(TLN) During a recent meeting with the president of
the Quebec Union of Municipalities, Laval mayor Marc Demers suggested the
province’s towns and cities should work to develop a common snow removal
strategy, taking into account new climate realities that snow removal crews are
dealing with.
Changing
climate
Demers noted that despite all the hard work by the
City of Laval’s public works crews for snow removal and de-icing, quickly
evolving climate changes are creating situations that are drastically
complicating the task for snow removal workers.
In the proposal made to UMQ president (and
Drummondville mayor) Alexandre Cusson, Demers said, “Since it would seem
obvious that all the efforts to combat climate change will not succeed in
reversing the trend in the short-term, should not the UMQ create a study table
which would concern itself with the strategies to be adopted in order to deal
with this new reality?”
An
evolving situation
According to Mayor Demers, the idea takes into account
weather conditions which would have been considered exceptional previously,
although they’ve now become more common, including quickly rising and dropping
temperatures and twice as much rain as usual for this time of year.
“In the space of a few days or sometimes even during
just a single day, we see periods of snow and rain fall that are often spaced
with periods of freezing rain,” Demers added in his message to the UMQ
president. He also suggested certain parameters within which discussions on
snow removal and climate change might be discussed.
Learning
to adapt
“The goal should be to see how we can better adapt to
the numerous challenges created by the new climate conditions our crews now
face on the terrain,” he said. “This includes challenges to come, as well as
our future needs in order to improve our operational strategies.
Demers suggested that Laval city councillor Ray
Khalil, who is responsible for public works on the City of Laval’s
executive-committee, should serve as a liaison with UMQ members sharing similar
concerns. For his part, Khalil said he was confident that Laval and other UMQ
cities could find a common ground in order to develop an improved approach to
snow and ice removal in the context of a changing climate.
(TLN) Given the increasingly evident effects of
climate warming on the environment, the Conseil régional de
l’environnement de Laval is asking the provincial government to adopt a policy
for regional wetland plans within the next five years.
Range of wetlands
According
to the council, wetlands include different ecosystems such as swamps, marshes,
bogs, fens and ponds. They have distinct fauna, flora as well as habitat and
ecological functions. What they do have in common is the permanent or intermittent
presence of surface or soil water.
Wetlands
therefore have a large buffering capacity for excess rain water and flooding
mitigation, which as well known, is expected to increase with climate change. Wetland
value is widely recognized scientifically but also legally in Quebec.
Regional plan needed
“Regional
county municipalities (RCM) or groupings of RCMs must adopt a regional wetland
plan (Plan régional des milieux humides et hydriques) within 5 years,” the
council says in a statement, while noting that Bill 132 concerning wetland
conservation requires authorization from the Quebec Environment Ministry if a
wetland is to be affected or destroyed.
Compensation
of the affected area is also mandatory in order to achieve no net loss of
wetlands. However, the council wonders whether wetlands in Quebec are well
protected. On the one hand, they say, obtaining a certificate of authorization
requires a request and a waiting period before it is successfully granted,
although this is usually in most cases. The council concludes that a generic
wetland is therefore not protected and could be potentially backfilled and
destroyed.
Replacing wetlands
On
the other hand, no net loss rule implies that any destroyed or altered area has
to be recreated elsewhere, but without considering the pristine state of the
wetland. A destroyed swamp could be compensated by a pond of equal area. Wetland
ecosystems support different ecological communities and have specific functions
such as controlling the water balance in a sector.
The
council compares this to compensating for a damaged house with a tent of the
same area without municipal infrastructures. The council notes that the City of
Laval initiated a regional wetland plan by inventorying the city, which
revealed 1,550 hectares of diverse and threatened wetlands. In 2018, the environment
ministry gave out 14 permits and 14 more are pending or in evaluation.
Political will needed
“It
takes decades to recreate the complexity and initial ecological functions of a
new wetland,” says the council. “However, to conserve an existing and thriving
one only takes a few minutes of political will. Wetland compensation should be
but a backup when no options are available but is in no way a shortcut for
sustainable development.”
The
council maintains that the current authorization certification process “fuels
irresponsible development by making ecological destruction socially acceptable.
Our lax system is allowing loss of our natural and common legacy. Our
resilience to climate change is provided by these urban ecosystems: the forest
cools us, ponds mitigate floods, swamps are outstanding habitats and marshes
retain heavy metals.
