Quebec wants to set French quotas for streamers like Netflix and Spotify
Quebec Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe introduced a new bill Wednesday that would force streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify to hit a quota of French-language content, and make it easier for audiences to find.
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Globe and Mail
31 minutes ago
- Globe and Mail
Iranian diaspora in Canada reacts to Israel's bombing
Mona Ghassemi, president of the Iranian Canadian Congress, was at home in Montreal when she first heard about the Israeli strikes in Iran early Friday. She called her mother, learning her aunt and cousin in Iran awakened to the sounds of nearby missile blasts but were unharmed. 'Residential buildings were hit, and there were children among the killed. So this, of course, is very devastating,' Ms. Ghassemi said. The Israeli military attack is reverberating 10,000 kilometres away as the Iranian diaspora in Canada reels from the sudden escalation of a long-simmering conflict. Within the community of more than 200,000 concentrated in Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto, anxiety about friends and family is paired with speculation about the future of the regime and worry about the long-term fallout from further violence. Ms. Ghassemi joined the Iranian Canadian Congress (ICC) to protest escalating violence in the country after an American airstrike killed Iranian military officer Qassem Soleimani in 2020. Since then, she's advocated for consular services and faster visa processing for Iranians in Canada. She hopes Canada contributes to de-escalating violence in Iran. 'The ICC has taken the approach that we believe that diplomacy is better in the long run for everybody, and isolating Iran is not the answer because the sanctions and everything, they impact regular people,' Ms. Ghassemi said. Rona Abdi, a Master's student at Simon Fraser University, said she's been busy with calls from family in Tehran since news of the attack broke. 'We are shocked right now,' said Ms. Abdi. 'Second by second, I'm refreshing my phone to get information about the news or my family.' While she doesn't support war, she said that some people in Iran have been 'praying' for something like this to happen that might help take the Iranian government out of power. Ms. Abdi said she moved to Canada because she wasn't feeling safe in Iran and she wanted more education and career opportunities. The Iranian government, Ms. Abdi said, isn't keen on hiring women. 'If I didn't come to Canada, maybe I would have died so far,' said Ms. Abdi. 'They don't hesitate to kill women and girls there.' The move to Canada, Ms. Abdi said, meant largely starting over from scratch, including leaving her job as a biomedical engineer in Iran, to work in a Canadian factory. Analysis: Israel's attack on Iran puts a leader addicted to war in the spotlight While she's lived a great life in Canada, she'd like to be able to go home to Iran and help people there. She hasn't been back since she left the country seven years ago. 'It's impossible right now, all the airports are closed or the flights are cancelled,' said Ms. Abdi. Other members of the diaspora who fled oppression in Iran celebrated the Israeli strikes, particularly those targeting military leaders. 'It's a good day,' said Mojdeh Shahriari, an Iranian-Canadian lawyer and co-founder of StopIRGC, an organization opposed to the notorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a branch of the country's armed forces. 'A world without IRGC commanders is a better world for everyone. So I'm happy.' The Liberal government's statements about de-escalation are meaningless to Ms. Shahriari, who preferred Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's statement calling the Israeli strikes 'a gift.' 'Iranian people have shown over and over again that they are not behind this regime,' Ms. Shahriari said. 'Don't be afraid. Support the Iranian people.' Sahar Choulani, president of the Iran-Quebec Chamber of Commerce and director of the Montreal mental health non-profit Multi-Écoute, worries about the long-term psychological effects of a war between Israel and Iran. 'War isn't limited to material destruction. It deeply infiltrates the soul of generations,' she said in a statement. 'We speak often of deaths and ruins, but much less about lasting psychological wounds that it leaves in children, women, refugees and families. An attack against a country − whatever name we give it − puts in danger the psychological safety of millions of people. 'In our centre, we work every day with migrants and refugees who have been directly touched by war and insecurity. They live with memories of bombings, the loss of their loves ones, and a deep feeling of abandonment. They are silent but devastating forms of suffering.'
CTV News
35 minutes ago
- CTV News
Protecting Gatineau Park
A Quebec Senator has introduced a bill to provide greater ecological protections of Gatineau Park. CTV's Josh Marano has the details.
CTV News
35 minutes ago
- CTV News
Locally-made emotional support chickens land on Prime Minister Mark Carney's desk
Prime Minister Mark Carney (left) holds up one his two new Edmonton Oilers emotional support playoff chickens, gifted to him by Senator Kris Wells (right). (Photo: The Prime Minister's Office) Prime Minister Mark Carney now has his very own emotional support playoff chicken to hold onto when things get tough on the ice for his hometown's team. Carney was recently given a pair of bean-filled blue-and-orange chickens made by local crocheter Ashley Sinclair. Sinclair started making the soft, squishy 'emotional support chickens' during the 2024 playoffs to help with mental health during what can be a stressful time for hockey fans. 'They give you something to hold onto while you're trying to make it through overtime without having a heart attack,' Sinclair said. 'A little emotional support for what's been just a crazy roller coaster for fans.' The chickens took off quickly after she posted them to social media in April and she's sold hundreds since – with demand higher than ever. 'Everything kept snowballing and getting bigger and bigger,' Sinclair said. 'We're coming up on 1,500 chickens.' 'And then this week, I get this photo of Prime Minister Mark Carney with a chicken and I'm like gobsmacked,' she added. 'It's crazy.' Carney was gifted the two chickens by Senator Kris Wells, who bought a half-dozen earlier this year. 'He was very excited,' Wells said. 'Obviously we're both from Edmonton here, we grew up here, we're die-hard Edmonton Oilers hockey fans.' 'I said, 'I want you to keep one in the office and take one home, and so when you're watching the game, like everyone else in Edmonton and across Canada, you'll be able to take out some of the stress out on this chicken.' Wells said Carney was already aware of Sinclair and her chickens from watching the news and kept it close by during Thursday's heart-rate raising performance. 'I asked him if he threw it at the TV like I did,' Wells said. 'He said, 'No. He was much more restrained.' But he watched the game with the chicken nearby in case of emergency.' Edmonton Oilers support chicken Crocheted Edmonton Oilers emotional support chickens can be seen in Ashley Sinclair's craft room. She has sold almost 1,500 since posting them online earlier this year. (Amanda Anderson/CTV News Edmonton) Sinclair said it's been great to see the response the chickens have had. To help keep up with orders, she's enlisted seven more sets of hands. 'I have all these other crocheters that are now benefiting from these chickens and being able to provide that kind of opportunity where it's flexible work for people that need it, and it's having a huge positive impact,' she said. The team has also been giving back to the community. 'One of my crocheters also is a talented illustrator and she made an emotional support chicken sticker that we were selling with proceeds going to the Ben Stelter Foundation,' Sinclair said. 'On the day of Game 3, we were able to donate $1,018.' Orders for emotional support chickens can be made through Sinclair's Instagram Page. She said Friday there were just 15 left available before June 20, when Game 7 would take place. With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson
