Category: Quebec

Transportation Safety Board of Canada Investigates Fatal Seaplane Crash in Quebec

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating a seaplane crash in Quebec’s Mauricie region that killed a 63-year-old man. Provincial police say they were called around 3:45 p.m. on Sunday after witnesses reported that a seaplane had plunged into the St-Maurice river, in Shawinigan, Que., about 150 kilometres northeast of Montreal. Shawinigan resident René…


Quebec Victims Group Surprised After Man Gets Conditional Discharge for Sex Assault

A crime victims advocacy group expressed concern on Tuesday after a Quebec man was granted a conditional discharge in a sexual assault case, in part because the judge felt a conviction could damage the man’s career. Marie-Christine Villeneuve of Crime Victims Assistance Centres says she worries the light sentence may be discouraging to victims and…


Paramedics Strike at 40 Quebec Ambulance Services, Want Pay Increase

MONTREAL—Paramedics working at 40 Quebec ambulance services across the province, including the provincial capital, began a strike on July 1. Daniel Chouinard, the president of the union that represents the paramedics, says the strike won’t affect the level of care provided to patients due to the province’s essential services law. He says the strike will…


Quebec Group Goes to Court Over Gov Gen Mary Simon’s Lack of French

A group of Quebecers is going to court to argue that Mary Simon’s appointment as governor general should be invalidated because she isn’t fluent in French. The group, led by historian Frédéric Bastien, is asking the Quebec Superior Court for a declaratory judgment stating that Simon’s appointment violates Charter provisions declaring Canada to be bilingual….


Academic Freedom, Quebec Style

Commentary On June 3, the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada, passed an Act respecting academic freedom in the university sector. The law’s purpose is described in the legislation: “to recognize, promote, and protect university academic freedom in order to support the mission of university-level educational institutions, which includes the production and transmission of knowledge through…


Quebec Homeowners Say Ottawa Must Address Decades of Erosion Caused by Ship Traffic

VERCHÈRES, Que. — Every year, 100−year−old Angélique Beauchemin watches more of her land crumble into the St. Lawrence River. From her home along a busy stretch of river in Verchères, Que., on Montreal’s South Shore, she watches waves from passing ships crash into the rock wall at the base of her property, sweeping chunks away…


Quebec Judge Dismisses Defamation Suit Against Comedian Mike Ward Regarding Joke

A Quebec comedian who won a high-profile Supreme Court of Canada human rights case last year has logged another legal victory against one of his accusers. A Quebec court judge has dismissed a defamation suit against comedian Mike Ward in connection with a joke he made between 2010 and 2013 about Jeremy Gabriel, who at…


Quebec Premier Visits Quebec District Under Threat of Landslides, Promises Aid

Quebec Premier François Legault says five homes must be demolished and four others might also need to come down in a neighbourhood north of Quebec City that was evacuated because of the threat of landslides. Legault made the comments to reporters after touring the La Baie district in Saguenay, Que., today, after almost 200 people…


Quebec Extends State of Emergency in Saguenay, Que, Because of Landslide Threat

Quebec is extending a state of emergency in a city north of Quebec City where a neighbourhood is threatened by landslides. Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault tweeted late Monday afternoon that she signed a decree allowing Saguenay to extend a state of emergency in the La Baie district, part of which was evacuated over the…


Another Landslide North of Quebec City ‘Inevitable,’ 187 Forced From Homes

The Quebec government was preparing Monday to extend a local state of emergency to a neighbourhood in Saguenay, Que., north of Quebec City, after almost 200 people were recently forced from their homes due to a threat of landslides. About 187 residents had to relocate from the La Baie district after a landslide destroyed a…