Quebecers sound alarm over backlash against EDI policies
A growing number of Quebecers are speaking out against what they see as a troubling decline in support for equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives. In an open letter published in Le Devoir, dozens of signatories pointed to misinformation as a key driver of the backlash. Among them is Ingrid Enriquez-Donissaint, who says EDI often gets a 'bad rap' despite its important benefits for both society and industries.
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16 hours ago
Quebec floats cutting services for non-permanent residents
Quebec Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge said he isn't ruling out the possibility of cutting services for non-permanent residents in the province if the federal government fails to halve its annual immigration targets. At a news conference on Thursday, Roberge presented a report outlining the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) government's potential immigration targets for 2026-29. If we're forced to make difficult decisions, we'll make them. We're not at that point yet, and we don't want to get there Roberge said, underlining that the provincial government spent $500 million last year to support asylum seekers. He added that the state of public services in the province is unfair to Quebecers who pay taxes and are already struggling to see family doctors and find housing. The report (new window) describes three scenarios the government is considering to bring down the number of permanent residents from this year's target of 66,500. Thresholds could be lowered to 45,000, 35,000 or 25,000 over the next four years. Roberge said that the government would focus its non-permanent immigration reduction efforts in Montreal and Laval to facilitate newcomers settling in regional areas, where French is less threatened. He said it also intends to prioritize current non-permanent residents for permanent residency. Immigrants admitted through the Programme des travailleurs étrangers temporaires (PTET), which is currently suspended until Nov. 30, could decrease from 72,000 to 65,000 over the same period. The government could decrease the number of international students from 128,000 to 110,00 by 2029, according to the document. 'Disconnect' between immigration targets, business sector The CAQ government's proposed targets come on the heels of the Institut du Québec suggesting an increase in the number of new permanent residents to lessen the province's reliance on non-permanent residents. The report by the Institut du Québec, published on Wednesday, outlines several scenarios, including one that suggested raising permanent immigration levels in the province to up to 90,000. According to the institute's study, focusing on permanent immigration is preferable to temporary immigration since people who choose to settle permanently make a greater contribution to Quebec society and the economy. Véronique Proulx, president and executive director of the Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec , said the ideas the CAQ government put forward today were surprising and disappointing. There's really a disconnect between what the government is proposing today and what the companies in the regions of Quebec, but also in Montreal and Laval, are asking for, Proulx said. The number one thing they're asking for is more immigration. Temporary immigration but permanent immigration as well. Arcelle Appolon, executive director of Maison d'Haïti in Montreal, said the government's immigration targets were not realistic simply because for the past couple of years, the thresholds have not been respected. Quebec is projected to accept 10,000 more (new window) permanent residents in 2025 than it planned because of immigrants who completed the Programme de l'expérience québécoise (PEQ). We are quite aware of the reality of what happens when people come and when we hear their stories, we see that the [government] narrative that is currently in place differs greatly from what they're telling us, she said. We do hope that the government chooses to re-evaluate their numbers and consider the experts' opinions on the topic. Public consultations on the CAQ government's immigration plans will take place in August. Holly Cabrera (new window) · CBC News with files from Cathy Senay, Radio-Canada's Jérôme Labbé and the Canadian Press
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
Anti-Trump group plans rally June 24 to celebrate Maine-Quebec Friendship Day
By Susan Schwartz A rally celebrating June 24 as Maine-Quebec Friendship Day is to take place at the state capitol, in Augusta, and its principal organizer wants Quebecers to know 'we in Maine value our relationship with the people of Quebec.' 'We believe it's very important that the people know how much we value and love them and love Quebec and Quebecers,' said Louis Sigel, who lives in Gardiner, just outside Augusta. The rally, to begin at noon and last about 90 minutes, is intended as an opportunity to celebrate the relationship of Maine residents with their Quebec neighbours, and also 'to protest against tariffs and the attitude of our federal government to cause friction with Canadians, who we care about a great deal,' Sigel said. 'We really want the people in Quebec to know that we don't like the government in Washington and what they are trying to do. We strongly believe in free trade. We think the agreement of free trade with Canada should be abided by and we especially have a strong feeling for Quebec. 'We want to emphasize that we are not like the people in Washington and certainly we are not like (United States President Donald) Trump. Tariffs are absolutely the worst possible economic policy for Maine,' Sigel said. 'We are protesting the attempts to destroy our democracy and establish a monarchy under Trump.' The rally is being organized by Indivisible, a progressive movement and organization formed in 2016 in response to Trump's election to a first term. Sigel, 81, is the lead organizer for Indivisible for Kennebec and Somerset counties. He said he has asked for a resolution from the legislature establishing June 24, Fête nationale, as Maine-Quebec Friendship Day and a proclamation from Maine Gov. Janet Mills. Indivisible held rallies in Augusta on International Women's Day and May Day. In addition to a permit for the rally on June 24, it has permits for rallies on July 14, Bastille Day, and on Aug. 18 celebrating the 105th anniversary of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guaranteed women the right to vote. 