Montreal news

• Sixty people homeless after fire in Longueuil

  16-01-2018 23:59 via montrealgazette.com
  An intense apartment fire near Montreal has left as many as 60 people homeless.
  Investigators believe Monday night’s fire started in a top-floor unit and was sparked by hot cooking oil left on a stove.
  The blaze spread quickly through the four-storey structure, heavily damaging the two dozen units inside the building in Longueuil’s St-Hubert sector.
  No residents were injured, but Longueuil police spokeswoman Mélanie Mercille said three firefighters and a police officer suffere
  
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• Stu Cowan: Nicolas Deslauriers a feel-good story for the Canadiens

  16-01-2018 23:49 via montrealgazette.com
  “The future will be whatever you make it”
  Those words are tattooed on the left arm of Nicolas Deslauriers — words his grandmother would always tell him as a young boy growing up in Valleyfield. Now it looks like Deslauriers is making a nice future for himself with the Canadiens.
  In what has been a disappointing season for the Canadiens, Deslauriers is turning into a feel-good story about a local boy making good.
  Deslauriers has scored six goals in 24 games with the Canadiens af
  
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• Jury reaches impasse after 6 days of deliberations at Lac-Mégantic trial

  16-01-2018 23:36 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16: The jury deliberating the fate of three men accused of criminal negligence causing death in the Lac-Mégantic railway disaster told the judge they were at an impasse. As Global’s Mike Armstrong reports, the judge has asked the jurors to try again.
  
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• Feds and province to help upgrade part of Montreal West’s water infrastructure

  16-01-2018 23:36 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16: Percival Avenue is getting a facelift thanks to a joint grant from the province and the federal government. The city of Montreal West will also chip in to help rebuild and complete the street’s water infrastructure. Global’s Billy Shields has the details.
  
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• Government announces $1.4B investment in early childhood education

  16-01-2018 23:26 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16: The Québec government has announced it is investing of $1.4 billion in early childhood education over five years. The goal is to give each child a chance to succeed regardless of their parent’s income. Global’s Raquel Fletcher has more.
  
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• Claims period open in Ville-Marie Expy $3.5M class-action lawsuit settlement

  16-01-2018 23:26 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16: A Quebec Superior Court has approved a $3.5-million settlement over noisy repair work on the Ville-Marie-Expressway two decades ago. Those affected have until May 28 to file a claim. Global’s Felicia Parrillo reports
  
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• Allison Hanes: Education strategy is welcome, but is it progress or patching holes?

  16-01-2018 23:26 via montrealgazette.com
  Investing in its youngest citizens to give all children have an strong start in life is one of the smartest things a government can do, especially in a society as well off as Quebec.
  So the announcement of a $1.4-billion strategy Tuesday, made with much fanfare by Premier Philippe Couillard, Education Minister Sébastien Proulx and Family Minister Luc Fortin, aimed at the 800,000 children age 8 and under in this province, must be evidence of this government’s commitment to kids and f
  
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• Judge urges Lac-Mégantic jurors to try again after they hit impasse

  16-01-2018 23:11 via montrealgazette.com
  SHERBROOKE — A judge urged jurors in the Lac-Mégantic trial on Tuesday to try once more to reach unanimous verdicts after they told him they had come to an impasse on Day 6 of deliberations.
  Quebec Superior Court Justice Gaétan Dumas told the eight men and four women that failing to reach verdicts for the three accused will not reflect badly on them, provided they “made an honest effort.”
  “The law gives me the power to dissolve the jury if it appears that ho
  
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• No refunds planned, RTM says after two days of commuter train delays

  16-01-2018 23:10 via montrealgazette.com
  Frozen track switches and mechanical glitches caused delays once again on Montreal’s suburban train lines Tuesday, but commuters shouldn’t expect any reimbursements, transit authorities said.
  “It’s not anticipated for now, given that it’s really an exceptional situation” caused mainly by extreme temperature swings followed quickly by heavy snowfalls, said Élaine Arsenault, spokesperson for the Réseau de transport métropolitain (RTM).
  The a
  
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• He's not the comic hero, but Montreal's Scott Pilgrim is taking on the world too — with his camera

  16-01-2018 22:45 via cbc.ca
  Pilgrim wants his images to suspend reality —so that you can interpret them whatever way you want.
  