Fighting with sand bags
“We
are fighting global natural catastrophes with sand bags and air conditioning
while voluntarily heading towards a wall of failure,” they continue. “What we
need is a solid conservation plan to protect ecological services which we
depend on.”
The
council points out that New York City protected the state’s Catskills forests
to secure the water supply, instead of building an inefficient water plant. “We
know the risks related to climate change and have solutions to mitigate them,”
they say. “We have to stop this irrational and short-term profit-oriented
destruction of wetlands, or in five years, our regional wetland plan will be
very dry.”
For the 12th consecutive year, the Montreal Canadiens are
teaming up with the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence (FAEQ) to reward the
next generation in women’s and men’s hockey. Tonight, prior to the NHL game
between the Montreal Canadiens and the Anaheim Ducks at the Bell Centre, 29 of
Quebec’s most promising hockey student-athletes each received a $1,500
scholarship from the team’s general manager, Marc Bergevin.
“As a sports organization, we are very proud to have been promoting
the sporting and academic success of young hockey players across the province
for 12 years, and to, once again tonight, highlight the outstanding performance
of our recipients both on the rink and on school benches,” said Geoff
Molson, president and CEO of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club.
Thanks to the bursary
program created in 2008, the Montreal Canadiens play an active role in the
development of homegrown talent. In 2015, the partnership with the Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence was
extended for another five years with an amount of $250,000 invested in the
program until 2020.
“What more could
a young hockey student hope for than to be supported by the Montreal Canadiens?
The Fondation de l’athlète d’excellence
is truly proud of this valuable collaboration from the Habs, which goes
well beyond financial support, reminded Claude
Chagnon, president of the FAEQ. Indeed, what a feeling to be encouraged by
the most famous hockey club in the world! The Montreal Canadiens are a
prestigious and key partner for the FAEQ, and together, we are dedicated to the
success of our province’s best hockey student-athletes.”This year, the
Montreal Canadiens Bursary Program, administered by the FAEQ in partnership
with Hockey Québec and the Midget AAA Hockey League, will benefit 29
student-athletes between the ages of 15 and 17, who were selected for their
on-ice achievements as well as their academic results. Eight were awarded to
laureate players from the women’s Quebec team looking for a selection with
Canada’s national team, while 21 bursaries were handed out to young hockey
players from the Midget AAA level. One of the eligibility criteria for the Fondation
de l’athlète d’excellence scholarships focuses in the scholastic perseverance
of young athletes in preparing for a career after sports.
Jérémie Bergeron recieves his $1500 scholarship from Marc Bergevin, General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens
Photo: CHC-Thierry du Bois-OSA Images
Jérémie Bergeron Born January 21, 2002 in Laval Academic Excellence of $1500
Goaltender with the Laval-Montréal Rousseau-Royal of the Midget AAA Hockey League.
Recorded 6 wins, 9 losses and 1 SOL with a .882 save percentage in 16 games in his rookie season with Rousseau-Royal
Playing with the Laval Patriotes midget team, he was selected 70th overall by the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in the 2018 QMJHL draft
Took part in the 2018 Gatorade Challenge with the Newfoundland entry
Currently completing his final high school year in the sports development program at École Antoine-de-Saint-Exupéry. He posted an 88% academic average in the first term
Inspired by Laurent Duvernay-Tardif, Jérémie plans on continuing his education towards a medical degree. While suiting up with the Saguenéens in 2019-20, he will also study Nature Science at the collegiate level. He hopes to work in the field of pediatric or sports medicine.
McGill University announced today that it has received the
single-largest gift in Canadian history to create a flagship graduate
scholarship program thanks to a $200-million donation from longtime University supporters,
John McCall MacBain, BA’80, LLD’14, and Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain.
The McCall MacBain
Scholarships at McGill will provide outstanding students from Canada and
internationally with the opportunity to pursue a master’s or professional
degree, combined with a world-class enrichment program. In addition to full
funding to cover tuition and fees plus a living stipend, scholars will benefit
from mentorship and immersive learning experiences, including retreats,
workshops and internships. It will be the most generous and comprehensive
graduate scholarship to exist at this level in Canada.
“We are incredibly grateful to John and Marcy McCall MacBain
for their visionary support of McGill’s students,” said Principal and
Vice-Chancellor Suzanne Fortier. “As McGill prepares to celebrate its
Bicentennial in 2021, the McCall MacBain Scholarships embody our vision for
McGill’s third century: a place where students become future-ready and prepared
to contribute to shaping our rapidly changing world.”
