Latest news with #Quebec
CBC
32 minutes ago
- Business
- CBC
Old NFB head office in Montreal to get new lease on life with mixed-use development
The former home of the National Film Board on Côte-de-Liesse Road in Montreal's Saint-Laurent borough has sat vacant since 2019, but that could soon change. The Canada Lands Company unveiled its plans for the site on Thursday, which includes transforming the area —equivalent in size to approximately six football fields — into a mixed-use residential, commercial and cultural hub. Christopher Sweetnam-Holmes, the Crown corporation's senior director of real estate for Quebec and the Atlantic, said after 30 months of consultations with the public, the project has changed to better answer the community's needs. Issues raised by the community, Sweetnam-Holmes said, included a need for more housing, stores within walking distance and more parks for kids to play in. "So first, we're going to insert 700 units of new residential housing, of which half will be non-market housing," Sweetnam-Holmes said. "So that means social housing, affordable housing, non-profit housing. Then, we're going to repurpose 80 per cent of the buildings on the site, only demolishing 20 per cent." The plans include room for retail and office space, as well as more green space including a big community park centre in the middle of the housing development. And to preserve the legacy of the NFB, Sweetnam-Holmes said there will be a place "where art gets made" and people can take part in cultural activities. Also, the future Côte-de-Liesse REM station, which is slated to open later this year, is less than a kilometre away. Sweetnam-Holmes is hopeful the project will be transformative. "I think it's going to bring a lot of new life," Sweetnam-Holmes said. "Because you're going to have all these new people, you're going to have kids, you're going to have people working here, it's going to become like this really dynamic place." In an interview with CBC, Robert Shearmur, a professor of urban planning at McGill University, struck an optimistic tone when discussing the project. WATCH | What is co-op housing and can it help alleviate housing crisis: How co-operatives could become a hack to Canada's housing crisis 17 days ago Duration 5:18 People who live in them say they offer an attractive, low-cost alternative as the price of renting and buying property rises. Here's how housing co-ops work and why we might start hearing more about them in Canada. He said the Canada Lands Company has a good track record when it comes to listening to communities and coming up with good development ideas and proposals. He did, however, raise a few areas of concern. "These are all wonderful ideas if they work," he said, but added they need to be properly scaled. "There's a very small residential area right next to it. So, for a population of, let's say a couple of thousand people, how much culture, how much community space do you need or would be used?" Shearmur asked. The same question applies to retail and office space. Shearmur said he doesn't believe the population size will necessarily warrant having a big grocery store and people will likely have to do their weekly shopping elsewhere. Which brings us to the issue of cars and where to park them. In its current form, the site will have 350 indoor parking spots for residential use, 180 indoor and 60 outdoor spots for commercial use. Shearmur said that might not be enough. "Unless people happen to work along the REM line, getting to work ... typically requires a car," he said. "I suspect that housing units will be more difficult to sell without at least one space per unit." Meanwhile, housing advocates worry about how affordable the new units will be. " The market prices right now are crazy if you look at the prices in Montreal, and even in Quebec," said FRAPRU coordinator Catherine Lussier. "Even if you go below the market, how much below the market?" Even at 80 per cent, Lussier said tenants risk being priced out. Meanwhile, Sweetnam-Holmes said its impossible at the moment to know what the rents might look like. "All that we know is that they will meet the standards of both the City of Montreal and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) in terms of what they define as affordable housing," he said. According to the CMHC website, "housing is considered affordable if it costs less than 30 per cent of a household's before-tax income." Later this year, Canada Lands Company will start taking proposals from developers who want to make the vision a reality. It says the first residents could start moving in in 2028.