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• Quebec announces $1.4B early childhood education strategy

  16-01-2018 22:35 via globalnews.ca
  The government of Quebec is investing $1.4 billion into early childhood education. Some parents and educators are thrilled, others caution healthy skepticism.
  
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• Vigil to be held Wednesday in honour of ‘Pops,’ a saviour to the homeless

  16-01-2018 22:22 via globalnews.ca
  A vigil for Father Emmett Johns, founder of Dans la rue, will be held at Place Emélie-Gamelin on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
  
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• Mary Kills People, Anne, Ava, Mohawk Girls among nominees at Screen Awards

  16-01-2018 22:03 via montrealgazette.com
  TORONTO — This year’s Canadian Screen Awards will boast a “solid slate” of work from women, organizers said Tuesday as Karine Vanasse, Sarain Fox and Paul Sun-Hyung Lee unveiled the nominees and addressed how the #MeToo and #TimesUp female empowerment movements might factor into the upcoming show.
  CBC/Netflix’s female-led Anne, featuring the plucky young heroine from Lucy Maud Montgomery’s classic novel, nabbed a leading 13 nominations. They include best drama
  
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• Congolese rumba to Montreal beats: How Pierre Kwenders celebrates the African diaspora

  16-01-2018 22:00 via cbc.ca
  Kwenders' new album reveals a powerful point of view from the musician, who was born in Africa and discovered new sounds in Montreal.
  
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• Verdun man charged with threatening Valérie Plante

  16-01-2018 21:56 via montrealgazette.com
  A Verdun resident was arrested by the Montreal police and charged during the weekend with threatening Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante by email. 
  Claude Meilleur, 63, faces one charge of uttering a threat to “cause the death or bodily harm” to Plante. The alleged threat was made on Jan. 11. 
  Montreal police spokesperson Constable Jean-Pierre Brabant confirmed that an arrest was made in connection with a threat made to the mayor and that a suspect was arrested and charge
  
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• Eye tests in kindergarten among new measures aimed at kids aged 0 to 8

  16-01-2018 21:54 via cbc.ca
  The government will spend another $1.4 billion between now and 2022 on children aged eight and under, in a bid to increase young Quebecers' chances of educational success — particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  
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• Eye tests in kindergarten among new measures aimed at improving school success

  16-01-2018 21:54 via cbc.ca
  The government will spend another $1.4 billion between now and 2022 on children aged eight and under, in a bid to increase young Quebecers' chances of educational success — particularly students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
  
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• Tribute for Dans la rue's Pops to be held Wednesday, funeral on Jan. 27

  16-01-2018 21:49 via montrealgazette.com
  The funeral of Father Emmett Johns, the street-smart Catholic priest who founded Dans la rue, will be held in Montreal on Saturday, Jan. 27.
  The time has not been confirmed for the service to be held at St. Patrick’s Basilica, said Étienne Lalonde, communications director at Dans la rue.
  Johns’s casket will be at Montreal city hall on Jan. 25 and Jan. 26 to allow people to pay their respects. The hours are to be confirmed.
  A tribute to Pops will be held Wednesday night at Parc
  
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• Murder victim killed in error as part of 'the silliest of feuds,' jury told

  16-01-2018 21:36 via montrealgazette.com
  Fehmi Sen was killed by mistake within the context of the silliest of feuds, a jury at the Montreal courthouse was told at the start of the trial of two Montreal men accused of murdering him.
  “(Sen) was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” prosecutor Yasaman Jahanbakhsh said in her opening statement to a jury at the Montreal courthouse Tuesday morning. For the next six to eight weeks, the jury will hear evidence that is part of the Crown’s case alleging LaSalle resident Marlo
  
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• 'There's never a word there when you don't need it': Montreal dancer moves like Leonard Cohen's language

  16-01-2018 21:30 via cbc.ca
  Clara Furey knew Leonard Cohen all her life, and she brings his approach towards words to her movement.
  
