Canada’s plan to increase immigration is raising fears among Quebec’s political class, who say the changes would reduce the province’s influence in the country and make it harder to protect French.
Provincial legislature members on Wednesday adopted a motion declaring Canada’s plan — to welcome 500,000 permanent immigrants a year by 2025 — incompatible with the protection of French in Quebec. The motion also states “it is up to Quebec alone to make its own choices” in immigration matters.
Premier François Legault said Tuesday there is “no question” of Quebec accepting a huge rise in immigration because of the need to properly integrate, house and educate newcomers.
“We’re different than the rest of North America,” Legault said. “And it’s important to protect French in the future to make sure that newcomers speak French, because there will always be a strong incentive for people in Quebec to learn English.”
He said his government also opposes the mission of lobby group Century Initiative, which hopes to increase Canada’s population to 100 million by 2100.
Necessary for economy
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, meanwhile, has maintained that his government’s immigration plan is necessary to ease labour shortages and to create growth. Canada welcomed 405,000 permanent immigrants in 2021 and 437,000 in 2022.
Quebec has limited its annual target to about 50,000 permanent immigrants per year. And while Legault has said new targets would be announced in the coming weeks, he has repeatedly said the province couldn’t welcome more immigrants and also protect French.
But Quebec’s position on immigration puts the province in a bind: politicians and pundits are raising alarm that Quebec’s influence in the federation would inevitably decline if its population fails to grow at the same rate as the rest of the country’s.
On Wednesday, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon challenged Legault on what he would do about a new federal migration policy that would “either accelerate the decline of French and the housing crisis, or else melt away Quebec’s political weight — probably both.”
Legault has said his priority is to ensure immigrants to Quebec all speak French and that his government would present legislation to that effect.
“The urgency, in the short term, is to protect French in Quebec,” he said Tuesday, adding, “but we will continue to fight to protect Quebec’s political weight in Canada.”
He also repeated his longstanding demand that the federal government transfer more power over immigration to the province, including in the temporary worker and family reunification streams.
Quebec’s immigration number set at 50,000 per year
Trudeau on Wednesday ducked a question about whether Quebec’s political clout could decline with its decreasing share of the Canadian population.
“Everyone has the right to make the decisions they want within their immigration threshold in Quebec, but we will be encouraging economic growth and the creation of good jobs across the country,” Trudeau said in Ottawa as he headed to a caucus meeting.
While Legault is tangling with Ottawa over immigration powers, the premier was also facing criticism at home over soaring numbers of temporary immigrants who aren’t included in provincial targets.
Quebec’s official immigration number is set at around 50,000 people a year, but the opposition parties have noted the real number is much higher due to rising numbers of people who enter the province as temporary foreign workers, skilled workers or students.
Legault has not responded to opposition demands that he include the numbers of temporary workers in the province’s official immigration plans but has said his government was looking at different solutions to ensure these workers have a knowledge of French.
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.
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.
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.
