First segment of high-speed rail project to connect Montreal and Ottawa
MONTREAL -- The first segment of the federal government's proposed high-speed rail project will connect Montreal and Ottawa, the transport minister announced Friday.
Maura Forrest
While National Newswatch does not keep an archive of external articles for longer than 6 months, we do keep all articles written by contributors who post directly to our site. Here you will find all of the contributed and linked external articles from Maura Forrest.
Quebec Liberals under investigation by anti-corruption police
MONTREAL -- Quebec's anti-corruption police have launched a criminal investigation of the provincial Liberal party, prompting some Liberals to voice doubts about the continued leadership of former federal cabinet minister Pablo Rodriguez.
Consultations set to begin on controversial Quebec constitution bill
MONTREAL -- A draft constitution tabled two months ago by the Quebec government was supposed to be a unifying declaration of Quebecers' common values, but it has instead been denounced as ill-conceived, divisive and authoritarian.
Montreal to open 500 new spaces in warming shelters for unhoused people
MONTREAL -- The mayor of Montreal says the city's homelessness crisis is "more serious than ever" and addressing it is her top priority.
Muslim students concerned as Quebec government tables sweeping new secularism rules
MONTREAL -- As the Quebec government tables broad new restrictions on religious practices, Muslim students say they feel unfairly singled out by measures that would forbid them from praying anywhere on college and university campuses.
Montreal university students decry Quebec government's plan to ban prayer rooms
MONTREAL -- Muslim students at a Montreal university say they're deeply troubled by the Quebec government's plan to ban prayer rooms in post-secondary schools.
Former federal minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada elected mayor of Montreal
MONTREAL -- Montrealers have chosen Soraya Martinez Ferrada, a Chilean refugee who became a federal minister, as their new mayor in a vote for change that has unseated the city's left-leaning government of the last eight years.
Former federal minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada in the lead to become Montreal mayor
MONTREAL -- Soraya Martinez Ferrada, a former federal Liberal minister, has taken the lead in Montreal's mayoral election, as results roll in from municipal elections that took place Sunday across Quebec.
Polls close on election day in municipalities across Quebec
MONTREAL -- Polls have closed in most of Quebec's roughly 1,100 municipalities after voters turned out Sunday to elect their local leaders.
Five things you may not know about the 1995 Quebec referendum
MONTREAL -- The 1995 referendum on independence took place 30 years ago on Thursday, when a razor-thin majority of Quebecers voted to stay in Canada. After a dramatic campaign during which the sovereigntist side came from behind to take a lead in the polls in the final weeks before the vote, 50.58 per cent of voters chose "no."
Young, proud, online: Quebec's newest sovereigntists hope to revive an aging movement
MONTREAL -- The self-described CEO of the next generation of Quebec sovereigntists is a 17-year-old rapper and TikTok sensation who claims to be more influential than Premier Francois Legault.
Five things to know about the fight between Quebec doctors and the government
MONTREAL -- Doctors in Quebec are up in arms over a recent provincial law that imposes a new payment system on physicians and prohibits them from using pressure tactics to oppose the policy.
Fear, relief, anguish: Reliving the emotion of the 1995 Quebec referendum
Louise Harel cried only once during the 1995 Quebec referendum. It was in the middle of the campaign, when she saw internal polling that showed the sovereigntists in the lead. Then a Parti Quebecois minister, Harel said the numbers made her believe, for the first time, that Quebec might choose independence. "It was possible, it was achievable, and it was...
Fear, relief, anguish: Reliving the emotion of the 1995 Quebec referendum
MONTREAL -- Louise Harel cried only once during the 1995 Quebec referendum.
Lawyer for Bloc candidate who lost by one ballot urges court to annul vote
MONTREAL -- The lawyer for a former Bloc Quebecois MP who lost her riding by a single vote in the April federal election says allowing the result to stand would send a "disastrous message" to voters.
Records reveal what Chretien told ministers before Quebec referendum
MONTREAL -- Six days before the nail-biting 1995 Quebec referendum that nearly tore the country apart, Jean Chrétien told his ministers to keep their cool.
Supreme Court rules against Kanesatake in $2-million dispute with Quebec lawyer
MONTREAL -- Canada's top court has sided with a Quebec lawyer in a $2-million dispute that has lasted for more than two decades, involving a Montreal-area Mohawk community.
Quebec government tables draft constitution to protect values, boost autonomy
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government has tabled a draft constitution that would enshrine the right to abortion and assisted dying while boosting the province's autonomy within Canada.
