Latest news with #Toutunmatin
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Quebec to mandate formal 'vous' in schools for respect. Teachers say 'leave it to us'
Quebec Education Minister Bernard Drainville says he wants to improve civility in the province's schools by requiring students to address their teachers using a title, such as Mr. or Ms., as well as the more formal and polite form of 'you' in French — vous rather than tu. Schools will also have an obligation to formalize the value of respect in their codes of conduct and parents will have to sign that code to ensure they are aware of it. Using vous is a sign of respect, Drainville said during a Friday interview on Radio-Canada's Tout un matin French radio show. "I think we need that in schools right now," he said, adding it's about respecting adults and respecting one's function and the institution it represents. Drainville acknowledged that using vous wasn't like "waving a magic wand," but said it was only one of many measures to improve the climate in schools across the province. The measure came alongside the announcement of a full ban on cellphones in schools starting next school year. WATCH | The latest on Quebec's plan for a cellphone ban in schools: 'It should be left up to each teacher' Robert Green, a social sciences teacher at Westmount High School on the island of Montreal, said the minister's announcement left him feeling frustrated. Ultimately, he feels it should be up to teachers to decide what they'd prefer to be called. "If a teacher feels that, I don't know, using their first name in class helps them establish a better rapport with their students, that should be up to their professional judgment to decide this," he said. The Fédération des syndicats de l'enseignement (FSE-CSQ), a federation of unions representing some 95,000 teachers in the province, is of the same opinion. FSE-CSQ spokesperson Sylvie Lemieux said the federation wasn't against the use of titles or vous, but said that it shouldn't be mandated. "It should be left up to each teacher to establish a relationship with their students," she said. Furthermore, most teachers feel the use of vous wouldn't do much to address the problem of incivility in schools, according to a survey conducted by the FSE-CSQ last year. Of the more than 7,000 members who participated, only six per cent felt it could be an effective measure. The same survey found that 83 per cent of teachers believe that incivility has increased over the past two years, with 56 per cent saying they experience incivility at least one to four times a day. Teachers also believe that incivility affects students' concentration and reduces the time spent on learning. More work for teachers, association says Green said he feels there are more meaningful ways to tackle the issue and that structural problems such as class size need to be addressed. Large classrooms, with 33 students or more, can be difficult to handle, he said. "When students are packed into classes like that, behaviour issues inevitably arise ... and the ability of teachers to kind of keep track of student behaviour and even establish a rapport with students is diminished," Green said. Steven Le Sueur, president of the Quebec Provincial Association of Teachers, worries about enforcing the new rules. "We're not in the 1950s ... you're going to send the kid home because he didn't say Sir or Mr.?" he asked. While Drainville said it would be left up to schools to decide what kind of discipline should be imposed for infringing the code of conduct, Le Sueur said it could create more work for teachers. "Unless we get support from the parents, administration, school board, it's falling on the teachers again. And it's not like we don't have enough to do," he said.
CBC
19-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
A Quebec toxic waste dump that takes in U.S. material wants to expand. Locals say no way
In a suburb north of Montreal, near a stretch of forest, lies the final destination for industrial waste coming from all over eastern North America. Toxic waste, contaminated soil and hazardous materials are treated and buried on a plot of land in the town of Blainville, Que. The dump has been operating for more than 40 years, but is now the subject of a dispute involving local residents, the municipality and the provincial government amid the backdrop of a trade war between Canada and the United States. The Quebec government has sided with the company, and has tabled legislation, Bill 93, to force the municipality to sell that piece of land to U.S.-owned company Stablex so it can expand its operations. Hearings on Bill 93 are underway this week at the province's National Assembly. What's at stake? The dump is operated by a private company called Stablex, a subsidiary of the U.S.-based Republic Services. Stablex wants to expand the facility, saying that by 2027, it will run out of space. In 2023, Quebec's environmental watchdog, the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), described the expansion project as "premature" and recommended that the government not authorize it. Later that year, the mayor of Blainville and all the city's elected officials backed out of the agreement with the company. The Coalition Avenir Québec government in turn put forward Bill 93 to make sure the expansion can go ahead. Where does the waste come from? The dump has been used to treat and bury hazardous materials such as batteries and laboratory waste in Blainville since 1981. Stablex says that most of the waste comes from the province. Roughly 600 companies based in Quebec use the site to dispose of their hazardous waste. But a substantial portion also comes from elsewhere in Canada, and the United States. According to projections in the BAPE report, 59 per cent of the waste is expected from Canada, 29 per cent from the United States and 12 per cent from other Canadian provinces between 2023 and 2032. Why