in a state- ment that at first glance, several aspects of the proposal sent to workers on May 21 failed to pass muster. Simpson argued the proposed wage increase of 13 per cent over four years does not keep pace with inflation, the inflation threshold to trigger payment of a new cost-of-living allowance was too high and new measures aimed at increasing efficiency will involve hard-to-manage, short-notice changes to workers’ schedules and workloads. The union is also skeptical of Canada Post’s plans to hire more part-time staff.

Canada Post, for its part, has said the changes are needed to prevent insolvency.

The May 21 proposal goes “further on wage increases and would protect employees’ benefits and entitlements” while “reflect[ing] the corporation’s current realities,” the Crown corporation said in a statement. “Canada Post has proposed important changes to its delivery model to increase its flexibility and help address the corporation’s significant financial and operational challenges. Canada Post and CUPW are negotiating at a critical moment for the postal system. Since 2018, the corporation has recorded more than $3 billion in losses before tax, and it will post another significant loss for 2024.”

Gagnon, the Quebec City- based union officer, said members are not closed to changing the delivery model, “but it needs to be done respectfully.”

He said the last few months have been “super difficult” for members. “It’s very tiring not to know our future, and to see the employer not collaborating. There’s a lot of uncertainty, anxiety, nervousness … this is a battle for our future.”

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Advocates push for improved interpreter access

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Advocates push for improved interpreter access

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Health care advocates are calling for improved access to interpreters in Quebec City hospitals after it emerged that an English-speaking immigrant mother was not offered interpretation services while hospitalized at the Centre hospitalier universitaire de Québec (CHU) for an emergency cesarean section last year.

For members of the English-speaking community, the right to receive health care services in English is enshrined in the Health Act, although only designated bilingual institutions systematically provide care in both languages; the CHU is not a designated institution. The sole designated institution in the region, Jeffery Hale Hospital, does not have a labour and delivery unit.

Patients across the province have access to an “interpreter bank” co-ordinated by Santé Québec, with interpreters in more than 100 languages, including English. However, evidence suggests that the bank is relatively little used by English speakers in the region – only 159 requests for English interpretation were made at the CHU from 2020-2025, compared to 4,456 for Spanish and nearly 1,400 for Swahili, according to Santé Québec. In the 2021 census, 10,130 people in the Quebec City area named English as their first official language spoken, while 7,850 said they spoke Spanish as a primary language and only 950 were Swahili speakers.

Anecdotal reports also suggest that health care providers don’t always ask patients whether they want an interpreter, leaving it up to the patient or their caregiver to request one.

“When you’re having contractions, you don’t have the headspace to ask for an interpreter,” said Marielle M’Bangha, co-ordinator of the Service de référence en périnatalité pour les femmes immigrantes de Québec (SRP- FIQ), which filed a complaint with the CHU on behalf of the anonymous patient, known as Mary. The SRPFIQ provides resources and support for immigrant women during and after pregnancy, including accompaniment for hospital visits. “Some people say it’s infantilizing [to suggest to a patient that they might need an interpreter] but it’s the other way around; the patient needs to understand.”

“The mothers won’t always name their needs … and [the interpreter bank] depends on the availability of the personnel,” she added. “Once, we needed someone in Ukrainian, and that took a while.”

Access to English-speaking hospital staff is “very case by case,” said M’Bangha’s colleague, Hélène Lepage. “Those who speak English will do it, and they’ll do it happily. You can’t expect everyone to speak English, but it would be good to have someone on call for critical moments.”

Service “needs to be more widely known”

“The 24/7 emergency interpreter service is available throughout all departments of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, and several programs regularly offer interpretation services to patients,” said CIUSSS spokesperson Mariane Lajoie in an email. “Sometimes, the patient or their representative may request interpretation services themselves, but when an appointment is scheduled and the staff member knows there is a language issue, an interpreter will be provided.” No CIUSSS representative was available for a follow-up interview at press time.

“The system failed this woman,” said Jennifer Johnson, executive director of the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), which advocates for health care access in English in the regions. “The resources and tools that should have been able to help her are in place … although [services] are supposed to be organized in advance, so I can see how that process could fail in a crisis situation.”

Johnson said the existence of the interpreter bank “needs to be more widely known among English speakers.” She cited a recent survey of English-speaking Quebecers which showed that nearly 30 per cent of English speakers in the Capitale-Nationale did not feel comfortable asking for help in English at health institutions. Forty-seven per cent had language assistance, although only one-fourth of those used a professional interpreter. One-third relied on friends and family, which Johnson said was a risky decision. “Friends and family don’t have medical training and may misinterpret something or omit an important detail. [Asking friends and family to interpret] is a very bad practice that people are resorting to because they don’t understand that interpreters are available to them.”

“If you ask for an interpreter, it’s the health institution’s responsibility to get one,” Johnson said. “If you don’t ask for [an interpreter], you most likely will not get one. You shouldn’t be afraid to ask for it, because it’s your health [on the line].”

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Irish ambassador Concannon makes official visit to Quebec capital

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Irish ambassador Concannon makes official visit to Quebec capital

Peter Black

peterblack@qctonline.com

To put a twist on a familiar song, Irish eyes seem to be smiling on a new relationship between Ireland and Canada, a bond that could lead to greater trade opportunities.

So says John Concannon, Ireland’s new ambassador to Canada, who made his first official visit to meet Quebec government officials in the provincial capital on May 20.

The visit, during which he met several ministers, toured a local robotics company run by an Irishman and did the rounds of local media, including a Radio-Canada interview en français, was actually his third trip to Quebec City since he presented his credentials to Governor General Mary Simon in October.

Concannon, accompanied by Quebec City honorary Irish consul Bryan O’Gallagher, talked with the QCT over coffee at an Old City restaurant about the opportunities for co-operation between Canada and Ireland in light of “huge geopolitical changes happening.”

The energetic Concannon comes to his first diplomatic posting fresh from leading the Global Ireland initiative, a 2018 program to expand the country’s presence around the world, opening some 27 missions, including three in Canada.

Bringing a background in business to government, Con- cannon has worked as a senior diplomat in the foreign service, with the national tourism bureau, the department of culture and heritage and in the Taoiseach’s (prime minister’s) office. The father of three daughters with his wife Mary, he has also served as vice- president of his alma mater, the University of Galway.

Concannon sums up his background, saying, “What all these things have in common is the promoting of Ireland.” When the position of Irish ambassador to Canada became open last year, he was considered “a good fit” and offered the job. So far, he can report “it’s been a really remarkable and really, really positive experience, I have to say.”

Promoting trade, of course, is at the top of the ambassador’s agenda, and he hopes to boost further trade between Ireland and Canada that has already seen a sharp rise since Canada signed the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) with the European Union (EU) in 2017.

Although Ireland is one of several countries that has yet to officially ratify the agree- ment – Concannon says the new Irish government is committed to it – trade between Canada and Ireland has soared from $4 billion a year to $16 billion since CETA was signed.

Concannon notes Ireland is Canada’s 10th biggest investor, with some 350 Irish businesses with operations here. In turn, Canada has about 100 companies with European headquarters in Ireland.

He said Ireland has everything it takes for Canadian businesses looking towards Europe for opportunities for expansion – “a business-friendly environment, attractive tax regime, really good talent and English-speaking.”

He said, “If you’re thinking about Europe, we can be pathfinders to help explain the bureaucratic, the legislative, the legal dimensions.” Concannon’s new mission as ambassador to Canada coincides with the rise to power of a prime minister who has not only Irish roots, but Irish citizenship – until he recently renounced it – as well as his British passport.

Concannon, who has met Mark Carney on several occasions, said the prime minister “very strongly identifies with his Irish roots, and we are immensely proud of him, and we very much see him as one of the family.”

The ambassador notes Carney’s first public appearance as prime minister was to march in the St. Patrick’s parade in Montreal on March 16, which happened to be his 60th birthday. “It was electric. The love on the streets was tangible.”

After marching in Montreal’s St. Patrick’s parade with Carney, Concannon came to Quebec City the following weekend to take part in the city’s own Irish parade and celebrations.

Though Concannon has now visited Quebec City three times since he became ambassador, he will be returning to the region soon for an event at the Grosse Île and the Irish Memorial National Historic Site.

He describes the welcome people in Quebec City and Montreal accorded to tens of thousands of desperate and sick Irish immigrants fleeing the potato famine beginning in 1847 as “just a gargantuan act of compassion and humanity.”

Concannon will travel to the site on June 11 to place pairs of bronze shoes at the island memorial. The shoes were cast from those found in a bundle in an abandoned cottage in Roscommon, Ireland, as part of a program called the National Famine Way.

Barely six months into the posting, Concannon is full of optimism for future Irish-Canadian relations. “It’s a time of great change in the world, but it’s also a time of great opportunity – and we’re up for it, and we will always have Canada’s back, and we see ourselves as great, great friends.”

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Lightbound joins Carney’s first full cabinet

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Lightbound joins Carney’s first full cabinet

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The procession of 28 cabinet ministers and soon-to-be ministers and 10 secretaries of state filing into Rideau Hall in Ottawa to be sworn on May 13 featured a mix of established senior ministers and new faces.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first full cabinet featured Dominic LeBlanc as president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister for Canada-U.S. trade, intergovernmental affairs and one Canadian economy; former foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly as minister of industry and regional economic development for Quebec and Carney’s de facto Quebec lieutenant François-Philippe Champagne as minister of finance and national revenue. Former defence minister Anita Anand received the foreign affairs portfolio, Sean Fraser became justice minister, Da- vid McGuinty was named to national defence and Carney’s one-time Liberal leadership rival Chrystia Freeland was appointed minister of transport and internal trade. Steven Guilbeault was named minister of identity, culture and official languages.

Among the newcomers to Carney’s cabinet was Louis-Hébert MP Joël Lightbound. Lightbound, 37, former secretary of state for emergency preparedness, was shuffled out of Cabinet in 2022 after a public disagreement with then-prime minister Justin Trudeau over pandemic policy. In his first ministerial post, as he himself pointed out, Lightbound will take over responsibility for the government’s oldest ministry (public services and procurement) and one of its newest (governmental transformation).

“I’ve never approached a cabinet shuffle with any kind of expectations, and I’ve always been happy as an MP … but to receive the call was a huge honour,” Lightbound told the QCT.

Lightbound said his brief as minister of governmental transformation was to find “another angle, another im- pulsion, on how we can have a more efficient state” by leveraging new technology, including but not limited to artificial intelligence. His mission includes looking into how best practices from around the world can be implemented in Canada to keep costs from rising. His stated goal is to bring the annual increase in government spending down from an average of nine per cent to two per cent.

On the public transportation front, he said the government planned to deploy a $3-billion nationwide fund for public transit, and “part of that” would be set aside for the federal government’s ongoing contribution to the Quebec City TramCité project. He added that the Quebec government also “needs to prioritize” the project.

Lightbound will be the only minister from the Quebec City region in the Carney cabinet. Neither former health minister Jean-Yves Duclos (Québec-Centre) nor Steeve Lavoie (Beauport-Limoilou), the former head of the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Québec, received a cabinet post. In public statements since the April 28 election, both Duclos and Lightbound have emphasized the importance of working as a team – “le trio de Québec” – to move forward on regional priorities. “Teamwork is fundamental, and it was a blessing to have two Liberals in Parliament to advance regional files,” Lightbound said, describing Duclos as a “very classy person” from whom he has learned a lot over the years. Newcomer Lavoie is “one ally more.”

Lightbound said his other major priorities included working to increase housing availability in his riding and maintain federal support for research institutions such as Université Laval. “I want to thank the people of Louis-Hébert for their renewed vote of confidence,” he added.

Other notable newcomers to cabinet included Haitian-born psychologist, former Trudeau chief of staff and first-time MP Marjorie Michel as health minister; Julie Dabrusin as minister of environment and climate change; former Nova Scotia immigration minister Lena Metlege Diab as federal immigration minister; and Trudeau critic Wayne Long as secretary of state for Revenue Canada and the banking sector. Mandy Gull-Masty, MP for Abitibi–Baie-James–Nunavik–Eeyou and former chief of the Cree Nation Government, was named minister of Indigenous services, the first Indigenous MP to hold that position.

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Massive dump truck rally drives through Quebec City

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Massive dump truck rally drives through Quebec City

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

On May 14, over 2,500 dump trucks rolled into Quebec City to demonstrate against the most recent changes to Bill 62, giving more flexibility to Quebec companies to hire truckers from outside the province. Quebec truckers worry they may lose contracts, especially in the current hard economic times.

The truckers were rallying against the recent modifications to Bill 62, an act mainly to diversify the acquisition strategies of public bodies and offer them greater agility in carrying out their infrastructure projects, adopted by the National Assembly on Oct. 8, 2024. It is meant to improve project performance and provide better services at lower cost.

After seven months of following these modifications, the Association nationale des camionneurs artisans (ANCAI) and its members and its members, who were gathered at an annual assembly in Chicoutimi earlier this month, voted to rally in Quebec City to protest the legislative changes.

Over 2,500 of the 5,200 members of the ANCAI answered the call and drove into town, creating traffic disruptions all day, particularly on Pont Pierre-Laporte, Autoroute Henri-IV, Boul. Charest Est, Ave Saint-Sacrement, Boul. Wilfrid-Hamel and Autoroute Laurentienne. Several Quebec government departments and agencies encouraged their employees based in the capital to work from home. When drivers stuck to alternative routes, driving around town was manageable. It was quite a sight to see the long line of dump trucks with passing drivers honking in support.

In preparation for the rally, city crews blocked both ends of the street in front of the National Assembly, forcing trucks to line up along Boul. René-Lévesque from Boul. Honoré-Mercier to the Grand Théâtre. In abnormally warm, sunny weather, truckers came prepared for a long day. The Sûreté du Québec and the Service de police de la Ville de Québec were both advised of the rally and its route and helped redirect traffic.

Everything went peacefully and according to plan. “We didn’t want to make too much noise or disturbance because we are not associated with — nor do we want to be assumed that we are with — the convoy truckers of the last major strike that took over Quebec City and Ottawa,” said ANCAI director general Gaétan Légaré. “We don’t want to take the city hostage. We just want to demonstrate that we mean business, which is why we asked our drivers to stick to one lane on the roads and not to honk their horns.”

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Bus passenger island will put people at risk, safety expert says

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Bus passenger island will put people at risk, safety expert says

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A traffic safety expert and former city councillor is sounding the alarm about a bus stop island now under construction on Chemin Ste-Foy at the intersection with Ave. Brown.

Paul Mackey has been picketing the site almost daily since April 28, when city workers began building a “boarding bay” or quai d’embarquement pour les arrêts d’autobus, as it’s known in French.

According to a city presentation on the project, the objectives of the “boarding bays” are to ensure the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, maintain universal accessibility to bus stops, limit conflicts between cyclists and buses by avoiding encroachment into the bike lane, and limit conflicts between buses and vehicular traffic when merging and disengaging while stopped.

Mackey told the QCT in an on- site interview that the structures violate safety norms and put at risk students, senior citizens and people with visual impairments wanting to cross the street.

“The project itself has some good objectives,” Mackey said. “It’s to not have cyclists have to wait behind stopped buses. The project is to transfer the bus stop onto an island between the bike lane and the traffic lane. But that raises a number of issues.”

Among those issues, he said, is that “cyclists approaching the intersection will not see the pedestrians, because the stopped articulated bus will block sight lines.” He said cyclists often do not follow traffic signals and may run the red light, putting elementary school students crossing from École Anne-Hébert, for example, at risk.

Mackey said visually impaired people wanting to cross at the intersection will also be at risk. At an information session on the project held on April 22, he asked city officials whether “a blind person on the bus going west and heading to École Anne-Hébert would have to cross the bike path when getting off the bus and recross the bike path at the intersection. The answer was yes. The blind person will be put at risk twice within a short time. There are no tactile warning strips to be installed at the intersection itself.”

He said the association for the blind in Victoria, B.C. sued over a similar boarding island design and won, resulting in a moratorium.

Mackey said he has also raised concerns about the width of the boarding islands, which is 1.6 metres under the city’s plans. He said the standard, according to many sources and guides, is 2.4 metres. The lesser width, he said, poses a hazard for the boarding of passengers in wheelchairs.

With construction well advanced on the installation, Mackey said the city shows no indication of recognizing his warnings and suggestions. “I think the consequences are so serious that there’s not really any choice” for the city to make changes.

