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Montreal Gazette
2 days ago
- Politics
- Montreal Gazette
More and more Quebec youth support independence, poll says
Quebec Politics By QUEBEC — A new public opinion poll shows a significant increase in support for Quebec independence among youth. A total of 56 per cent of Quebec youth aged 18 to 34 now favour sovereignty, a CROP poll obtained by La Presse Friday reveals. The poll is based on the opinions of 1,000 Quebecers who were questioned in July and August. It reflects a similar finding of another poll, this one by Léger, conducted for the Journal de Montréal June. Léger poll pegged support for independence in the 18 to 34 bracket at 48 per cent. That was a 20 percentage point increase from a year earlier. Reached Friday, CROP president Alain Giguère, said his firm conducted the poll purely out of curiosity after various indicators showed a shift in the opinions of youth on the independence question. In recent years, Quebec youth have shown little interest in the question. But the issue roared back to life this summer, particularly on social media and stimulated by the Oui Québec group, which is trying to unite pro-independence youth regardless of their political stripes. The group organized a parallel Fête nationale event June 23, which drew 5,000 youth to La Fontaine Park in Montreal. On Friday, Oui Québec welcomed the poll with a few words on X social media: 'The wave continues.' Giguère attributed the surge of support among youth to a generalized drop in their attachment to a Canadian identity and the lack of evidence the federal government is doing anything to help them. 'They are a little bit sovereignist by default,' Giguère said in an interview. 'They are looking who can best help them in the current context. Life is not easy for youth these days. There is unemployment, housing issues.' The CROP emerged at the same time as the pro-independence Parti Québécois continues to dominate polls generally. 'The PQ tells them everything will improve in an independent Quebec,' Giguère said. 'So they say, 'why not?' 'This is also why the PQ is leading in the polls. And I would theorize it will stay this way.' Giguère, however, said that while youth say they are in favour of independence they are also the category of voter the least inclined to actually go and vote, which has been a hampering factor in the independence movement in the past. Support for independence among older Quebecers is not as strong. While support is at 44 per cent in the 35 to 54 age group, it slips to 37 per cent for people age 55 and up. Overall, the CROP poll shows 44 per cent of Quebecers support independence and 56 are against. Among francophones alone, 50 per cent are in favour but only 22 per cent of non-francophones believe in the idea. In the greater Montreal region, 38 per cent support independence compared to 45 per cent in the Quebec City region. Support for independence in the regions alone stands at 49 per cent. CROP asked two questions in its poll. The first question was: 'Personally, are you very in favour, somewhat in favour, very unfavourable or somewhat unfavourable of Quebec sovereignty?' The 44 per cent number merges the very favourable and somewhat favourable totals. The second question was: 'If there was a referendum today on Quebec sovereignty, would you vote or be tempted to vote Yes or No?' The undecided number did not appear in the data provided by CROP.
Montreal Gazette
6 days ago
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Lincoln: ADM conduct in airport expansion flies in the face of good corporate citizenship
Op Eds The Gazette's front-page headline of July 24 — '' Airport consultation flies under radar '' — came as no surprise to me. Aéroports de Montréal appears to have developed an ingrained habit of flying low, far too low, regarding consultation on its projects and their impacts. In 2021, ADM decided to extend its wings into commercial development. It undertook to sublease federal land under its airport-management lease to a Montreal corporate group, Medicom/Meltech, for a substantial mask manufacturing plant of 15,500 square metres. The facility would have covered the large expanse of milkweed plants known as the Monarch Fields, an essential habitat for the endangered monarch butterfly, protected federally under the Species at Risk Act. The reaction of broad swaths of civil society was swift, incredulous and sharply negative. Substantive briefs were submitted during the short consultation period, and public protests ensued. Recognizing the legitimacy of the public outcry, Medicom/Meltech proved a responsible corporate citizen with its praiseworthy decision to locate its plant elsewhere. For ADM, however, this public lesson in responsible corporate citizenship seemed to fall on deaf ears. Whether in a fit of pique to show those pesky protesters who was the boss, or for whatever reason, ADM chose summertime in 2022 to suddenly raze to the ground an estimated 4,000 milkweed plants of the Monarch Fields covering 19 hectares. The highly descriptive words of Marwah Rizqy, MNA for St-Laurent, vividly capture the complete exasperation of civil society: 'Pendant que les Québécois fêtaient la Saint-Jean-Baptiste, Aéroports de Montréal passait la tondeuse.' Indeed. While Quebecers were celebrating la Fête nationale, ADM was mowing the field. This spring, ADM was at it again. It announced it is taking over the land it leases to the City of Dorval for its golf course to build a fuel depot and decarbonization plant. Not only did Dorval Mayor Marc Doret point out that more suitable alternative areas existed, but he also joined representatives from Montreal, St-Laurent and civil society to underscore the irony of obliterating mature trees and flora — the surest natural sequesters of carbon — to replace them with a facility surrounded by paved access roads and parking areas to ... decarbonize. Hopefully, this is another plant that will not see the light of day on federal land. The article of July 24 refers to a $10-billion expansion project. I repeat, $10 billion. Yet the consultation period for each of the two separate components of the project is a mere 30 days! Is this a joke, and does ADM believe this