Applications will
open in the fall of 2020 to students from across Canada for the inaugural
class. McCall MacBain Scholars will begin their studies at McGill in the fall
of 2021. The Scholarships will then be expanded to include international
students in the third year of operation. Ultimately, the program will build a
community of scholars dedicated to solving pressing global issues and complex
problems that will improve the lives of others around the world.
(TLN) On Thursday Feb. 14 at 8:15 am, representatives
of Agape, Laval Senior Academy and the Community Learning Centre were outdoors
at Laval Senior Academy, taking advantage of School Perseverance week (Feb. 11
– 15) to welcome students as they entered school for the day.
Launching
web site
They were giving out Got my info? pens to all the
students (and staff) that morning for the official launch of the new Got my
info? website. At the same time, they were giving words of encouragement and
praise to all the youths they met outside the Souvenir Blvd. secondary school.
Like the French-language As tu mon numéro.com web site, Gotmyinfo.com is an interactive web site for all
English-speaking Laval youths, parents and professionals in various areas
working with youth (school network, municipal level, health and social services
and community sector).
A joint effort
Got my info? is a joint initiative that was created in 2006
by various Laval partners working with youth who’s mission was to create
awareness of the many resources available for Laval youth.
The As-tu
mon numéro?committee is composed of representatives from Agape, Carrefour jeunesse emploi de Laval, Centre communautaire Val-Martin, Commission scolaire de Laval, Corporation intégration à la vie active des
personnes handicapées de Laval – CIVAPHL, CISSS de Laval and the City of Laval with support from ALPABEM – project fiduciary.
Commmittee members
The Got my info? committee
is composed of representatives from Agape, CISSS de Laval, the Community Learning Centre, the Sir Wilfrid Laurier
School Board, CDC Vimont with support from Health Canada action plan for
official languages 2018-2023 – investing in our future – managed by the
Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN).
The organizers say that, through a joint collaboration,
they are making information and resources accessible to Laval’s
English-speaking youth, families and professionals. The As-tu mon numéro?
committee collaborated with Agape and the Got my info? committee to translate
and design the website into the English language.
In
an effort to protect and enhance the heritage architecture on its territory,
the City of Laval, in keeping with a trend in other cities in Quebec, has
served noticed that it is drafting a new by-law dealing with the demolition of
buildings and other structures considered architecturally significant because
of their heritage value.
More
than 1,400 buildings and structures are targeted by the by-law. Almost all of
them are part of pre-inventory of the City of Laval’s heritage architecture
that was conducted in 2015 by the firm Patri-Arch. The list includes primary
and secondary buildings, roadside crosses, shrines, tombs and a vault.
Heritage protection
The
city’s by-law was developed in keeping with elements contained in a provincial
law on urban planning, which allows municipalities to have regulations to
control the demolition of buildings considered noteworthy – with special
emphasis on their heritage value.
“We
are very happy that this project is coming together which will certainly help
to avoid regrettable demolitions, attesting to our willingness to guarantee the
continuation of this collective wealth which is architectural heritage,” said
Laval councillor for Sainte-Rose Virginie Dufour, an executive-committee member.
Demolitions suspended
Since
the new by-law came into effect on Jan. 31, the issuing of demolition permits
has been suspended for buildings eyed by the city for possible preservation
based on their heritage value. This suspension will cease to be valid under the
following conditions:
If
the demolition by-law is not adopted within the two months following the
passing of the resolution; If the demolition by-law has not come into effect
within the four months following its adoption; When the demolition by-law comes
into effect.
Over
the past year, a groundbreaking public consultation was conducted by the city
among property owners potentially affected. Around 100 heritage buildings were
identified. During the consultations, around 30 people took part in four
working sessions between April and May 2018.
45 recommendations
The
participants came up with around 45 recommendations, which were presented to
members of the executive-committee. Some of the recommendations were taken up
by the executive-committee, including one that called for additional support
for a program to revitalize heritage buildings.
Among
the tasks that have already been accomplished: The creation of an inventory of
roadside crosses and shrines all over Laval’s territory; The creation of a study
on the history and heritage of the Saint-François de Sales sector; The
realization of a series of videos on Laval’s heritage and history; The
restoration of roadside crosses and shrines in Laval’s public areas.
