Quebec politics are now at a point where mainstream figures like Lisée and Buzzetti find the federal NDP and Liberal parties are "radicalized" leftist parties.
The publisher of the Journal de Montréal shared a column declaring "wokism" a mental illness the other day, if you're wondering how this discourse is evolving.
Oct 7, 2022 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Two former students of École secondaire Edouard-Montpetit in Montreal’s east end are on the rosters for tonight’s playoff game. Otto Lopez for the Jays and Abraham Toro for the Mariners.
Deux anciens élèves de l'école secondaire Édouard-Montpetit, dans l'est de Montréal, figurent sur les listes de joueurs avant le match des séries éliminatoires de ce soir. Otto Lopez pour les Jays et Abraham Toro pour les Mariners. @francoislegault@Val_Plante@JustinTrudeau
Oct 5, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Up until this year, the lights went on in Quebec arenas without any involvement of Hockey Canada visible to this hockey parent of 14 seasons.
For some reason, THIS was the year we were forced for the first time to register via the janky, intrusive Hockey Canada portal. Weird.
With my kids prior to this year, you’d fill out a simple form and show somebody a birth certificate or hydro bill (to make sure you were in the right zone) the first time you registered. After that it was a cheque and the simple form. +
Oct 5, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
Dominique Anglade is rarely asked about being a Black woman and rarely talks about it. Little glimpse here.
Short translation:
Perhaps it didn’t come up during the election because people have a hard time bringing it up. “It’s an extra challenge, being a woman in a man’s world, being a Black woman in a man’s world where the majority is white, it’s an extra challenge without a doubt.”
May 13, 2021 • 21 tweets • 3 min read
I have in my hot little hands Bill 96,
An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec.
This is appears to be the biggest proposed reform to Quebec language law since Bill 101, and the biggest one almost certain to pass.
Observations from a slow reader:
It's 100 pages long.
Preamble:
"The purpose of this bill is to affirm that the only official language of Québec is French. It also affirms that French is the common language of the Québec nation."
+
Apr 7, 2021 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
The National Advisory Committee on Immunization’s latest update recommends a four-month delay between first and second doses to cover as many people as possible, as long as the vaccine shortage persists. canada.ca/content/dam/ph…
The Council of Chief Medical Officers of Health for the provinces, territories and Canada has sent out a statement endorsing the recommendation. No surprise given most of them have already adopted the long delay plan for most recipients.
Apr 7, 2021 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
A few dorky details on QC vaccination I found interesting from today's briefing with Health Minister Christian Dubé that may only be interesting to me and @mattgurney.
(Some of you will scream "Excuses!" please just assume I've heard you already.) +
For starters, it takes 24-72 hours minimum for vaccines to get into arms after unloaded from planes, sent to the distribution centre, inventoried, divided up, trucked out.
Time varies by vaccine and location. +
Apr 6, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
My fellow Quebecers. Having watched what's going on in Ontario these weeks, I'm here to tell you our vaccination campaign is about to enter a new phase. A jealous phase. An angry phase. montreal.ctvnews.ca/quebec-may-vac…
In coming days, you will see friends and acquaintances with not-that-essential jobs, and not-really-chronic illnesses hopping in for a shot. toronto.ctvnews.ca/there-will-abs…
Apr 6, 2021 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
Premier Legault opens his newser by saying it's somewhat surprising how stable Montreal has remained, but they are bringing in new preventative measures because it is likely just a matter of time.
Red zones like Montreal are going back to half-time in-person high school for senior years. Extra curicular activities like sports off again. Gyms closing. Crowds max 25 in places of worship.
Apr 6, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
Using a rough version of @bcshaffer's sawtooth analysis, it appears to me Quebec has gone from using vaccines within three days of delivery as recently as April 1, to at least six days (and counting) now.
Hopefully our very secular Easter is now behind us.
Longer delivery times when vaccines are arriving in greater quantities wouldn't bother me if vaccination hadn't topped out nearly two weeks ago. (March 26!) covid19tracker.ca/provincevac.ht…
Apr 6, 2021 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
Daniel Paré, the head of Quebec's vaccination campaign, told 98,5 this morning that 5,000 appointments were available but unused on the weekend in Montreal.