Quebec government tables draft constitution to be 'law of laws'
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government has tabled a draft constitution that Premier Francois Legault says will protect Quebecers' distinct identity and culture.
Federal officials were interested in proposed Quebec LNG project, documents show
MONTREAL -- Senior federal officials touted a proposed liquefied natural gas facility in Quebec as having the potential to export "substantial volumes" of LNG to Europe, documents show.
Quebec premier launches last-ditch effort to avoid political annihilation
MONTREAL -- A defiant Francois Legault took a fighting stance as he entered a party convention last weekend, accompanied by the theme song from Rocky III.
Supreme Court considering $2-million dispute between Kanesatake and Quebec lawyer
MONTREAL -- Canada's top court is currently weighing a $2-million dispute that has embroiled a Quebec lawyer and a Montreal-area Mohawk community for more than two decades.
Quebec premier promises new legislation inspired by federal major projects law
MONTREAL -- Quebec Premier Francois Legault says his government will table new legislation to speed up environmental approvals, modelled on the federal major projects law.
Quebec bet big on Lion electric school buses. Now critics say the plan has backfired
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government's aggressive push to electrify its school bus fleet -- while giving one local manufacturer a virtual monopoly -- could now be turning school bus operators off electric vehicles and delaying the transition, critics say.
Lion school bus woes should make Quebec revisit electrification plan, critics say
MONTREAL -- The abrupt withdrawal of 1,200 Lion electric school buses from the roads in Quebec is prompting renewed criticism of the provincial government's approach to electrification -- and of its decision to give one local company a virtual monopoly.
Quebec judge declares Northvolt insolvent as province recovers $200 million
MONTREAL -- A Quebec Superior Court judge has declared insolvent the North American branch of battery maker Northvolt as the provincial government looks to recover $260 million owed to it by the company.
Quebec ends funding for Northvolt battery factory
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government is pulling the plug on a $7-billion electric-vehicle battery project near Montreal and trying to recoup some of its investment.
Quebec government to table legislation to ban prayer in public places
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government says it is planning to ban prayer in public places as part of a move to strengthen secularism in the province.
Uncertainty reigns in Kanesatake nearly one month after cancelled election
MONTREAL -- Tensions are flaring in the Mohawk community of Kanesatake nearly one month after an election was abruptly called off, leaving disagreement and uncertainty over who is in charge and how to organize another vote.
Quebec committee says government should extend religious symbols ban to daycares
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government should phase out public funding of religious private schools and extend the religious symbols ban to daycare workers, says a committee tasked with advising the province on how to strengthen secularism.
Conservatives hoping for first seat as two-way race emerges in Quebec byelection
MONTREAL -- A polarizing figure who railed against pandemic restrictions and wants to break Quebec's consensus on carbon pricing could be days away from claiming a long-coveted seat in the provincial legislature.
Rat complaints on the rise in Montreal as critics demand city take action
MONTREAL -- The rats took over James Klein's backyard this spring.
Montreal colleges dispute findings of government investigation
MONTREAL -- A recent Quebec government investigation into the climate at two Montreal junior colleges may have had a chilling effect on teachers, according to the director general of one of the schools.
Prayer rooms, student groups causing tension in Quebec colleges, new report says
MONTREAL -- Prayer rooms, political student groups and controversial course content are fuelling a climate of tension and mistrust at two of Quebec's junior colleges, according to a new government report.
Quebec Liberals hope to boost their fortunes as they choose new leader
MONTREAL -- After a drawn-out campaign overshadowed by upheaval in Ottawa and threats from the United States, Quebec Liberals will choose a new leader this weekend who they hope will revive the party from years of inertia.
Quebec government vows to maintain out-of-province tuition hike
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government is promising to maintain a university tuition hike for out-of-province students despite a court ruling that found the existing policy is not justified.
Quebec premier says he's not going anywhere as legislative session ends
MONTREAL -- Following a legislative session dominated by an embarrassing scandal and persistent queries about his political future, Quebec Premier Francois Legault insists he's not bothered by withering criticism from his opponents, and remains focused on the economy.
Five things about Quebec's new language rules for businesses
MONTREAL -- New rules took effect in Quebec on Sunday requiring French to be the dominant language on store signs and imposing stricter guidelines for product packaging.
Via Rail subsidiary paid Quebec marketing firm $330K as it pivoted to high-speed rail
MONTREAL -- A federal Crown corporation paid more than $330,000 to an outside marketing firm to rebrand a planned passenger rail project between Toronto and Quebec City and boost its popularity.