“The city council says, ‘well, it’s a pilot project, we’ll adjust as we go along,’ and I said that’s not really an appropriate response, because you’ll make changes if there have been incidents – and we don’t want incidents.”

Once the island on the north side of the intersection is complete, an island is to be installed on the south side. Eventually, the city plans to install islands at several other intersections along the Chemin Ste-Foy bike path.

The city said in its presentation that it chose the Ave. Brown intersection for the pilot project because of the “ease of implementation [and the] opportunity to secure an area with high traffic of vulnerable users (school zone). The project was developed by city teams, in collaboration with the Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) and the consultation table on universal accessibility.”

A series of consultations and assessments is planned to evaluate the impact of the pilot project.

Mackey said, “There’s tons of problems with this project, and if it stays in effect, it’s going to be a safety problem for years on end.”

The QCT requested a response to Mackey’s concerns from city officials and did not receive a response by press time.

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EXMURO unveils latest public art exhibit

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EXMURO unveils latest public art exhibit

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

On May 14, EXMURO unveiled its latest public art exhibit in Lower Town, which will remain until Jan. 10, 2026. Starting within EXMURO’s headquarters in Place Royale, three artists – Martin Bureau, Isaac Cordal and Pipilotti Rist – expose their works in the building and on the streets.

Curious passersby get a glimpse of Quebec artist Bureau’s latest piece in the building. The waving flags are of his own creation, inspired by five actual flags found at the United Nations. They are part of his piece, Counterfeit Edens for Times of Chaos/Feindre l’Éden Pour un temps le chaos, found on the second floor, where visitors will find a large circular conference table surrounded by fake national flags and burnt, charred office chairs. Bureau created this two-part installation in partnership with the National Film Board of Canada. “This is a sinister reproduction of an international committee, similar to the Security Council at the United Nations,” he said. “It is my interpretation of them being unable to regulate the chaotic world in which we live.”

More mysteries are unveiled beneath the stone arches in the vaults and behind the closed doors of EXMURO’s facilities. To fully appreciate Rist’s work, one needs complete darkness. The Swiss artist created a series of videos projected onto screens and the stone walls of the gallery: Ever is Over All and Sip My Ocean. Visitors can sit on the floor or on large beanbag cushions. Her third piece, Open My Glade, is visible outdoors on the Côte de la Montagne side of the building, from across the street after the sun goes down.

Whether within the building or throughout Lower Town, Spanish artist Cordal invites the public to Follow the Leaders through the Cement Eclipses. “It is my take on the destruction of the capitalist world, what happens to businessmen when the world around them is destroyed,” he said. On one diorama located on the floor in the building, he placed a large frame filled with a destroyed city, in which he placed countless businessmen in varying positions. Focusing on the different individuals and groups from various angles encourages viewers to reflect on the modern world.

More surprises await the public this summer, the first of which is Minigolf Belleville Plaisirs from June 20 to Sept. 1. This first collaboration between EXMURO and the Ateliers Belleville (a.k.a. Lab-545), the Montreal-based artistic hub, had 18 Quebec artists create an artistic twist on a popular summer pastime. Other surprises will be unveiled throughout the season.

In addition to the outdoor installations, EXMURO has opened a coffee shop, Café de l’Aire publique, in the lobby of its headquarters, inviting visitors to discuss art over coffee, tea and treats made by local businesses.

For more information, visit exmuro.com.

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Festival Carrefour brings the world to theatre-goers

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Festival Carrefour brings the world to theatre-goers

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Festival Carrefour (formerly known as the Carrefour international de théâtre) returns for a 25th edition from May 22-June 7, with performances at the Théâtre Périscope, the Théâtre de la Bordée and Le Diamant and a range of free outdoor shows.

The festival offers immersive multidisciplinary experiences, festive cabarets, urban dance performances and original theatrical creations.

This year, the festival celebrates its quarter century with 11 shows and nearly 40 performances, both indoors and outdoors. Productions from Quebec, Canada, Belgium, France, Greece and Rwanda will be featured.

Highlights include Merci d’être là, an original interactive performance from Belgium; Maurice, inspired by the life story of a man with aphasia; Michel(le), an intimate tale about queer identity; Hewa Rwanda, Lettre aux absents, a poignant tribute to the victims of the Rwandan genocide; and La Petite dans la forêt profonde, a dark fairy tale for grown-ups presented in Greek with English and French surtitles.

Three other previously announced creations complete the program: the multilingual (French, English, Tamil and sign language) LACRIMA, a reflection on fashion; the surreal French-language spaghetti western The Rise of the BlingBling; and Kukum, based on the award-winning novel by Michel Jean.

Except for LACRIMA and Kukum ($55), tickets for the indoor shows are priced on a sliding scale from $10 (targeted at job seekers, people with low income and people who rarely attend cultural events) to $45 (targeted at people with stable incomes who want to show their support for the cultural sector).

Requiem pour Pupulus Mordicus, a free outdoor puppet parade through the streets of the Old City on June 1 (postponed to June 7 in case of rain), is not to be missed. The festival also features activities such as a movie night, creative workshops and a conference on new magic. Keep the party going on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at the festival’s pop-up bar, Le Zinc, at La Charpente des Fauves (206 Christophe-Colombe Est).

The popular free outdoor immersive show Où tu vas quand tu dors en marchant (Where do you go when you Sleepwalk) will bring back last year’s four interactive tableaux (tableaux typically change every other year) in a new setting, with support from the Ville de Québec. The show will be moved from the area around ExpoCité to Upper Town in a nod to the festival’s history. Place D’Youville will host Le grand marché de l’influence, Vésuve will take over the Îlot des Palais and La Nuit nous appartient will share Place de l’Artillerie with the Wendat mythology-inspired Yahwastsira’.

To explore the full program and reserve tickets, see the festival website at carrefourtheatre.qc.ca.

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Youngest councillor, St. Pat’s grad Alicia Despins leaving City Hall

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Youngest councillor, St. Pat’s grad Alicia Despins leaving City Hall

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Stories abound of people leaving municipal politics for negative reasons. Then there’s the rare departure motivated by something positive. It’s what might be called an intermunicipal love story.

Coun. Alicia Despins (Vanier-Duberger) dropped a bombshell last week, announcing her decision to not seek a second term under the banner of Québec d’abord, the remnants of former mayor Régis Labeaume’s party.

Despins made the announcement via a news release on May 8, saying she “will not be seeking a third term, in order to begin a transition to a new chapter in my life focused on my studies and family projects.”

Despins, first elected in 2017 at age 23, was the youngest person ever elected to Quebec City council. On top of that distinction, Labeaume promptly named her to the executive committee with the culture portfolio.

In 2022, the Union of Quebec Municipalities awarded her the emerging leader award for her efforts in providing a role model for young people.

Despins is a graduate of St. Patrick’s High School, and also attended Holland School and St. Vincent School; her English education eligibility is courtesy of her father, a native of Ontario.

Although she had previously said she planned to run again in November, she recently made the decision to quit politics – at least temporarily. She plans to move in with her boyfriend, who lives in Val-d’Or, and start a family with him.

The boyfriend is Benjamin Turcotte, a first-term city councillor in Val-d’Or who also teaches literature at Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue. The two met a year ago at the Union of Quebec Municipalities convention in Montreal. Since then, Despins said, they’ve been discussing ways to move forward with their long- distance relationship.

Then, she said, sparked by Turcotte’s opportunity to acquire a house near his parents in Val-d’Or, she came to the decision.

Speaking to the QCT while driving to Val-d’Or, Despins said, “A series of coincidences and other things all of a sudden made it clear that that’s what we have to do. We have to buy the house and move in together and start a family and [I’ll] finish my PhD. And it all happened very quickly. So I’m still kind of processing everything.”

She said, “I think it’s the right decision for me right now. I’ve been in elected politics for eight years now, and I also feel the need to maybe have a less stressful life.”

While she’s been a councillor for nearly two terms – she plans to finish out her second mandate – Despins has been involved in politics since her teens. While a student at CEGEP, she took part in the 2012 student protests against tuition hikes. She later formed a municipal political party with fellow students called Alternative Québec.

After working in the of- fice of former Quebec Liberal education minister Sébastien Proulx, she made the leap into municipal politics in 2017 with Équipe Labeaume in the Vanier-Duberger district, winning the seat with 57 per cent of the vote, the highest margin of the 21 winning councillors.

Despins said her proudest moment of her time at City Hall was being named to the culture portfolio. “I did not expect that in 2017, at 23 [years of age]. That was the proudest moment and then everything that hap- pened from then on.”

In Labeaume’s recently re- leased memoir, Le Code Labeaume (see review in this edition), Despins recalled, “When Régis met with me to announce it, he explained that he wanted to make room for young people, that he thought it was important to have women in politics and that he wanted to entrust me with real responsibilities. He also told me, ‘You’re going to have to deliver.’ It wasn’t complacent at all. It was an exceptional opportunity he of- fered me, but it wasn’t handed to me on a silver platter.”

Asked whether she thought she had met her mentor’s expectations, Despins said, “I think I did – and also he told me I did – so that was important for me.”

Once established in Val-d’Or, Despins plans to complete her PhD thesis on the international relationships of cities, a topic she says has heightened relevance currently with the American tariff war.

As she completes her term at City Hall, Despins said, “I’m going to enjoy every day because I don’t know if it will ever come again; being proud of representing people. I see the end coming with lots of feelings mixed together.”

With the departure of Despins, Québec d’abord, the official opposition party at City Hall, now has only three incumbent candidates running again, besides leader and mayoral candidate Claude Villeneuve.

In a news release, Villeneuve said of Despins, “While her departure saddens me, I respect and understand her decision. Politics is an intense profession. Alicia has always done her job well, and I learned a tremendous amount from working with her. It has been a privilege to work with her over the past few years.”

Municipal elections will be held Nov. 2.

Youngest councillor, St. Pat’s grad Alicia Despins leaving City Hall Read More »

Jackie Smith enters mayoral race for Transition Québec

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Jackie Smith enters mayoral race for Transition Québec

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith and the Transition Québec party she leads have officially jumped into the mayoral race. The party held a launch event on May 10 at Le Bivouac in Limoilou, which was also broadcast on Facebook Live.

Speaking to an enthusiastic crowd, Smith said she planned to run for mayor in 2025 and keep pushing her party’s progressive platform.

She looked back on the 2021 election, where she came third in the mayoral race but won her Limoilou council seat. “I felt so proud and lucky – not only to be elected as the only woman to lead a party, and to represent Transition Québec, but my God, we worked hard … we proposed bold ideas and bold citizens pushed us forward. These are shared victories.”

Among the “shared victories,” she counted the inauguration of Place Karim-Ouellet in Saint-Jean-Baptiste, a tax on abandoned buildings, a tax on motor vehicle registration to fund mass transit, two new bike paths and a subsidy program for eco-friendly menstrual products and diapers. “It makes women’s lives easier and it keeps waste from going to the incinerator – it’s a feminist, ecologist policy that clearly has the Transition Québec stamp on it, so thank you for that!

“There are people who say ‘Your policies are a bit nutty,’ but the number of times people have said it’s impossible and then it becomes possible … I don’t give up,” she said, referencing the transformation of disused city offices in Saint-Roch into the Répit Basse-Ville warming centre for homeless people, which the party championed.

Speaking over Mother’s Day weekend, in a crowded restaurant where laughing children and crying babies could be heard over the din, the mother of two young children said it was “very difficult” to balance raising children and being a politician. “There are very few women of childbearing age who are in politics … and at City Council, at public consultations, who do we hear from? From men, and sometimes from women who don’t have kids. They are the ones we listen to. But that doesn’t mean women [with children] have nothing to say. Speaking with moms at the park, those are the real public consultations – why has this bench been broken for three years? Where are our kids supposed to pee if there’s no washroom in the park?

“We’re facing a lot of challenges, and there is a whole transition that came with the pandemic that we are just now getting out of, questions about democracy, supply chains, and the climate that hasn’t stopped changing. But we will be equal to the challenge, because we know where we are, we know where we’re going and we’re resilient,” she said.

Transition Québec has announced three council candidates in the past week in addition to Smith – activist and Maizerets neighbourhood councillor Martial Van Neste in Maizerets–Lairet, Camille Lambert-Deubelbeiss in Robert-Giffard and Espérance Mfisimana as Smith’s running mate in Limoilou.

Mfisimana was born in Burundi and arrived in Quebec City as a refugee in 1993. She now works in human resources. Like Smith, she’s the mother of young children. She spoke about the importance of making working-class and racialized people feel more represented by the political system. As Smith’s running mate, Mfisimana would take her seat as councillor for Limoilou in the event Smith be- comes mayor. If this happens, she would be the first Black woman, and only the second Black person, to serve on city council. “I mistakenly believed for a long time that politics was something for the elite,” she said. “I think politicians do try hard to represent working- class and minority citizens, but we don’t see those citizens. I don’t see many people like me on city council, and even fewer racialized women in [decision-making] roles. I hope I can be an inspiration for women from minority groups to run for office,” she said.

Jackie Smith enters mayoral race for Transition Québec Read More »

FEQ offers up passes from anti-scalping crackdown

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FEQ offers up passes from anti-scalping crackdown

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

There’s hope on the horizon for people who were unable to buy passes for the Festival d’Été de Québec (FEQ) when they quickly sold out in February.

An unspecified “limited number” of general admission passes will be made avail- able through a lottery. Those interested need to fill out a form through the FEQ website. Passes will be released for sale starting in mid-May and continuing until July 2, the day before the event begins.

In a May 7 news release, organizers said that when passes become available, they will be offered by random selection to registered participants.

The newly available passes are those recovered from anti- scalping measures and unused corporate allocations. Those who win the “lottery” can purchase up to four passes and have 48 hours to complete the transaction.

BLEUFEU, the parent company of FEQ, said in a statement, “In its ongoing commitment to fair access, BLEUFEU closely monitored transactions and flagged suspicious activity. In accordance with established procedures, some passes were recovered and will be resold at standard pricing. BLEUFEU continues to support government-led initiatives aimed at reducing ticket scalping.”

All 125,000 general admission passes for the 11-day festival were sold within three hours.

The festival lineup this year features Shania Twain, Avril Lavigne, Benson Boone, Def Leppard and Rod Stewart, among dozens of others. The festival runs from July 3-13.

FEQ offers up passes from anti-scalping crackdown Read More »

Duclos attends fish ecology talk by B.C. exchange student at QHS

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Duclos attends fish ecology talk by B.C. exchange student at QHS

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Ava Zielinski, a visiting student at Quebec High School (QHS) from Hornby Island, B.C., gave a memorable presentation in front of fellow students and Québec-Centre MP Jean-Yves Duclos to raise awareness of the devastating impacts of overfishing on Pacific herring stocks.

QHS participates annually in the YMCA Student Exchange Program supported by Heritage Canada. This year, they partnered with Hornby Island Community School (HICS), on Hornby Island, off the east coast of Vancouver Island. Twenty QHS students travelled to Hornby Island from March 3 to 10, while 10 HICS students visited Quebec City from May 1 to 8. During this visit, Zielinski, whose father is a sea captain, gave a presentation about the Pacific fishing industry.

The Pacific herring is a small silvery fish, measuring on average 33 cm in length and weighing about 405 grams. The herring has been fished for centuries by the Japanese and Pacific Coast Indigenous people for its roe, oils and meat. It spawns in estuaries and coves, like those found along the Georgia Strait be- tween Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.

“Being a visitor from the traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, I would like to start my presentation by acknowledging that we are on the unceded territory of the Wendat First Nation,” said Zielinski. “Hornby Island is one of the few remaining and largest places where the Pacific herring still spawn.” She then displayed a time-lapse map of the Georgia Strait, showing the rapid decrease of spawning zones. In early March, the dark turquoise waters of the strait transform into milky turquoise as over six million eggs per square metre are laid, attract- ing various species of whales, birds and mammals. As a result, only two of the 20,000 eggs laid by each female Pacific herring make it to adulthood. Hornby Island holds an annual Herring Fest to celebrate this natural phenomenon; the most recent edition, the ninth, ran from March 13-15.

Since the early 17th century, the roe of the Pacific herring has been a highly popular delicacy in Japan. Due to overfish- ing in the 1950s, the industry collapsed in Asia, creating opportunities for B.C. fishing families, like the Zielinskis, to make a living. “There are some intensive industrial fisheries for herring on Canada’s west coast,” said Zielinski. “These are very wasteful fisheries. They catch thousands of tons of herring, but only a small amount for human use. Most are used for pet food, fish farm food and garden fertilizer. There are other less wasteful ways to get the roe, including traditional First Nations ways, like letting herring spawn on kelp or tree branches.

