Montreal goes into the red zone Wednesday at midnight and extending to most of October.
Restaurants will be closed for eating in. Nobody can have visitors at home.
Updates from September, 2020 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
Denise Bombardier tries to make a scandal out of Quebec giving money to Dawson College for enlargement. “[T]outes les minorités culturelles, raciales et religieuses” are threatening Quebec, and François Legault is doing nothing about it.
Jack
Dawson you are now the target of Quebecor’s media machine, good luck.
PKP tweeted this morning that your institutions financing challenges this statement. “La protection de la langue française est l’apanage des dirigeants de Québec.”
Four columnists have basically said that the survival of the French language is dependent on your CEGEP’s financing being cut and that only historic ( love it !) anglophones should be allowed to attend.
Dawson’s success is seen as a slap in the face for all those who are victims of the “anglosphere”
As MBC put it , “Les Québécois qui ne veulent pas mourir comme peuple appellent à l’aide.”
“https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/09/24/une-trahison-linguistique
The darling of the Conservative Nationalist movement is Frederic Bastien, who teaches History at Dawson.
I wonder what kind of teacher he is ?
https://cultmtl.com/2020/05/why-is-no-one-bothered-by-the-lies-told-by-frederic-bastien-professor-historian-parti-quebecois-candidate-montreal-mosque/jeather
They’re not even, as far as I can tell, letting more students IN, just giving more space to the current students. (There is a problem with the anglo cegeps, as there is not enough room in all of them for everyone coming out of English schools and ALSO everyone else who wants to enter them, and there is no obvious answer if you exclude the actual one, which is allowing them to expand.)
Ian
Maybe Bombardier is mistaking enlarging classrooms for increasing enrolment but as this has been discussed in the Francophone media recently, back in June – but I kind of doubt it. This seems like exactly the sort of intellectually disingenuous anglo-baiting flag-waving she delights in along with the other dopes like MBC.
Jack
Ian I know I’ve made this argument a million times but MBC is Quebec’s most important public intellectual. I would argue his influence and his ability to effect public policy is quite remarkable. He has almost single handily been responsible for changing curriculum in Quebec’s education system. ERC and History and Citizenship courses at the High School level are gone because of his attacks and multiple platforms. His vilification of “Islamists” has had consequences. His constant attack on ” Multiculturalism” has consequences for all who are not from the majority culture. He has exactly the same concerns as Richard Spencer, yet he has multiple platforms that inundate Quebec’s media space.
His ideas and concerns have consequences.
I feel bad for the students at Dawson because they are next.Kevin
Jack
That MBC is the most important intellectual in the province is pretty sad considering how many great thinkers there are in this province. He is a bigot who is eternally fighting the referendum that he was too young to vote in.Ian
He’s not an intellectual, he’s an ethnonationalist with a platform. Let’s not exaggerate his contribution to the flourishing of humanity.
That he could even be perceived as an intellectual speaks to the provincialism of our society.
Raymond Lutz
Pour le plaisir, voici MBC se faire varloper par Aymeric Caron, journaliste et essayiste Français de passage au Québec https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNDUGAzch1E . Et au passage, ça s’évalue comment, l’importance d’un intellectuel? Influent != important
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Kate
The SPVM say they need a bigger budget to pay informants if we expect them to quash the trend of shootings around town.
Ephraim
This is a symptom of the mistrust in police. When police are considered part of the community, they have natural connections to information.
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Kate
Quebec City has decided to stop advertising on Radio X, CHOI-FM, saying they’ve become a danger to public health by opposing sanitary rules.
The station has also been promoting rumours of conspiracies. Quoting Jonathan Montpetit, “two weeks ago, the station’s top-rated lunch-hour show had on a QAnon YouTuber as a guest. The host – Jeff Fillion – lauded the guest for his ‘very detailed and well researched’ work.” Alexis Cossette-Trudel and Lucie Laurier, both prominent conspirationnistes, have also been welcomed.
Su
Who owns RadioX? Does anyone know?