is responsible behaviour for a not-for-profit corporation entrusted to provide a major essential service to millions? In the article, Pierre Lachapelle, president of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau, referred to realistic consultation periods offered by organizations such as the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), which holds independent environmental impact assessments on provincial projects. Consultations for the $6.3-billion REM project lasted two years. They were widespread and contentious, as the huge investment and its impacts clearly demanded. Here, ADM is giving interested citizens 30 days for written submissions on a massive project. May I suggest the qualifiers 'outrageous' and 'arrogant' are not out of line? It brought to mind another airport project where, obviously, due diligence and meaningful consultations must have lacked the thoroughness its importance demanded. Had the billions now being spent on the back of finessed ''consultations'' been directed instead to fast-rail access and the projected extension of Highway 13, maybe the white elephant that Mirabel became could — should — have been Montreal's airport of the long-term future. For several years, an extensive consensus of civil society has endured regarding the crucial importance of protecting the federal lands around the airport. Prime Minister Mark Carney has stated that this unique natural site is one being considered as a national urban park. It is high time ADM should become a conscientious corporate citizen and, along with the federal government, start earning our trust for this worthy cause.
Local France
28-07-2025
- Local France
How to holiday like the French
The French have a bit of an international reputation for enjoying a good holiday. In truth, employees in France don't get any more time off work than their counterparts around Europe, with a fairly average 25 days of annual leave for full-time employees. Some workers, especially those in the public sector, do get a bit more via a nice little system known as RTT days . But in general, most French employees don't actually spend two full months at the beach every summer, even though it can feel as though the whole country shuts down in August. READ ALSO : Factcheck: Do French people really take off the entire month of August? But when the French are on holiday, they fully throw themselves into the experience. Here are our tips for holidaying like a Frenchman or Frenchwoman. Advertisement Holiday in France France has a massive tourist industry, representing 10 percent of its GDP, and around 70 percent of those tourists are French. Although the French do of course travel the globe, they also appreciate their own country, especially in the summer when it's a part of the culture to spend at least a few weeks in another part of France - commonly at the beach, in the countryside or in the mountains. Advertisement Some parts of France that are especially popular with the French don't seem to have the same recognition with international tourists, especially the island of Corsica, the Vendée département in western France or the Île de Ré, Île d'Oléron or other islands off the west coast. But many French tourists also go to areas like the Riviera or Brittany that are popular with foreign tourists. As summers in France get hotter, heading to the cooler air of the mountains - the Pyrenees or the Alps - is becoming more and more popular, and these areas are increasingly set up for summer tourism with activities including cycling, hiking, extreme sports and boating on offer. Use pont days We mentioned that French employees don't get more annual leave than their European counterparts, but they are smart at maximising their days off. The principal method for this is 'pont' days - this happens when a public holiday falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday. The worker then uses a single day of their annual leave to create a four-day weekend, which can be used for a trip away. There are 11 public holidays per year (or 13 for those in Alsace-Lorraine), and there's a good chance that at least a couple of them will fall on either a Tuesday or a Thursday. Over the summer, there are two - July 14th for the Fête nationale and August 15th for Assumption. This year they fall on a Monday and a Friday, so no summer pont opportunities, but still a nice long weekend. Roads and railways are usually very busy around public holidays, especially if they offer a ' pont ' opportunity. French workers take the art of the pont seriously - every year around January 1st French newspapers (and The Local ) run articles explaining how to take your annual leave to give you the maximum amount of time off. Have a second home This might require a lottery win, but many French people take off to their second homes for a few weeks over the summer. This doesn't necessarily mean they are super wealthy. France's inheritance laws coupled with the social model means that many people inherit a house from their parents, which they may decide to keep and use as a second home. Advertisement If you start chatting with French friends about their holiday plans, it's not unusual to discover that they are travelling to a second home that either they or someone in their family owns. If you're lucky, they might take you with them. READ ALSO : Explained: Why so many French people have second homes Holiday in summer (and also at Christmas, perhaps in February and over several 'pont' days) Holidays at Christmas, around public holidays and sometimes in February (ski season) are popular with the French, as the annual calendar of traffic warnings shows, but the summer holiday is culturally important. In fact almost 40 percent of people tell pollsters that they can't afford an annual holiday at present, but it's common for people to have some kind of trip away in the summer, even if it's just to visit relatives. Many offices and businesses close completely for a couple of weeks in August to allow their staff to take time off, while it's common to see small independent shops such as boulangeries closed with a notice on the door explaining that the owner is away on holiday. There are plenty of people who do work over the summer though - the 