“There may be concern that pausing the herring fishery will cause people to lose their jobs,” said Zielinski. “Many jobs depend on healthy herring populations, like other commercial fisheries, sport fishing and tourism. So you could say that protecting herring protects jobs.” She continued, “Our big ask is to help us pause the industrial Pacific herring fisheries to allow its populations to rebuild. Please help us advocate for our cause to the federal Fisheries, Oceans and Coast Guard minister, Joanne Thompson. I also encourage you to speak to my Member of Parliament, Gord Johns.”

Following the presentation, Duclos congratulated Zielinski for her work and her courage.

He then turned to the students to ask for their input and solutions. They mentioned that fish harvesters may be able to rotate their fishing zone from year to year, establish a weight limit or find less wasteful ways of fishing. They also spoke about developing different industries like tourism, to allow the community to thrive.

Duclos attends fish ecology talk by B.C. exchange student at QHS Read More »

Photo radar, lower speed limit coming to slow Old Port traffic

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Photo radar, lower speed limit coming to slow Old Port traffic

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The city is stepping up measures to try to slow down traffic through Old Quebec and Lower Town.

City and Port officials un- veiled the new measures, including lower speed limits, photo radar and greater vigilance around heavy truck traffic, at a media conference on May 8 in the Espace Quatre Cents building in the Old Port.

Coun. Mélissa Coulombe- Leduc, the executive committee member responsible for quality of life in the Old City and councillor for Cap-aux-Diamants, said, “These measures demonstrate our commitment to providing a safer, calmer urban environment that is more respectful of the unique character of Old Quebec.”

The speed limit is to be reduced as of this summer from 50 to 40 km/h on Rue Dalhousie, on Rue du Marché-Champlain and on Boul. Champlain as far as the Coast Guard base.

According to Marc Des Rivières, the city’s director of transportation and smart mobility, “The large number of pedestrians [in the Old Port] justifies reducing the speed limit.”

Mobile photo radar units will be used more intensely to enforce speed limits along Boul. Champlain from Rue de la Nouvelle-France in the industrial zone as far as the northern intersection of Rue Champlain.

Signage indicating heavy vehicle traffic is prohibited is to be reinforced in the axis formed by Boul. Champlain, Rue du Marché-Champlain, Rue Dalhousie and Quai Saint- André. There will also be a campaign to raise awareness among truck drivers regarding speed and the use of engine brakes.

According to the city, each day between 25 and 35 truck drivers use an illegal route through the Old City. Regarding truck traffic in the zone managed by the Quebec Port Authority, new CEO Olga Farman said it was among the first things she learned people were worried about when she took over the job in March.

Asked by the QCT how she will manage the challenge of increased truck traffic, particularly in light of the QSL terminal project in the works, Farman said, “I have a limited impact on those trucks. However, I want to make sure that we give them as much information as possible when they are on our facilities at the port. I want to work with the city to make sure that both of us have the proper influence and impact on those trucks coming in and out.

“So, the idea is not to limit the number of trucks. The idea is to make sure that they respect the legislation and also the community and the consequences of what they impose on this community when they come to such a place.”

The city began implementing measures to restrain traffic and reduce risks two years ago. The campaign was in part prompted by the death of a pedestrian on the Marché- Champlain curve a few years ago. Improvements were made last year to make the zone safer.

This summer, a “temporary secure zone” will be created at the northwest corner of the intersection of Rue Dalhousie and Rue du Marché-Finlay.

Another measure is the installation of signage to identify Old Quebec heritage sites along Boul. Champlain, Rue Dalhousie and Rue Saint-Paul.

Photo radar, lower speed limit coming to slow Old Port traffic Read More »

Surprises surface as Union Bank project advances

Local Journalism Initiative / / / ,

Surprises surface as Union Bank project advances 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Llew Price holds a clay bottle unearthed from the labyrinth of stone walls, vaults and columns in the bowels of the Union Bank building, the subject of a massive renovation by the owners of the Auberge Saint-Antoine on Rue Dalhousie.

“There’s a stamp on it in German. It’s written ‘the Duchy of Nassau,’” Price said. The Duchy of Nassau was once a province of Prussia. While Price initially thought the bottle might have contained eau-de-vie or alcohol, it turns out to have been mineral water.

“So back in the 19th century, you can imagine Quebec was importing mineral water from Prussia, which is actually quite, you know, astonishing in itself. It was supposed to be medicinal, and supposed to be very good for you.”

Further research revealed the company that made and exported the mineral water still exists today, Price said. “It’s actually owned by a German conglomerate [Dr. Oetker], and part of their business is the hotel business – they own, for example, the Bristol in Paris.”

That bizarre bottled connection between upscale hoteliers on both sides of the Atlantic is but one of the seemingly end- less surprises the Prices have encountered in transforming the landmark bank building into a luxury hotel adjacent to and connected with the already famous Auberge.

The pleasant surprises have been the 50 cases worth of artifacts extracted from several sites below the building as excavation of stonework, some dating back to the 1600s, proceeds.

“We have 17th, 18th, 19th- century vestiges in this building. So restoring that [building] there’s always surprises. You know, we were expecting surprises, but when they arrive, it’s still a surprise.”

The Price family acquired the building in 2020, having owned a floor in it for years for its paper company. The complete gutting of the structure, whose last ground-floor tenant was a restaurant which closed in 2019, began in 2022. The project initially had a target for completion this year, but Price now says the hotel is expected to be completed two years from now.

A major step forward will be the installation of a crane on a side street to begin work on the exterior of the building and the construction of additional stories on a secondary building. Price said he has reached an agreement with the neighbouring Royal Dalhousie hotel to use a portion of its parking lot to erect the crane and provide a security perimeter.

That work has required the closing of one lane of Côte de la Montagne to create a delivery area in addition to the security zone. As a consequence, the street will be one-way between Rues Saint-Pierre and Dalhousie for the duration of the construction period.

Price said, “Up to now, we’ve been doing what we call preliminary work, which is the gutting of the building [and] a lot of the masonry work that had to be done. We’re pretty much near the end of that.

“We’re taking an old building and really going from bottom to the top. So when we’re finished, this building will be good for another 400 years,” he said. As for the estimated cost, Price said the “scary expensive” project has an overall budget of around $50 million. When it is eventually completed, the hotel will have meeting rooms on the first floor, seven guest units each on the next three floors and four units on the top floor, a total of 25. A spa with a swimming pool will be installed in the basement.

Despite the delays and mounting costs, Price said he is undaunted by the project as it nears the halfway point. He said his and the Price family’s mission is the same it was when it embarked on creating the Auberge Saint-Antoine in 1992.

“My motivation was to try to build a unique hotel that I would enjoy going to, and that was what drove us. I believe that if you’re able to achieve that, the business side will take care of itself.”

Surprises surface as Union Bank project advances Read More »

Longtime mayor Labeaume pulls no punches in memoirs

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Longtime mayor Labeaume pulls no punches in memoirs

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

True to his reputation as a straight-shooting politician with a healthy blend of hubris and humility, former Quebec City mayor Régis Labeaume’s memoirs pull no punches and tell his almost rags-to-riches story with stark honesty and humour.

Labeaume had no interest in writing his memoirs when he retired from City Hall in 2021. He changed his mind in 2023, and contacted Journal de Québec journalist Karine Gagnon, who had pitched the idea two years earlier. The condition, Labeaume said, was that it be in a format “outside the box.”

That it is, with a collection of caricatures from cartoonist Yannick Lemay (YGreck) and testimonials from a wide range of characters from Labeaume’s life and career, including Jean Charest, Pierre Karl Péladeau, Serge Fiori and Justin Trudeau. There are also several dozen priceless photos of Labeaume from his youth and career. A particularly moving picture taken during the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2008 features Labeaume with his mayoral predecessors Jean- Paul L’Allier, Jean Pelletier and Gilles Lamontagne. All have since died, as has Andrée Boucher, whose sudden passing in 2007 opened the door for Labeaume to run for City Hall. Each of the 25 cleverly named chapters begins with a brief reflection penned by Labeaume before Gagnon, who covered all 14 of the Labeaume years, takes over and fills in the details of the story.

The former mayor has acknowledged that it wasn’t an easy process. In an interview with the QCT following the book’s launch in April at Le Diamant theatre – one of the many projects built on the mayor’s watch – Labeaume talked about how digging into the personal elements of the memoirs made for “two or three weeks of bad times.”

As for his time at City Hall, “it was a good summary of what we’d done and I had the chance to explain some things that were not clear.”

Among those many items were the discussions and events behind the staging of the 400th anniversary celebrations, the road to the building – under budget – of the Videotron Centre, and of course, the tramway project, which has become Labeaume’s successor Bruno Marchand’s nightmare.

Labeaume is blunt in recounting his relationship with the Coalition Avenir Québec government and its handling of the tramway and third link projects. In his preface to that chapter, he writes, “I can hear or read the political ‘observers’ who have their headlines ready – ‘Labeaume takes revenge on the CAQ!’ We’re all in, folks! I don’t know how I could claim to be happy with my relationship with François Legault’s government. The truth is, it went very badly, period.”

“Need I remind you that the CAQ declared its agreement with the Quebec City tramway project during the 2018 election, which it won? As for the third link, history will remember it as a major political hoax. A case to document for political science courses in the coming years, the epitome of political cynicism.”

As for Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault, who has been the CAQ government’s point person on the tramway and third link, Labeaume recalled with bitterness the minister’s comment when he announced his retirement: “It’s going to feel good,” which became the headline in Le Soleil.

“This is the worst insult of my political life and of my 14 years as mayor, coming from a woman who had only been appointed minister for two years and who clearly thought she was above it all. All she could think of to do was throw up on me.”

Labeaume said he is not optimistic about the tramway, although the election of Mark Carney as prime minister might help. “The CAQ never wanted the tramway,” he said, because caucus members from the region oppose it. “With this provincial government, we won’t get any tramway here.”

In the book, Labeaume, who was active in politics with the Parti Québécois before em- barking on a business career, opens up about his views on Quebec sovereignty. Although his political allegiance was well known, he was highly dis- creet about it during his years at City Hall.

While he would still like to see an independent Quebec, Labeaume recognizes the province has changed irreversibly and must adapt to these changes inclusively. “We have no choice but to take into account Quebec’s new demographic reality when thinking about its future if we don’t want to end up with a socially and ethnically divided Quebec. And as for me, my choice is made: I would never want to live in that kind of society.”

Now, Labeaume said in conversation, “I’m a political orphan. I’m more humanist than sovereigntist.”

As for his proudest achievement over 14 years as mayor, Labeaume said it was putting the city’s financial house in order. To that, one might add, particularly after the smashing success of the 400th anniversary celebration, making the city “the place to be” and giving the diminutive mayor confidence to think big.

Longtime mayor Labeaume pulls no punches in memoirs Read More »

CEGEPs honour Indigenous achievement at St. Lawrence

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

CEGEPs honour Indigenous achievement at St. Lawrence

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

For the first time, the four CEGEPs of Quebec City honoured Indigenous students at a recognition gala for the Indigenous college community of Quebec. On May 2, the ceremony welcomed recipients, family, friends and community members for a cocktail, gala dinner and show at CEGEP Champlain- St. Lawrence.

The ceremony opened with a land acknowledgement followed by an opening prayer by Wendat elder Yolande Picard. “Throughout my life, I never considered higher education important, but now, after re- flection, I have realized that it is greatly important in today’s age because my education has allowed me to tour the world and to be here this evening,” she said after the prayer. “Thanks for recognizing the value of our youth and their hard work. Thanks for recognizing our peoples, because they’re just as important and valuable as any other people.”

“In a spirit of friendship and solidarity, inspired by Université Laval’s territorial acknowledgement, I pay tribute to the First Peoples who welcome our college and all of its activities onto their ancestral territories,” said Edward Berryman, director of studies at St. Lawrence. “Since we are at the crossroads of the Nionwentsïo of the Wendat people, the Ndakina of the Wabanaki people, the Nitassinan of the Innu people, the Nitaskinan of the Atikamekw people and the Wolastokuk of the Wolastoqey people, we honour our relationships with one another.

“Dear students, this gala is an opportunity to recognize your remarkable journeys of resilience and commitment, to celebrate your voices and, through them, those of your families and communities, and to highlight your unique contributions that enrich our college and community life,” said Berryman. “You bring knowledge, cultures, visions and dreams that transform our institutions, step by step. Tonight’s event, which brings us together around you, is a magnificent example of how far we have come and the hopes we can nurture for generations to come!”

To celebrate the students’ hard work and dedication, the Indigenous community organized the first Recognition Gala for Indigenous CEGEP students in Quebec City, inspired by a similar ceremony at Cégep de Sept-Îles, created by Innu author Naomi Fontaine. The gala ceremony was held in English, French and several Indigenous languages.

Members of the community and alumni from the four participating CEGEPs (St. Lawrence, Garneau, Sainte-Foy and Limoilou) distributed four awards to the 16 participants: Leadership and Community Engagement; Promotion of Indigenous Cultures; Resilience and Perseverance; and Solidarity and Collaborative Spirit. The Puamun Meshkenu organization also awarded a Coup de Cœur scholarship. After the ceremony, attendees enjoyed a buffet dinner and a concert with a live band.

The full list of award winners is below:

Leadership and Community Engagement

– Frédérique-Christina Picard (Innu Nation; Cégep Limoilou)

– Hugo Picard Copeau (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep Limoilou)

– Laurence Vollant-Vachon (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

–  William-Frédéric Bacon-Hervieux (Innu Nation; Cégep Garneau)

Promotion of Indigenous Cultures

– Émilie Labbé-Hervieux (Innu Nation: Pessamit, Que.; Cégep Limoilou)

– Janie Fontaine (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Kimi Ottawa-Flamand (Atikamekw Nation; Manawan, Que.; Cégep Garneau)

-Logan Morsillo (Ojibway Nation; Matachewan, Ont.; St. Lawrence)

Resilience and Perseverance

– Anne-Marie Riverin Rousselot (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Ève Jean (Wendat Nation; Cégep Garneau)

– Jennifer Côté-Wapachee (Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Julianne Labbé (Wendake, Que.; Cégep Limoilou)

– Stecy Jourdain (Innu Nation; Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, Que.; Cégep Garneau)

Solidarity and Collaborative Spirit

– Aiden Aqpik-Savard (Inuit Nation; Iqaluit, Nunavut; Cégep Limoilou)

– Amélie André (Innu Nation, Maliotenam, Que.; Cégep de Sainte-Foy)

– Louis-Félix Morin (Abenaki Nation; Odanak, Que.; Cégep Garneau)

Puamun Meshkenu Coup de Coeur award

Laurence Vollant-Vachon (Innu Nation; Pessamit, Que.; Cégep de Ste-Foy)

CEGEPs honour Indigenous achievement at St. Lawrence Read More »

Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest closed for second phase of redevelopment

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest closed for second phase of redevelopment

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Residents and merchants are bracing themselves for another summer of disruption as the second phase of the redevelopment of Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest ramps up.

Asphalt and sidewalks have already been removed from a stretch of the busy east-west artery that runs between Rues Carillon and Saint-Luc. This section will undergo major work, including installation of underground infrastructure such as sewer and water pipes, as well as utility networks.

Also in the plan for this phase is the installation of concrete sidewalks and curbs, new street surfacing and redesigning the street to make intersections safer. New lighting and planting of trees and vegetation will complete the project.

While this phase is underway, workers will be finishing off the first phase of the three-year project, on the section between Ave. des Oblats and Rue Carillon. The third and final phase, slated for 2026, will concern the section between Rue Saint-Luc and Rue Marie- de-l’Incarnation.

The estimated $10-million project has the overall goal, besides upgrading aging infrastructure, of making “a more welcoming thoroughfare that will enhance the quality of life in the area and the vitality of the commercial activities that take place there,” according to the city website.

The project, an initiative of the city in collaboration with neighbourhood groups, is a significant disruption for residents and businesses in the heart of the Saint-Sauveur district.

The city has taken steps to minimize the impact of construction activity, expected to last until November, with mea- sures in place to reduce noise from vehicles and minimize the dust stirred up.

Public information sessions were held on March 31 and April 2, in which city officials explained details of the project and heard comments from affected residents and business owners.