expand? Stablex wants to build an additional, sixth dumping site to meet the projected demand. After originally proposing a site closer to the existing dump, the company proposed one on a plot of land more than a kilometre away from residences, which will minimize noise and smell. The larger site will also allow for operations to continue until 2065 instead of 2040. Michel Perron, the general manager of Stablex, testified at Tuesday's hearings. He said that unless the plan goes forward, hundreds of companies in Quebec will have no place to dispose of their hazardous waste. In an open letter earlier this week, Perron said Stablex should be viewed as "an environmental solution." "We prevent industrial waste from being released into the environment willy-nilly," he said. Quebec's Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette-Vézina told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin on Tuesday that the expansion is "necessary" and "important for the Quebec economy." WATCH | The controversy, explained: Toxic waste dump at centre of battle between Quebec government and Montreal suburb 15 days ago Duration 3:33 Blainville, Que., residents and their mayor are calling out the government for pushing the expansion of a hazardous waste landfill in their community. Why is the town opposed? Blainville Mayor Liza Poulin, residents and environmental groups have come out against the expansion. All three opposition parties are also opposed to Bill 93, and appeared alongside Poulin Tuesday at the National Assembly. Poulin told a news conference the law would create an "unjustifiable precedent" in overriding the rights of municipalities for the benefit of a private business. The land sought by Stablex includes a combination of wetlands and woodlands. The BAPE report said the site's ecological value stems from its role as part of a larger ecological corridor, which the expansion project would fragment. Last week, residents held a rally outside Stablex. Marie-Claude Beaulieu, a co-ordinator with the environmental group Mères au Front pour la région des Mille-Îles, was among those in attendance. "People are angry," she said. "No one is listening to their voice." Her group is calling for the end of importation of toxic waste from the United States, and a broader review of how toxic waste is handled in Quebec. The Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), which represents 82 Montreal-area municipalities, has also condemned the proposed law. The group said the bill would run counter to the principle of municipal autonomy. What's next? The hearings are set to wrap up on Thursday.
Yahoo
26-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Quebec announces cap on international post-secondary students
The Quebec government is reducing the number of international students that can enrol in Quebec's post-secondary institutions in the fall by 20 per cent. The Immigration Ministry published the maximum number of applications it will process this year from new international students in Wednesday's edition of the province's Official Gazette. The quotas, which are broken down by institution and degree type, significantly reduce the number of international students that will be admitted into the province's collegiate network this fall. The government also stabilizes enrolment of international students into Quebec's universities according to 2024 levels. Student visas are issued by the federal government, however, in Quebec, students from abroad must also obtain a Québec Acceptance Certificate, known as a CAQ, from the provincial government. Prospective students need to obtain their CAQ before applying for a study permit. In 2024, the Education Ministry processed 48,748 CAQ applications by international students entering the collegiate network, according to data from the ministry obtained by Radio-Canada. That number is now capped at 29,200. The quota for universities stands at 63,299 applications. Including vocational colleges, Quebec will process a maximum of 124,760 applications between Feb. 26, 2025 and 2026 — 20 per cent less than last year. The Quebec government adopted a bill in December 2024, giving the Education Ministry the power to restrict enrolment of international students, in an effort to reduce overall immigration to the province. The number of international students in Quebec jumped by 140 per cent — from 50,000 to nearly 120,000 — between 2014 and 2023, according to a news release published Wednesday by the Immigration Ministry. Parti Québécois MNA Joël Arseneau told reporters Wednesday morning that he welcomes the new quotas but wish they had come sooner. "It is in the direction of what we proposed last fall, but it's too little too late because [it's] more than doubled, they want to reduce it a bit," he said referring to the number of international students in the province. The interim leader of Quebec's Liberal Party Marc Tanguay, for his part, says that something has to be done about people who take advantage of Quebec's education system to immigrate into Canada, without closing the door on skilled labour. Many of the new quotas target Quebec's private colleges which have been used in the past as a pathway to immigration into the province. "Those who are not respecting the rules, they have to be stopped. That being said, to say that we will not continue our race to have people who are very skilled, talented, want to learn here, learn French and to live here in Quebec, I think we have to be careful and to be able to welcome them," said Tanguay. According to Université de Montréal rector Daniel Jutras, the quotas send the wrong message, he told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin. "International students have been placed in the same basket as those who maybe abuse the system and we're treating those people in the same way as someone who maybe is coming to Quebec to pursue a PhD in IT or a masters in social work," he said.
