Hydro-Quebec’s rate hike is now in effect – and that’s not an April Fool, unfortunately.
I also got my rent hike for July – the max amount allowed by the TAL, 5.9%, and the biggest hike I’ve ever experienced.
Updates from April, 2025 Toggle Comment Threads | Keyboard Shortcuts
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Kate
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Kate
Ensemble is gradually digging its way out of debt, while Projet’s war chest continues to grow, according to this La Presse piece.
Nicholas
« Dans le temps, on était plus une bannière qu’un parti politique. […] Là, on ne peut plus arriver de nulle part et décider de faire ce qu’on veut avec le parti », assure [Aref Salem, the interim head of Ensemble Montreal], dans une référence directe à M. Coderre.
I never thought they’d admit it, but yes, they weren’t a political party, they were a vehicle for Coderre. And with Coderre gone, they were rudderless. Now they are trying to be a real party. We’ll see how that goes.
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Kate
The headquarters of Quebecor were vandalized Monday evening during a demonstration for trans rights. There was one arrest.
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Kate
Ensemble is whipping up resistance to pedestrianization plans for Ste‑Catherine Street.
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Kate
The reform of Quebec’s French language charter, commonly called Bill 96, has been listed as a trade barrier by the United States, and immediately it has become a hot potato in the federal election campaign.
Mark Carney says he has a problem with the law because of its dependence on the notwithstanding clause, and not – as alleged by the Bloc – because he sides with Trump against Quebec. But it makes a good leverage point.
dhomas
The Americans are looking for reasons to justify their bullshit tariffs and “other consequences”. How would they react if we started shipping everything they buy from us with labels in French? Do US companies not operate in Mexico in Spanish? It’s nonsensical and anyone capable of critical thinking will see right through it, just like the fentanyl justification.
On the other hand, François Legault saying “C’est non-négociable!” and trying to look strong is a bit rich. French is non-negotiable, but let’s cave and give a billion dollars to Starlink. Weak sauce, Frankie, weak sauce.Ian
It’s actually kind of interesting that this is being presented as a formal complaint, though. For years many businesses have refused to come to Quebec or in some cases even ship here because of the French packaging and labelling requirements. I know, I know, screw ’em if they can’t comply with local custom, but hey whatever. The Bloc, Carney, Legault, Trump et al can go screw themeselves too, as far as I’m concerned.
Joey
This feels like a tempest in a teapot, no? The US says, This law impedes our ability to do business in Quebec (I mean, this is insane given the context, but whatever LOL). Quebec says, Exactly! And we all move on…
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Kate
April 1 is the date when parking fines come into force for street cleaning. And fines are up this year, like everything else.
Nicholas
Also the seasonal bike lanes open, and there are always people parked there.
Ian
Somebody’s got to pay to refill the potholes.
https://artinnit.tumblr.com/post/142140204618/montreal-potholes-deep-enough-to-cause-damage
jeather
As a rule our car related fines are all far too low.
Ian
Hey I’m helping rebuild the city with my fines, all you guys do is complain haha
/s
/s
for the love of winkyjebus, /sKate
Ian…
Ian
Look, about 3 years ago a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street during street cleaning day was 65 bucks, including fees. It’s gone up to over a hundred. If this happened to anything else even here peopel would be crying bloody murder but because cars are the new sin tax people can be as dismissive about the government soaking drivers without reasonably increasing transit offerings they want. All stick, no carrot, we’re all out of ideas. Yeah yeah cars are destroying the world, wasted urban space used as free parking spaces could house the homeless, urban space is worth 10k a square foot, each bus takes 50 cars off the road, cars are murder machines and everyone who drives them is an incipient homicidal maniac. I’ve seen people say all these things here and worse, and I get it. Let me at least have my /s.
Kate
Actually, I only thought you were having a dig at me (and some of the others who comment here) for not getting your jokes.
I wasn’t thinking about cars at all.
Ian
Okay then! Harumph.