The local business organization, the Société de développe- ment commercial du quartier Saint-Sauveur (SDC), has been working with the city to monitor the situation. Nadia Reghai Gagnon, the director general, said the SDC is trying to moti- vate people to patronize busi- nesses in the affected zones.

In an interview with the QCT, Reghai Gagnon said the SDC is organizing contests and activities to promote the sector during the construction project. One of them is a “bucket list” contest whereby local businesses offer gift certificates for customers who visit several establishments.

Under a city program, businesses are eligible for up to a maximum $30,000 in compensation for revenue lost due to the impact of construction.

Reghai Gagnon said another major effect of the closure of Rue Saint-Vallier is the rerouting of several Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC) bus routes. “It’s not very easy for the citizens,” especially for seniors, she said. “Many will have to walk a considerable distance to catch a bus on Boul. Charest.”

Despite the challenges of three years’ worth of disruption, Gagnon said she believes those affected see the long-term benefits of a completely modernized street.

“I would say that it would perhaps be a little premature to presume certain things, but we still feel that there is a desire among those who have settled [on Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest] to believe in the future, to be resilient and rather positive.”

Rue Saint-Vallier Ouest closed for second phase of redevelopment Read More »

Prep work underway for major redo of Parc de la francophonie

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Prep work underway for major redo of Parc de la francophonie

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Work is underway in the Parc de la Francophonie – popularly known as Le Pigeonnier – in preparation for a long- awaited development of the site adjacent to the National Assembly and across Grande Allée from the historic armoury.

A security fence surrounds the site where, according to the little information available from the Commission de la capitale nationale du Québec (CCNQ), which owns and manages the site, a project of at least $20 million will unfold over the next few years.

The preliminary work, consisting of archeological digs and soil sampling, will provide data to help plan the eventual transformation of the park, famous for its pigeon house and small pond. Known as the Parc de Grande Allée when it was created in 1972 with the demolition of houses, it was renamed Parc de la Francophonie in 1995 in honour of the 25th anniversary of the organization now known as the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

For years it has been the site of secondary stages for the Festival d’été de Québec (FEQ). This time, however, in anticipation of the work being done on the site this year and likely the next two years, FEQ will create stages in Place George-V in front of the armoury. That site, owned by the federal government, underwent a complete overhaul in 2023-24 to make it more suitable for hosting large events.

Once the initial work is done on the park over the next few weeks, it will be restored and available for use, according to a CCNQ spokesperson in a Le Soleil report. The CCNQ did not respond to a QCT enquiry by press time.

The project is included in the Société québécoise des Infrastructures planning “dash- board” in the category of more than $20 million. The description says, “The majority of [the structures on the site] have become obsolete and require significant restructuring.

“The complete redevelop- ment of the park has become necessary to provide users with a quality public space whose future developments will reflect the vital nature of this site in the heart of Parliament Hill.”

Prep work underway for major redo of Parc de la francophonie Read More »

Avenir St. Patrick consults the English-speaking Community

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

Avenir St. Patrick consults the English-speaking community

Cassandra Kerwin

cassandra@qctonline.com

As the the Central Québec School Board (CQSB) moves ahead with plans to build a single consolidated English high school in Quebec City, members of the English-speaking community and residents of the sur- rounding neighbourhoods are curious about the future of the buildings currently housing Quebec High School (QHS) and St. Patrick’s High School (SPHS) and the land they occupy. On April 30, Avenir St. Patrick invited the English-speaking community to a consultation at the Centre culture et environnement Frédéric-Back to discuss the future of the SPHS property.

Among the 20 or so attendees were current and former SPHS teachers, parents, alumni, members of the Irish community, representatives of local nonprofits, residents and sports enthusiasts. In table discussions, each person gave their opinion, thoughts and ideas for the site. The discussions focused on three main possibilities: non-profit and privately-owned co-operative housing, a community centre and a green space.

For many house hunters and entrepreneurs, Montcalm is a sought-after neighbourhood, with SPHS at its heart. If and when the land and building are sold, members of the local Irish community worry they may lose a major piece of their historical identity and heritage. The use of the property dates back to the 1830s, when it was St. Patrick’s Cemetery, until the cemetery was moved to Sillery to make room for the new school in 1916. With such deep roots, they want to continue to use the space and land, and for it to represent them, which includes conducting activities in English.

The building has two major parts: the school and the gym. The latter is not as easily transformed into housing and requires more engineering and planning. This integrates into existing plans for a community hub with a performance hall and a multipurpose space. As for the outdoor green space, local residents said they appreciate it, and community sports clubs use the soccer field for Gaelic football and hurling, among other sports.

Much of the discussion at the meeting was speculative because the land and building are not for sale at the moment. All that is certain is the school’s eventual move to the new location in Sainte-Foy, the second move in its long history, slated for 2028. Backers of the “super- school” project say it is necessary to allow the school board to sell off the aging high school buildings, stimulate enrolment and offer CQSB students educational opportunities and options similar to their counterparts at local French-language schools.

Avenir St. Patrick indicated that another meeting would be planned in the near future, probably in French, to reach more community members. The group would like to present solid plans to the city before 2028.

Keep an eye on the Avenir St. Patrick Facebook page for further information.

Avenir St. Patrick consults the English-speaking Community Read More »

Morrin Centre gets heritage grant for Cabinet of Curiosities

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Morrin Centre gets heritage grant for Cabinet of Curiosities project

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Visitors to the Morrin Centre will soon be able to delve deeper into the secrets of its 19th-century science lab thanks to a grant through the Supporting Heritage Awareness Recognition (SHARE) program, funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage and administered by the Quebec Anglophone Heritage Network (QAHN). 

The science lab on the fourth floor of the historic building dates from 1868, when the former prison was renovated to house Morrin College, a postsecondary institution affiliated with McGill University, which offered students the opportunity to obtain a McGill bachelor of arts degree, and also trained pastors for the Presbyterian Church. Incidentally, Morrin College has the distinction of being one of the first postsecondary schools in Canada to grant degrees to women, starting in 1885. The school closed in 1902 due to lack of funds and declining enrolment; over time, the former lab – which has a 19th-century photography darkroom in one corner – became a repository for all sorts of things, from microscopes to pharmaceutical equipment, centuries-old books, archeological finds and preserved animal specimens, bequeathed or given to the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec (LHSQ) by generations of members. The lab was refurbished and reopened to tourists around 2012, and the Morrin Centre put in place a “Cabinet of Curiosities” display – modelled on the displays of unusual and varied objects popular in Renaissance Europe that laid the groundwork for modern museums. 

With the QAHN grant, according to Morrin Centre heritage and tours co-ordinator Hee-Won Son, the Morrin Centre will produce bilingual booklets to help visitors of all ages discover the panoply of objects. Although Son and head of library and collections Kathleen Hulley haven’t determined exactly what objects to put in the booklet, one that will likely be included is the oldest book in the Morrin Centre collection, a 501-year-old German volume about Roman military strategy. 

“People really liked [the display] and we thought there wasn’t a lot of information about the objects,” Son said. Our general theme will be focused on the connections between the LHSQ and natural sciences as demonstrated through the current collection items. Within this general theme, there are many directions we can go … such as specifically focusing on the LHSQ or weaving in stories from the Morrin College era as well. We are still working out which specific [objects] we want to highlight. We welcome suggestions from the public who are curious about certain things. Even if it seems like a random object, everything tells a story, and it will be great to share that story with local anglophones and francophones, some of whom have never heard of this place.”

The Morrin Centre was one of 10 heritage organizations from English-speaking communities across the province that received funding through the SHARE grant program. “I am so impressed with the calibre and variety of original projects that were submitted from all across Quebec,” said QAHN executive director Matthew Farfan. “The selection committee had some really tough choices to make. I can’t wait to see what we get in year two!”

Applications are open for the second round of SHARE grants. Anyone interested in learning more about or applying for the QAHN SHARE grant program should contact Julie Miller (julie@qahn.org). Anyone with suggestions or comments about the Cabinet of Curiosities project can contact Kathleen Hulley (kathleenhulley@morrin.org).

Morrin Centre gets heritage grant for Cabinet of Curiosities Read More »

KWE! showcases First Nations and Inuit cultures

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

KWE! showcases First Nations and Inuit cultures

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

From June 12 to 15 at Place Jean-Béliveau, Quebecers are invited to discover the rich cultures of the 11 First Nations in Quebec through conferences, kiosks, films and music at the KWE! Meet with Indigenous Peoples festival at Place Jean-Béliveau and other sites around the city. The word kwe means “hello” in several Indigenous languages, and the festival is all about connection.

“KWE! is above all an invitation to connect, share and discover in a festive and welcoming atmosphere,” said KWE! executive director Mélanie Vincent. “We are reaching out to the entire population to come and meet us. Thanks to a diverse and interactive program, everyone will be able to enjoy a unique and enriching experience!” She continued, “The purpose of the festival is to meet our neighbours. Sometimes, we travel the world and know more about other nations than we do about our First Nations.”

KWE! is pulling out all the stops for this eighth edition. It opens with Tressages, a fashion show featuring collaboration between renowned Quebec fashion designer Jean-Claude Poitras and First Nations and Inuit designers, on June 12 at the Grand Théâtre. Tickets ($20) are available now.

From movies to conferences and workshops, discussions over tea, and savouring Chef Maxime Lizotte’s menu, there is much to discover and learn over the four-day festival.

“The traditions of the First Nations and Inuit of Quebec reflect exceptional richness and diversity. I am convinced that the event will once again be a resounding success this year,” said Ian Lafrenière, Quebec minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit.

While some people walk through the Forest of 11 Indigenous Languages, others will work with modern and traditional tools at the FabLab Workshop or attend one of many talks about Indigenous life or powwows. On June 13, KWE! will project Anishnabe short films from Wapikoni Mobile, and on June 14, the coming-of-age film Ninan Auassat – Nous, les enfants, directed by Kim O’Bomsawin. To keep people moving, Dr. Stanley Vollant will lead the Puamun Meshkenu (Path of a Thousand Dreams) Walk at 1 p.m. on June 14.

In support of the festival, on June 13, the Gabrielle-Roy Library will present Frétillant et Agile, a play by Wendat author Jocelyn Sioui about two people, young and old, embarking on the adventure of a lifetime to discover humanity.

The festivities will continue on June 21, National Indigenous Peoples Day, with a show at Place de L’Assemblée-Nationale. Wendat composer and film music producer Geneviève Gros-Louis will open the show and be joined by members of the 11 First Nations to sing the festival theme song, inspired by Serge Fiori’s Un musicien parmi tant d’autres. A live tribute to pioneering Innu singer-songwriter Florent Vollant will feature Zachary Richard, Maten, Dumas, Hauterive, Scott-Pien Picard and Vincent Vallières.

KWE! showcases First Nations and Inuit cultures Read More »

Liberals win minority government, Poilievre loses seat

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Liberals win minority government, Poilievre loses seat

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Voters narrowly gave the Liberal Party of Canada a fourth mandate in the April 28 federal election. Radio-Canada called the race at 10:25 p.m., less than an hour after polls closed in most of Quebec, Ontario and the Prairies. As the online edition of this newspaper went to press, shortly before 3 p.m. on April 29, the Liberals (elected or leading in 169 seats, three short of majority territory) appeared headed for a minority government, with a Conservative Official Opposition (144 seats). Both the Bloc Québécois (22 seats) and a potential NDP-Green alliance (eight seats) could hold the balance of power. Prime Minister Mark Carney, running for office for the first time, won his seat in the Ottawa riding of Nepean.

In a generally gracious speech, Carney said he looked forward to working with MPs from all parties – “particularly Bruce Fanjoy,” the Liberal who defeated Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre in his riding. He pledged to defend “humility, ambition and unity,” “recognize, correct and learn from” any errors he might make and govern “constructively” in partnership with provinces, territories and Indigenous peoples. He pledged to ensure that Quebec “thrives within a united Canada” and protect Canadian sovereignty, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump’s annexation allusions “are not idle threats.”

“If the Americans don’t want to lead, then we will. We’ll build millions of houses, become an energy power and build one economy, not 13,” he promised. “The next months and years will be difficult, but we will support Canadian workers and businesses. … We will fight with all we have to get the best for Canada.”

Poilievre lost the seat he has held in Carleton since 2004, but looked set to stay on as Conservative leader. “My goal will continue to be restoring the promise that anyone who works hard can have a nice, affordable house in a safe community,” he said, congratulating Carney on “a razor-thin minority government.” He didn’t address the result in his riding; Conservative MP Pierre Paul-Hus, re-elected in Charlesbourg–Haute-Saint- Charles, suggested another MP could step aside to let Poilievre run in a byelection.

The NDP lost 17 seats but avoided the complete collapse some polls predicted; NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh lost his seat to the Liberals and announced he would resign as leader once a successor was chosen. Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May was re-elected in Saanich–Gulf Islands, but the party won no other seats. In 2021, the Liberals won 160 seats, the Conservatives 119, the Bloc 32, the NDP 25 and the Greens two.

In Quebec City-area ridings, Liberal Jean-Yves Duclos won a fourth term in Québec-Centre, as did Liberal Joël Lightbound in Louis-Hébert. Conservative incumbents Gérard Deltell in Louis-Saint- Laurent–Akiawenhrahk, Paul-Hus in Charlesbourg–Haute- Saint-Charles and Joël Godin in Portneuf–Jacques-Cartier were easily re-elected. Liberal Steeve Lavoie defeated Bloc incumbent Julie Vignola in Beauport-Limoilou. In Montmorency-Charlevoix, Conservative newcomer Gabriel Hardy defeated Bloc incumbent Caroline Desbiens by less than 800 votes in a race that wasn’t called until Tuesday afternoon. 

Lightbound told reporters he was “very grateful” to the people of Quebec City. He said a Liberal government would continue to fund the tramway. “What I regret is that when the tramway [project] was announced in 2018, it was supposed to be built by 2026,” he said. “I think people are sick of going back and forth. Giving Quebec City a structured transit network is a must.”

“If we have a minority government, that’s the mandate we’ve been given, and every party has the obligation to make it work,” he added.

On the South Shore, Conservatives Jacques Gourde (Lévis-Lotbinière) and Dominique Vien (Bellechasse–Les Etchemins-Lévis) easily won re-election. In Beauce, Conservative Jason Groleau succeeded retiring Conservative Richard Lehoux, and People’s Party of Canada Leader Maxime Bernier finished fourth in his home riding. In Mégantic- L’Érable-Lotbinière, which includes Thetford Mines, Conservative Luc Berthold was re-elected.

As of 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 29, six races around the country remained too close to call. 

With files from Kevin Dougherty

Liberals win minority government, Poilievre loses seat Read More »

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault

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Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Marchand meets Carney, talks transit with Guilbault Read More »

Climate activists form Earth Day human chain around National Assembly

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Climate activists form Earth Day human chain around National Assembly

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

On April 22, Earth Day, thousands of Quebecers, including members of the Coalition régionale pour la justice climatique et sociale (CRJCS), formed a human chain around the National Assembly to send a message about climate change, the importance of implementing environmentally friendly strategies, and the need to hold governments and corporations accountable.

“The climate is warming faster than expected, with 2024 being the hottest year in recorded history. Last year, average land and ocean tempera- tures rose 1.3 degrees Celsius. The consequences are already being felt across the planet with increasingly extreme weather events, thawing permafrost and the rampant loss of ecosystems. These consequences have an impact on our food, our health, our income and our quality of life,” said Naélie Bouchard-Sylvain of the Regroupement d’éducation populaire en action communautaire des régions de Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches. “This puts us on a trajectory where the human and social costs will be catastrophic in the next two decades.

“Meanwhile, our governments are backtracking on several climate measures,” said Bouchard-Sylvain. “While the majority of the population sees their living conditions worsen, one per cent continue their luxurious lifestyles thanks to their portfolio of polluting stocks and political influence. On this Earth Day, we demand an acceleration of the fight against the climate and biodiversity crises, such as phasing out fossil fuels, and a massive reinvestment in environmentally friendly public and social services.”

Organizers presented a seven-foot-long by three-foot-wide “ticket” to the government for their perceived inaction on climate, which was hung from the ramparts and quickly pulled down by police officers.

Fighting deforestation and pesticide overuse

At the municipal level, Quebec City is encouraging “no-mow May” and pesticide- free movements on most municipal lawns. In addition, the city will distribute free trees on May 1.

In a joint effort with the federal government through a $440-million investment, Quebec aims to plant 100 million trees in public and private forests by 2030-31. The Quebec government restricts deforestation to 278,000 square kilometres of its 834,000 square kilometres of forests. It also requires the forestry industry to rotate lots by continuously replanting. However, environmentalists argue the government is not doing enough and not acting fast enough.