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• PQ departures: Maltais expected to follow exiting MNAs Cloutier, Léger

  16-01-2018 20:56 via montrealgazette.com
  QUEBEC — Two veteran Parti Québécois politicians Tuesday confirmed their intention to leave the arena and not seek re-election in 2018. 
  And meanwhile a third MNA, Taschereau riding’s Agnès Maltais, is expected to follow them out the door. Maltais has scheduled a 3 p.m. news conference Tuesday in her riding – the only one held by the PQ in the provincial capital – to announce her decision to leave.
  But the day started with Lac-Saint-Jean MNA Alex
  
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• Lac-Mégantic trial judge exhorts jurors to try to agree on verdict

  16-01-2018 20:53 via cbc.ca
  "Would you please try once again to reach a verdict?" Quebec Superior Court Justice Gaétan Dumas asks the eight men and four women who have been deliberating for six days in the trial of three former railway workers indicted for their roles in the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster.
  
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• Jury in Lac-Mégantic trial unable to agree on verdicts, seeks guidance from judge

  16-01-2018 20:53 via cbc.ca
  The jury in the trial of three former railway workers indicted for their roles in the Lac-Mégantic disaster says it is unable to agree on verdicts after six days of deliberations.
  
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• Judge in Lac-Mégantic trial exhorts jury to try to reach unanimous verdict, if possible

  16-01-2018 20:53 via cbc.ca
  "Would you please try once again to reach a verdict?" Quebec Superior Court Justice Gaétan Dumas asks the eight men and four women who have been deliberating for six days in the trial of three former railway workers indicted for their roles in the Lac-Mégantic disaster.
  
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• Lac-Megantic trial: Jury sent back to deliberate after reaching an impasse

  16-01-2018 20:51 via globalnews.ca
  The jury deliberating the fate of three men accused of criminal negligence causing death in the Lac-Megantic railway disaster told the judge they reached an impasse Tuesday afternoon.
  
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• Lac-Megantic trial: Jury at an impasse after 6 days of deliberations

  16-01-2018 20:51 via globalnews.ca
  The jury deliberating the fate of three men accused of criminal negligence causing death in the Lac-Megantic railway disaster told the judge they reached an impasse Tuesday afternoon.
  
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• Lac-Mégantic jurors are at an impasse, ask judge what to do

  16-01-2018 20:49 via montrealgazette.com
  SHERBROOKE — The jurors at the Lac-Mégantic trial have told the judge they are at an impasse in their deliberations.
  Quebec Superior Court Justice Gaetan Dumas read a letter from the jurors Tuesday afternoon in which they asked him what happens if they can’t reach unanimity.
  The jurors began their deliberations last Thursday.
  Tom Harding, Richard Labrie and Jean Demaitre were charged with criminal negligence causing the 2013 tragedy that killed 47 people when a runaway train c
  
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• Montreal train delays continue to frustrate commuters

  16-01-2018 20:41 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16:The Réseau de transport métropolitain admits it is having numerous technical glitches and is doing what it can to fix the issues. But as Global’s Dan Spector reports, commuters still aren’t happy.
  
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• The 411 on 211: Montreal neighbourhood resource website expanded

  16-01-2018 20:38 via montrealgazette.com
  Montrealers looking for neighbourhood social and community resources now have a one-stop-shop online.
  The Centre de référence du Grand Montréal on Tuesday launched 211 Grand Montréal — 211qc.ca — to provide information to the 4 million people living in the 82 municipalities that make up the greater Montreal area.
  The 211 service had already been available to residents of Montreal, Laval, L’Assomption and Thèrése-de-Blainville. 
  