From the left: Jonathan Dufour, president of the Association des pompiers de Laval
Sandra Desmeules, member of Laval executive-committee, René Daigneault, Laval Fire Department Director, Éric Morasse, city councillor for Saint-François, Ricardo Martinez, project leader from Bureau des grands projets de la Ville de Laval, and Yvon Léonard of the Musée des pompiers de Laval.
(TLN) Residents in the eastern half of the City of
Laval will be more protected than ever against fire with the opening of a new
firehall in the district of Saint-François.
Decentralized
plan
In its revised master plan for fire risk coverage 2015-2019,
the City of Laval made a commitment to decentralize the Saint-François firehall
in order to meet standards which required a minimum of 10 firefighters on the
scene of a blaze within 10 minutes of a call, in 90 per cent of cases.
According
to the city, this will allow rescue operations to take place more efficiently,
while ensuring safe evacuations and minimal losses of property.
Meeting
the needs
“The Saint-François firehall was among
the investments which were planned for in the revised plan for which an amount
of $31 million was allotted to meet the needs of the citizens while taking into
account all the risks needing to be covered on our cast territory,” said Mayor Marc Demers.
“I am happy for the citizens of the district of
Saint-François
and for Councillor Éric Morasse, who since being elected had always supported the
construction of this project for the new firehall number 5,” said Sandra
Desmeules, who sits on the executive-committee with responsibilities for public
security. “This represents an investment of more than $8 million to assure the
safety of our citizens.”
New equipment
An
improved striking force at the Laval Fire Department will be made possible with
new equipment at the Saint-François firehall, including two pumper trucks made for a crew of four
firefighters each, and a ladder truck with three firefighters, for a minimum of
11 firefighters at all times.
“Thanks to some new and efficient equipment at the new
Saint-François firehall, we will be able to respond for efficiently to the 400 calls and 50
fires per year in this area of Laval,” said René Daigneault,
director of the Laval Fire Department.
Feb 18 – Police are searching for a man who failed to
show up in court recently.
André Doré was arrested in 2014 and charged with multiple
drug-related offenses. He was released on bail but has failed to appear in
court since then.
The mug shot of Doré was taken when he was 56-years-old.
He is now 62.
According to police, he was living in Chertsey, in the
Laurentians, but his current whereabouts are unknown.
Police urge anyone with information about Doré’s location
to call their info-line and speak confidentially with an officer: 450-662-INFO
(4636)
Armed Standoff in
Fabreville Ends Quietly
Feb 15 – A section of Boul. Ste-Rose was closed off to
traffic on Friday afternoon as police dealt with an armed standoff situation.
Police say they received a call at 4:30 p.m. reporting an
armed man in a house on Bellemare St. in Fabreville. A neighbour had rung the
doorbell and had been greeted by a man with a gun at the door. The neighbour
retreated to his house and called 911.
Around
10 officers were dispatched to negotiate with the armed man. They eventually
convinced him to exit the house and the situation ended peacefully. The man was
detained and could face possible criminal charges including pointing a gun at
someone.
Ste-Rose Boulevard was closed for several hours between
31st Avenue and Frenette Street, as the standoff unfolded.
First Two Homicides
of 2019 Occur Only Days Apart
Feb 14 – Laval police were called to the scene of the
first two homicides of the year, which occurred only days apart from each
other. The provincial police has since taken over the investigation due to the
victims’ ties to organized crime.
The first murder happened on Feb 11.
Police responded to a call about an injured man in the
parking lot of an apartment building on Havre des Îles Avenue in Chomedey. It
was just after 4 a.m. Monday morning.
The victim, later identified as 35-year-old Eliot
Blanchard, was taken to hospital in serious condition but later died of his
wounds. Blanchard was well-known to police for previous drug-related offenses
and his connections to local organized crime.
The second murder to occur in Laval happened about three
days later.
Shortly before midnight on February 13, police received a
call reporting a man lying on the ground beside his car on Potier St near the
intersection of Edimbourg St. in Vimont. When police arrived, the victim was semi-conscious.
He had suffered obvious injuries as well as a bullet to the head. He was rushed
to hospital but subsequently died of his injuries.
The victim was identified as Ray Kahno, who police say,
was a well-known drug smuggler with strong ties to the Italian mafia.
