By Murray Sherriffs
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Canada’s Supreme Court has begun hearing a Quebec challenge that will have nationwide implications: Is it constitutional for police to make a random traffic stop without reasonable suspicion the driver has committed an offence?
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A 40-year-old woman has died from injuries that she suffered at the hands of her mate, Sunday, in Rougemont, in Quebec’s Montérégie region, and a man found seriously injured at the scene continues his recovery.
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The murder trial of 72-year-old Serge Audette, accused of killing a Montreal woman, 23-year-old Patricia Ferguson, 30+ years ago, has lost his attempt to have the charges tossed—a challenge based on his claim that police used “disproportionate methods” to obtain evidence against him.
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Quebec Education Minister Sonia LeBel will not run again in 2026, joining a growing list of CAQ members who are leaving the party in the wake of the Legault resignation.
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Quebec’s housing tribunal has recommended rent increases for 2026 of 3.1 per cent, which matches the province’s inflation rate. Tenants groups say that the increases are the highest that Quebec has seen in nearly 20 years, and warn that the new rates come at a time when many Montrealers struggle to keep up with “…soaring housing costs”.
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39-year-old Besnik Zeneli, caught trying to smuggle more than $500,000 worth of fentanyl into Canada through Trudeau airport, has been sentenced to eight years in a federal pen, with Quebec Court Judge Dennis Galiatsatos noting that any longer term would most certainly be overturned by a higher court.
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The father of 27-year-old Jean-Frederick David, hit by the bus earlier this month at the corner of Notre Dame and Le Brun in the East End is warning others: Be aware of your surroundings, don’t wear earbuds that block out the sounds of traffic, don’t jaywalk and do wear reflective colours (not black) at night.
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Le Massif de Charlevoix has closed its ski operations for the season, citing the unlimited general strike launched by employees. President of Groupe Le Massif, Claude Choquette, says that “…after having pulled Le Massif out of a precarious financial situation decades ago, the regional flagship and four-season international recreational tourism destination—100 per cent owned by Quebec interests and generating more than 525 direct jobs—is again seeing its future threatened.”
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Food Banks of Quebec says that demand is breaking new annual records. An analysis by Aviseo predicts an increase in demand by 28% in the next three years.
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The federal government exceeded its target for French-speaking immigration outside Quebec for the fourth consecutive year, noting that last year nearly nine per cent of new permanent residentcies granted in Canada went to Francophone immigrants who chose to live outside Quebec.
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In Liverpool, politicians have proposed a clampdown on junk food, sugary drinks and vapes advertising. Mayor Steve Rotheram wants to promote healthier advertising on publicly owned assets—trains, ferries and buses—as part of a push to promote healthier lifestyles. Last year he joined other UK mayors in supporting chef Jamie Oliver’s ‘#AdEnough‘ campaign calling for an end to harmful junk food marketing in public spaces.
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Minnesota 7 p.m.
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Sun / -9º today
Snow / -7º tomorrow