MarcG
A bit of internet sleuthing tells me it’s owned by RNC Media out of Westmount which is currently headed by this guy https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-ranger-31368a2a/.
Su
Thanks MarcG. I was fearing the owner might be U.S based Sinclair, or a mysterious hedge fundy thing. . After all Quebec does have a huge amount of lithium up north.
Raymond Lutz
Lucie Laurier est notre Faith Goldy “De Souche” ™ 😎
Ché pas pourquoi, mais ça prend toujours une pitoune dans cé gang-la pour montrer qu’y sont pas juss des gars.
Sûr, y a les “Karens” parmi les coronasceptiques, mais dans les milieux suprémacistes elles sont plus rares.
Raymond Lutz
Oh boy! Je viens de (re)-découvrir que Lucie Laurier est une ex-conjointe de PKP! Ça donne du piquant aux critiques contre elle de la part du couple Richard Martineau/Sophie Durocher (whom I once got a crush on when at UdM )
Azrhey
@raymond i once had a crush on Richard Martineau when he was journo at Le Voir. It was the 90s, that’s my excuse …
Kate
Martineau was an entirely different guy before he drank the Quebecor kool-aid.
MarcG
@Su There’s no proof they’re not taking brown envelopes from shady figures down south.
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Kate
A Repentigny snow contractor is accused of stealing snow removal machinery including three major items belonging to the city of Montreal.
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Kate
Christian Dubé and Horacio Arruda will be holding a press conference Monday at 17:30 to explain what it means to red-zone Montreal and Quebec City.
“Only” 750 new cases registered Monday.
steph
An announcing an announcement. So we have until 5h30 to cancel our thanksgiving plans voluntarily or they’re going to do it for us. Thanks dad.
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Kate
People using the Opus à l’année system were invited to suspend monthly payments for the pass as of April, but there’s no mechanism to deauthorize the cards remotely, so lots of people have gone on using them. Now some users, unaware of the situation, have bought tickets for occasional use and continued using their card, and have received warnings because the STM’s machines have preferentially tapped the yearly pass still on the card instead of debiting the tickets.
Paul
This isn’t so. As a user of the Opus à l’année program, I can assure you that the card provided with Maestro status cannot be loaded with individual cards. The card was also remotely deactivated upon accepting the terms of suspension. No deactivation procedure was required on the part of the user.
I absentmindedly attempted to use it a few times and was denied access until I reactivated it in September.
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Kate
The new chairman of the EMSB was acclaimed on Sunday, since there were no challengers to Joe Ortona, who’d previously been vice-chair. All but one of the board members has also been acclaimed in, which may at least avoid an election during a pandemic, but sidesteps the organization’s need for a breath of fresh air.
Kevin
There’s also a search going on for a new Director General, which should have more of a role in the daily operations of the board.
Jack
What a joke “Team Ortona” wins 9 of 10 wards without an election. Ortona like many others before will bide his time waiting for a Liberal safe seat. Dominique put him on speed dial.
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Kate
Sunday’s high temperature established a record for the date, held since 2003. Monday will be warm too, but after that it’s a return to more seasonal weather.
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Kate
It’s all over Twitter that health minister Christian Dubé said on Tout le monde en parle that Montreal and Quebec City will probably be declared red zones over the next few days.
Ian
I misread “probably” as “permanently”. I think I need another coffee.
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Kate
We’re coming up on 50 years since the October Crisis so we’re bound to see some items about it. This piece talks about a 25-minute documentary that will be available soon on various platforms.
Le Devoir has a good timeline of the story and the Journal put up a photo essay recently.
Incidentally, unless Wikipedia has missed a trick, James Cross is still alive at 98.
Jack
Cross was Irish and like many Irishmen did not support Ireland’s neutrality in the face of Nazism. So when freedom needed defending he enlisted in the British Army. Oddly his primary kidnapper, and current columnist with the Journal de Montreal, Jacques Lanctôt, had a connection to World War II also. His father was one of Adrien Arcand’s lieutenants and was a fascist who supported Hitler.