Walking Prohibited
Along Snowmobile Trails
Feb 5 – Laval police want to remind everyone that walking
along snowmobile trails is prohibited by law.
Pedestrians are not permitted on the trails, unless it is
for the sole purpose of crossing the path safely and in the most direct manner.
Offenders may be subject to a fine of $150, plus fees.
Laval officers patrol the paths to ensure everyone’s
safety.
From the left: Valérie Grenon, president of the FIPEQ-CSQ, Francine Lessard, executive-director of the CQSEPE and Quebec Liberal MNA for Westmount-St. Louis Jennifer Maccarone who is the PLQ’s official critic for family issues.
Martin C. Barry
Jennifer
Maccarone, the Quebec Liberal Party’s official critic for family issues on the
National Assembly’s opposition benches, says that even though her party doesn’t
disapprove completely of the CAQ government’s plan to make children as young as
four attend pre-kindergarten, the PLQ thinks resources would be better used on
more pressing educational projects.
PLQ questions plan
Maccarone,
former president of the Quebec English School Boards Association and past
chairperson of the Sir Wilfrid Laurier School Board, was among the guests who
attended a press conference held in Laval on Feb. 11 at the Joyeux Bambins
children’s daycare in Fabreville by the Conseil québécois des services
éducatifs à la petite enfance (CQSEPE) and the Fédération des intervenantes en
petite enfance du Québec (FIPEQ-CSQ).
While
the Liberals question the government’s plan, the CQSEPE and the FIPEQ-CSQ both
want the CAQ government’s plan stopped altogether. “Childcare workers and
employers from the sector are agreed in calling for a stop to the development
of new kindergartens for all four-year-olds,” CQSEPE director Francine Lessard
and FIPEQ-CSQ president Valérie Grenon said in a statement.
Petition by PQ
Although
now reduced to 10 seats in the National Assembly, the Parti Québécois is also
behind the movement opposing the pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds. A
petition launched by PQ MNA for Joliette Véronique Hivon last December is
gaining support.
In
the meantime, some of the
criticism has been directed at the CAQ’s only elected member of the National
Assembly from Laval – Sainte-Rose CAQ MNA Christopher Skeete.
“How can Christopher Skeete endorse the implementation
of four-year-olds kindergartens wall-to-wall when this is not the will of
fellow citizens,” said the FIPEQ-CSQ’s Valérie Grenon. “We are
calling on them to demand investments for our little ones in our public network
of children’s daycares.”
Opponents and critics of the CAQ government’s plan to introduce wall-to-wall pre-k for four-year-olds held a press conference at a Fabreville daycare on Feb. 11.
Against
wall-to-wall plan
In an interview with the Laval News, Maccarone said,
“We’re not against the idea of four-year-old pre-k – we’re against the idea of
wall-to-wall implementation. We believe in complementarity – in having a
complementary system. And we think what we need to do is to take some steps
back to evaluate.”
However, at this point the Liberals remain uncertain
as to how the CAQ is going to proceed implementing the plan, she added. “We now
know that the price tag has gone up from $250 million that they had announced
during their electoral campaign, to between $400 and $700 million.” But in the
meantime, Maccarone and her PLQ colleagues agree there is considerable
opposition to what the CAQ wants to do.
Léger
poll backs claims
“We have many stakeholder groups that are saying that
this isn’t the solution that we need to put into place today, from teachers to
specialists and researchers. And now we’ve added the voice of parents.” She
cited a recent survey conducted by the Léger polling firm indicating that just one of every five parents would
choose four-year-old pre-k in the education system over the daycare system.
“The minister is saying that this is the best way to
early diagnose some children that have potential difficulties. But the reality
is that four years old is too late – it has to happen much earlier. And so
rather than invest the $400 to $700 million in the school system to get
four-year-old pre-k, why not take that money and invest it in the daycare
system?
More
thinking needed
“Because if we’re talking about having professionals,
then we can certainly have those professionals available in alternatives that
work. And we know that our schools don’t have enough places. If we’re talking
just about the Francophone network especially, they are bursting at the seams.
“Many of our schools require significant investments
in infrastructure to improve the quality of the buildings. We also have a
shortage of teachers and a shortage of labour in general,” Maccarone added. “What
we need to be doing is focusing our attention elsewhere. So it’s not that
four-year-old pre-k is a bad idea – it’s just not well thought out.”