3 million people who work in the tourist industry, for a start. Advertisement Do not answer work messages Every year, jokes circulate on social media that take basically the same format. "American out-of-office message: I am taking a half day off to have kidney surgery, but I will be available on my email and cell throughout and will answer your messages as quickly as possible. "French out-of-office: I am out of the office until September. I will not be checking messages" This is perhaps a slight exaggeration (some lucky Americans get a whole day off for their kidney surgery), but it is true that there is very little culture of working or replying to messages while on holiday in France. A holiday should be an opportunity for complete disconnection, and French workers have the legal 'right to disconnect' . For this reason it's wise not to try and schedule important tasks in August, as it's highly likely that the person you need to deal with will be on holiday. Consider stripping off France has a thriving naturist scene and we're told that going nude in the summer is a very freeing experience. There are some nudist holiday camps if you want to fully immerse yourself in the experience, but there are also plenty of nudist beaches where you can get a nice all-over tan. It's best to stick to the designated nudist areas if you want to strip off fully, but going topless on the beach is generally OK anywhere. Once you leave the beach and head into town or to a bar or restaurant, however, you will be expected to cover up. Some towns even levy fines on topless men. READ ALSO : Can you go topless in French towns this summer? In fact, beaches themselves have quite a few rules - Sand, smoking and sex: The rules of French beaches Swim in the Seine If you're in Paris, why not take the chance to make history and have a swim in the Seine? After a massive clean-up operation, three bathing spots opened up in the river in Paris this summer, marking the first time that public swimming has been allowed since 1923. Swimming is only allowed in the designated areas - the swim spots are free and offer a changing area and lockers (remember to bring a €1 coin). The bathing areas can close, however, if pollution levels are too high - you can check if they are open here . Although also popular with tourists, it seems that Parisians are embracing the new opportunity too, and there are starting to be regulars at the swimming spots as locals take the opportunity to enjoy a part of their city that has been off limits for so long. Advertisement Drink Spritz and rosé, eat seafood France is a nation of seasonal eaters and drinkers. The classic drinks of the summer are the spritz - often Aperol but sometimes Campari or Saint-Germain - and rosé wine, although white is also popular. France has a growing beer scene with more and more people turning to craft ales, and many breweries are now offering alcohol-free versions for especially hot days. READ ALSO : Rosé, spritz and pressé: 5 things to drink in France this summer Food-wise, you'll see many French people tucking into seafood platters in the coastal areas, as well as salads and seasonal dishes. Picnics are also popular with French families, and you'll see some quite elaborate meals if you're in a French park or on a beach.
Local France
13-07-2025
- Climate
- Local France
July 14, wildfires, and the big bike race: 6 essential articles for life in France
July 14th is the Fête nationale in France, sometimes known as Bastille Day in the anglophone world. It marks the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille in 1789 – the event that symbolises the beginning of the French revolution. There are many ways to celebrate, including fireworks displays, traditional parades and the highly popular bals de pompiers , where French firefighters host parties in their station houses. Here's what to expect this year. July 14th: What's happening during France's Fête nationale this year It's still early in the usual summer season for wildfires, but France has already dealt with two major blazes that caused widespread travel disruption – one of which saw hundreds of people evacuated from their homes in the country's second-largest city . These are unlikely to be the last major fires of the summer due to tinder-dry conditions and further forecast heatwaves. Scientists say that climate change is making the European wildfire season longer while increasing the geographical spread of fire risk zones and making the heatwaves that are a major cause of fires more likely. So.. Is France ready for a summer of increasingly severe wildfires? In total only around 25 percent of private homes in France have air conditioning installed, so if you're moving here then it's likely that your new place won't have it. There are, however, alternatives that will also keep you cool when la canicule (the heatwave) hits. 7 alternatives to air conditioning in France Advertisement It's fair to say France is a country that thrives on bureaucracy and admin – and many new arrivals are issued with strict instructions to never throw away any piece of paper, in case it proves vital at a later date. But, with more and more admin moving online things are perhaps less paper-based than they used to be, but still the terror of throwing away the wrong item remains. So, now, the French government's Service Public has issued a list of the papers that must be kept forever and ever, and those that can safely be thrown away after a certain amount of time. French government clarifies how long you must keep paperwork for They're expensive, but for some people full immersion French language exchanges are the best way to learn the language. Here, Gabrielle Nadler examines the advantages and disadvantages of these programmes. Are French language exchange holidays worth it? Some 184 riders from 26 countries set off on a big cycling tour around France with the dream of winning the world's most famous bicycle race – here's why you should watch the Tour de France, even if you have no interest in bikes. 7 reasons to watch the Tour de France (even if you have no interest in cycling)
Local France
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Local France
How did July 14th become France's national day?