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Kate
Quebec offers a nice university tuition deal to students with French citizenship. Seems like a way to boost French, but the Gazette finds that there’s no certainty these students even speak the language: people with citizenship but no French at all are taking advantage. Some even speak English! And their French isn’t tested for.
Joey
I wonder if there will be a moment relatively soon, after the premiers have together slayed the mythical beast known as ‘internal barriers to trade,’ when they’ll turn their attention to issues like this – interprovincial discrimination for citizen services. It’s absurd that an Anglophone US/French dual citizen pays less tuition than a Francophone New Brunswicker, no?
Nicholas
Also Walloons get the same deal, but Flemish don’t. Nothing about Switzerland.
bob
It’s absurd that we can’t have any proper federal policies about anything because the constitution was created when the “country” was a bunch of economically and socially isolated colonies in an age before electricity. It’s also absurd that we have absolutely no protection of fundamental human rights because any law can violate the core of the Charter at will.
Ian
Our constitutiion was only patriated in 1982. It was only then that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enacted.
Tim S. 21:49 on 2025-04-01 Permalink
Same
Ian 07:37 on 2025-04-02 Permalink
A lot of things went up this year and last, for sure – and Papa Legault is going to make it out that we should be grateful Hydro only went up 3%. When all our expenses to continue to outpace wages year over year it’s hard to see how the CAQ are going to maintain their “wise stewardship” schtick. This may explain why they are so eager to enact Bill 89, basically making striking illegal & forcing arbitration if labour unrest inconveniences the government.
Meezly 11:54 on 2025-04-02 Permalink
I got a message from Hydro QC yesterday for yet another planned outage in my sector on Friday starting at 8:30AM for 7 goddamn hours for “power system repair or improvement.” I was hoping it was an April Fool’s joke, but no. I just hope it’s to improve the power system so that there will be fewer disruptions in the future.
The last planned outage was in early January when it was minus 18C. That was fun for my retired neighbours. I tried to find a way to complain on the Hydro QC site but could only find a way to request to find out how many outages have occurred in my sector, so I did that.
I was surprised to find a fairly prompt response in the mail saying there have been 260 outages (planned and unplanned) in my sector between January 2015 and January 2025. That averages to 26 outages a year. I know my sector is particularly worse than others (Mile End). But that sounds like a lot, doesn’t it?
If I’m going to pay higher fees, Hydro QC should at least compensate customers so they can go out for a meal since they can’t cook, let alone make coffee!
kb 14:54 on 2025-04-02 Permalink
5.9% was the base amount recommended, not the max amount allowed. In landlord’s calculations, much could be added to that 5.9%. In fact, just a 5.9% increase is considered low and quite lucky (mine went up 6.3%, and I considered that lucky enough)
Joey 16:26 on 2025-04-02 Permalink
@Meezly, those kinds of planned outages allow HQ to do infrastructure improvement work and also to allow private citizens and companies to do construction and other work safely – when the work has to be done in proximity to HQ infrastructures such that it would be unsafe to leave the power running. If someone has an alternative suggesting, I’m sure HQ would love to hear it…
Also a lot of the 260 outages are not exactly sector-wide…
Nicholas 18:03 on 2025-04-02 Permalink
Kate, kb, the amount given by the TAL is the suggested amount, neither the max nor the base, but an average. Each amount is individual, and if you go to the TAL they will calculate an amount based on the actual costs, such as property taxes, insurance, repairs, etc. That amount could be higher or lower than what the landlord initially proposes.
Kate 18:30 on 2025-04-02 Permalink
Nicholas – but, if what I read is true, any record of going to the TAL besmirches one’s permanent record and can make it harder to rent in the future.
Before 2024, I always looked at the suggested hike from my landlord, made a counter-offer, and had it accepted. In 2024, seeing what’s being asked for apartments like this, I thought it safer just to fold. I’m going to fold again.
Ian 22:37 on 2025-04-03 Permalink
Same. I moved only 3 years ago but if I get renovicted in today’s rental economy I’ll have to move to raw brownland in the east end