When former federal Conservative cabinet minister
Maxime Bernier was pondering what would make a good name for his new political
party, he as well as supporters had some initial misgivings about “People’s
Party of Canada.”
Naming
the party
“In the beginning we had a debate about the name of
our party,” Bernier recounted to a room full of followers who gathered in Côte
des Neiges recently to announce the PPC’s candidate in the upcoming
by-election in Outremont.
“People’s Party – that’s communist,” said Bernier, drawing
raucous laughter from the crowd, while recalling a typical reaction from PPCers
who are located a great deal more to the right on the political scale.
PPC leader Maxime Bernier, right, introduces the party’s candidate in the Feb. 25 Outremont by-election, Canadian Armed Forces veteran James Seale.
Vet
running in Outremont
However, in the end common sense prevailed when it was
suggested that the PPC needed an easily identifiable abbreviation so as not to
become confused with other parties. The party’s launch event was held to
officially announce the candidacy of Canadian Forces veteran James Seale as the
PPC’s candidate in the Feb. 25 Outremont by-election.
While Bernier was making his pitch to a largely ethnic
crowd in highly multicultural Côte des Neiges, he told them the PPC exists to unite Canadians under a
single party banner regardless of their cultural origins.
“If you’re a Canadian of Chinese origin or of Indian
origin you’re a Canadian and that’s important,” he said. “There’s no pandering.
We won’t speak to you as a Chinese Canadian or a Muslim Canadian. You are
Canadian first.”
A
different approach
He sought to differentiate the PPC’s approach from
most of the other federal parties, including the Liberals and the
Conservatives. “They try to please every special interest group or every ethnic
community in our country with special programs,” Bernier said.
Referring to Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and
“his cult of diversity,” Bernier said Trudeau is “saying that diversity is our
strength, and we all know that it is not that. It is what unites us that is our
strength. We must celebrate what unites us.”
Currently garnering up to 6 per cent support in Quebec
in recent Léger
opinion polls, Maxime Bernier is regarded by a rising number of
supporters as a dependable politician who is known for speaking his mind. He is
said to harbour strong beliefs in personal responsibility and freedom. In his
public statements, he expresses these values as well as an unwavering
commitment to reducing the size of government.
PPC candidate in Outremont James Seale, right, listens as party leader Maxime Bernier introduces him during a campaign event held recently in Côte des Neiges.
A fierce competitor
According
to an official biography posted on the PPC website, Bernier was born Jan. 18,
1963, in St-Georges-de-Beauce. He is the father of two girls. He is also a
dedicated and experienced runner and has participated in a number of marathons.
Regarded as a tough and determined competitor, Bernier once ran 106 kilometres
across his constituency, completing the run in 13 hours, while raising $165,000
for a Beauce food bank.
He
has a long-standing interest in business and during his career worked for
several financial and banking institutions before becoming executive vice-president
of the Montreal Economic Institute in 2005. Various people from his region
encouraged him to enter politics. He took up the challenge and was elected the
MP for Beauce on January 23, 2006, with the largest majority outside Alberta.
He was appointed to Cabinet on February 6, 2006 as Minister of Industry.
Quit the Tories last year
Under
the Conservatives, Bernier also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs. He was
re-elected to represent Beauce on October 14, 2008. Re-elected again in May
2011, he was appointed Minister of State for Small Business and Tourism.
Although
re-elected another time in November 2015, on Aug. 23, 2018, he left the
Conservative Party of Canada to sit as an independent MP and soon announced the
launch of the PPC. Since receiving official party recognition in January,
Bernier and the PPC have been increasingly perceived as a thorn in the side of
the Conservatives.
People’s Party of Canada candidate in the Outremont by-election James Seale, left, explains some of his positions as PPC leader Maxime Bernier looks on.
Highly critical of the CPC
In
a statement he issued last August explaining his decision, Bernier stated: “I
know that the free-market conservative philosophy has the best solutions to
ensure our society is more prosperous, secure, and peaceful. However, my
party’s stands on several issues have convinced me that under the current
leadership it has all but abandoned its core conservative principles.
“Instead
of leading as a principled Conservative and defending the interests of Canada
and Canadians, Andrew Scheer is following the Trudeau Liberals,” he continued. “A
Conservative party that supports free markets should also advocate the end of
corporate welfare … I am now convinced that what we will get if Andrew Scheer
becomes prime minister is just a more moderate version of the disastrous
Trudeau government.”