Quebec’s Bill 97, An Act mainly to modernize the for- est regime, was introduced on April 23. Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Maïté Blanchette Vézina presented amendments to the bill that aim to create “priority forest management zones.” Environmentalists fear that the forest industry, with the government’s support, is going too far. “In priority forest management zones, the plan even goes so far as to ban protected areas, which means banning conservation. It’s as if the Ministry of Forests is trying to protect itself legally against the Ministry of the Environment,” said Alice-Anne Simard, director general of Nature Québec. “These amendments could be compromising the achievements of our conservation objectives.”

Climate activists form Earth Day human chain around National Assembly Read More »

Quebec High School students get taste of democracy at election simulation

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Quebec High School students get taste of democracy at election simulation

QHS students get taste of democracy at election simulation

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Webster Auditorium at Quebec High School was transformed into a polling place on April 24 as students took part in an election simulation, co- ordinated by teachers Julie Bown, Gina Gauvin and Fannie Marsh as part of the nationwide Student Vote 2025 program run by Elections Canada and civic education nonprofit Civix. More than 800,000 students at 7,000 elementary and secondary schools across the country are expected to take part in Student Vote 2025.

Students from Secondary I to V discussed the upcoming election in class and received voters’ cards, which they ex- changed for ballots once they arrived at the polling place and were checked in by student volunteer poll clerks from Secondary II and V. The ballots, provided by Elections Canada, displayed the names of the candidates for the riding of Québec-Centre. To make the simulation as simple and inclusive as possible, students voted in Québec-Centre (where the school is located) regardless of their place of residence, and students didn’t have to be Canadian citizens to cast ballots. Other than the date, four days before the actual election, those were the only major differences between the simulation and the actual vote.

Although students were allowed to opt out for religious or philosophical reasons or spoil their ballots, voter turnout appeared very high – at any rate, higher than the 62.6 per cent turnout among adult voters in the 2021 federal election.

Student poll clerks Cédric G. Ratté, Emma Bolduc, Victor Sweeney and Ophélie Bernier said they were looking forward to voting once they turned 18. “If I vote, I’m making a choice that will impact the future,” Bolduc said. Students took the CBC Electoral Compass test – which asks a person a range of questions about social and economic issues and suggests the party whose platform lines up most closely with their responses; some took things further by talking to friends and family and researching the candidates on their own time.

The QCT didn’t ask students who they voted for, but on what issues they based their vote; students mentioned climate change, Canada-U.S. relations, the need for strong leadership and picking a candidate who fits their ideals.

“Voting is a right that we have, it’s like a duty … and one day, it could be taken away,” said Bernier, who appreciated the dress rehearsal aspect of the event, showing teens what an actual polling place looks like and how it works.”

“I heard that in the last [U.S.] election, if ‘did not vote’ was a candidate, they would have won,” Sweeney said. “It’s important to make our voices heard.”

Secondary III voter Sophie Lavallée said she thought voting was important “to show you care about who’s in charge.”

Quebec High School was participating in the nationwide simulation for the first time, after Marsh, Gauvin and Bown heard about it at a conference and were intrigued. “As a teacher, it has been so cool to witness how into it the students are,” Marsh said. “They have had lessons about democracy and elections, been encouraged to have discussions with their parents about whether they vote and about the democratic process. It gives me faith in the future of democracy.”

Student Vote results will not be released until after the April 28 election, to avoid prejudicing the vote. In both the 2019 and 2021 simulations, students around the country elected a Liberal minority government and the NDP edged out the Conservatives to form the Official Opposition.

Quebec High School students get taste of democracy at election simulation Read More »

Duclos, Deltell clash over tramway, third link in local debate

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

Duclos, Deltell clash over tramway, third link in local debate

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The future of Quebec City’s transit was a flash- point between Liberal and Conservative candidates in a debate on local issues organized by Radio-Canada on April 15.

With Téléjournal host Bruno Savard serving as moderator, the debate was a 45-minute exchange between Liberal incumbent for Québec-Centre Jean-Yves Duclos, Bloc Québécois challenger Simon Bérubé, New Democrat Tommy Bureau, running for the third time in the downtown riding, and Conservative Gérard Deltell, the incumbent MP for the Louis- Saint-Laurent–Akiawenhrahk riding.

Deltell represented the Conservatives in the absence of a candidate for the party in Québec-Centre. The intended candidate, Chanie Thériault, had been disqualified for not having filed required documents on time.

The debate was divided into two themes: the economy and mobility. A third segment at the end of the debate featured recorded questions from voters.

While there was a certain amount of back-and-forth about the financing and building of housing in the city, the debate over the two major transit projects in the works – the tramway and the third link – generated sharp confrontations between Duclos and Deltell, both veteran MPs first elected in 2015.

The showdown started with a question from Savard to Duclos, asking whether the federal government was prepared to pay 40 per cent of the cost of the tramway as the Quebec government expects, and, also, if Ottawa is an “ally” of the project, why the $1.5 billion it promised for the tramway was not made official before the election was called.

Duclos responded by listing the economic benefits of the tramway, including an estimated 20,000 construction jobs and stimulated investments of $500 million a year. He then challenged Deltell to answer whether a Conservative government would cancel Montreal’s blue line Metro project like leader Pierre Poilievre said he would do for Quebec City’s tramway.

Duclos said Poilievre wants to take the money for Quebec City’s project and invest in transit in his hometown of Calgary.

Savard then asked Deltell what the Conservatives would propose instead of a “structured” transit system for Quebec City. Deltell said the tramway does not have social acceptance, while the third link bridge project between Quebec City and Lévis does.

Deltell said to Duclos, “I find it really unfortunate that you keep repeating, repeating, repeating a lie. The $1.4 billion will stay in Quebec; is that clear? In Quebec, when Mr. Duclos says that he [Poilievre] is going to steal it from us, that’s a lie.”

When asked about the tramway, Bloc candidate Bérubé said, “There is a bad habit of both parties, which is to interfere in mobility projects here in Quebec. When Quebec decides to move forward with a project, the federal government’s role is simply to provide the money, without interfering in the design or form of the project.”

When Savard later asked whether Duclos supported the third link project, the Liberal MP opted to mention that a $3-billion fund would be available from the federal government to provide additional support for the tramway.

In an ensuing exchange with Deltell, the Conservative asked Duclos why he supports a project the people don’t want.

He then challenged the former minister to declare whether he supported the third link project. “I know you were a political lieutenant in Quebec, but [Liberal Leader] Mr. [Mark] Carney kicked you out. You’re a Quebec MP. Are you for or against the third link? It’s not a venereal disease; are you for or against? Duclos replied that federal funding depends on whether there is a public transit component to the bridge, but the Quebec government has not yet provided “a plan, a route nor a budget.”

The NDP’s Bureau said, regarding the tramway, “The money [from the federal government] should have been giv- en a long time ago to Quebec, which wants this project. And as for Mr. Deltell, I can’t wait to see what you’re going to do with the $1.4 billion. I’m expecting reserved lanes for F150s [pickup trucks].”

In the section for questions from the public via video, Sandra Nodari, a Brazilian immigrant and postdoctoral student at UQAM, asked the candidates how they would “address immigration issues without causing hardship for immigrants who are already well-established in housing, working and doing well?”

Duclos said, “Immigration is good for Quebec, it’s good for Canada; our diversity is a source of strength and pride. … We need to better recognize their expertise, including in health, but that’s done with the Quebec government. It’s not the federal government that will decide these things. The same goes for integration and francisation.”

Deltell, who noted he is the son of immigrants, said, “We currently have 20,000 doctors from abroad who are not yet recognized, and 30,000 nurses. We need this staff. We need all this talent that will meet our needs … We are committed to accelerating the process to en- able successful immigration.”

Duclos, Deltell clash over tramway, third link in local debate Read More »

CAQ attacked for $46-million third link contract

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

CAQ attacked for $46-million third link contract

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The awarding of a $46-million contract for the “third link” Quebec City-Lévis bridge project by the Quebec government is drawing fire from the National Assembly and Quebec City Hall.

The contract, which first came to light in a report in La Presse, was awarded in February to an international consortium called Parsons- Artelia-Hatch. It “includes professional support to determine the route and type of infrastructure,” according to Quebec transport ministry spokesperson Nicolas Vigneault.

“These elements are essential for the tendering phase, which will allow the selection of partners such as the project builder and designer,” Vigneault said.

There were four consortia bidding on the contract.

In addition to the latest contract, some $36 million has already been spent since 2018 on developing plans for the third link.

Transport Minister Geneviève Guilbault is expected to give an update on progress of the project next month and announce a chosen route by the summer.

A downtown-to-downtown crossing has been ruled out; the other options being examined are two routes to the east towards Île d’Orléans, and two to the west towards the existing Pierre Laporte and Quebec bridges.

While Lévis Mayor Gilles Lehouillier, a longtime advocate of a third link, welcomed progress on the project, critics denounced it as an affront to Quebec City’s proposed tramway system.

The awarding of the contract for the bridge comes in the wake of recent cuts or delays in existing Quebec City transit projects, such as a network of dedicated urban transit lanes, a highway overpass and reconfiguration of approaches to the bridges.

Transition Québec Leader, mayoral candidate and Limoilou Coun. Jackie Smith said in a statement, “I thank Ministers Geneviève Guilbault and [Minister for the Capital Region] Jonatan Julien for demonstrating that all the money for Quebec City’s transportation goes to the third link. This project is not good for Quebec City. We’re tired of being taken for fools.”

Liberal MNA Marwah Rizqy said on X, “While Quebec’s credit rating is downgraded and vermin and rodents are taking up residence at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital [in Montreal] … the CAQ is getting out its chequebook for the third link.”

Meanwhile, Quebec City Mayor Bruno Marchand has staked out a more prudent stance on the third link project. He told reporters before last week’s council meeting that he is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“I dare hope that Ms. Guilbault, when she proposes her route, will say, ‘Here’s how it improves [transit].’ They’ll have time to show us that for the citizens of Quebec City, it’s a win-win situation, that it’s not just a win-win situation for the citizens of Lévis.”

Other mayoral candidates have taken a position in favour of a new bridge. Québec d’Abord and Opposition Leader Claude Villeneuve gave his conditional approval to the project. During a media scrum at the National Assembly earlier this month, Villeneuve said, “I commit to acting as a partner in its implementation if it meets the needs of the people of Quebec City.”

His conditions would be that the bridge would not impede ship traffic on the St. Lawrence River, that it would integrate with Promenade Samuel-De Champlain and the urban boulevard on Autoroute Dufferin-Montmorency and that it would not add congestion on Highway 40 westbound.

Former provincial Liberal minister Sam Hamad, who jumped into the mayor’s race on April 6, has said he is opposed to the current tramway plan but is open to the building of a new bridge.

There remain many steps ahead before construction would start on a new bridge. Once the route is chosen, a designer and builder of the project would not be selected until next year and a contract not signed until 2027.

CAQ attacked for $46-million third link contract Read More »

Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at the Musée de la Civilisation

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at the Musée de la Civilisation

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

There was chocolate, an acorn hunt, a sugar shack, chocolate egg decorating, a live show and much more as the Musée de la Civilisation (MCQ) hosted its ninth annual family Easter celebration.

The museum started the festivities at 9 a.m. on April 19 by inviting families in need to a free private brunch, followed by privileged access to the weekend’s activities before the doors opened to the public at noon. “For the foundation, this kind of event is essential because it allows us to continue fulfilling our mission of promoting accessibility for children and families with special needs. It’s a privilege to see families come together and celebrate together in such a warm and festive atmosphere,” said the museum’s executive director, Julie Lemieux.

“It was a wonderful surprise when we got the invitation,” said Elizabeth-Anne Smith- Bélanger. “The brunch was exquisite. My two children loved the activities, especially the chocolate eggs, hunting for the acorns and squirrels and the sugar shack, but now, it’s time to head home to get ready for Easter tomorrow.”

Free access for these families was supported by the Fondation du MCQ. For 34 years, through different events, it has raised funds to make culture accessible to as many people as possible, particularly children and families from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Later in the day, the MCQ invited visitors to enjoy the free Easter activities for the price of admission. Despite the rain, families lined up around the corner.

Due to the bad weather, the outdoor sugar shack did not open April 19. It reopened on sunny Easter Sunday for families to savour maple taffy on snow, barbecued burgers, fries with maple and herb mayonnaise and other delicious treats. A maple taffy stand and a juice stand were also set up just inside the entrance, and hot chocolate was served on the other side of the atrium.

“The line moves surprisingly fast for its length,” said Mark Beaumont. “We are waiting longer to paint the chocolate eggs.” In the basement, children painted chocolate eggs with coloured white chocolate. Once decorated, some children savoured their works of art. Families had their pictures taken in the nearby photo corner.

Other visitors, especially children, rushed around the museum with a pamphlet in their hands, containing the five riddles of the annual Easter scavenger hunt. This year, they helped Eric the squirrel find his lost acorns and friends. “My children love the hunt,” said Valérie Julien. “It’s absolutely genius because we get to see different exhibits in a fun way.”

Hundreds of families celebrate Easter at the Musée de la Civilisation Read More »

More bikes, longer season for àVélo program

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More bikes, longer season for àVélo program 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The racks are being installed in some 165 locations around the city for a May 1 start for the fifth season of the popular àVélo bike-rental program.

The Réseau de Transport de la Capitale (RTC), which manages the àVélo program, announced several changes at a recent news conference at the Charlesbourg campus of Cégep Limoilou, where bike stations will be added this year.

Besides the stations at the college, about 50 stations will be added in five zones in the city – Le Plateau, Saint- Rodrigue, des Jesuites, du Vieux-Moulin and des Châtels. With the 500 additional bikes for these stations, the total fleet will number 1,800.

The àVélo season will be extended by two weeks this year, with 60 stations near bike paths remaining open until Nov. 15.

Passes and rates remain the same this year, with the addition of a 24-hour pass to allow users to make several trips during the day.

Subscriptions go on sale as of April 30. The first 100 customers to sign up get a free helmet.

For further information on the àVélo program, visit aveloquebec.ca.

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Homelessness on the rise amid housing crisis, public health officials say

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Homelessness on the rise amid housing crisis, public health officials say

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Public health authorities in the Capitale-Nationale region estimate that the number of homeless people in the region is rising by eight to 10 per cent year-on-year amid the ongoing affordable housing shortage. The CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale made the estimate on the day of the periodic regional homelessness census, April 15.  

“Every week, there are new faces coming to seek help at [organizations offering assistance to homeless people] – people who are coming for the first time,” said Frédéric Keck, assistant director for homelessness and partnerships at the CIUSSS. “Social assistance for a single person in Quebec City is $829 [per month]. Try to find a place to live for that amount and keep enough left over for your other needs, and you’ll understand why people fail. It’s hard to get and keep a place to live.” 

The homelessness census, funded by the provincial and federal governments and overseen by regional public health bodies with support from volunteers and local nonprofits, has been carried out across the province every three years since 2018 (although the 2021 census was rescheduled to fall 2022 due to public health concerns).  

“The numbers help us give data to the impressions that we have,” Keck said. “People say homelessness is on the rise, and this allows us to quantify that impression. We had an increase of 36 per cent between 2018 and 2022 and it looks like we are at closer to 16 per cent between the [2022 and 2025] exercises. 

“The point is not to get an exact number [of homeless people in a given area] but to get an idea of the size of the situation,” Keck told the QCT after the census. He explained that about 120 trained volunteers fanned out in neighbourhoods across the city, speaking to everyone they crossed paths with for a voluntary survey on their housing situation. The information gathered from the survey, along with data collected by nonprofits serving homeless and housing-insecure people, helps the CIUSSS to paint a picture of the number of homeless people in the region, the situations that lead to homelessness, and how housing-insecure people survive. 

“The census will help us make sure we’re intervening in the right places, understand what the breaking points are that put people on the street and how we can help someone before they become homeless,” he said. 

Although detailed data for the 2025 census was not available as of this writing, eviction (22 per cent), substance abuse problems (21 per cent) and insufficient income (17 per cent) are the three most common reasons participants gave for losing their homes in 2022. When asked how they managed to pay for their basic needs, 60 per cent said they received social assistance, 19 per cent cited “begging, collecting empty bottles, sex work or selling drugs,” and 17 per cent had at least some employment income. 

