Feminicide
Its origin perhaps dates back to the XVIIe century, but the word “feminicide” has never been so tragically topical. Since the start of 2021, 18 women have died… because they were women. The Legault government has announced some sort of measure to combat domestic violence, but we must also look at the education of boys. In this regard, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Nathalie Collard
Shortage
In 2020, we ran out of toilet paper. In 2021, we missed everything else. Workers – nurses, psychologists, DPJ agents – which is unlikely to improve with the aging of the population. But also a host of products – wood, appliances, patio heaters, snowmobiles – which caused inflation to explode… another word that marked the year.
Stephanie Grammond
Inflation
From the real estate market to the grocery store, prices have skyrocketed in 2021. Inflation has reached levels not seen in a generation. In Quebec, the consumer price index jumped 5.2% in November. Unfortunately, it is the poorest households that pay the price. And they are not done tightening their belts, as the price of food is expected to rise 5% to 7% in 2022. A bill of $ 1,000 more for a family of four.
Stephanie Grammond
Vaccines
If there is anything that has changed the face of 2021, it is vaccines. In the first half of the year, Quebec was marked by a health network that bordered on disaster, closed businesses and a four and a half month curfew. The massive arrival of vaccines will have given us a long breath of air… until the arrival of Omicron. We salute Quebecers, who have one of the best vaccination rates on the planet.
Philippe Mercury
Boarding schools
It is not wrong to say that in 2021 we have seen the end of denial about the residential school drama for Indigenous people. We had to discover the remains of children, by the hundreds, to truly realize what our governments have done to indigenous peoples. All of this had already been meticulously documented by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. And denounced. But we had never grasped the phenomenon collectively, as a nation, in such a way as to realize the extent of the tragedy and its consequences. It’s done.
Alexandre sirois
Insurrection
The radicalization of political protest is not an exclusively American phenomenon. But of all the Western democracies, in recent years, it is in this country that this phenomenon has been pushed the furthest. You still have to pinch yourself to be sure you have not dreamed: in 2021, demonstrators marched on the Capitol. And they were supported by outgoing President Donald Trump, excited by this insurgency. The latter was beaten by Joe Biden, but Trumpism has not finished wreaking havoc.
Alexandre sirois
Useless
All that for this ! The federal election last fall cost taxpayers $ 612 million. But with a few seats, they led to a House of Commons virtually unchanged. Justin Trudeau lost his bet to win a majority. And will not convince anyone of the usefulness of this exercise.
Philippe Mercury
Woke
It was a harmless word that meant “awake”: to progressive ideas, to social struggles, to discrimination. It has become an insult that some are throwing themselves by the head by diverting it from its direction. A word which, when misused, conveys a certain resistance to change. A wish for 2022? Let us give it back its original meaning.
Nathalie Collard
Rehabilitation
How long must a star remain in purgatory after committing a reprehensible act? Simple question, complex answer. Host Maripier Morin, who assaulted singer Safia Nolin, and hockey player Logan Mailloux, who shared intimate images of his partner, have learned that steps should not be taken on the road to rehabilitation.
Stephanie Grammond
Dome
Residents of western Canada trapped under a heat dome. This weather phenomenon, which most of us learned about in 2021, reminded us how the decades-long headlong rush on climate issues is leading us straight to a wall. Obviously, it has not yet moved enough Terrans. We still, at COP26, refused to change our course quite radically. Unfortunately, we will need more, domes of heat, to convince us of both our troubling vulnerability and the urgency to act.
Alexandre sirois
Hydroelectricity
Our hydropower has been at the heart of important debates this year. The deal with New York will bring in $ 20 billion and prevent the emission of millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases. That with Massachusetts has been compromised, however, since voters in Maine refused to allow a high-voltage line to pass through them. Green hydrogen is the dream of our politicians, but we will have to see how much of our hydroelectricity we want to devote to it.
Philippe Mercury
Metaverse
The metaverse is a new dimension of the internet where giants like Facebook and Microsoft are already jostling each other. The real estate market is overheating there, the big fashion brands have their shops there, artists give concerts… all in virtual mode. As for us, we can get lost in it by changing our skin thanks to our avatars. Who said you only have one life to live?
Nathalie Collard