Kate
Jack, that’s quite a study in contrasts.
Jack
Oddly the other kidnappers, the Cossette-Trudel’s spawned the head of the anti maskers in Quebec. Alexis who has earnestly declared that Justin Trudeau is a satanist and a pedophile, however he did not say anything about his socks.
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Kate
A year from the massive march for the environment, have the concerns expressed then been eclipsed by Covid?
dmdiem
One apocalypse at a time, please.
Meezly
Indeed it has, and activists and environmentalists realize that. Many organizations have been focusing their efforts into pushing the feds for a green recovery plan.
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Kate
The restaurant industry is flinching as the government urges us to avoid socializing to hold back the new Covid surge.
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Kate
Quebec has recorded 896 new cases of Covid over the last 24 hours.
Kevin
And a whole bunch more to come as kids have been exposed through school and sports teams.
MarcG
And the nice weather this weekend surely has people throwing caution to the wind.
Ian
It certainly did, Beaver Lake and Jarry Park were both packed as I passed them yesterday.
Kate
The Tam-Tams were also full of people Sunday.
Meezly
Some private event at Terrasse Thanos (formerly known as Lafayette) last night. Lots of people inside with a musician blowing on some instrument, as well as standing close together out on the sidewalk.
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From what I can see, at least 4 elementary schools on the Plateau/Outremont with Covid cases. It’s only a matter of time…mare
Am I the only person who “Where’s Waldo”-ed that TamTam image? (3 people with masks.)
Cult TV
mare, that pic was taken just as everyone was taking a toke. They all put their masks on after finishing their joints.
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Kate
France’s Le Monde has a piece on the state of Montreal’s downtown but you can’t read all of it unless you subscribe.
MarcG 17:52 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
News link?
Kate 18:09 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
Sure. I was just transcribing from the online video link. It’ll be on all the media:
Radio-Canada – La Presse – CTV…
Ant6n 18:15 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
I very much would have liked to visit. Missing Montreal.
DeWolf 18:34 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
Here’s the official list of what’s open and closed:
https://www.quebec.ca/sante/problemes-de-sante/a-z/coronavirus-2019/systeme-alertes-regionales-et-intervention-graduelle/palier-4-alerte-maximale-zone-rouge/
Douglas 19:08 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
I feel so bad for the small business owners, restaurants and bars that are going bankrupt left and right. And then Quebec gives another death sentence on them
1000s of livelihoods are being destroyed.
Kate 19:18 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
DeWolf, thanks for the link – very useful.
Douglas, it’s not being done lightly. Call out for a lot of delivery. You might be surprised who’s offering delivery via DoorDash, Skip the Dishes or other delivery services. The Gazette had a recent list of fancier places now doing takeout. I got an email from this place offering haute cuisine to go. If it matters to you, bring them your business.
walkerp 19:43 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
So Douglas, what would you do if you were in charge of public policy in Quebec right now?
Douglas 20:09 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
I wouldn’t panic.
That’s a start. Ban private gatherings in homes for 2 weeks. Observe the data. After gathering the data, make new decisions.
MarcG 20:49 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
It’s not obvious to me if I could have a friend come over and hang out in the backyard – does that count as “à domicile”? If so, would meeting him in the park be considered an “activity organized in a public place”?
walkerp 20:58 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
Yes, same question here. Are children from different families allowed to play with each other at the park?
Ephraim 21:28 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
@Douglas – So what you are saying is that you prefer the American method of where they simply sacrifice lives to the DJIA?
JP 21:35 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
@MarcG: Honestly, if they’re using common sense, a socially distanced backyard visit with one or two other people doesn’t seem harmful, based on the current science. However, I think they’re probably going to intentionally avoid specifying…the backyard is next to the patio, and the patio is right by the kitchen, so before you know it, some people will allow people to come into their homes. Also, I’m sure by now we’ve all seen or heard backyard/alley hangouts go “out of control” and I don’t think people can handle being told how many people is safe per square footage. Too much math…
My family has pretty much been abiding by no visitors allowed inside all summer, except the backyard. I’m hoping we have a nice mild autumn, so I can still see one or two people outside every now and then.
