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Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
Judge temporarily halts dismantling of Notre-Dame St. encampment
By A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily blocked the dismantling of the homeless encampment Notre-Dame St., ruling that it could pose 'enormous risks' to the people living there. The encampment, which is on land owned by Quebec's Transport Department, was slated to be dismantled on June 11. A legal clinic that works with unhoused people had brought the issue to court. 'In the present circumstances, the inconveniences on the lives and dignity of the people affected by the eviction outweigh all the interests that the MTQ have raised before me,' Judge Babak Barin ruled on Wednesday. Barin granted the Clinique juridique itinérante's request for a 10-day injunction, ordering the Transport Department to stop any attempts at dismantling the camp or clearing out the area. The clinic's larger argument that encampments should be permitted when homeless shelters and resources in the city are at capacity will be debated at a later date. It's believed about 30 people are living in the encampment. The clinic had argued that clearing out the area violates their Charter rights, and that dismantling the camp would leave them even more isolated in dangerous situations. Especially so, it argued, given that all of Montreal's homeless shelters are already operating at capacity, turning away dozens people each night. Representing the Transport Department, the Quebec government had argued the camp presents safety risks for those who live there. It also presented evidence from Mercier—Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough officials that more than 20 calls had been made to the Montreal police department regarding the camp since January. The city's fire department also had to intervene on 27 occasions during that time period, it noted. The grassy area along Notre-Dame St. was the site of another large encampment in 2020 that was ordered dismantled after a fire broke out and nearly spread to a propane tank. Tents have come and gone in the area ever since. Another eviction was carried out there in December, after the legal clinic had managed to have it postponed. The city of Montreal has said it can't tolerate encampments because they pose a safety risk and it would rather persuade people to stay in shelters, where there is oversight and access to services. A city-commissioned report published this year stressed the negative consequences of dismantling encampments and called on the city to establish a clear protocol on the issue.
Vancouver Sun
10-06-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Montreal billionaire Robert Miller too sick for trial on sex charges, judge says
A Quebec Superior Court judge has stayed criminal charges against Montreal billionaire Robert Miller. The Crown agreed on Monday to a motion by the defence that Miller, who is suffering from Parkinson's disease, is too ill to stand trial on 24 sex-related charges. The founder of global electronics distributor Future Electronics was initially arrested in May 2024 on 21 sex charges involving 10 complainants. In December, three new charges were filed by the Crown for crimes alleged to have taken place between 1995 and 2000. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Many of the complainants were minors when the alleged offences occurred. Miller's lawyers had sought a stay of proceedings in April, arguing their 81-year-old client was not well enough to stand trial. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Montreal Gazette
10-06-2025
- Business
- Montreal Gazette
Despite court ruling, Quebec plans to maintain 33% tuition hike for out-of-province students
By Amid legal pushback, Quebec says it remains committed to its contentious tuition reform targeting Concordia and McGill, vowing to maintain a steep fee increase for out-of-province students. In April, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour ruled that parts of the overhaul were 'unreasonable' and ordered key sections struck down. The Coalition Avenir Québec government did not appeal the ruling by Monday's deadline. Dufour told the province to immediately scrap French proficiency requirements for non-Quebec applicants and gave the government nine months to come up with a new fee structure for out-of-province Canadian students. The government's plan had called for a 33-per-cent tuition hike for these students. In his ruling, Dufour criticized Déry's arguments, echoing the universities' contention that the plan was put forward without sufficient evidence. 'We observe an absence of data on which the minister claims to base her decision,' Dufour wrote. 'At the very least, what she had on hand in no way substantiates the reasonableness of the outcome.' On Tuesday, Simon Savignac, a spokesperson for Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry, indicated that the government stands by its original plan. 'The ruling not only supports the measure to correct the financial imbalance between English- and French-language universities, it also recognizes the government's responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect the French language in Quebec,' he told The Gazette. 'With regard to the tuition fees charged to Canadian students outside Quebec, we firmly believe that it is not up to the Quebec government to guarantee financial accessibility to studies for non-Quebecers.' He said the government is 'staying the course' on the tuition hike. The government's interpretation of the ruling is that the judge did not rule that the 33-per-cent hike was unreasonable, but rather 'the path we've taken and the reasons invoked for the increase.' Savignac said it's too early to say how the government will proceed. Regarding French proficiency, he said Déry 'will be pursuing discussions with English-speaking universities over the coming weeks regarding the terms and conditions surrounding knowledge of French for students from outside Quebec.' In their lawsuits, Concordia and McGill said Quebec's reforms violated equality and language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. McGill also asserted that the measures contravened anti-discrimination provisions of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding harm to its reputation and academic freedom. However, the judge did not rule on charter issues, saying the matter could be resolved on administrative law grounds. Like the Quebec government, Concordia and McGill did not appeal the ruling.