'And we intend to have a rally almost every month to fight this government until we have Democratic control in Congress,' Sigel said. Maine's state legislature has a strong Franco-American caucus, he said. 'The largest ethnic minority in Maine is franco, especially in St. John Valley, along the border with New Brunswick, and there are families on both sides of the border who are related,' Sigel said. 'Every summer, there is a big Acadian festival in Madawaska, which is right on the border with New Brunswick ... Edmundston has a jazz festival and people go back and forth across the border.' There is a strong Franco-American presence in Maine, descended from the St. John River Valley Acadians, who settled in the north of the state after being expelled from the Maritimes by the British, and French-Canadians who came from Quebec in the 19th century seeking better employment opportunities, mainly in the mills, and stayed. Sigel, who majored in Chinese studies at Yale University and earned a PhD in history from Harvard University, spent much of his university teaching career in Australia. On returning to North America in the early 1980s, he taught in Missouri and Kentucky before being hired at Colby College in Maine to replace a professor on a sabbatical; he loved Maine and decided to stay. For more than a decade, he has owned a house on Île d'Orléans, an island in the St. Lawrence River near Quebec City and one of the first parts of the province to be colonized by the French. A large percentage of French-Canadians can trace their ancestry to the island's early residents. Sigel enjoys the winter carnival in Quebec City and the Festival d'été de Québec, and also appreciates the changing colours of leaves in autumn. He especially loves the food on Île d'Orléans. 'I think Quebec is the nicest place in North America,' he said.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Many Canadians losing confidence in future of trade relationship with U.S.: Poll
OTTAWA – Almost two in five Canadians say recent court rulings in the U.S., and the ongoing legal battle over President Donald Trump's tariffs, have made them feel less confident in the future of trade relations, a new poll suggests. The poll suggests that 38 per cent of Canadians say they feel less confident now about the future of Canada-U.S. trade as well as trade between the U.S. and other countries. Sixteen per cent of Canadian respondents say they feel more confident, while 37 per cent say their level confidence in the future of the trade relationship hasn't changed. The Leger poll, which was conducted online and can't be assigned a margin of error, surveyed more than 1,500 people between May 30 and June 1. The poll also surveyed more than 1,000 Americans. Their responses to the poll were substantially similar. Thirty-six per cent of American respondents said the recent court rulings and the ongoing legal battle over Trump's tariffs made them feel less confident about the future of trade with Canada and with the rest of the world. Another 19 per cent reported feeling more confident and 31 per cent said their opinion hadn't changed. Trump's tariffs are still hitting most countries around the world after a federal appeals court temporarily paused a decision last week by the U.S. Court of International Trade to block his tariffs. The court said Trump went beyond his authority when he used the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 to take his trade war to the world. A federal appeals court granted the Trump administration's emergency motion for a temporary stay, allowing those tariffs to stay in place for now. The poll suggests that Albertans are reporting the lowest level of confidence in the state of trade relations — 48 per cent of them told Leger they feel less confident about the future of Canada—U.S. and U.S.–international trade relations. That's compared to 38 per cent of Quebecers, 37 per cent of Ontarians and 35 per cent of people in B.C. Among Canadians 55 years of age and older, 43 per cent reported feeling less confident in trade relations; just 33 per cent of Canadians aged 18 to 34 said the same. More women than men said they were losing confidence. While many Canadians expressed concern about the future of trade relationships, many also said the fact that U.S. courts are trying to limit Trump's impact on trade policy increases their trust in America's institutions. The poll suggests that 45 per cent of Canadians say their trust in U.S. democratic institutions has increased, while 17 per cent say it has decreased. Almost a third of Canadians said it has had no impact on their opinion. Quebecers were the most likely to say their trust had increased, at 54 per cent, compared to 45 per cent of people in B.C., 43 per cent of Ontarians and 39 per cent of Albertans. Canadians aged 55 and over were more likely to say their trust had increased than younger Canadians. Among the Americans surveyed, 38 per cent said the fact that U.S. courts are trying to limit Trump's trade powers increases their trust in U.S. democratic institutions. Another 24 per cent said it decreases their trust and 26 per cent said it had no impact on their opinion. Andrew Enns, Leger's executive vice-president for Central Canada, said that if there had been only one ruling — the one that blocked the tariffs — the confidence levels recorded by the poll might have been higher. 'There was a second ruling and I think, if anything, it's left people a bit uncertain about the situation,' Enns said, noting that levels of concern seemed to be higher earlier in the year. 'I think the confidence, it's going to take some time to rebuild that.' The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. — With files from David Baxter and Kelly Geraldine Malone This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025.