@Walkerp: Here’s the thing, and I’m just thinking out loud (not questioning you specifically), if schools are staying open, then does it make a difference if they play with other kids in the park? Nevertheless, wouldn’t it be safer, if they avoided playing with other kids? I’m not judging, I don’t have kids, but if I had kids, I think I’d tell them they have to get used to playing only with their sibling(s), if they had them. But again, I’m not in the situation. I feel like if the question was asked, they’d probably say no…
DeWolf 21:36 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
CAQ logic: it’s fine to go buy some books at Renaud-Bray, but you’re putting your life at risk by borrowing a book from the library.
JP 21:38 on 2020-09-28 Permalink
@DeWolf: Yes! I had put a bunch of books on reserve. I was really hoping to be able to read them. I don’t even think I have the budget to buy all those books, and I hate e-reading.
GC 08:52 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
Yes, De Wolf, I’m also side-eyeing that one. How is a library more dangerous than a book store? It can only assume they are keeping the book store open for business reasons, but then just make an exception for the libraries, too. Not everyone can afford to buy all the books they read.
steph 09:54 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
So stores stay open, but no one is supposed to go shopping – genius.
Douglas 10:09 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
@Ephraim.
Canada is running at less than 10 deaths a day after being opened for about 4 months so your point is moot.
Before trying to bankrupt an entire industry I would act with less panic and hysteria.
Kate 11:41 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
Douglas, do you understand anything about math? I suggest you read the Wikipedia article on mathematical modelling of infectious disease before you talk about panic or hysteria again. Do not rely on your own intuitions: you are not an expert in these areas, but the government is relying on people who are.
Ephraim 13:00 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
@Douglas – Unlike the USA, we have a limited number of beds, a limited number of doctors, a limited amount of ICU beds and we don’t believe in sacrificing people from the TSE. As for infections, maybe you need more help with regression mathematics and statistics.
Also, the effectiveness of this sacrificing people to the DJIA isn’t a very proven theory, it’s a trial balloon. What we know about the “Spanish Flu” (AKA the American flu, since that was the real origin) is that afterward, because of all the deaths, there was an increase in wages because of the loss of employees. In a country so in need of unskilled cheap labour for their engine of growth, it’s going to be interesting to see (since we really don’t know) what the long term effect of these deaths and of course the need for unskilled labour over time. It’s entirely different from Canada, where we have a severe deficit in unskilled labour and people are paid a much higher salary to start, which includes healthcare. Remember, the lack of universal healthcare in the US and “pre-conditions” is a way that they keep people in jobs rather than have a truly fair and open labour market. (Many countries have experienced this lack of unskilled labour and often look at either immigration or foreign workers as a way of filling the void.)
(When I was younger, I wondered if my university courses in statistics, international relations, politics and history would ever really have a meeting point… the last few months have taught me that they finally do.)
Uatu 13:49 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
Nice graphic Kate! I can hear the Enterprise alarm in my head!
Douglas 17:07 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
270 000 people die in Canada every single year.
Right now only 5-10 people are dying every day to Covid. Even if the death rates were a few times higher it would be perfectly fine statistically compared to how many Canadians die each year.
This is the equivalent of your mom sending you to your room for 28 days because you got a scratch at the park.
Mark Côté 17:53 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
Probably a waste of time to debate this further… but check out Quebec’s excess mortality this year and say that covid isn’t a big deal. No, the numbers aren’t that bad now, but it’s quite a gamble to presume they can’t go up significantly again. And that’s not even mentioning the potential long-term effects both of the virus and of the people who aren’t getting medical attention this year for other conditions because of overcrowding.
And maybe those hundreds of nurses who quit due to the pressure on our healthcare system are just exaggerating I guess.
MarcG 17:54 on 2020-09-29 Permalink
If it was known that the scratch at the park would cause others to get scratches that might cause others to get scratches and in process some of those scratches kill people…