CBC
32 minutes ago
- Health
- CBC
How to fight Quebec's toxic drug problem? A former user says change the conversation
This is the second of two articles looking at the issue of drug overdoses in Quebec, where the situation is heading and what needs to be done to curb this trend. You can read the first article here. The turning point in Martin Rivest's recovery from a crystal meth addiction came when his doctor, in an attempt to provide comfort, told him: "Martin, addiction is a disease." "It gave me a sense of relief. I was like 'OK, I'm not a bad person,'" said Rivest, looking back at his struggles from about 15 years ago. "A lot of people that are affected by the drug crisis, a lot of it is due to shame, stigmatization, judgment from others and a lack of respect." Rivest now does outreach work with the Association québécoise pour la promotion de la santé des personnes utilisatrices de drogues (AQPSUD), a group in downtown Montreal that advocates for safe drug consumption and is run by people who use drugs or did so in the past. The stigma, Rivest believes, doesn't just come from friends, family or strangers. It comes from people in power. Rivest and others believe that too much of the discussion around Quebec's opioid crisis ignores the perspectives of the people who, according to him, are the most knowledgeable about the issue: drug users and those who work with them. Advocates say overcoming the crisis is complicated, but it starts with an openness to ideas they've been pushing for years: having a real conversation about decriminalizing simple drug possession and ending the stigmatization of users. And with fatal overdoses in Quebec occurring at an unprecedented frequency, those advocates say decision makers need to finally listen up. "Frankly, we feel abandoned. We don't feel heard or taken seriously. We get the feeling they view us like children," said Rivest. "We like to say in French, rien sur nous sans nous, So nothing for us without us. We are part of the solution because we are the users. We know the problem." 'We shame them every day' As far as fatal drug overdoses are concerned, 2025 is not off to an encouraging start: 153 deaths between Jan. 1 and March 31, according to the province's public health institute, the Institut national de santé publique du Québec (INSPQ). In 2024, Quebec recorded 645 confirmed or suspected fatal overdoses, by far the highest total ever recorded in the province. The numbers have been trending upwards over the last decade. That same year, B.C. Premier David Eby rolled back the province's historic decriminalization project and recriminalized drug use in public spaces after facing intense scrutiny. Governments dealing with a toxic drug problem often appear to be trying to walk a fine line: getting people with drug addictions the help they need while not angering the broader public. "While we are caring and compassionate for those struggling with addiction, we do not accept street disorder that makes communities feel unsafe," B.C's premier said at the time. Last month, when the Coalition Avenir Québec government tabled Bill 103 — which would prohibit supervised drug consumption sites from being located within 150 metres of a school or daycare — Social Services Minister Lionel Carmant had a similar message. "The overdose crisis is at the heart of our concerns," Carmant said. "But we also have the responsibility to ensure that these places are safe for everyone." If Bill 103 becomes law, Maison Benoît Labre, a facility with a safe drug consumption site located about 143 metres away from a school, would eventually need the move. Andréane Desilets, the executive director there, said Bill 103 and the controversy that's followed Maison Benoît Labre has taken a toll on staff and clients. "A lot of people are hurt. A lot of people feel ashamed," said Desilets. "Because this is what we do, right? We shame them. We shame them every day with these laws. We exclude them from being a part of our community because we failed to provide acceptable support for them." Desilets says she understands concerns about Maison Benoît Labre, but adds that the conversation could use some reframing: more of a community perspective and less of an "us and them" attitude. "What should be very scary is the fact that people are dying on the streets and we're not doing anything," she said. "If we just continue on with this vision that it's a personal problem or an individual problem, then we will not get better and will not see any action and will not see numbers that are going down, only going up." Quebec has 14 supervised drug consumption sites. If