July 14th is France's national day - in which the country celebrates its history and its national identity and also enjoys a good party. READ ALSO : July 14th: What's happening during France's Fête nationale this year✎ The event is known in English as Bastille Day, even though this term is not used in France where the day is known as La fête nationale or simply le quatorze juillet . But, as the English title suggests, the date itself commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in 1789 - the day when a mob of freedom-loving Parisians stormed the hated symbol of monarchical tyranny and freed the political prisoners the king had locked up there, thus starting the French Revolution. Well, sort of . . It's true that the Bastille was stormed on July 14th 1789, but although the prison had in the past been used to hold political prisoners - including large numbers of protestants - by 1789 it was mostly empty. Advertisement According to contemporary records , on the date it was stormed it held just seven prisoners - four counterfeiters, two 'madmen' and a nobleman accused of sexual perversion. The early Revolutionaries may have had more practical matters in mind, as the Bastille was also a royal arsenal. They managed to seize cannons and gunpowder for the weapons that they had recently taken from Les Invalides. The following year, the anniversary of the event was marked with the Fête de la Federation - this contained some elements that we would recognise, including a military parade on the Champ de Mars (nowadays the site of the Eiffel Tower) and some that we definitely wouldn't including swearing an oath of allegiance to the King. Yes, the King and Queen were both there - a Mass was celebrated and then those assembled took an oath to the Crown, the Nation and the Law. The threefold oath indicates the power shift that had taken place within the previously absolutist monarchy of France but revolutions can be slow-moving things and it was not until three years later that Louis XVI was executed, followed by his queen Marie Antoinette. The July 14th event of 1790 proved to be a one-off, the Fête de la Federation was never celebrated again - perhaps because the revolutionaries were embarrassed at the royal oath-swearing, perhaps they simply had other things on their mind as the Revolution moved into its final and bloody form during the Terror. The idea of July 14th as a 'start date' for the Revolution is something that came about more gradually as people looked back to the event itself and what came after. But it was a nice symbol and a suitably dramatic event that soon began being immortalised in paintings, poems, songs and novels. Arguably the opening of the États généraux - the parliament that represented ordinary Frenchmen as well as nobles - in 1789 was a more significant event, but a bunch of men having a meeting is quite a boring subject for artworks. A protester clutching a copy of a painting depicting the 1789 storming of the Bastille, at a demo in France in 2021. Photo by Sebastien SALOM-GOMIS / AFP Advertisement It took almost 100 years before July 14th came back as a special day - it was finally enshrined as France's national day, and a public holiday, in 1880, after several years of discussion. During the debates on the subject in parliament several other dates were suggested including May 5th (the anniversary of the opening of the Etats généreaux) and August 4th (anniversary of the abolition of hereditary privileges) - in the event July 14th was chosen but the law formalising it does not specify whether it is intended to mark the storming of the Bastille, the Fête de la federation or both. Advertisement Since the storming of the Bastille, France had been a monarchy, a republic, a restored monarchy, an empire (under self-proclaimed emperor Napoleon) and a republic again but by 1880 it was settled into the form that it - mostly - has been in ever since; a republic with a parliamentary democracy. A military parade took place on the first event in 1880 and has been involved in most July 14th celebrations since, although it only started being held on the Champs-Elysées in 1919, when it featured World War I veterans alongside the serving soldiers. A more recent tradition was started by Valéry Giscard d'Estaing in 1978 - the presidential TV interview. This doesn't happen every year, and some presidents prefer to do a speech rather than an interview, but in most years the French president speaks to their people via the TV. The Bastille prison is no more, but the place where it once stood is in more or less the same place as Place de la Bastille. This large open space is used for various events, but it's often the site of protests or demonstrations, thus retaining its revolutionary edge.
