Latest news with #SocialSharingQuebec
CBC
01-05-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Quebec to impose full ban on cellphones in schools
Social Sharing Quebec is expected to move ahead with a full ban on cellphones and other electronic devices in schools. The regulation will apply from the beginning to the end of the school day, including breaks, according to Radio-Canada. The province has already banned cellphones in classrooms, joining a growing list of provinces with similar policies. That measure took effect on Jan. 1, 2024. The ban will apply to both public and private schools at the elementary school and high school level. It will come into effect as of the next school year, and it will be up to each school to decide how to implement the change, Radio-Canada reported. Education Minister Bernard Drainville will provide more details at a news conference later today. The ban on cellphones in school was recommended by a special committee that studied the impact of screens on young people. The committee is due to submit a full report by the end of May, but its members decided last week to issue this first recommendation to give the government and the school network some leeway to implement it quickly. The committee's final report, which will include all of its recommendations, is expected by May 30. WATCH | Are cellphones in the classroom hijacking kids' brains? Are cellphones in the classroom hijacking kids' brains? 1 year ago Duration 7:27 Quebec has joined Ontario in banning cellphones in the classroom. But are the devices really a distraction for kids, or is that argument flawed? The National's Ian Hanomansing breaks down issues with a parent and teacher on both sides of the debate. David Bowles, the director general of Collège Charles-Lemoyne on Montreal's South Shore, said his school has had a ban on cellphones in the classroom since 2006. The school implemented a full ban on cellphones during the school day a few years ago. "At the beginning, there was a reaction from students —- they liked to have that time with their cell phones to chat and play games or whatnot," Bowles told CBC Montreal's Daybreak. "We explained to them that our goal is for them to socialize among each other, to go play outside." Bowles said students are supposed to keep their cellphone in their locker and if they are caught using it during the day, it is confiscated. In implementing the ban, Bowles said it will be important to explain the reasoning behind the change and to have parents and teachers on board. "We do see some students that become almost addicted to screen time and scrolling through different applications and YouTube and whatnot," said Bowles, who is also head of a federation representing Quebec private schools.
CBC
30-03-2025
- CBC
BEI investigating fatal shooting during police operation in downtown Montreal
Social Sharing Quebec's police watchdog is investigating a fatal shooting after a police operation in downtown Montreal. Police received a 911 call on Saturday night regarding a person armed with a firearm inside an apartment building on Saint-Hubert Street, said the bureau of independent investigations, known by its French acronym BEI. When police arrived at around 9 p.m., they "made contact" with the individual, according to the BEI's preliminary information. The BEI says police then fired in their direction and that person was injured by gunfire. The police officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived, the BEI added. The person was pronounced dead at the scene. The agency investigates cases where someone is killed or seriously injured during a police operation. Six BEI investigators are analyzing the circumstances surrounding the intervention.
CBC
24-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec's budget will include measures to address Trump's tariff threats — but they'll be expensive
Social Sharing Quebec will present its budget on Tuesday and the province's finance minister Eric Girard has signalled it will include financial supports to help businesses adapt to tariffs and the changing economic situation with the U.S. But the new measures will increase costs at a time when Quebec is running a historically large deficit and struggling to rein in spending. Last year, Quebec presented a budget with a projected deficit of $11 billion — its highest ever, Girard said at the time. On Friday, Girard signalled that the projected deficit this year will be even larger because of economic headwinds caused by tariffs. "There's a lot of uncertainty. It has an impact on the economic situation," he said. "It has an impact on the measures we have to take." But Girard said the province was still committed to "responsible management of public finances." There is as of yet no indication on exactly how large of a deficit Quebec will run in 2025-26, but Girard has indicated that the government supports to help businesses cope with tariff threats will have a cost and that will mean increases to public spending. He said last week the government was planning to support businesses affected by tariffs and economic uncertainty in three phases. "There are emergency measures … to support businesses," he said. "There will be a period of transition because the economy will transform and there are important efforts at the level of innovation, investing to help companies to be able to face the new economic challenges." Much of the province's deficit from 2024-25 — $3.2 billion — was structural. That means that the province had some expensive budget items that were considered temporary costs, but even in a perfectly healthy economy, the cost of running the government would still exceed tax revenue by $3.2 billion. With that kind of spending, the government stands little chance of presenting a balanced budget in the next five years. The Institut du Québec (IDQ), a non-profit economic research institute, said in a report earlier this month that Quebec will be unable to attain a balanced budget by 2029-30 — as prescribed by law — unless it seriously limits spending or increases taxes. The IDQ said Quebec could reach a balanced budget sooner than projected by raising the provincial sales tax 0.5 per cent — or by drastically reducing spending. The institute said that despite a slowdown in public spending, Quebec is still taking on too much debt and is in no place to balance its budget any time soon nor reduce debt-to-GDP ratio to 35.5 per cent — another legal requirement under the Balanced Budget Act. Santé Quebec, the new Crown corporation in charge of the health-care system, has attempted to reduce spending throughout the network while reducing the impact on patients, but it has so far proven difficult. Girard told reporters last week that he was not ruling out raising taxes — but he said the government would not increase the sales tax as the IDQ suggested. He declined to provide more details about what could be in the budget, beyond suggesting that Quebec was prepping for economic uncertainty caused by President Donald Trump's tariff threats. "You'll see that the government has been thoughtful, has supported the economy in different phases," Girard said. Tariff turmoil could also throw the economy into a recession, Girard has warned. If that happens, it would constrain Quebec's public spending even further because when the economy contracts, government revenues tend to dip and program costs for things like unemployment tend to rise.