Bill 103 is adopted, Maison Benoît Labre is one of two sites that would need to move. The other one is in Gatineau. Maison Benoît Labre has said moving the centre, which is currently seven metres too close to a school at the moment, would cost about $6.6 million. Quebec's plan for drug overdoses Quebec's Health Ministry says dealing with drug overdoses in the province is a priority, but it's also become increasingly challenging. "The situation is changing rapidly and is made more complicated by the fact that there are numerous substances contributing to the overdoses," wrote spokesperson Marie-Christine Patry in a statement. "The illicit market is evolving rapidly, with drug contaminations that are not just limited to opioids." The Health Ministry says it's putting a lot of effort into flattening the overdose curve, pointing to its 14 safe consumption sites and 34 drug verification sites, the widespread availability of naloxone in pharmacies and recent ad campaigns. WATCH | Quebec government tries to raise awareness about overdoses: It also highlighted the province's 2022-25 strategy for overdoses, which focuses on seven areas: Raising awareness. Prevention and harm reduction. Public policy. Monitoring the issue. Research and training. Addiction treatment. Pain management. Overdose deaths in Quebec are on the rise, and the problem could get worse When asked about the province's plan, Desilets stressed the need to invest "massively" in prevention, but she also paused to reflect about how complex the drug overdose problem is. "You know, it's never this one solution, right?" she said, before bringing up a broader but, according to her, necessary approach. "We need to rethink how we see people that are using .... We have to address the fact, that maybe, just maybe, having safer substances going on the streets instead of letting criminal organizations create stronger and stronger and stronger substances." 'It's hell out there' For many observers, providing safe supply of drugs goes hand in hand with decriminalizing simple possession. Sarah Larney, a researcher and associate professor at the Université de Montréal with an expertise in drug-related harm, is favourable to the idea, but she acknowledges it can be a tough sell to the general public. She said the pilot project in B.C. and its failures didn't help. "It's really unfortunate," Larney said. "How do you move that needle to make that a conversation that can even be had in a way that is productive?" When asked about decriminalization, Montreal police Chief Fady Dagher said it's not a "miracle solution" and was a failure in B.C. "Decriminalization, when you think of it, it's not a bad option, it's not a bad orientation, but the system has to follow," Dagher told CBC Radio Noon host Shawn Apel. "The problem is you decriminalize but nobody's taking over. The health system is not there to do the follow-up and the partners are not there to do the follow-up." A spokesperson for Health Canada told CBC News that B.C. remains "the only jurisdiction that has been granted a time-limited exemption related to personal possession of small amounts of certain illegal substances" and it does not have any other similar requests. "As the first exemption of its kind in Canada, there was always an understanding that all levels of government, partners and stakeholders would need to work together to closely monitor impacts in British Columbia, learn from the implementation and make adjustments as needed," the statement reads. For the Quebec government, decriminalization is a non-starter. IA spokesperson for the province's Justice Ministry said the risks associated with opioid consumption are significant, "so are the implications of a decision" on decriminalization. "For now, we're focused on doing everything possible to accompany people in the most humane way possible," said spokesperson Cathy Chenard. WATCH | How to use naloxone to help someone: How to administer naloxone if you witness an overdose 2 years ago Duration 2:28 Larney says tackling the toxic drug crisis requires several layers of intervention, such as decriminalization, addressing the housing crisis and supplementing people's income. "It's quite radical, I'll admit that," she said. "But everything else we've tried doesn't work and I'm not sure that continuing down this path is going to work either." The Quebec government's current path involves likely adopting Bill 103 and restricting where safe drug consumption sites can be located. Desilets, the executive director for Maison Benoît Labre, says the proposed legislation "will not have any impact on what's going on."