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• Dan Delmar: 'Et maintenant' and Quebec progressives' consensus-building

  16-01-2018 20:37 via montrealgazette.com
  From the battle to maintain heavily subsidized postsecondary education to winning the Montreal mayoralty, the effectiveness of Quebec progressives has been noteworthy in recent years.
  The consensus-building sentiment in the Et maintenant manifesto shows one reason why. It represents a subtle yet important distinction between the intellectually adventurous culture that produced its authors and a seemingly more fractured, acrimonious English-Canadian left wing.
  Writers Léa Clermont-Dio
  
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• We found out why #ItsBetterInTheBahamas this week thanks to our friends at @VisitTheBahamas @AirCanadaVac… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…

  16-01-2018 20:35
  We found out why #ItsBetterInTheBahamas this week thanks to our friends at @VisitTheBahamas @AirCanadaVac… twitter.com/i/web/status/9…
  
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• Court approves $3.5M settlement in Ville-Marie Expy. construction noise lawsuit

  16-01-2018 20:08 via globalnews.ca
  Anyone living within 350 metres south and 170 metres north of the Ville-Marie, between Guy Street and de Carillon Avenue is eligible.
  
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• Montreal train delays create frustration: ‘It’s just a system people can’t rely on’

  16-01-2018 19:59 via globalnews.ca
  A traffic expert doesn't believe things will soon improve on RTM trains.
  
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• Canadiens Notebook: Jonathan Drouin moves from centre to wing

  16-01-2018 19:32 via montrealgazette.com
  It looks like the Canadiens have seen enough now of Jonathan Drouin trying to be a No. 1 centre in the NHL.
  When the Canadiens hit the ice for practice Tuesday morning in Brossard, Drouin was at right wing on a line with Jacob de la Rose at centre and Alex Galchenyuk on the left. You can expect to see that trio together Wednesday night when the Canadiens visit the Boston Bruins (7:30 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN Radio 690).
  Drouin has struggled this season trying to adjust to playing centre after being us
  
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• Canada's Erik Guay plans to ski in Olympics despite back injury

  16-01-2018 19:16 via cbc.ca
  Erik Guay plans to ski for Canada at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, despite a back injury, according to a release from Alpine Canada.
  
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• Fire update: 3 firefighters, 1 policeman injured, 60 homeless in Longueuil

  16-01-2018 18:45 via montrealgazette.com
  An intense apartment fire near Montreal has left as many as 60 people homeless.
  Investigators believe Monday night’s fire started in a top-floor unit and was sparked by hot cooking oil left on a stove.
  The blaze spread quickly through the four-storey structure, heavily damaging the two dozen units inside the building in Longueuil’s Saint-Hubert sector.
  No residents were injured, but Longueuil police spokeswoman Mélanie Mercille said three firefighters and a police officer suff
  
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• 'Digital file' will follow Quebec children from birth through school

  16-01-2018 18:38 via montrealgazette.com
  Quebec unveiled its strategy for children under 8 years old Tuesday, including the establishment of a “unified digital file” that will follow the child throughout their school career. The file is meant to ensure a smooth transition from level to level.
  The strategy, on which Quebec says it will spend $1.4 billion by 2022, also includes support for community organizations that are able to reach children who do not attend daycares, particularly children of immigrants and children from
  
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• 'No refunds are forecast' RTM says after two days of commuter train delays

  16-01-2018 18:23 via montrealgazette.com
  Problems with switches and mechanical glitches caused delays on Montreal’s suburban train lines again Tuesday, but commuters shouldn’t expect any refunds or discounts on their train passes, as has been done in the past.
  “For the moment, no refunds are forecast,” said Élaine Aresenault, spokesperson for the Réseau de transport métropolitain. The agency that oversees commuter rail service for the Montreal metropolitan region will be putting more resourc
  
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• Taxpayers watchdog group posts petition against Montreal tax hike

  16-01-2018 18:15 via montrealgazette.com
  The Quebec chapter of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) has posted an online petition demanding Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante remove a 3.3-per-cent tax hike from the city’s 2018 budget.
  “Instead of cutting the fat at the city of Montreal, Valérie Plante chose the easier course of taxing taxpayers even more,” reads the petition, posted at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. “(Taxpayers) will see their bill go up by an average of 3.3 per cent, which is 50 per cent higher
  
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• CBC Montreal's Debra Arbec nominated for Canadian Screen Award

  16-01-2018 18:10 via cbc.ca
  Congratulations to CBC Montreal News at Six anchor Debra Arbec, who has been nominated for a 2018 Canadian Screen Award in the best local news anchor category.
  