Toronto Sun
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Quebec won't appeal court ruling blocking 33% tuition hike for out-of-province students
The measure, aimed at English universities, was deemed 'unreasonable' by a Quebec Superior Court judge in April Published Jun 09, 2025 • 3 minute read People walk past the McCall MacBain Arts Building on the campus of McGill University in Montreal on Monday, March 18, 2024. John Mahoney/Montreal Gazette Quebec will not appeal a court ruling that ordered it to scrap controversial measures targeting Concordia and McGill universities: a 33-per-cent tuition hike for out-of-province students and French proficiency requirements for non-Quebec applicants. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account A spokesperson for Higher Education Minister Pascale Déry confirmed the decision in an email to The Gazette on Monday, the last day an appeal could be filed. Déry is expected to comment on the matter at a later time. In an April 24 ruling, Quebec Superior Court Justice Éric Dufour largely sided with Concordia and McGill, which had filed lawsuits arguing the Coalition Avenir Québec government's education reforms, announced in the fall of 2023, were illegal. The tuition hike, which made headlines across Canada and the world, led to a drop in applications from the rest of Canada, with the universities offering scholarships to lure out-of-province students. Concordia and McGill have partially blamed the measures for deep budget cuts. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Legault government said the changes would protect the French language and reduce the number of non-French-speaking students in Quebec. In his ruling, Dufour called some of the CAQ's measures 'unreasonable.' The tuition hike, introduced in fall 2024, raised fees for out-of-province undergraduates and non-thesis master's students from about $9,000 to $12,000. Quebec students continued to pay around $3,000. Dufour gave the government nine months to revise the fee structure. He criticized the government's rationale, finding the decision was not supported by solid data and was enacted before receiving advice from an advisory committee, which later urged Déry to scrap the hike. The judge also struck down, effective immediately, a planned French-language rule, which would have required 80 per cent of newly enrolled non-Quebec undergraduates at Concordia and McGill to attain intermediate oral French proficiency by graduation. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Dufour found the target virtually impossible to achieve and the penalties for non-compliance — including the possible retroactive withdrawal of subsidies — were unclear. However, Dufour upheld the CAQ government's new rules for international students, including a $20,000 minimum tuition rate and changes to the funding formula. When his government announced the changes in 2023, Premier François Legault said it was part of a plan to 'reduce the number of anglophone students' in Quebec. He said English-speaking students from other provinces 'threaten the survival of French.' McGill laid off 60 workers in March as it grappled with a large deficit that it partly blamed on CAQ government policies. Last month, Concordia announced it may also have to lay off employees as it works to slash tens of millions of dollars from its budget. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. At the time, Concordia president Graham Carr said the legal victory 'is ultimately a moral, not a material win for Concordia. The damage from those policies has already been done. ' He added: 'Furthermore, the negative impact has been compounded by stringent immigration policies that have caused international applications to plummet, weakening the reputation and financial position of universities across Quebec for years to come.' Carr has previously said he hoped the CAQ government would 'look at this judgment and the larger context and (decide) we can hit reset and take a genuinely collaborative approach to supporting a higher education system that is world-class.' In their lawsuits, Concordia and McGill argued that the reform violated equality and language rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. McGill also claimed the measures contravened anti-discrimination provisions of Quebec's Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms, particularly regarding harm to its reputation and academic freedom. However, the judge did not rule on charter issues, saying the matter could be resolved on administrative law grounds. Jeffery Vacante, an assistant history professor at the University of Western Ontario, has argued the court ruling offers a short-term reprieve but is 'a less resounding victory for McGill and Concordia than one might assume.' 'The judge is not pushing back against the idea that McGill and Concordia are contributing to the decline of the French language, nor is he suggesting that tuition increases or language requirements for students cannot be imposed,' Vacante argued in an op-ed submitted to The Gazette in April. The judge is 'suggesting, rather, that the government can impose such policies only after it has offered compelling data to justify their necessity,' wrote Vacante, author of a National Manhood and the Creation of Modern Quebec. Toronto Blue Jays Ontario Olympics Sunshine Girls Columnists