CTV News
6 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Quebec dials back emissions projections due to global uncertainty
The Quebec government is scaling back its projections for greenhouse gas emissions reductions due to the Trump administration. A report published Thursday by the province's Environment Department says the current U.S. government has created a 'challenging environment for advancing climate action.' It points in particular to U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs, which it says have slowed down business investment, including in decarbonization. It also says the administration's attempts to challenge carbon pricing mechanisms in various U.S. states were 'exerting downward pressure on market prices.' 'The economic and political uncertainty caused by the new U.S. federal administration ... does not allow the deployment of measures as quickly and effectively as planned,' the report says. The government now estimates that measures being adopted in Quebec to reduce emissions will account for 65 per cent of the cuts needed to reach the province's 2030 emissions target, down from a projected 67 per cent last year. Quebec is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37.5 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2030. That's a drop of about 30 million tonnes from projected emissions in the absence of climate policies. The new report is an annual update on the province's progress toward meeting that goal. It estimates that planned measures will cut emissions by 19.4 million tonnes in 2030, a slight drop from last year's projections. The document also says the Canadian government's decision to scrap the federal consumer carbon price in April could harm the competitiveness of Quebec businesses. 'Uncertainty remains regarding the actions that will be taken by the federal government to combat climate change,' it reads. Quebec has so far maintained its own cap-and-trade carbon pricing system, which is linked with California's system. The report says Quebec's carbon price is a major driver of emissions reductions in the province, and revenue from the carbon market is an important source of funding for other climate measures in the government's plan. The report highlights $10.1 billion in planned government spending over the next five years, much of it to reduce emissions from transportation, industry and housing. It says new initiatives under development could lead to further emissions cuts and could get the province to between 67 and 72 per cent of its 2030 target. Despite dialling back its projections, the government says greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 0.9 million tonnes in Quebec between 2022 and 2023, and have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The report also says there was a record number of electric-vehicle sales in Quebec in 2024, with more than 125,000 new registrations. Zero-emission vehicle sales made up nearly 31 per cent of light-duty vehicle sales that year, it says, and there were 375,000 electric vehicles on the road in Quebec last December. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press
CTV News
6 hours ago
- CTV News
Some major road closures in Montreal area this weekend
Drivers should plan their trips ahead this weekend as there will be major road closures, namely on major bridges. People can use the Waze app or consult Quebec 511 for more information. Honoré-Mercier Bridge/Highway 138 From 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday: Traffic will flow in the opposite direction on the bridge toward Montreal with only one lane in each direction. Access to Airlie Street and the reserved late toward 138-West will be closed. A detour can be taken via Lafleur Avenue and Clément Street. Papineau-Leblanc Bridge/Highway 19 From 11 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday, the bridge will be completely closed southbound between Laval and Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. From 11:30 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Sunday, the bridge will be completely closed northbound between Laval and Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville borough. Northbound detour on Henri-Bourassa Boulevard via the Pie-IX (R-125) or Viau (R-335) bridges and Concorde Boulevard. For trucks, continue to A-440. Southbound detour on the A-440 service road eastbound, via the Pie-IX Bridge (R-125) or westbound, via the Médéric-Martin Bridge (A-15). Default closures: starting at 9:30 p.m, access ramps from the A-440 east and west to the A-19 south and access from Saint-Martin, Concorde and Lévesque boulevards to the A-19 south. Île-aux-Tourtes Bridge/Highway 40 From Saturday 7 p.m. to Sunday 10 a.m., the bridge will be closed between Senneville (Montreal) and Vaudreuil-Dorion Partial closure of one lane out of two. Highway 25/Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel Southbound From 11 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, complete closure of the tunnel between Exit 4 downtown Montreal and the Île Charron access in Longueuil. Detour via Hochelaga, Dickson South and Notre-Dame streets, René-Lévesque Boulevard and Papineau Avenue / Jacques-Cartier Bridge. Trucks can go via Assomption Boulevard, Sherbrooke Street and Pie-IX South Boulevard. Default closures: access from Sherbrooke, Tellier and Des Futailles streets. Souligny Avenue: closure