About one-third of homeless people, and one-sixth of those who had recently slept outside, were women. Members of the LGBTQ+ community and Indigenous people made up larger proportions of the homeless community than of the general population, an overrepresentation which Keck also noticed during the 2025 survey. “We have to see what we can do to better collaborate with the Centre Mamuk or the Centre d’amitié autochtone to help Indigenous people who are struggling,” he said. Across all age, gender and ethnic groups, 56 per cent of respondents said they wanted assistance to get and keep a home and 39 per cent said they wanted places to socialize and meet new people. 

Although the causes of homelessness are multiple, the common denominator is the lack of a place to live. “The current vacancy rate [for rental housing] in Quebec City is 0.8 per cent, and it’s lower than that for [apartments accessible to] vulnerable people,” Keck said. “We have the PRISM project [supervised housing for mentally ill formerly homeless people], the Stabilité résidentielle project [for at-risk young adults] and the Salvation Army project [conversion of the former Salvation Army centre in Vieux-Québec into a shelter equipped to treat people with substance abuse problems]. But the reality is, housing poverty is growing and there are more people in precarious situations than we can help.” 

Keck encouraged people who want to help the homeless community to donate money, time or supplies to a local nonprofit. “Local organizations do an extraordinary job, and it’s important to help them – they’re the ones on the front lines.” 

Homelessness on the rise amid housing crisis, public health officials say Read More »

Elementary school students celebrate 20 years of PAF at Palais Montcalm

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Elementary school students celebrate 20 years of PAF at Palais Montcalm

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

The Central Québec School Board (CQSB) is celebrating an impressive milestone this year: the 20th anniversary of the Performing Arts Festival, better known as PAF. Over the years, the festival has grown from drama festivals in different schools to a major annual event for 18 schools, featuring an array of workshops and student performances, with separate divisions for elementary and high schools.

On April 9, about 250 elementary school students from across the province assembled at the Palais Montcalm for a day of artistic workshops and a climactic PAF show. “We are very proud of our school board. We have staff, students, parents and supporters here. The message I want to share with the students is that I hope they are having fun and that they are making friends with students from our schools in different cities,” said the recently named chairperson of the CQSB council of commissioners, Jean Robert. “It is something special for me to be standing here today, because when I was a student at St. Stephen’s Elementary School, I once performed on this very stage. We had a concert at the Palais Montcalm. Mind you, it was not as nice as we see it today. It is a funny full circle.” That concert was decades before the first PAF, highlighting the importance of art in education in the English-speaking community.

Robert was not the only nostalgic person at the 20th edition. Over the years, past participants have returned as teachers, workshop leaders and parents of current participants. The shared stories and the strong desire of the students to participate each year have helped the festival grow in popularity. Certain workshops like photography were fully booked. Other workshops included dance, animation, manga, wax art, DJ skills, singing and improvisation.

“The students really do love PAF. Once it is over and when the new school year starts, they ask their teachers if they are going to PAF this year. They start thinking about their acts and preparing them,” said CQSB arts education consultant Bronwen Hughes. “It really is varied. Students put on musical shows, plays, dances, singing …”

Once again, the students’ hard work, creativity and talent amazed the audience. The show opened with Holland Elementary School students giving a rocking performance of 1970s hits: “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver, “Dancing Queen” by ABBA, “YMCA” by The Village People, and “We Will Rock You” by Queen. The drums were amazing for the last song.

From that point on, it was just one great performance after another. Portneuf Elementary School gave “The Greatest Show” with their interpretation of the hit song from the musical The Greatest Showman. A few acts later, Ste-Foy Elementary School thought outside the box by presenting a cinematic production they made at their school. Everest Elementary School gave an outstanding première performance with a cheerleading act. Ste-Foy Elementary School closed the show with incredible dance moves to millennial hits. They danced to “Step By Step” by New Kids On The Block, “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” by the Backstreet Boys, “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction, “Dynamite” by BTS, and “Bye Bye Bye” by N’Sync, made popular again by the 2018 movie Deadpool 2 nearly 20 years after its original release.

This year, for the first time, the PAF high school division is going on the road — to Jonquière. On April 16, workshops for high school participants will be held at Riverside Regional High School. The next day, students will perform at the Palace Theatre in Arvida.

Students, parents and community members can follow the 20th PAF by listening to the podcast Voices of PAF! online at cqsbperformingartsfestival.com.

Elementary school students celebrate 20 years of PAF at Palais Montcalm Read More »

St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu recounts life as humanitarian

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu recounts life as humanitarian

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Despite trying to alleviate an unimaginable amount of human suffering all around the planet, CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu still has hope for humanity.

Liu, a McGill University medical school graduate, former president of Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) and longtime pediatric emergency doctor at Hôpital Sainte-Justine in Montreal, spoke on April 10 to a packed auditorium at her alma mater, describing, with the help of images on a screen, her life as a global humanitarian activist.

The content of her 35-minute presentation was essentially the same as the one she had been asked to give to New York University in March; that talk was cancelled at the last minute by university officials over concerns about references to the situation in Gaza and the Trump administration’s cuts to USAID.

Liu had studied her pediatric emergency specialization at NYU.

She began her talk, much of which she deals with in her new book, L’Ébola, les bombes et les migrants, by explaining how the daughter of Chinese immigrants who opened a restaurant in Quebec City 50 years ago ended up as a doctor working in many of the world’s disaster zones.

She explained she had “an existential crisis” as a teenager, during which she read Albert Camus’ The Plague, a fictionalized account of an epidemic in Algeria. Rejecting the main character’s pessimism, she vowed, “I would never trivialize death and I would fight for life.”

From there, her life followed a seeming path of destiny. She participated in the Katimavik youth program, which led to her enrolling at CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence. She recalled how she saw a poster in the campus cafeteria for the Canadian Crossroads International program and decided to sign up.

After three stints working in the West African country of Mali over the summer break, Liu said, “This is it, I want to become a doctor.”

Getting into medical school, however, was not automatic. She said former campus director Jean Robert, her student advisor at the time, had suggested she apply to McGill because admissions are partly based on interviews. “He said, ‘If you get an interview, you’re going to ace it.’ And I did – and you’re going to ace it too,” she addressed the gathered students.

“St. Lawrence gave me everything I needed to become a physician,” Liu said.

From her first mission with MSF in Mauritius in 1996, Liu has worked in more than 30 crisis zones, all the while moving up the worldwide organization’s ladder, serving as Canadian president (2004-2009), then international head from 2013 to 2019.

It was during her stint as international president that she had to deal with an exceptionally tragic incident in a war zone – the bombing by U.S. forces of the MSF hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in August 2015.

Showing before and after aerial photos of the site, Liu noted how the airstrike was so precise the hospital building was destroyed, but “not a leaf was lost” on trees in a nearby grove of trees.

In the aftermath of the incident, which killed 42 people and injured 30, Liu led a campaign at the United Nations for it to adopt a resolution to protect the wounded and medical and humanitarian personnel in war zones.

Despite the measure, Liu said, “not much has changed” with regard to attacks on medical and humanitarian workers.

Liu described other memorable missions, including the 2010 Haiti earthquake, where the challenges of treating the injured were compounded by a cholera outbreak caused by UN forces dumping contaminated water; the 2004 tsunami in Thailand, where MSF workers ended up putting bodies in bags more than treating the injured; and the Ukraine war in 2023, when MSF organized a medical train to evacuate people injured in Russian attacks westward.

Liu, now 59, though winding down her international humanitarian missions, is still very active in humanitarian efforts, including as professor at the School of Population & Global Health at McGill University and director of the Pandemics and Health Emergencies Readiness Lab (PERL).

“In terms of the hardcore things I used to do, I’ve slowed down. I’m still going to do some overseas assignments, but probably not at the extent I used to, so I’m going to slow down a little bit.”

As for how it feels to speak to an audience at her alma mater, Liu said, “It makes me believe there will be people who will take over.”

During a question-and-answer session following her talk, a student asked how she could maintain hope given all the suffering and strife in the world.

Liu said, “The last chapter of my book is about hope. Despite the title – Ebola, Bombs and Migrants – it’s a book about hope. … It’s not because you don’t see a solution at the outset that you shouldn’t give it a try. It’s worth the fight because each time you change things, never at the level you wanted, never ever. Life is full of imperfect solutions. But I always say an imperfect solution is always better than no solution, as long as you’re not complacent about the imperfect solution and you strive for more.”

Liu was in Quebec City to participate in the Salon international du Livre de Québec. She was on a panel discussing the topic of finding hope in troubled times.

St. Lawrence grad Dr. Joanne Liu recounts life as humanitarian Read More »

Conservatives lose candidate in Québec-Centre

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Conservatives lose candidate in Québec-Centre

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

The Conservative Party will not be able to run a candidate in the downtown riding of Québec- Centre after candidate Chanie Thériault’s application was refused by Elections Canada.

Thériault and the Québec- Centre Conservative riding association both referred requests for comment to the party, which did not respond to a QCT interview request by press time; the area’s two local Conservative MPs, Gérard Deltell and Pierre Paul-Hus, also did not respond to requests for comment. However, Paul-Hus did attempt to explain Thériault’s situation to Radio-Canada.

Paul-Hus told the public broadcaster that Thériault’s candidacy had been refused because of a missing document.

“Chanie Thériault showed up with her documents on Monday [April 7, the last day on which parties could register candidates] with our regional organizer. She waited 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the returning officer came to see her and said, ‘Congratulations, you’re going to be a candidate,’” Paul-Hus said. A day later, he said, Thériault learned her candidacy was being refused because of a missing document – an attestation from the official campaign agent. According to Elections Canada, candidates must submit a nomination package including a personal information form, proof of identity, a statement of support signed by 100 voters from the candidate’s riding, signed declarations from a campaign agent, auditor and delegate and a statement of endorsement from their party (unless running as an independent). The deadline to submit these documents was 2 p.m. on April 7.

Elections Canada spokesperson Serge Fleyfel said the agency did not comment on specific cases.

However, he said returning officers are tasked with reviewing a prospective candidate’s nomination documents to make sure all the necessary elements are there. “If the nomination [package] is not complete, returning officers cannot confirm the candidate. If this happens before the close of nominations, another candidate can be nominated. … If this hap- pens afterwards, it’s too late and no replacement can be put forward.”

Paul-Hus told Radio-Canada the party was expecting that Elections Canada would “re- vise” its decision on Thériault’s eligibility in time for the elec- tion. However, Fleyfel said there was no mechanism in the Canada Elections Act to appeal the refusal of a candidate’s application.

“Elections Canada has finalized the list of confirmed candidates who will have their name appear on the ballot. The timelines set in the Act are important to allow enough time for ballots to be printed and have the necessary quality assurance checks done in time for advance polls,” he added.

Québec-Centre is the only riding in the country with no Conservative candidate on the ballot. Voters in the downtown riding haven’t elected a Conservative MP since 1988. Liberal MP Jean-Yves Duclos is running for a fourth term; polling aggregator 338Canada suggests he is likely to keep the seat, with the Liberals polling at 51 per cent support in the riding compared to 36 per cent for the second-place Bloc Québécois. Tommy Bureau of the NDP and Daniel Brisson of the People’s Party are running a distant third and fourth; the candidacy of Félix-Antoine Bérubé-Simard of the Green Party was refused by Elections Canada because of concerns about the validity of some signatures.

The federal election takes place on April 28. Between April 13 and 22, Elections Canada offers a variety of advance voting options. For more information on advance voting, visit elections.ca and click on “Key dates.”

Conservatives lose candidate in Québec-Centre Read More »

Polls suggest another three-way race in Beauport-Limoilou

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Polls suggest another three-way race in Beauport-Limoilou

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Of the seven ridings in the North Shore Quebec City area, surely the most unpredictable would be Beauport-Limoilou.

In the last three elections, the top three finishers were within about five points of each other in the popular vote, separated by a spread of about 3,000 votes.

It is not a bellwether riding, though; not since the 2008 election has it elected an MP on the government side – a Conservative – and you have to go back to the days of Pierre Trudeau for when the riding last went Liberal.

Again, this time around, polls are suggesting the riding will be a close three-way race, with the Bloc Québécois incumbent at risk of losing her seat. Projections from the Canada338 poll-tracking site describe the riding as “CPC leaning” with the Conservative Party ahead of the Liberals by six points, with a seven-point margin of error. The Bloc Québécois is a more distant third.

Such projections, however, are based on provincewide polling data and do not take into account the impact of the local candidates or local issues.

The riding, which spans the area between the Autoroute Laurentienne and the Montmorency River, has been reconfigured somewhat since the last election, which, according to one analysis, could favour the Conservatives.

The incumbent, Julie Vignola, a teacher who grew up in Fermont, first won the riding in the 2019 election, edging out Conservative incumbent Alupa Clarke by about 2,000 votes. In the 2021 election, she snuffed out Clarke’s comeback attempt by about 1,000 votes.

This time, she faces Hugo Langlois, a well-known television host and son of longtime

Beauport mayor and Quebec City councillor Jacques Langlois. The Liberal candidate is also high-profile – Steeve Lavoie, the former head of the Chambre de commerce et industrie de Québec.

The former NDP MP for the riding, Raymond Côté, is attempting to regain the seat he won in 2011. The current election marks Côté’s fifth campaign for Beauport-Limoilou.

Vignola said the current battle for Beauport-Limoilou is “une belle campagne,” compared to 2021 when the pandemic made it hard to meet people, and 2019 when the Bloc needed to reconnect with voters. She said in an interview with the QCT that people are concerned about the threat of the tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has imposed, but they also want to know, “Who is [Liberal Leader] Mark Carney? Who exactly is [Conservative Leader] Pierre Poilievre?”

Vignola said the key local issues in the riding are air quality, affordable housing and homelessness. She sees her role as MP, even though the Bloc can never form a government, as fighting for local issues.

Conservative candidate Langlois, who learned his English through his girlfriend who attended St. Patrick’s High School and CEGEP Champlain-St. Lawrence, said he chose to run with the future of his teenage daughters in mind.

The longtime host of TVA morning show Salut Bonjour said that even though he had a very satisfying career, he felt “it’s my time.” Noting that he was raised “in a really active political family,” Langlois said, “I have everything to give for the citizens of Beauport-Limoilou. I have a good name, good reputation, I know how it works, so I think I’m offering my best.”

He said, “People are scared” and concerned about such is- sues as the cost of housing. He said he believed Canada has missed opportunities under the Liberals. “We’re a rich country,  we have a lot of natural resources, ambitious businessmen and businesswomen. We have a lot of things that other countries are looking for, but we didn’t do anything to make them work for us in the last 10 years.”

Liberal candidate Lavoie, a former bank executive who lives in Lévis, was not available to speak with the QCT. He recently told Le Soleil, “I spent my career in Quebec City, my children went to school in Quebec City and I’m very familiar with local issues through my former role at the Chamber of Commerce. I want to give the people of Beauport-Limoilou a direct voice in government.”

Lavoie said it was not the arrival on the scene of Carney that spurred him to run for office, “but it’s definitely a plus. He’s an incredible man with an incredible resumé. I had decided to go for it, but let’s just say it added value.”

The NDP’s Côté said he decided to run again because people urged him to get involved and lend his experience to the party’s campaign. He said the “obsession with the dangers of Donald Trump” means “we are forgetting the things that concern people on a daily basis.”

Other candidates registered in Beauport-Limoilou are Dalila Elhak for the Green Party, Andrée Massicotte for the People’s Party and Claude Moreau for the Marxist-Leninist Party.

Polls suggest another three-way race in Beauport-Limoilou Read More »

Historian to present little-known Holocaust story at Sainte-Foy library

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Historian to present little-known Holocaust story at Sainte-Foy library

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

French historian and author François Kersaudy will present a little-known story of humanity amid the Holocaust, in conversation with local journalist Josée Legault at the Bibliothèque Monique- Corriveau in Sainte-Foy on April 24 at 7 p.m.

Kersaudy, a specialist in diplomatic and military history who has written more than 30 books shedding light on lesser-

known aspects of the Second World War, is the author of La liste de Kersten: Un juste parmi les démons. The book recounts the surprising story of Felix Kersten, the personal physician of SS leader Heinrich Himmler, who used his position to save thousands of European Jews – and ultimately, to make sure evidence of the atrocities of Nazi death camps remained for the Allies to find.

French novelist Joseph Kessel told a version of Kersten’s story in the 1960 book Les mains du miracle; Kersaudy said curiosity about the truth behind the plot of the novel sparked his years-long, inter- national journey of discovery.

