Quebec voters have a clear history of rejecting sovereigntist PQ, but challengers like Milliard need a clear message. One month remains before the October 5th Quebec election and, at the time of writing, it is still (sort of) a three-way race. What will happen during the next weeks of campaigning in September? This looks like…

Despite the skeptics, entrepreneur’s dream of a baseball-centred entertainment complex in Montreal keeps bubbling away The Expos got a big hit in the 2nd inning on July 24 to push ahead 3-2. The crowd came alive. Horns tooted. Music blasted. Kids jumped up and down. Good times. Yes, all 510 of us fans at the…

After decades of a boating hiatus, I finally got back on the water Have you ever had an interest that was all-consuming, but that then … disappeared?  Maybe you once played chess regularly, or shot hoops, or even groomed dogs and cats? Then that activity just sorta vanished. Poof! It wasn’t that you disliked your…

Boycott has serious effects, but are trends long-term? Above: Quebec’s Eastern Townships try to lure Canadian and American tourists. Q. Do you travel to the U.S. these days? I used to average about one trip a year – not enough to apply for an easy-entry Nexus card, I figured. Travel included regular summer road trips…

Letters revive emotional dialogue between Quebec culture stars Godin, Julien Hand-written letters and postcards may be on the way out in 2026, which makes reading them even more intriguing. This is certainly the case for the love letters between writer/politician Gérald Godin and legendary Québécoise singer Pauline Julien, his longtime companion and lover. They are…

Yesterday’s sure bets are gone already, as voters test new options. PM Carney has skilfully surfed that political wave. The last year has been very dynamic for both Canadian and Quebec politics. Since December 2024 and the forced retirement of Justin Trudeau, new PM Mark Carney – a man with no history in electoral politics…

March offers bright days after our sunlight-deficient winter Let there be light. That biblical exhortation is the deepest wish of many Townshippers these days. Light and life are often conjugated. Light means joy, fulfilment, happiness. From mid-November to late January, however, sunset here already looms shortly after 3:45 pm … ouch. That darkness is the…

Would a hockey win calm a country worried about its sovereignty? Yes, it’s back! Top-level international hockey always sparks passion among Canadians. As with Brazilians during the football World Cup, national-team victories offer an affirmation of the country, despite our many doubts. Winning is our declaration of independence. The Winter Olympics at Milano-Cortina this month…

Intuitive and enigmatic, cats have woven a place in our domestic life Now that all the New Year’s chatter about “starting anew” and recasting the world in 2026 has quietly passed away, we can focus on one unchanging attraction: cats Cats don’t rank with the political and social issues that usually engulf this column, but…

Zelenskyy has lobbied every Western capital (above: Ottawa in 2023), but Korea and WWI stalemates loom large How do American and other Western opinion-makers view the war in Ukraine today, in summer 2023? Are they urging leaders to change course, or persist? To withdraw support, or press on harder than ever? While the U.S. President,…