The results of COP27 and COP15
No, major UN environmental conferences are not useless, and the year 2022 has eloquently demonstrated this. At the COP27 on climate, held in Egypt in November, the countries of the world agreed to create a fund to compensate part of the losses and damages suffered by developing countries due to climate change. A month later, in Montreal, the COP15 on biodiversity was held. This time, the international community has pledged to protect 30% of the planet’s land and water. This breakthrough has been called historic, with good reason. It obviously remains to transform these diplomatic victories into concrete gains on the ground. The agreements signed are therefore only starting points, but they were necessary and deserve a toast !
Philip Mercury
The exploits of Marie-Philip Poulin and Hugo Houle
Who is the best athlete in hockey, all genders combined? It was Quebecer Marie-Philip Poulin who led Canada to the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, scoring two goals in the final. She also distinguished herself by asking for changes at Hockey Canada and by becoming the first woman to work within the hockey management of the Montreal Canadiens. Cyclist Hugo Houle also marked Quebec sporting history by winning a stage of the mythical Tour de France. He dedicated his victory to his brother Pierrik, mowed down by a drunk driver in 2012. Before crossing the finish line, Hugo Houle raised his index finger and his eyes to the sky, thinking of his brother. If you didn’t shed tears watching this, you’re a robot.
Vincent Brousseau-Pouliot
Specialized sexual violence court pilot projects
The Minister of Justice, Simon Jolin-Barrette, has moved from words to deeds. Less than a year after the adoption of the An Act to create a specialized court for sexual violence and domestic violence (a recommendation from the report rebuild trust), he launched in the space of a few months several pilot projects across Quebec (in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, La Tuque, Quebec and Laval, among others). The minister is giving himself three years to evaluate a total of 10 pilot projects and adjust the formula as needed, then two years to set up these courts in the 36 judicial districts of Quebec. All professionals involved in the process – prosecutors, police, etc. – should receive training. We salute the fulfillment of this important promise!
Nathalie Collard
The appointment of Fady Dagher
The appointment of Fady Dagher as head of the Montreal Police Service is a homecoming for this unconventional police officer who spent 25 years there. Mr. Dagher, a fervent defender of community policing and prevention, has shaken up the ways of doing things at the Longueuil agglomeration police department, which he has headed since 2017. He will find a very different context from the other side of the river: the population wants him to tackle shootings and arms trafficking; the union would like him to seek more resources, financial and human. As for the media, they hope for a leader who communicates better than his predecessors. Expectations are therefore high for whoever will win more than the mayor of Montreal. We wish him good luck !
Nathalie Collard
The arrival of Moderna in Laval
By choosing Laval to set up its first vaccine plant outside the United States, Moderna gave us many reasons to celebrate. This plant is a signal that the Montreal region is back in the life sciences sector and that local talent is recognized on the international scene. His arrival could well be a catalyst for the entire industry. But the establishment will also serve as an insurance policy for future pandemics. COVID-19 has shown how perilous it is to rely on other countries for vaccine supplies. With Medicago also planning to build a world-class vaccine factory in Quebec, the province will soon find itself in an enviable situation.
Philip Mercury
The long-awaited strategy is born
We will have seen four foreign ministers go by since Justin Trudeau’s government came to power without knowing which foot to dance on when it comes to China. But now we finally know what to expect: the fifth holder of this portfolio, Mélanie Joly, presented Canada’s strategy for the Indo-Pacific in November. In summary: we are no longer afraid to show firmness against Beijing, but we are also banking on cooperation where possible and necessary. At the same time, Chrystia Freeland made a noteworthy speech in Washington to affirm that it was necessary to stop “doing business with dictatorships in the same way as with democracies”. When lucidity and pragmatism are at the rendezvous, we should rejoice.
Alexandre Sirois