Category: Quebec

Witness Tells Court Police Saw ‘Low’ Threat Level for 2012 Quebec Election Shooting

Police determined there was a low level of danger outside the Montreal venue on election night in 2012 where a gunman shot and killed a lighting technician, according to a retired provincial police officer who helped oversee security. Daniel Rondeau testified on Friday at a civil trial involving four stagehands who were present the night…


Quebec Academic Freedom Bill Allows Use of ‘Any Word’ in Teaching Context

A new bill introduced in Quebec on April 6 allows “any word” to be used in university classrooms under academic context, the province’s higher education minister said. Bill 32 was introduced in the National Assembly for the purpose of recognizing, promoting, and protecting “university academic freedom,” an official document says. “The bill defines the right to university academic…


No New Murder Trial for Former Quebec Judge Jacques Delisle, Court Rules

A former Quebec judge found guilty in 2012 of fatally shooting his wife and whose conviction was overturned last year by the federal justice minister won’t face a new trial. Jacques Delisle, 86, had his application for a stay of proceedings accepted today by Quebec Superior Court Justice Jean-François Émond. Delisle’s lawyers argued last November…


Mask Mandates Extended in Quebec and PEI

Quebec and Prince Edward Island are extending their provincial mask mandates as a result of the rapid spread of Omicron subvariant BA.2. Mandatory masking in indoor public spaces will last until at least April 30 in Quebec, the province’s interim public health director Dr. Luc Boileau said in a press conference on April 5. He said…


Quebec Court Chief Judge Seeks Access to Sealed Documents in Secret Trial Case

The chief judge of Quebec court has filed a motion with the Court of Appeal to get information under seal regarding a so-called secret trial held in the province about which even she has been kept in the dark. In a court application filed today, a lawyer representing Judge Lucie Rondeau said the judge has…


Federal Justice Minister Concerned by Secret Trial Held in Quebec and Kept Off Docket

Federal Justice Minister David Lametti says reports that a Quebec criminal trial involving a police informant was held entirely in secret and kept off the official court docket are deeply troubling. Lametti is the latest to raise concerns over the so-called “shadow trial” revealed in a judgment rendered in late February by the Quebec Court…


Supreme Court Restores Multimillion-Dollar Fine for Quebec Maple Syrup Thief

Canada’s highest court says one of the men behind the notorious 2012 maple syrup heist in Quebec will have to pay a $9.1-million dollar fine. In a unanimous decision today, the Supreme Court of Canada said Richard Vallières must pay a fine equal to the value of the stolen syrup—not just equal to the profit…


Quebec Drivers Who Turn 75 No Longer Need to Take Physical, Eye Exam to Keep Licence

Quebecers who turn 75 will no longer be required to pass a visual or medical exam to keep their driver’s licence. The province’s vehicle licensing corporation, Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec, said today in a news release the requirement will only be necessary for residents who turn 80. The corporation says 75-year-olds will only have to self-declare that they are able to drive, adding that the change allows…


Montreal’s Light Rail Megaproject Boondoggle a High-Risk Gamble for Public Pension System

Commentary With all the terrible things happening in the world right now, it might seem beside the point to discuss urban light rail. But public policy, like golf, is never so bad it can’t get worse. And a tiny throwaway line in a story out of Montreal, a cloud no bigger than a man’s hand,…


Quebec Justice Minister Seeks Answers on Criminal Trial That Occurred With ‘No Trace’

Quebec’s justice minister says he’s looking into a criminal trial in the province involving a police informant that took place entirely in secret and was kept off the official court docket. Simon Jolin-Barrette told reporters today he would have more to say after he learns what happened in the trial in which the prosecutors, defence…