Vancouver Sun
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
'Convicted, executed the same day... what more do you want?' Just for Laughs founder blasts media at sex assault civil trial
MONTREAL — The founder of Montreal's Just for Laughs festival broke his silence on Thursday about sexual assault allegations, accusing reporters of denying him justice as he emerged from a second day on the stand at a civil trial. Gilbert Rozon, 70, is testifying in his own defence in response to allegations from nine Quebec women who are seeking $14 million in damages over allegations of sexual assault and misconduct in Quebec Superior Court. He has denied the allegations. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Soon after the testimony, Rozon sparred with reporters about how they had covered his case. 'Convicted, executed the same day, and then I lost everything. So what more do you want? It was the business I built with my own hands and my teams for 35 years, all the women who were at the top were kicked out,' the Just for Laughs founder said following his second day on the stand. 'I lost everything, I was ruined. I'm here for justice, not even for myself, it's so that the law remains.' Earlier in the day, the Quebec impresario testified he regretted pleading guilty to a charge involving a 19-year-old female croupier during a 1998 party at the Manoir Rouville-Campbell in Mont-St-Hilaire, Que. Rozon told the court he was under immense pressure to resolve the case, which caused his entertainment company to be 'plunged into a media hellhole' when it was made public. 'We were losing tens of thousands of dollars a day. It quickly reached $2 million,' Rozon told the court. After meeting with family, he said he was encouraged to settle the matter and plead guilty. He eventually received an unconditional discharge on appeal. 'They told me it was better to settle for the good of the company,' Rozon told the court. 'But for a long time I resented those who had ordered me to do that because I felt like I was betraying my convictions, my principles.' All of the women suing Rozon in the civil trial have testified about their experiences and faced cross-examination. Rozon said outside the courtroom he would answer all allegations made during the trial. 'If I don't defend myself, it will become a form of legalized extortion, and that's what's happening,' Rozon said. 'What do I have to gain here? … Explain it to me, please.' His testimony is expected to continue over several days in the coming weeks. 'A couple of weeks from now they (will) ask me all the questions and you can trust them to push me to the limit, so I'll answer it,' Rozon said. 'You can be sure of that.' Rozon's second day on the stand also touched on his lengthy career as an entertainment mogul, discussing the rise of his Just for Laughs comedy empire, as well as his popularity in France as a no-nonsense judge on 'La France a un incroyable talent,' a show based on the U.S. version, 'America's Got Talent.' Rozon was a star on the French show until he was let go due to his legal troubles in 2017. Rozon also repeated to reporters something his lawyer had raised at the outset of the civil trial: that he was a 'scapegoat' during the #MeToo movement. The trial before Quebec Superior Court Justice Chantal Tremblay is the latest stage in a winding legal battle that began as a class-action lawsuit brought by numerous women calling themselves Les Courageuses. It was converted into individual suits after a 2020 Quebec Court of Appeal ruling. Nine women — Patricia Tulasne, Lyne Charlebois, Anne-Marie Charrette, Annick Charrette, Sophie Moreau, Danie Frenette, Guylaine Courcelles, Mary Sicari, and Martine Roy — filed lawsuits against Rozon. Only one of a series of police complaints against Rozon resulted in a criminal trial. In that case, he was found not guilty on charges of rape and indecent assault connected to events alleged to have taken place in 1980 involving Annick Charette. The prosecution declined to press criminal charges in 13 other complaints. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