of the avenue eastbound between Dickson and Honoré-Beaugrand streets. Detour via Dickson North and Hochelaga East or West streets. Highway 25/Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Tunnel Northbound From 11 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday, complete closure of the tunnel between exit 90 (R-132) on the A-20 west in Longueuil and the Hochelaga Street access in Montreal. Detour via R-132 west, exit 82 / Jacques Cartier Bridge, downtown exit towards De Lorimier Avenue south and Notre-Dame Street. Trucks can go via Pie-IX Boulevard and Sherbrooke Street. Default closures of R-132 east and west access ramps. Access from Île-Charron Street. Detour: via A-25 south and R-132 west. Laviolette Bridge/Highway 55 From 8 p.m. Friday to 11 a.m. Sunday, only one lane in each direction will be available between Trois-Rivières and Bécancour. Default closure in Trois-Rivières, access from Arthur-Rousseau Boulevard to A-55 south Default closure in Bécancour, on A-55 south, exit 176 (A-30, R-132, Sainte-Angèle, Bécancour) and access to A-30 east and west / Avenue Godefroy towards A-55 north. Bonaventure Highway One lane is closed in each direction on the Peel Basin/Victoria until December Traffic will be diverted in the opposite direction – one lane in each direction – until December on the Clément Bridge. Réseau express métropolitain (REM) The REM is closed on weekends due to works. Shuttles are available at every station. René-Lévesque Boulevard Partial closure of two out of four lanes on René-Lévesque Boulevard westbound, between Wolfe and Atateken streets, from 7 a.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday. Highway 30/Serge-Marcil Bridge Westbound Partial closure of one lane out of two on the bridge between alaberry-de-Valleyfield and Les Cèdres Saturday and Sunday from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mont-Tremblant IRONMAN
CTV News
9 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Canadian Competition Bureau says Montreal-Trudeau airport should end its monopoly
Canada's Competition Bureau is recommending an end to Montreal-Trudeau airport's monopoly on international flights, but it won't be an easy feat. In a report released Thursday, the Bureau said a competitive market for air travel would deliver 'major benefits' for Canadians from lower prices to better customer experience. It pointed out that Air Canada and WestJet dominate the Canadian market. The report says opportunities exist in smaller secondary airports, which could be a better foothold for new market entrants if allowed to service international flights, instead of the current system that limits them to one major airport per region. For example, the Porter airline has a deal with the 10-gate Montreal Metropolitan Airport (formerly Saint-Hubert) on Montreal's South Shore limited to domestic flights. The airline said it would like to expand that to U.S. and sunny destination once the terminal is complete. But the federal government and Montréal-Trudeau International Airport have an agreement that it would be the only airport near Montreal with international flights. 'These restrictions prevent secondary airports from launching competitive services and limit their market impact. Removing these restrictions would enable secondary airports to respond to market opportunities. Passengers, workers, and airlines would then have more options,' the Bureau said in its report. But there is staunch opposition to the idea, including from Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier. She stressed it has always been clear that the Saint-Hubert terminal would be limited to Quebec and Canadian flights. 'The City is not in favour of international flights, such as flights to the south, which involve older, noisier aircrafts. Social acceptability is essential,' Fournier said in a statement to CTV News. 'The tranquility of our neighbourhoods is a priority for the municipal administration. It should be noted that the Porter terminal will be closed at night and that commercial night flights are prohibited.' Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) also opposes the Competition Bureau's recommendations, saying the current consolidated model is best. It said having two bases in the same region will increase costs for labour and mechanics, among other things. It would also increase government costs for border control, according to ADM. 'Adding a second international airport for passengers would reduce the carriers' customer base and increase their operating costs, while jeopardizing the gains made by all metropolitan players since the concentration of flights,' an ADM spokesperson said in an email. McGill professor John Gradek, who lectures on aviation management, said the report's recommendations are no done deal but are worth considering. The ADM is set to get a facelift and major expansion over the next few years, which could cost several billion dollars. Gradek says using the Saint-Hubert airport could be a way to save money. 'Why don't we look at it a group of airports that have multiple uses, and maybe we don't have to invest as much into ADM Trudeau because we've got capacity at Saint-Hubert,' he said. 'I think that's a very worthwhile exercise, because 10 gates at Saint-Hubert is a lot … To build 10 gates at Trudeau is billions. So, the price that we pay on a society perspective, yeah, you'll get noise.'