Kahnawake casino owners sue Mohawk council, grand chief for $220 million
MONTREAL -- Two owners of a casino in a First Nations community southwest of Montreal are suing the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake for more than $200 million.
Consortium of Quebec investors to purchase Lion Electric
MONTREAL -- A group of Quebec investors has reached a deal to acquire and relaunch Lion Electric, offering a second chance to the struggling vehicle-maker.
Quebec sovereigntists watch Alberta referendum talk with optimism, disdain
MONTREAL -- As Alberta flirts with the possibility of a referendum on separation, Quebec sovereigntists are watching with interest -- and a healthy dose of skepticism.
Quebec raises doubts about electrification as it refuses to reinvest in Lion Electric
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government says it is rethinking the pace of its plan to electrify the transportation sector and will not pump any more public money into vehicle maker Lion Electric.
Elections Canada to investigate voting barriers in Nunavik
MONTREAL -- Elections Canada says it will investigate "shortcomings" that prevented some people in Nunavik from casting their vote in Monday's federal election.
Montreal buses remove 'Go! Canadiens Go!' after complaint to language watchdog
MONTREAL -- City buses in Montreal have dropped the expression "Go! Canadiens Go!" following a complaint to Quebec's language watchdog.
None of Canada's five cardinals likely to be next pope, Vatican experts say
MONTREAL -- A Canadian cardinal was a top contender the last time a new pope was elected, but observers say that's unlikely to be the case this time around.
Quebec's move to cut gasoline floor price won't be felt at the pumps, experts say
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government has made a move it hopes will lower the price of gas in the province -- but observers say consumers are unlikely to benefit at the pump.
Quebec remains on board with carbon pricing, but how long will it last?
MONTREAL -- Pressure is starting to mount on Quebec to reconsider its cap-and-trade emissions pricing system after the federal consumer price ended Tuesday.
Quebec becomes last province with a price on carbon, but how long will it last?
MONTREAL -- As Quebec becomes the last province in Canada that hasn't abandoned carbon pricing, the provincial government could start feeling pressure to align itself with the rest of the country.
Internal report finds major flaws in program to recruit foreign nurses to Quebec
MONTREAL -- Foreign nurses recruited to Quebec through a provincial government program faced "major obstacles" upon their arrival, including a lack of housing, child care and transportation, according to an internal report.
Quebec bill would expand religious symbol ban, force students to uncover faces
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government has tabled new legislation that would expand the province's religious symbols ban to all school staff.
Quebec committee to look at how to strengthen secularism, possible public prayer ban
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government has announced a new committee to make recommendations on how to strengthen secularism in the province, including by possibly restricting public prayer.
Quebec auto board 'fiasco' could be largest scandal since Charbonneau commission
MONTREAL -- The Quebec government is grappling with a controversy that could be the biggest political scandal in the province since the Charbonneau commission, which found deep corruption in the construction industry, observers say.
Municipalities, rights groups concerned about Quebec bill on integrating immigrants
MONTREAL -- Quebec municipalities and human rights groups are voicing concerns about proposed legislation that would require newcomers to abide by a set of common values.
First Nations must not be forgotten amid Trump threats, outgoing Chief Picard says
MONTREAL -- Indigenous people risk being pushed aside as Canada looks to defend itself against a possible trade war with the United States, says an outgoing regional chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Quebec EV company Lion Electric made big promises, but struggled to deliver
MONTREAL -- A Quebec company once hailed as a success story in the electric-vehicle transition has struggled to deliver on many of its most ambitious plans.
Canadian children see thousands of digital ads for unhealthy food every year: report
MONTREAL -- Children in Canada are exposed to more than 4,000 ads for food on their mobile devices every year, with the vast majority promoting unhealthy products, according to a new report.
Amid U.S. tariff threats, a fight may be brewing over Canadian supply management
MONTREAL -- The federal government and the Canadian dairy industry are vowing to protect the country's supply management system in the face of threats from the United States.
New bill will require Quebec newcomers to adopt 'common culture,' minister says
MONTREAL -- Quebec's immigration minister says newcomers to the province need to embrace the "common culture," as the government looks to put Quebec identity back at the forefront of the political agenda.
Quebec legislature returns for spring session amid Trump tariff threat
MONTREAL -- The Quebec legislature resumes sitting Tuesday for a spring session likely to be dominated by the threat of a trade war with the United States and a renewed focus on secularism and identity.