DRUMMONDVILLE – A few days ago, Francois Legault threatened to call a referendum on immigration (because Quebec wants “more powers, to defend the francophonie”) and “maybe also on other topics”. Then, French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal arrived for a visit: hugs and kisses with Quebec’s premier. Immediately afterwards, on Sunday, an announcement: Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon told about 500 party members at the PQ’s national council in Drummondville that Quebecers have one “last” chance to protect their language and culture amid what he called an “existential threat” from Ottawa. And he reiterated his commitment to a third referendum on Quebec independence if his party were to take power in the next provincial elections.
TORONTO – As if we Canadians did not have enough distractions. A quasi-judicial hearing into foreign interference in our electoral system was just coming to a conclusion on Friday. Senior government ministers and officials had appeared with seemingly contrasting statements on whether there had been, continues to be or may be surreptitious efforts by foreign entities to insinuate themselves in our affairs.
VANCOUVER – From Australia to Mexico, passing through Japan to reach Europe: the Italian researchers who participated. yesterday, in the XVIII Conference of Italian Researchers in the World organized by the Texas Scientific Italian Community (TSIC) with University Canada West (UCW) connected from every corner of the world. (more…)
TORONTO – I had abandoned Canada’s broadcaster of record, CBC-Radio Canada. It seemed to me that it constantly missed the opportunity to find or define those unifying moments or issues that make us all feel that we are a part of something bigger than our meaningless selves. Lately, its leadership has once again focused on its not-so-subtle attacks on Catholic leadership.
TORONTO – In 2022, 13,241 Canadians chose assisted death. An impressive number, especially when compared to California, where a very similar bill system is in force: in the same year, there were 853 assisted deaths in the American state. The data emerges from a study by Adrian C. Byram of “End of Life Choices”, California, and Peter B. Reyner of the Department of Psychiatry of the University of British Columbia (the whole research is here: Disparities in public awareness, practitioner availability, and institutional support contribute to differential rates of MAiD utilization: a natural experiment comparing California and Canada). (more…)