CBC
26-02-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Quebec announces cap on international post-secondary students
The Quebec government is reducing the number of international students that can enrol in Quebec's post-secondary institutions in the fall by 20 per cent. The Immigration Ministry published the maximum number of applications it will process this year from new international students in Wednesday's edition of the province's Official Gazette. The quotas, which are broken down by institution and degree type, significantly reduce the number of international students that will be admitted into the province's collegiate network this fall. The government also stabilizes enrolment of international students into Quebec's universities according to 2024 levels. Student visas are issued by the federal government, however, in Quebec, students from abroad must also obtain a Québec Acceptance Certificate, known as a CAQ, from the provincial government. Prospective students need to obtain their CAQ before applying for a study permit. In 2024, the Education Ministry processed 48,748 CAQ applications by international students entering the collegiate network, according to data from the ministry obtained by Radio-Canada. That number is now capped at 29,200. The quota for universities stands at 63,299 applications. Including vocational colleges, Quebec will process a maximum of 124,760 applications between Feb. 26, 2025 and 2026 — 20 per cent less than last year. The Quebec government adopted a bill in December 2024, giving the Education Ministry the power to restrict enrolment of international students, in an effort to reduce overall immigration to the province. The number of international students in Quebec jumped by 140 per cent — from 50,000 to nearly 120,000 — between 2014 and 2023, according to a news release published Wednesday by the Immigration Ministry. Parti Québécois MNA Joël Arseneau told reporters Wednesday morning that he welcomes the new quotas but wish they had come sooner. "It is in the direction of what we proposed last fall, but it's too little too late because [it's] more than doubled, they want to reduce it a bit," he said referring to the number of international students in the province. The interim leader of Quebec's Liberal Party Marc Tanguay, for his part, says that something has to be done about people who take advantage of Quebec's education system to immigrate into Canada, without closing the door on skilled labour. Many of the new quotas target Quebec's private colleges which have been used in the past as a pathway to immigration into the province. "Those who are not respecting the rules, they have to be stopped. That being said, to say that we will not continue our race to have people who are very skilled, talented, want to learn here, learn French and to live here in Quebec, I think we have to be careful and to be able to welcome them," said Tanguay. According to Université de Montréal rector Daniel Jutras, the quotas send the wrong message, he told Radio-Canada's Tout un matin.
CBC
18-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Quebec's transport minister calling for solutions in wake of REM service disruptions
Quebec's transport minister is demanding solutions in the wake of ongoing service disruptions on Montreal's light-rail network. Those disruptions have led to growing dissatisfaction among Réseau express métropolitain (REM) riders, and Geneviève Guilbault is calling for better planning and communication. She organized an emergency meeting with project partners Tuesday afternoon, including Alstom, the Caisse de dépôt, REM officials and Montreal's transportation authority, the Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM). Alstom designed the REM's trains, part of a massive public transit project funded by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ). The ARTM is responsible for integrating the REM into the region's transit network, including fare co-ordination, service schedules and transfer points. After the meeting, Guilbault posted to the social media platform X, saying she has asked each partner to take their share of responsibility, and collectively, for the partners to find and implement solutions to resolve the breakdowns. "The priority for everyone must be service to the users. In case of problems, this must include, among other things, a solid backup plan, and above all, clear, quick, and effective communications," she wrote. "We understand that this is new technology and there are still improvements to be made, but we agreed that users have the right to expect an efficient and reliable service." In a news scrum, she said this is the second winter of the REM, and weather is complicating operations. She said it remains a good project, "but solutions must be implemented to avoid losing the trust of users." Since its launch in July 2023, the REM has been plagued by frequent service interruptions, and February has been particularly challenging for the light-rail system. Early in the month, a power outage shut down service for several hours. The next day, a switch malfunction disrupted transit during morning rush hour. The recent snowstorm has also put the network to the test. On Monday, trains ran only every 20 minutes. By Tuesday morning, service was still slowed, with shuttle buses supplementing service. While the REM is still in its early operational phase, it could be doing better, according to Pierre Barrieau, a lecturer at the Université de Montréal and a transportation planning specialist. "Major failures must be avoided. If we can't sell the service to people, they'll give up on it, and it'll take a generation to win them back," said Barrieau, speaking on Radio-Canada's Tout un matin. Barrieau, however, acknowledged that the number and duration of breakdowns have been decreasing, as noted by CDPQ Infra. "There is progress, but we're not yet at an acceptable level of reliability," he said. Winter is complicating matters, he added. Alstom's brakes need to be de-iced, switches aren't always heated enough, and in some cases, tracks simply aren't cleared properly.