CBC
15-02-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Quebec's St-Georges sets Scotties record with 7 stolen ends in 8-2 win over Manitoba's Lawes
Social Sharing Quebec's Laurie St-Georges set a Scotties Tournament of Hearts record for the most stolen ends in a game with seven in an 8-2 win over Manitoba's Kaitlyn Lawes. St-Georges stole one in the first end, and after a blanked second, scored single points in ends three to seven. Her team stole another two in the eighth before Lawes scored two in the ninth and shook hands. WATCH | Who is Rachel Homan the curler, and mom?: Misunderstood: Who is Rachel Homan the curler, and mom? 26 days ago Duration 5:01 The Canadian curler has spent years under the spotlight as an athlete. But CBC Sports' Devin Heroux takes us behind the scenes to see who she is off the ice. In other games in the first Pool B draw at the Canadian women's curling championship, Manitoba's Kerri Einarson was a 6-4 winner over Brooke Godsland of Newfoundland and Labrador, Manitoba's Kate Cameron doubled Kerry Galusha of Northwest Territories 8-4 and Nova Scotia's Christina Black downed Ontario's Danielle Inglish 7-5. The 18-team field was divided into two pools with the top three in each advancing to the championship round. Those six teams will play off for the four Page playoff berths on the final weekend.
CBC
07-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
If tariffs come into effect, Quebec will offer short-term loans to businesses
Social Sharing Quebec is planning a similar loan program for businesses as it did during the Covid pandemic in the event that United States President Donald Trump moves ahead with tariffs on Canadian goods in March. "It would be like Covid," said Premier François Legault while visiting manufacturers in the Beauce region Thursday. Legault explained that loans would be provided by Investissement Québec "for a short period – one month, two months, three months – so that [companies are] able to get through this period without having too many layoffs." Quebec companies have already announced layoffs, though. Wednesday, Montreal-based tights manufacturer Sheertex announced it would be laying off 40 per cent of its 350-employee workforce while South Shore Furniture said it would be laying off 115 employees. "We have to be realistic: if it lasts a year, two years, four years, we would not be able to finance exports at a loss for a long period," Legault told reporters. The premier didn't specify how much Investissement Québec would be able to dole out, but said the government was preparing for several scenarios, depending on how high the U.S. tariffs are. Legault said he's "not sure that even Mr. Trump knows" what he will do at the beginning of next month. Ottawa has also pledged to help businesses in the event of tariffs, but did not specify any amounts either. WATCH | With tariffs paused until March 4, here's what you need to know: Trade war paused: What Quebecers need to know 3 days ago Duration 2:11 Monday at the National Assembly, Legault called on Quebecers to brace themselves for the "brutal economic attack" that tariffs would wage on the province's economy. Thursday, he told businesses to "bring on the projects" saying he wanted to replace U.S. imports with products made here. Quebec's pension fund manager, the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), announced a program of its own Thursday, offering "personalized" and "flexible" loans to companies looking to increase their productivity. The program will also include support for technological transformation in partnership with Vooban, a Quebec company specializing in applied artificial intelligence and for which CDPQ is a shareholder. Every hour of labour in Quebec contributes an average of $79.40 to the GDP, compared to $104.30 in the U.S. "We absolutely must find ourselves stronger after this crisis, regardless of the tariffs, because the United States, the world order, is being shaken up," said Charles Émond, CDPQ's CEO. "The more efficient and productive we are, the more indispensable we will be to Americans." The CDPQ is also offering to connect local businesses with its network of 5,000 companies in 70 countries aside from the U.S. Businesses can make requests to be part of the program on the CDPQ's website. Émond said the CDPQ would not be pulling its U.S. investments. "That would hurt us more than it would hurt them," the CEO said.