He explained that Kersten, an eminent private physician, was summoned by the Gestapo in 1939 to treat Himmler, who was suffering from a painful stomach ailment. Over time, he managed to gain the Nazi leader’s trust.

“At one point, one of his other patients said, ‘My fore- man has been imprisoned by the Gestapo. I need my fore- man. Do you think you could intervene with Himmler?’” It was the first of many similar situations. “The next time Himmler told him, ‘We need to

talk about your pay,’ he said, ‘My pay will be the liberation of these people.’ He would pres- ent a list and Himmler would select a few people, a bit at random, without taking a real interest in why they had been arrested. It was very bizarre.” With the help of several accomplices in Himmler’s entourage, he was able to free thousands of people over a period of several years.

In early 1945, Kersten, who was living in Sweden, was contacted by a Swedish diplo- mat who had learned of Nazi plans to blow up the largest of the European concentration

camps as the Allies closed in. “The order Hitler gave to Himmler was, ‘When the Allies arrive within eight kilometres of the camps, the camps must be blown up, along with the prisoners and guards. There will be nothing left [but] ruins, and we can deny everything.’ The Swedes knew this, and they asked Kersten if he could do anything.” Himmler, threat- ened with the loss of Kersten’s services, ultimately decided not to execute the order, sav- ing thousands of survivors and keeping the camps standing for posterity. “With very few exceptions, the people saved by Kersten never knew to whom they owed their freedom. There were resistance fighters who were supposed to be executed and were instead told, ‘Take your things and get lost.’… Only a few Dutch and Swedish resisters knew the full story.”

François Kersaudy’s talk will be presented at the Bibliothèque Monique-Corriveau in partnership with Montreal’s Jewish Public Library and Quebec City’s Beth Israel Ohev Sholom synagogue. See details in the Community Calendar on page 7 and ad on page 5. Please note that the event will be in French.

Historian to present little-known Holocaust story at Sainte-Foy library Read More »

Grand Marché marks visitor boost and first-ever profit

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Grand Marché marks visitor boost and first-ever profit

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

Thanks to a new business plan where the city assumes some major operational costs, the Grand Marché de Québec has turned a profit for the first time since it opened five years ago.

The market, located on the ExpoCité site near the Vidéotron Centre, is operated by the Coopérative des Horticulteurs de Québec, an association of local food producers.

The CHQ released its 2024 annual report recently; the report laid out the newfound stability and growth of the year-round site, which saw a total of 850,000 visitors, an increase of about 100,000 over the previous year.

Another strong indicator is the occupancy rate of vendor stalls that hit 92 per cent by the end of the year. The market normally accommodates some 30 permanent businesses as well as about 15 seasonal market gardeners.

General manager Mario Goulet said, “We are proud of these financial results and can already say that our goal for 2025 is to surpass them. With the results of the first few months of 2025 being very positive, we are confident that we are on the right track.”

The market opened in 2019 in a completely overhauled century-old former Pavillon du Commerce building. It replaced the farmers’ market that had been situated in the Old Port for many years.

Goulet said that under a new deal signed last year, the city, which owns all the buildings on the ExpoCité site, covers such significant costs as electricity, heating and snow removal in the large parking lot. The city estimates such costs amount to about a million dollars.

Goulet said, with these modifications of the terms of the rental contract, “Our business model is much more viable.” Revenue from sales is still paid to the city as well as about $450,000 in municipal and school taxes.

There are several changes among the market tenants. The Mexican-themed bistro La Cour arrière de Québec has taken over the premises previously occupied by SNO Microbrasserie Nordik and plans to create a lively terrasse over- looking Place Jean-Béliveau during the summer. Mexican music is on the menu as well.

Le Monde des Bières, in partnership with SaucesPiquantes.ca, has moved into a new location and will offer a selection of beers from microbreweries in Quebec City and surrounding areas. The sauce offerings are being called “the largest selection of hot sauces in town.”

Coming this month is Chimney’s Pastry Shop, featuring Hungarian chimney cake as well as other sweets and ice cream. Another new arrival is Origine en Vrac, “an eco- friendly grocery store based on a zero-waste shopping concept, offering local and environmentally friendly products as well as reusable items.”

Alongside the stalls and shops, the market will be offering a wide range of events, including musical entertainment and workshops.

Grand Marché marks visitor boost and first-ever profit Read More »

Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad runs for mayor

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Municipal elections in Quebec take place on Nov. 2.

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

TRAM TRACKER: Federal support for tramway in hands of voters

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

TRAM TRACKER: Federal support for tramway in hands of voters

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

The fate of Quebec City’s tramway project is at stake in the April 28 federal election.

With the choice of the next federal government, between the Liberal Party of Canada, which supports the project, and the Conservative Party of Canada, which opposes it, in essence, the voters of Canada will decide whether Quebec’s capital gets a structured urban transit system.

It’s uncertain whether the $7.6-billion project could proceed in its current form without federal funding. The federal government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau, and now current Prime Minister Mark Carney, has committed a total of $1.4 billion to the project, an initial $1.1 billion in 2019 and an ad- ditional $332 million in early March.

The city would like Ottawa to top that up to reach 40 per cent of the cost, the same as what the Coalition Avenir Québec government has promised.

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, however, has been adamant about not putting “one cent” of federal money into the tramway. Further, he would take the money already committed and put it towards the Quebec government’s plan to build a third bridge over the St. Lawrence River.

At a March 26 rally in Quebec City, Poilievre repeated his vow “to end the war on cars.”

He took a shot at the position on urban transit taken by Carney and Bloc Québécois Leader Yves-François Blanchet. “The Bloc and the Liberals refuse to build a third link – an important project for mobility and the economy of the greater Quebec City region. Worse still, Carney and Blanchet want to impose a tramway on the people of Quebec City – a project that the people of Quebec City reject.”

Poilievre said, “The tramway – it’s a white elephant worth over $7 billion, an unaffordable project, a project that the people of Quebec City don’t want. As prime minister, I will respect your wishes [and] refuse to waste your taxes on this unpopular project. The people of Quebec City need their trucks to get to work, to drive their children to the arena. That’s why I’m going to invest the federal money earmarked for the tramway in a third link.”

The two Conservative MPs in the central Quebec City ridings, Poilievre’s Quebec lieutenant and Charlesbourg– Haute-Saint-Charles MP Pierre Paul-Hus and Louis–Saint– Laurent–Akiawenhrahk MP Gérard Deltell, met Mayor Bruno Marchand last month before the launch of the election campaign. According to the mayor’s office, Poilievre has yet to meet with Marchand.

On the same day as Poilievre’s visit to the Quebec capital, Jean-Yves Duclos, the Liberal MP for the downtown riding of Québec-Centre, issued an open letter denouncing the Conservative leader’s policies for the city, particularly the tramway.

“The Conservative leader wants to steal our money and send it elsewhere in the country, like to his hometown of Calgary – where he proudly celebrates the Canadian government’s investments in public transit that reduce congestion and create housing and good jobs,” wrote Duclos, who is running for a fourth term.

Duclos said, “Pierre Poilievre talks about ‘responsible government,’ yet he is prepared to blindly fund a third link project whose route, de- sign or budget are unknown.”

Duclos recalled, “In September 2010, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives pulled this trick on us. They disguised themselves as Nordiques players wearing hockey jerseys to promise to fund the Videotron Centre. A few months later, Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives broke their promise by not contributing a single cent to the centre, leaving Quebec City and the Quebec government to shoulder the entire bill.”

Carney, when he visited Quebec City in January as part of his Liberal leadership campaign, declared his support for the tramway as the kind of infrastructure investment needed in a time of economic crisis.

Simon Bérubé, the Bloc candidate in Québec-Centre, said in an interview with the QCT, regarding the Conserva- tive position on the tramway, “We’re against any interference from the federal government into the decisions of the city of Quebec and the government of Quebec. The project is quite underway, it’s ready to go, so we’re asking that, without any interference, that 40 per cent of the cost will be guaranteed by the federal government.”

Bérubé said the project will bring a lot of investments in the riding, through stimulation of housing developments, for example.

Asked what would happen to the tramway project in the event of Quebec declaring sovereignty should the Parti Québécois win the next election and a promised referendum, Bérubé said the federal money committed to the tramway “belongs to Quebecers who sent it to Ottawa through all kinds of taxes.”

TRAM TRACKER: Federal support for tramway in hands of voters Read More »

Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Anger at City Hall as CAQ nixes transit projects

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Transitional housing community planned for Beauport

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Transitional housing community planned for Beauport

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

If all goes according to plan, six formerly homeless Quebec City residents will move into temporary housing in Beauport in June, as part of a pilot project announced by the Ville de Québec, the city’s public housing authority, the Quebec government and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.

Four modular units similar to portable classrooms will be set up on vacant city-owned land adjacent to the Parc-O-Bus D’Estimauville. Three of the units will be divided into two studio apartments each, and the fourth will house a common area, a laundromat and offices.

“These new transitional housing spaces will provide individuals experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless with a stable and safe living environment for a period of 30 to 60 days, before transitioning to independent housing,” city officials said in a statement.

“The small number of units will allow the CIUSSS de la Capitale- Nationale residential stability team to provide tailored support to residents. Admitted residents will be recommended by community organizations, partners and the healthcare network.”

The apartments will be maintained by the public housing authority, and a yet-to-be-determined community organization will be responsible for social activities. The city will loan the land, waive permit fees, reimburse costs related to site development and connect the units to municipal water and sewer networks. The $1.7-million project will be funded jointly by the Société d’habitation du Québec, the CIUSSS and the city.

Coun. Marie-Pierre Boucher, member of the city executive committee responsible for hous- ing, told the QCT the project takes some inspiration from a similar project backed by the Nova Scotia government; that project, launched in Lower Sackville, N.S. using tiny homes, opened in late 2024 with capacity for 70 people. Since then, two additional “shelter villages” have opened in Halifax, according to the Nova Scotia Ministry of Housing and Social Development. Boucher said a project of that size was not planned for Quebec City, but the city was open to expanding the Beauport project or creating others in other areas if the first pilot project went well. Quebec City chose a version of the “tiny home” model because “it can be installed quickly, and if we have to move it in two years, we can do that,” she said.

“We looked for city land that would be accessible, that was big enough and that could be hooked up [to the power and water networks] quickly, where there were support organizations and where people would have access to public transit and to things like a grocery store and a pharmacy,” she added.

She described the project as “a springboard for people who have lost their home or who are coming off the street … who will go live in an apartment afterward.”

Frédéric Keck, assistant director of partnerships in the mental health, homelessness and addictions division of the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, said he hoped the project would help people at risk of homelessness stay off the street. “If we can get people soon after losing housing, that’s a win; after a year in the street it is a lot more complicated to bring people back into housing. Our shelters are overloaded and anything we can do to reduce pressure on them is a good thing.”

He acknowledged that amid the ongoing shortage of affordable rental housing, finding permanent housing for residents at the end of their two-month stay in the studio “will be our biggest challenge.”

An information session on the Beauport project was planned for April 8, after this newspaper went to press. “We’re not catapulting this project into people’s backyards,” Boucher said. “We’re working with the CIUSSS and the community sector to have a safety net around these people.”

“Just because someone is homeless doesn’t mean they’re a delinquent,” Boucher said. “But a lot of people with chronic homelessness can have mental health problems or drug problems … and there’s an element of fear of the unknown – if you or I dress differently and hang out in a park, we might provoke anxiety and fear in some people,” she said. “The fear is legitimate and we need to understand where it comes from.”

Although Mayor Bruno Marchand campaigned on a long-term plan to reach “zero homelessness” in 2021, the city is dealing with a stubborn homelessness problem which advocates say is exacerbated by inflation, the ripple effects of the pandemic and an acute shortage of affordable housing. A recent report by the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services indicates that the number of homeless people in the Capitale-Nationale region living in shelters or other emergency resources rose by 16 per cent between 2022 and 2024.

On April 3, the city announced a campaign in collaboration with philanthropist Claude Choquette and his family and the Fondation Dufresne-Gauthier to raise $3.2 million to shore up the Porte-clés program, an initiative run by nine local organizations, including Lauberivière and YWCA Québec, aimed at offering people coming out of homelessness a place to live with no preconditions; the same week, Le Soleil reported that the CIUSSS had revived a plan — shelved when the pandemic hit — to open a shelter with medical services and social support in the former Salvation Army facility on Côte du Palais. That facility, with space for 30, should open in early 2026.

Transitional housing community planned for Beauport Read More »

English-speaking community groups welcome support in Quebec budget – with caveats

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , , ,

English-speaking community groups welcome support in Quebec budget – with caveats

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

Presenting the Quebec budget on March 25, Finance Minister Eric Girard, who is also the minister responsible for relations with English-speaking Quebecers, announced that the Quebec government would receive $343 million from the federal government over the next four years aimed at funding education and other services for the English-speaking community.

According to the budget, the government plans to invest an additional $10 million over the next five years through the Secretariat for relations with English-speaking Quebecers to improve access to services for the English-speaking community, particularly health and social services, community- based mental health services and legal information.

While they say it’s still early to see how the funding will translate into concrete programs, advocates for access to services in English say they’re optimistic about the fact the funding has been promised.

“I’m happy to say that the government listened to the community and put money into resources the community suggested,” said Jennifer Johnson, executive director of the Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), a Quebec City-based organization which advocates for access to health care in English in the regions.

“Historically, the Canada- Quebec Agreement [involved] a very small transfer from Canadian Heritage to the Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services. The Quebec government said we’re not interested in doing this much work for this little money. The Secretariat [for relations with the English-speaking community] has worked very hard to make it worthwhile, and they succeeded.”

Johnson said CHSSN will receive a yet-to-be-determined portion of the funding and use it to support community-based mental health services and programs such as the patient navigator program, aimed at making it easier for vulnerable English speakers to access health care in Quebec City, Laval and Gaspé.

“I can say with some confidence that [some funding] will go to local or regional community organizations working in the area of mental health to support their population,” she added.

“Research indicates that people prefer to speak to a health care professional in their mother tongue, because of the personal nature and the emotional component [of those conversations],” Johnson said. “There are very few resources off the island of Montreal to support anglophones, and anglophones do have higher levels of stress associated with lower incomes and difficulty finding jobs to match their skills.”

While the CHSSN and the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN) said they were pleased with the health funding, other organizations such as the Provincial Employment Round Table (PERT) and Montreal-based Youth Employment Services (YES) expressed alarm at the lack of investment in training and job search services targeted at the English- speaking community.

“There was nothing for employment for English speakers in this budget,” PERT executive director Nicholas Salter told the QCT, noting that for the past many years, unemployment has been higher among anglophones than francophones. In 2022, 8.9 per cent of working- age anglophone Quebecers were unemployed, compared to 7.2 per cent of all Quebecers. “Between 2016 and 2021, the employment gap between anglophones and francophones doubled and there has been no funding to address that. Things are not necessarily getting better.”

(QCT version)

English-speaking community groups welcome support in Quebec budget – with caveats Read More »

Still some holes to fill in local federal ridings

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

Still some holes to fill in local federal ridings

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

With the federal election less than a month away, parties are still scrambling to find candidates for the seven Quebec City-area ridings.

Candidates have until Monday, April 7 at 2 p.m. to register with Elections Canada.

As of March 31, the main parties had chosen candidates in all but one riding, with the Liberals having not named a standard-bearer in Montmorency-Charlevoix.

The Bloc Québecois has candidates in all seven ridings. By contrast, the New Democratic Party has nominated only two, in Beauport-Limoilou and Québec-Centre.

Poll projections suggest most incumbents, all of whom are running again, are likely to be returned. The two exceptions are the two seats held by the Bloc – Caroline Desbiens in Montmorency-Charlevoix and Julie Vignola in Beauport-Limoilou.

That latter riding features well-known candidates for the Liberals and Conservatives. Hugo Langlois, a media host and commentator, has joined the Pierre Poilievre team, and Steeve Lavoie, a prominent entrepreneur and former head of Quebec City’s chamber of commerce and industry, will run for Mark Carney’s Liberals. Former MP Raymond Côté is running for the NDP.

The seat has bounced back and forth between Bloc and Conservative since 1993, with Côté and the NDP winning it in the 2011 Orange Wave. The last time it was Liberal was 1988.

The 2021 election saw a tight three-way race; Vignola edged out incumbent Conservative Alupa Clark with Liberal Ann Gingras a close third. Current poll projections, according to Canada338, have the candidates for the three parties within eight points of each other, with the potential result described as “CPC leaning.”