There are still 100,000 qualified people in Montreal who haven't booked yet.
No doses wasted, to be clear.
5,000 blank appointments is annoying but not a catastrophe. 100,000 people sitting on their hands is more concerning. Why?
This hesitancy is only going to grow as age groups get lower.
Apr 5, 2021 • 4 tweets • 2 min read
77% of Montrealers 60+ have had vaccines or will in the next few days. There will be a push outside the city this week, but it's incongruous that overall QC shots are dropping even as more doses arrive. Time to hear the plan for the next phase. lapresse.ca/covid-19/2021-…
Spent a bit of time this morning looking at the U.S. which (as everyone knows) is well ahead of us. Surpising to see how many jurisdictions have drastically dropped age with only 30-35% first shot coverage.
Jan 19, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
As foretold, primary school has been back in for 5 days, the school case count has skyrocketed mainly because schools have resumed counting, but...
Let’s just walk through It.
Let’s say little Johnny showed up at school Monday with a runny nose and his eagle eyed teacher caught it immediately.
Little Johnny goes home. Likely tested Tuesday earliest. Let’s say the system was lighting quick. Test result Wednesday earliest. 2
Jan 16, 2021 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
Latest in a series of good pieces this week on the mixed evidence and expert opinion on the role of schools in the pandemic. But here’s what really got me in this one.... lesoleil.com/actualite/covi…
Through the fall, when schools had clusters of cases, public health would send in teams to mass-test the schools.
Trove of data right? Wrong!
Jan 11, 2021 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Quebec reports 835 active school cases as of Friday, before primary schools reopened. As of last Monday, the first day of online school, it was 90.
You can expect this spike to continue this week as school surveillance, one of its undervalued pandemic functions, kicks in.
There will be many people shouting how the spike that will take place this week proves schools are unsafe. Don't listen to them.
Nov 13, 2020 • 11 tweets • 2 min read
A pile of police have been deployed near Ubisoft for what has been reported so far as a hostage taking, an armed robbery, a bomb threat, and/or a large ransom demand.
An SPVM spokesperson says they are in "verification mode." No event has yet been confirmed.
Nov 13, 2020 • 13 tweets • 4 min read
I have questions (and anxieties!) about closing Quebec schools for a month over the winter break. 1/ theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…
I understand why closing schools is tempting. Quebec has had an extended lockdown banning social visits and closing almost all recreational and entertainment activity. All we got is a month-long plateau in new cases at a high level followed now by the start of another rise. 2/
Nov 12, 2020 • 5 tweets • 1 min read
This is not to undercut a fine piece of reporting, but was anyone outside BC ever under the impression science had the last word on any of this? thestar.com/news/gta/2020/…
Even in BC when everyone was praising Dr. Henry for following best practices she was also engaged in a campaign of moral suasion (ie: politics) a large percentage of the time.
Aug 10, 2020 • 19 tweets • 3 min read
Quebec is updating the back to school plan it unveiled early in the summer. Ed Min Jean-François Roberge, Health Minister Christian Dubé and director of public health Horacio Arruda are presiding.
First an update on the computer system update that is causing Quebec stats delays: It's coming, Dubé says. Today. He promises.
Jun 29, 2020 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
This is factually incorrect, from Mesley’s own account of events.
She was disciplined for using the N-word in a meeting after having been told her previous use of the word, then citing a book, had hurt colleagues.
The indomitable @nolore predicted Mesley’s admission of the incident involving Vallières’ book would “distract and confuse the issue, aided by Quebec distinct society analysts who will fully obscure what she has been reprimanded for.”
Spot on so far.
Apr 13, 2018 • 8 tweets • 1 min read
We've reached a pivotal point in the Alexandre Bissonnette police interrogation video at his sentencing hearing.
“Why did you chose that place?” the cop asks.
"I wanted to save people." Bissonnette answers.
From what?
"Terrorist attacks."
"Everything that happened, in Europe, in Canada, the United States. I told myself I could do something good," the killer says.
