Legault says Quebec can’t take in more immigrants, after feds set 500K target by 2025 | Canada News Media
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Legault says Quebec can’t take in more immigrants, after feds set 500K target by 2025

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MONTREAL — Quebec Premier François Legault is maintaining that the province cannot accept more than 50,000 immigrants a year despite Ottawa’s plans to significantly raise the country’s immigration levels.

The federal government, Legault told reporters Wednesday, needs to understand that Quebec is facing a “special challenge” to preserve the French language.

His comments were in reaction to Ottawa’s announcement on Tuesday that it intends to welcome about 500,000 annual newcomers to Canada by 2025. By comparison, the Immigration Department said 405,000 permanent residents were admitted last year.

“Already at 400,000 there was a problem, so at 500,000 it’s even more so,” Legault said. “Already at 50,000 it is difficult to stop the decline of French.”

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday that immigration done correctly can help address labour shortages in Quebec and that Ottawa would be there to help the province create more economic growth.

“Quebec has long had the ability to increase its immigration thresholds,” Trudeau told reporters. “I know that every time I speak to business owners in Montreal or in the regions, they emphasize how important it is to counter the worker shortage.”

Quebec’s immigration agreement with Ottawa permits the province to welcome a percentage of newcomers equal to its demographic weight in the country — 23 per cent — which would be about 115,000 people should Canada accept 500,000 immigrants a year.

The highest number of annual immigrants the province can properly integrate is 50,000, Legault said, adding that even the most ambitious plan presented by a political party during the recent provincial election set a maximum target of 80,000 newcomers.

Later on Wednesday, Quebec Immigration Minister Christine Fréchette repeated that the province’s 50,000 number was firm.

“That will not change, no matter how many immigrants arrive elsewhere in Canada,” she told reporters.

Fréchette said she spoke with federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser last week and reiterated the province’s position on wanting more powers from Ottawa over immigration; she said those discussions will continue.

“We will use all the levers at our disposal to attain the maximum percentage of immigrants who are francophone; this is essential for the sustainability of French,” Fréchette said.

The province’s immigration target is based on its ability to teach newcomers French, Fréchette said, adding that welcoming more people would aggravate the housing shortage.

Asked whether Quebec risked losing influence should its demographic weight decline, Fréchette said the province is relying on Trudeau’s commitment to maintain Quebec’s political clout within Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2022.

 

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press

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RCMP arrest second suspect in deadly shooting east of Calgary

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EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.

Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.

Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.

Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.

Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.

RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.

Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.

“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.

But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.

“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.

While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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26-year-old son is accused of his father’s murder on B.C.’s Sunshine Coast

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RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.

Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.

The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.

It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.

Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.

The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Metro Vancouver’s HandyDART strike continues after talks break with no deal

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VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.

Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”

However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.

McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”

About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.

McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.

He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.

The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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