The same poll cruncher has Montmorency-Charlevoix as “CPC likely” with the Bloc well back in second place. Gym owner Gabriel Hardy is the Conservative candidate. Desbiens first won the riding in 2019, defeating Conservative Sylvie Boucher.

Still some holes to fill in local federal ridings Read More »

Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Hamad to announce for mayor, Marchand loses councillors 

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Smith moves vote to oust council chair Martin

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Smith moves vote that ousts city council chair Martin

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

There was a bit of drama to start off the regular Quebec City council meeting on March 18.

Jackie Smith, the councillor for Limoilou and leader of Transition Québec, proposed a vote to remove Louis Martin, the councillor for Cap-Rouge–Laurentien, as the chair of council sessions.

Martin had recently left the opposition Québec d’abord caucus over unspecified differences, and had been courted by potential mayoral candidate Sam Hamad.

Another Québec d’abord councillor, Isabelle Roy, who represents Robert-Giffard district, also now sits as an independent after being booted from the party caucus for having discussed her political future with Hamad.

The motion to remove Martin was approved, with three councillors, Roy and the two members from Équipe priorité Québec, voting against.

The vice-chair of the council, Steve Verret, the long-serving councillor for Lac-Saint- Charles–Saint-Émile, accepted the proposal to replace Martin. Verret was elected in 2021 under the banner of former mayor Régis Labeaume’s party, but defected to the ruling Québec Forte et Fière (QFF) party of Mayor Bruno Marchand. Verret has decided not to run again in the November election.

Contacted by the QCT, Martin said about his ouster, “I’m surprised and disappointed. A few months ago, Ms. Smith asked for my removal because I was ‘too partial.’ This time she mentioned it was because I am too independent. But it’s a decision made by the city council; I respect it.”

In explaining her move to remove Martin, Smith said, “It was not a question of competence” and that Martin had done “an excellent job as chair.” She said that it was “a question of the role of chair” of the council, and now that Martin has shifted allegiances, council needs to know where the chair stands on certain issues.

Smith said, “I was uncomfortable with some of the actions you took as chair, but at least we could see [where you stood]. With the political decisions you made, we’re not certain.”

Équipe priorité Québec Coun. Stevens Melançon, angered at the removal of “a neutral and rigorous chairperson,” took a shot at Smith, saying she is “ready to denounce the authorities in place and political manoeuvring, except when it suits her.”

Melançon said, “Our role is to defend a healthy municipal democracy, not to be extras in a theatre where everything is predetermined.”

Roy said, “It’s hard not to see reprisals in this gesture from Québec d’abord, Transition Québec and Québec Forte et Fière … I expected a little better from my colleagues on city council.”

Opposition and Québec d’abord leader Claude Villeneuve said, “To judge the chair’s neutrality, you have to know … at what point … there is a bias or not.”

Villeneuve said Martin’s change in political affiliation “leads us to have doubts about” meetings chaired “by someone whose intentions and point of view we do not know.”

No one from the ruling QFF party spoke to the motion to remove Martin.

Losing the position means Martin will have $10,000 less remuneration for council service.

When he left the chair after his ouster, Martin took the seat next to Smith and they exchanged a few polite words.

At many points during the meeting, councillors were drowned out by blaring truck horns from a group of protesting blue-collar workers outside City Hall.

Smith moves vote to oust council chair Martin Read More »

TRAM TRACKER: More federal money, big contracts coming for TramCité project

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , ,

TRAM TRACKER: More federal money, big contracts coming for TramCité project

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

A boost in federal funding for Quebec City’s tramway project was one of the flurry of announcements made within hours of the federal election call on March 23.

The additional $332.2 million from Ottawa is on top of the $1.1 billion committed in 2019 when the initial version of the tramway project was announced. The total contribution of $1.4 billion is still short of the target of 40 per cent of the total $7.6 billion cost the city had hoped for.

Mayor Bruno Marchand told reporters while on a visit to Texas, “We definitely want more. We want the full 40 per cent. But it’s definitely a step up the ladder. … It allows the Quebec government and CDPQ-Infra to count on it and spend.”

While funding the project is firming up, preparations are accelerating to get the TramCité project under construction.

Last week the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec Infra (CDPQ-Infra) agency, which is managing the project, issued a call for expression of interest for contracts to build two major components of the system.

By far the largest contract would be for the civil engineering work for infrastructure and buildings for the rail network. That would include, for example, excavation of the tunnel between Saint-Roch and Upper Town and three underground stations. Also included would be other structures such as interchange hubs, bridges and viaducts.

The other contract, accord- ing to the tender specifications, would be for “systems” associated with the main tramway infrastructure. This includes “the supply, integration, commissioning and maintenance of assets such as railway tracks, the overhead contact line, traction energy systems, electrical, communication and signalling systems.”

When the Quebec government gave the official green light to the project in December, CDPQ- Infra said there likely would be eight separate contracts with private sector interests to build the system,

The call for expression of interest is the first step in what could be a drawn-out process. Once the government has received responses, the potential bidders will be evaluated for their ability and qualification to take on the job.

A CDPQ-Infra spokesperson said the results of the call for interest would be known later in the spring. Some 120 companies are known to be ready to enter the bidding process.

The group of two or three bid- ders selected would then enter the “co-development process” with CDPQ-Infra and transport ministry officials to draw up proposals with cost and timelines. No contract is likely to be signed until well into 2026.

While construction of the tramway line won’t likely begin in earnest until next year, work already done on the now-aborted eastern leg of the tramway route has cost many millions of dollars.

According to a report in Le Soleil, $34.4 million has been spent on work to prepare the D’Estimauville tramway line and hub. The initial plan for the tramway presented under former mayor Régis Labeaume called for the line to run north to Charlesbourg.

The Coalition Avenir Québec government imposed the choice of D’Estimauville, which was then switched back to Charlesbourg in the June 2024 CDPQ- Infra report on the tramway project.

The work included relocation of a water main, demolition of buildings, relocation of underground infrastructure and reconstruction of a railway viaduct, as well as an archeological inventory and survey of trees affected by the work.

City officials say most of the work would need to be done eventually, but the tramway project made it more of a priority.

The D’Estimauville extension is still in the CDPQ-Infra plan as part of a second phase, although the current government has made no firm commitment to moving it forward.

CDPQ-Infra spokesperson Claudie Côté-Chabot said the decision to favour the Charlesbourg route was based on data showing a much higher bus ridership rate.

The agency estimates it will cost about $480 million to build the Charlesbourg line, compared to $620 million for the D’Estimauville extension.

TRAM TRACKER: More federal money, big contracts coming for TramCité project Read More »

City announces $2-million plan for St-Roch

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

City announces $2-million plan for St-Roch

Ruby Pratka, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

editor@qctonline.com

On March 18, arguing that “the house has to be in order before company comes,” Mayor Bruno Marchand announced plans to invest $2 million in city funds on a range of projects aimed at shoring up “safety and cleanliness” in the Saint-Roch sector of Lower Town.

City officials announced that a team of five people would be hired to clean public spaces in Saint-Roch, including the Jardin Jean-Paul-L’Allier, the Place de l’Université-du- Québec and the forecourt of Église Saint-Roch. Four seasonal graffiti removal workers, hired through the Carrefour Jeunesse-Emploi youth employment bureau, and four additional cleaners, part of a “cleanliness brigade” man- aged by the local Société de développement commercial (SDC), would also be hired. The Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ) will receive funding to add an undisclosed number of personnel to its Équipe MULTI community policing division, which patrols the area on foot. The remaining funds – $27,000 – will go toward planters and other urban decor to beautify the area in summer.

In recent months, residents, business owners, people who work in Lower Town and labour unions have raised concerns about safety and hygiene problems in Saint-Roch, including visible drug use and violent behaviour. Benjo, the city’s largest toy store and a Saint-Roch landmark, closed late last year, and Le Soleil recently reported that the Office québécois de la langue française is considering moving its office to another part of the city.

“When I first came here, I met some members to discuss their concerns, and what kept coming back was cleanliness and safety – not just from our members [business owners] but from their employees,” said SDC Saint-Roch director general Marie-Pier Menard. “They have to pick up the trash. When something comes up security- wise, they are told to call 311 or 911 or hire a security guard. I know of a few major employers who have hired a guard or invested in a security system.”

Menard said she hopes the measures will make a difference in the neighbourhood. “Now, people keep themselves from coming here because of the safety and cleanliness situation,” she said. “We hope residents and tourists will want to come here.”

Coun. Pierre-Luc Lachance, who represents the district of Saint-Roch–Saint-Sauveur, said the measures were put in place to help “give quality of life back to residents and businesspeople.”

The Réseau d’aide aux itinérants et itinérantes de Québec (RAIIQ), a network of organizations supporting homeless and marginalized people in the city, has raised concerns about the potential negative impacts of cleanliness drives and an increased police presence on the area’s poorest residents. Lachance has an office across the street from Lauberivière, the city’s largest homeless shelter, which moved into the area in 2022. He said he sees the shelter as an “ally” in the fight against homelessness and desperation.

“I recognize that people are dealing with safety issues, I recognize the situation and I recognize that a lot of people who are homeless or intoxicated or dealing with mental health issues can be out of control,” he said. “The pandemic was a bigger catalyst [for the homelessness crisis] than the moving of Lauberivière. People in need need resources, and Lauberivière is one.”

Lachance rejected the argument that by investing in cleanliness and beautification, the city is sweeping the localized homelessness cri- sis under the rug. “We’re not just investing in cleanliness,” he said, noting that the city had invested $1 million in homelessness prevention and outreach efforts in 2025, and had repeatedly called on other levels of government to invest more in social services, supported housing and support for community organizations. “We want to have more workers and residents, more resources in place to help people in crisis, and a clean neighbourhood.”

City announces $2-million plan for St-Roch Read More »

Quebecers speak out about long COVID at National Assembly rally

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

Quebecers speak out about long COVID at National Assembly

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

Five years ago, life on Earth seemed to stand still as a new disease spread from person to person and continent to continent. Hundreds of millions of people around the world contracted COVID-19 and millions died from it. Many people contracted it more than once, leading to a post-COVID-19 condition commonly known as “long COVID,” which as yet has no cure. The condition can lead to debilitating fatigue, breathing problems, cognitive struggles and other symptoms which persist for months or years after a COVID infection.

On March 15, several dozen people affected by the condition, doctors and supporters gathered in front of the National Assembly to mark Long COVID Awareness Day. They placed some 200 pillowcases with written testimonies from long COVID sufferers of varying ages and backgrounds on the sidewalk in front of the National Assembly building. Athletes have been forced to quit their sports and drop out of school. Adults have been forced to find less demanding employment. Parents have been forced to choose between caring for their family and keeping a job. Some patients have become handicapped, adding yet another challenge to their lives. These are only some of the devastating stories.

The World Health Organization, Health Canada and the Ministry of Health and Social Services remind Canadians that five years after the beginning of the pandemic, coronavirus is still infecting people, some of whom will develop long COVID. Although many long COVID patients appear healthy, they are more susceptible to contracting other infections, forcing them to self-isolate for long periods.

“Long COVID is invisible. [Patients] have chronic fatigue, difficulty concentrating and fogginess,” said Dr. Marie- Michelle Bellon, an internist and member of the board of directors of the Canadian COVID Society. As a doctor and a mother, she has observed patients with these symptoms daily since her son was diagnosed with the condition in July 2022, and her daughter is also showing symptoms.

Dr. Amir Khadir, a microbiologist and specialist in infectious diseases, shares Bellon’s concerns. “Since the 10 to 15 per cent of patients who develop COVID are affected to varying degrees, these numbers could misrepresent reality because the symptoms are wrongly attributed to other medical conditions … lifestyle and stress. Their condition can worsen, especially for those who are unaware of their diagnosis, overwork their health and infect others.

“Since the first diagnosed cases of COVID-19, governments have been doing re- search. It is important to continue because we have yet to find a cure for long COVID,” said Khadir, a former Québec solidaire MNA who returned to his Montreal medical practice after leaving politics in 2018. “Currently, we do not know the precise mechanism by which some people become infected with symptoms and remain ill, while others don’t. We need to do more research. To do that, we need the help and investment of the government. If we don’t invest in clinical research, we won’t be able to offer anything for years.”

On March 15, the Association québécoise de la COVID longue (Quebec Long COVID Association) officially established plans to eventually offer home care, psychological sup- port and a dedicated helpline, as announced in August 2024. For now, the association has a basic website and about 10 trained people working on the support line. It even has a ready-to-print two-page letter for elected officials, explaining everything from diagnosis to the current state of research to fundraising and awareness-raising suggestions. Members hope that if more voters bombard elected officials with these letters, they will be more inclined to invest in long COVID research and care.

For more information in English, visit longcovidtheanswers.com or covidsociety.ca.

Quebecers speak out about long COVID at National Assembly rally Read More »

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

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , ,

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

Cassandra Kerwin, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

cassandra@qctonline.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Possible mayoral candidate Hamad slams cost of tramway

Local Journalism Initiative / / / , , , ,

Possible mayoral candidate Hamad slams cost of tramway

Peter Black, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

peterblack@qctonline.com

He’s not yet officially in the race for mayor of Quebec City, but former Quebec Liberal cabinet minister Sam Hamad appears to be staking his campaign on killing the tramway project.

Hamad’s concerns about the cost and nature of the mega-project are well known. In August, as reports surfaced of his interest in a bid for mayor, Hamad told the QCT, “There is a lot of missing data, so I can’t judge it. How much is it going to cost citizens? Nobody knows that.”

Now, in a Radio-Canada report, Hamad has declared himself ready to fight for an alternative. He said, “We have completely lost control of this project. I will propose a vision of mobility that respects the ability of Quebec citizens to pay.”

As of last week, Hamad has yet to set a date for the anticipated launch of his campaign.

His stance against the tramway, however, may have cost him a potential candidate. Isabelle Roy, the councillor for Québec d’abord in the Robert-Giffard district, had been booted from the party caucus by leader Claude Villeneuve for having had discussions with Hamad about possibly running for a party he would form.

Roy, who now sits as an independent, had told the QCT she is keeping her options open regarding the next election, and not ruling out running on a Hamad ticket.

In the wake of Hamad taking a public stand against the tramway, though, Roy may avoid hopping on board his possible campaign. In a message to the QCT, Roy said, “Quebec [City] needs a structuring transport network. It needs to be done! For four years, we’ve been going around in circles, and the project isn’t moving forward. We need to get a project off the ground!”

A “structuring transport network” is assumed to mean a system of light rail cars running on tracks.

Another former Québec d’abord councillor, now sit- ting as an independent, is taking more of a wait-and-see stance regarding Hamad and the tramway. Louis Martin, who represents the Cap-Rouge–Laurentien district, told the QCT in a message, “I haven’t seen any official statements from Mr. Hamad on the tramway, so I can’t comment on that.” Martin is a first-term councillor, having won the seat vacated by Marie-Josée Savard, former mayor Régis Labeaume’s hand- picked successor for mayor leading the party he created. Savard, who chose not to have a running mate in her district, lost the 2021 mayoral race by a slim margin to current mayor Bruno Marchand, head of Québec Forte et Fière.

Martin left Québec d’abord last week following what he told the media were “decisions and directions taken by Québec d’abord in recent months, with which I was less comfortable. Preparations for the election campaign are progressing. I found it more elegant to withdraw before all the decisions, platforms and directions were made.”

With the departure of Martin and Roy, Québec d’abord is left with five councillors, including leader and mayoral candidate Claude Villeneuve. In the 2021 election, Savard’s team won 10 of the 21 council seats. Since then, three councillors defected to the governing QFF caucus.

Hamad approached Roy and Martin directly about running for his party should he decide to run for mayor. In a telephone interview with the QCT, Roy said she met with Hamad for a cof- fee at his invitation. She said, although she does not know how, Hamad had heard she was having misgivings about Québec d’abord.

“I was drifting apart” from the party, she said. “I was considering many things. I love my colleagues and I respect them. It has nothing to do with them.”

Roy said, “I’m very, very comfortable being an independent right now.”

Of Québec d’abord’s four remaining councillors, only Alicia Despins (Vanier-Duberger) has officially declared she is run- ning again for the party. As of this writing, Anne Corriveau, Véronique Dallaire and Patricia Boudreault-Bruyère had not stated their intention to seek another term.

Possible mayoral candidate Hamad slams cost of tramway Read More »

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