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• Australia complains to WTO about Canadian rules on selling wine

  16-01-2018 18:09 via cbc.ca
  Australia has complained at the World Trade Organization about the rules applied to sales of wine by Canada and various provinces, a WTO filing shows.
  
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• Six O'Clock Solution: Lotsa Vegetables Soup with Lentils

  16-01-2018 18:00 via montrealgazette.com
  This robust soup of Indian origin makes a nourishing meal-in-one. The dish from Mumbai cookbook author Anjali Pathak is one of more than 100 recipes in The Soup Sisters Family Cookbook (Appetite by Random House, $24.95). The book was edited by Calgary’s Sharon Hapton, who founded the Soup Sisters non-profit organization in 2009.
  This is the third in the Soup Sisters series of cookbooks, based on contributions from recognized Canadian, American, and British cooks. The recipe was adapte
  
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• 'You can't do politics at half throttle': PQ MNAs Cloutier, Léger quit

  16-01-2018 17:13 via montrealgazette.com
  QUEBEC — Another top Parti Québécois politician is leaving the ship. 
  Lac-Saint-Jean MNA Alexandre Cloutier confirmed Tuesday at a news conference in his home riding that he is leaving because he not longer feels motivated enough to keep up the demanding life.
  “You can’t do politics at half throttle,” Cloutier said. “My enthusiasm, especially when I set out to cross the park on the drive to Quebec City, has crumbled.
  “I have no regrets. I am
  
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• Asylum seekers need donations during harsh Quebec winter, agencies say

  16-01-2018 17:10 via montrealgazette.com
  Agencies that help asylum seekers settle in Quebec are appealing for donations of winter clothing.
  Most of the newcomers are not prepared for Quebec’s harsh winters and don’t have the money to outfit their families, the Salvation Army says.
  The Salvation Army is looking for winter coats, hats, gloves, balaclavas and scarves for women and children, but especially for men.
  PRAIDA, the government-funded organization that helps asylum seekers settle in Quebec, is also asking Quebecers to
  
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• Thomas Mulcair to head Quebec Earth Day board

  16-01-2018 17:09 via montrealgazette.com
  Former NDP leader Thomas Mulcair has been named chairman of the board of Jour de la terre Québec, the non-profit organization dedicated to furthering environmental causes.
  The volunteer position is a good fit for Mulcair, who as Quebec’s environment minister supported the Kyoto Protocol calling for an international reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
  Mulcair, who is expected to leave federal politics this year, assumed the post on Jan. 11.
  
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• Verdun man charged with death threat against Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante

  16-01-2018 16:54 via montrealgazette.com
  A Verdun resident was arrested by the Montreal police and was charged over the weekend with threatening Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante by email. 
  Claude Meilleur, 63, faces one charge of uttering a threat to “cause the death or bodily harm” to Plante. The alleged threat was made on Jan. 11. 
  Montreal police spokesperson Constable Jean-Pierre Brabant confirmed that an arrest was made in connection with a threat made to the mayor and that a suspect was arrested and char
  
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• PQ loses heavyweight MNAs Alexandre Cloutier, Nicole Léger ahead of 2018 election

  16-01-2018 16:51 via globalnews.ca
  Alexandre Cloutier, 40, said Tuesday morning he will see out his mandate but not be a candidate for the Oct. 1 election.
  
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• Doggy-proofing your car

  16-01-2018 15:45 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16: Nissan Canada’s Claudianne Godin joins Global’s Kim Sullivan to show off the Rogue Dogue, an SUV project car that includes pet-friendly safety features.
  
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• 2018 Top Canadian fitness trends

  16-01-2018 15:45 via globalnews.ca
  Tue, Jan 16: Fitness expert Suaad Ghadban joins Global’s Kim Sullivan with the top 10 Canadian fitness trends for 2018.
  
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• Former Parti Québécois leadership candidate Alexandre Cloutier leaving politics

  16-01-2018 15:36 via cbc.ca
  Alexandre Cloutier, a prominent Parti Québécois MNA and former leadership candidate, will not run in the next election.
  
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