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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Montreal Gazette
5 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
National Assembly needs a ‘rational voice,' new Canadian Party of Quebec leader says
By The National Assembly needs voices that aren't nationalist, the newly acclaimed leader of the Canadian Party of Quebec says. The federalist, anglophone-rights-focused party unanimously acclaimed Joe Cianflone as its new leader Saturday at a convention in Pointe-Claire — and voted in resolutions supportive of splitting Quebec in two. Cianflone officially replaces Colin Standish, who stepped down as leader in February. Standish, once an Eastern Townships language activist, founded the Canadian Party of Quebec in 2022, aiming to defend minority rights following the adoption of the Coalition Avenir Québec's sweeping language reforms under Bill 96. The party fielded its first slate of candidates in that year's election, running in 20 constituencies and scraping together just under 1,300 votes provincewide. Standish left Quebec after stepping down as leader, becoming a Crown prosecutor in Manitoba, with Cianflone announced as his replacement. The National Assembly is made up of 'four nationalist parties,' Cianflone said, leaving no option for voters who don't identify with Quebec nationalism. 'We just need to have a more moderate and rational voice,' he said. 'We're all about Canadian exceptionalism,' he said. 'At the end of the day, this is not an ethnically or linguistically or religiously or racially defined country or province.' Members of the nascent party adopted two resolutions Saturday concerning partitioning Quebec — as a response to the current government's repeated, pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause and as a potential countermeasure should a sovereignty referendum be successful. Though a recent Léger poll showed only 33 per cent of Quebecers favour separation, Cianflone said he still considers separatism a real threat. Parti Québécois Leader Paul-St-Pierre-Plamondon, who is leading in the polls, has promised to hold a referendum should he win. 'Once they declare a referendum, we see the same thing we saw in the '90s,' Cianflone said. 'Misinformation, disinformation and ultimately a very emotive and difficult vote.' Quebecers opposed to separation should have the option to stay in Canada, Cianflone said, which he said could mean the creation of a new province. Like in 2022, the party doesn't plan to field a full slate of candidates in the next election, he said, and will only appear on the ballot in select ridings. 'Our job is not to try to come in to be the party in power. Our job is to add one voice to the National Assembly, if not a few, that will stop voting unanimously for every nonsense piece of legislation that's proposed.'
Cision Canada
21 hours ago
- Cision Canada
Michael Sabia to Leave Hydro-Québec to Take on New Challenges Français
MONTREAL, June 11, 2025 /CNW/ - Hydro-Québec President and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Sabia, informed the Chair of the Board, Manon Brouillette, that he will end his mandate on July 4 th to take on the role of Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet of the Government of Canada. « Hydro-Québec is at the heart of an energy and economic transition of the utmost importance for Québec. Over the last two years, Michael and his team have given our institution an ambitious and concrete plan to meet the challenges of this transition using the expertise and the professionalism of all our employees, highlighted Manon Brouillette. In addition to having diversified our renewable energy sources, he established genuine partnerships with Indigenous communities and our neighbours in Newfoundland and Labrador. On behalf of Hydro-Québec's directors, I thank Michael for his exceptional work and his leadership. I am confident that he will use his vast experience to serve our country well. » « Prime Minister Carney asked me to take on this role at a time when the country is facing some unprecedented challenges. In that context, I am joining the federal government to tackle these challenge head on, said Michael Sabia. When I arrived at Hydro-Québec, I was taken by Premier Legault's vision of Québec's energy and economic future, and the essential role Hydro-Québec needed to play in contributing to build that future. Today, I have full confidence that Hydro-Québec is on the right track. Eighteen months ago, we launched an ambitious plan. Thanks to talented people and devoted leaders, the organization is well underway to executing this plan, which includes a new agreement with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro as well as the new foundations we are laying in our relationships with First Nations and the Inuit. I would like to thank the Chair of the Board, Manon Brouillette, as well as all directors for their support in launching the initiatives we have put in place. Most important, I would like to thank the 23 000 men and women of Hydro-Québec who are at the service of Quebecers every day. It's to all of you that I owe my gratitude for your dedication in building this great Québec institution. » Appointment of the next President and CEO In the coming weeks, the Board of Directors will identify a potential successor and will make a recommendation to the Government of Québec in order to nominate a leader to continue implementing Hydro-Québec's ambitious mission. All stakeholders can count on Hydro-Québec's seasoned executive team, which will continue to ensure the plan is being delivered.
