The aces of info | Electric truck, protests and the tragedy in Akwesasne

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A 100% electric fire truck!

Quebec’s fire trucks may soon change their look! In March, a fully electric truck was in Longueuil, near Montreal. Several firefighters were able to board. It’s your turn to discover it… in photos!

It’s called the Revolutionary Technology pumper. This vehicle was built in Austria, a European country, by the manufacturer Rosenbauer.

The absence of a combustion engine makes it possible to be more ecological, but also to save space. Result: this electric truck is narrower and shorter than a traditional fire truck.

Smaller… but just as full! The company assures that this truck carries as much equipment as its diesel-powered equivalent. With only four wheels, this vehicle weaves through traffic more easily and can spin faster.

In the photo, we see firefighter Éric Chagnon in the cabin. The interior of the truck is spacious enough to serve as a meeting room for firefighters. This could make it possible to avoid moving a second vehicle serving as a command post.

Another positive point: the electric motor is so discreet that the firefighters will no longer need to raise their voices to talk to each other. “It’s a little destabilizing, there’s almost no noise! exclaims Éric Chagnon. Obviously, there will always be the famous sound of the siren… pin-pon pin-pon!

All appliances and equipment in the truck run on electricity, including the pump. The fire pump is used to put the water under pressure, to produce a powerful jet at the end of the hose. It can be controlled remotely by an electronic tablet.

To prevent the truck from breaking down, there is also a generator on board. It is a machine that can produce electricity and recharge the vehicle battery if necessary. The generator is the only equipment on the truck that runs on diesel. Fortunately, the fire departments that used the truck very rarely needed it!

In Canada, only the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, has a fire truck like this. Two other cities have also ordered one: the city of Victoria, also in British Columbia, and the city of Brampton, in Ontario.

Throughout its stay in Quebec, around thirty representatives of fire departments tested the truck. They will then have to decide if they want to buy this electric truck.

In any case, even if this truck is red, it is also green: that is to say good for the environment, because it pollutes a lot less!

According to an article by Jean-Thomas Léveillé, The Press

Why protest

You may have heard of the protests that have been troubling France for weeks. But in fact, what is the point of demonstrating? Melanie explains to you!

Drownings of migrants in the St. Lawrence: what happened?

A very sad event occurred at the end of March. At the border between Quebec and the United States, eight people drowned in the St. Lawrence River. We explain to you what happened.

The tragedy occurred on March 30, 130 km southwest of Montreal, about an hour and a half by road.

The victims were found in waters that are part of Akwesasne Indigenous Territory. This territory is so large that it extends to both Canada and the United States. The victims were on the Canadian side.

When the Mohawk Native Police found the victims, many had no life jackets.

Near the scene, the police also found a small boat that is normally used for fishing. It is a boat and therefore not suitable for transporting so many people on large waves.

What we know about the victims

There was a family of two adults and two children who were originally from Romania, Europe. There was also a family from India, Asia, consisting of four adults.

There is a ninth person who is still missing. He is a man of Mohawk origin, who lives in Akwesasne. The search continues to find him. Police have claimed he is linked to the drama.

The police confirmed that the eight victims were migrants, who were trying to get to the United States.

What is a migrant?

According to the United Nations, a migrant refers to anyone who has left their country to live in a foreign country for more than a year, whether voluntary or involuntary.

The reasons that push people to migrate can be very varied. For example, there are people who will flee a war or a natural disaster, others who are threatened in their country because of their opinions or who go in search of a better job.

With this sad story, we learned that there are many migrants who use Akwesasne territory to cross the Canada-United States border irregularly, that is, without going through customs.

Avoid these tragedies

This shocking event is a reminder that many people put their lives in danger to cross borders. They often do this in the hope of a better future, despite all the risks.

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, also declared on Sunday that “everything must be done to avoid these tragedies”.

He added that the government encourages people who want to take refuge in Canada to do so on a “regular basis”, that is to say by going through customs or by making formal immigration applications.