March showers are a meteorological phenomenon present in Western Europe, particularly in France. At the end of winter, the atmosphere becomes unstable, the lower air masses warm up, while those higher up remain cold. When they come into contact, cloud masses are created. These clouds then spit out precipitation in the form of rain showers, slush or even hailstones, all accompanied by good squalls. These strange showers are short-lived and occur on sunny days. As a young Parisian, I didn’t like the showers because I had to go out with a “sweater” and my ugly K-way around my waist; It ruined my fashionable spring look.
But why the hell am I talking to you today about a meteorological phenomenon from another continent? Because I find that, so far, this month of March 2024 is plagued by showers, metaphorically speaking. It seems as if we alternate between gentleness and rage, between serenity and sadness, without warning.
Starting on the morning of March 2, when Quebec woke up without Paul Houde. In his 49-year career, Paul Houde has won over Quebecers from all walks of life. He was one of those rare public figures who was as endearing as he was relevant. He could, in the same sentence, make us laugh and teach us something. No wonder tributes poured in from everywhere after his death. It is also the only thing that was soothing in the grayness of this premature departure, the unanimity of this collective mourning which allowed an entire people to mourn a learned, funny and honest man.
Then, as we came out of a month of February where Quebec artists shone like sunshine internationally — Yannick Nézet-Séguin winning two Grammys, Denis Villeneuve traveling the world to promote the second opus of Dune, Monia Chokri winning the César for best foreign film — culture was taking a hit in Quebec. We learned of the end of Blue Spaces, this project consisting of creating museum places intended to publicize the history of our regions. The project was shaky and poorly put together, but I found a certain relevance in it, as I travel around Quebec for my work and often complain about the lack of data and historical and cultural resources in certain regions.
But the biggest hailstone to fall on our culture – and to undermine our influence abroad – was the announcement of the bankruptcy of the Juste pour laughs group. Although I am not at all worried for the headliners of Quebec humor, who will quickly succeed in finding solutions to continue producing their shows and their tours, I am deeply worried for all the other artisans who earned their life thanks to the festival. The actors and theater designers, the buskers, the emerging artists who performed at Zoofest and, of course, all the stage technicians.
I do not know the exact causes that led to this bankruptcy, but I am well aware of the devastating consequences that such falls have on our cultural ecosystem. If Quebec is so exceptional from a creative point of view, it is above all because it has been able to count on healthy creation spaces and venues. Unfortunately, this is less and less true. It is more important than ever to understand that if we want to continue to shine abroad, we must first and foremost be able to create and make a living from our art here.
Then, there was this good international news: a real gentle wind on March 8 when France included in its Constitution the right to voluntary termination of pregnancy. Even if the Vatican and many countries where this right is in decline had expressed their disagreement. France is now the leader in women’s reproductive health. I, who loved Simone Veil so much, had a sweet thought for her, raising my glass to this victory.
But meanwhile, in the United States, Katie Britt, rising star of the Republican Party and elected official from Alabama, was in charge of the traditional response to the State of the Union speech. The senator, known for her traditionalist, Christian and anti-abortion positions, delivered her response in a decorum that left little room for interpretation. The lady was in her kitchen and had a cross around her neck. Remember that Alabama has just passed a law to criminalize the destruction of frozen embryos. “We believe that every human being, from the moment of conception, is made in the image of God,” the state Supreme Court judge wrote in his court ruling peppered with many other biblical references . Enough to throw the rest of my glass in the sink.
We’re only halfway through this strange month of March and the unusually mild temperatures in Quebec aren’t doing me any good either. Even though my children joyfully demand the right to go and play outside in their hoodies, many farmers are worried. Extreme temperature fluctuations can have catastrophic consequences for orchards and vineyards. Hopefully April isn’t too cold. And above all, let’s hope that the atmosphere, literally and figuratively, is not too unstable, while waiting for the eclipse that Paul Houde would have liked to see so much.