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
Despite court ruling, Quebec plans to maintain 33% tuition hike for out-of-province students
'It's not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers,' the Education Ministry says. Published Jun 10, 2025 • Last updated 18 hours ago • 3 minute read Concordia and McGill universities. Montreal Gazette Amid legal pushback, Quebec says it remains committed to its contentious tuition reform targeting Concordia and McGill universities, vowing to maintain a steep fee increase for out-of-province students. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour ruled that parts of the overhaul were 'unreasonable' and ordered key sections struck down. The Coalition Avenir Québec government did not appeal the ruling by Monday's deadline. Dufour told the province to immediately scrap French proficiency requirements for non-Quebec applicants and gave the government nine months to come up with a new fee structure for out-of-province Canadian students. The government's plan had called for a 33-per-cent tuition hike for these students. In his ruling, Dufour criticized Déry's arguments, echoing the universities' contention that the plan was put forward without sufficient evidence. 'We observe an absence of data on which the minister claims to base her decision,' Dufour wrote. 'At the very least, what she had on hand in no way substantiates the reasonableness of the outcome.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. On Tuesday, Simon Savignac, a spokesperson for Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, indicated that the government stands by its original plan. 'The ruling not only supports the measure to correct the financial imbalance between English- and French-language universities, it also recognizes the government's responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect the French language in Quebec,' he told The Gazette. 'With regard to the tuition fees charged to Canadian students outside Quebec, we firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers.' He said the government is 'staying the course' on the tuition hike. The government's interpretation of the ruling is that the judge did not rule that the 33-per-cent hike was unreasonable, but rather 'the path we've taken and the reasons invoked for the increase.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Savignac said it's too early to say how the government will proceed. Regarding French proficiency, he said Déry 'will be pursuing discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks regarding the terms and conditions surrounding knowledge of French for students from outside Quebec.' In their lawsuits, Concordia and McGill said Quebec's reforms violated equality and language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. McGill also asserted that the measures contravened anti-discrimination provisions of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding harm to its reputation and academic freedom. However, the judge did not rule on charter issues, saying the matter could be resolved on administrative law grounds. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Like the Quebec government, Concordia and McGill did not appeal the ruling. When his government announced the changes in 2023, Premier François Legault said they were part of a plan to 'reduce the number of anglophone students' in Quebec. He said English-speaking students from other provinces 'threaten the survival of French.' Jeffery Vacante, a Western University history professor who has written extensively about Quebec's tuition shakeup, said the government is attempting to frame the issue as 'one of accessibility to non-Quebec students.' Instead, he said, it should be framed as the Quebec government 'attacking Quebec institutions (McGill and Concordia) because these institutions are being portrayed as not real Quebec institutions because they are supposedly threatening the French language in Montreal.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said what Déry 'is in a sense suggesting is that in order to keep out-of-province students out of Quebec, the government must weaken its own institutions to make them less appealing to those out-of-province students.' Vacante said the government is depending on Quebecers supporting the policy because the general population 'might agree that it is not necessary to 'subsidize' out-of-province students. In other words, people might think this sounds reasonable. 'But this public is largely unaware of the fact that Quebec students do not pay much more in tuition when they study at universities in Ontario or elsewhere.' The tuition hike, which made headlines across Canada and around the world, led to a drop in applications from the rest of the country, with the universities compelled to offer scholarships to lure out-of-province students. Concordia and McGill have partially blamed the tuition changes for deep budget cuts. McGill laid off 60 workers in March as it grappled with a large deficit that it partly blamed on CAQ government policies. Last month, Concordia said it may also lay off employees as it works to slash tens of millions of dollars from its budget. This report will be updated. NHL Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls Columnists NHL
