On August 17, the governments of Québec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Canada announced a new agreement in principle involving Hydro-Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro for the future of Churchill Falls. The agreement revisits and considerably expands the deal first negotiated under former Québec premier François Legault in 2024. It includes the continued use and expansion of the existing Churchill Falls generating station, the development of the Gull Island hydroelec

Most Quebecers will be enjoying the construction holiday over the next two weeks. It will provide one last respite before what promises to be a colourful election season. With the campaign likely to begin in only a few weeks, Québec Now is providing an overview of the parties as they line up on the starting line: CAQ: An Incumbent Government Facing Political Extinction Christine Fréchette made a successful debut with an initial bump in the polls, but since then she has stru

Québec will not solve its housing crisis without making a genuine shift in favour of residential construction and development more broadly. The challenge is much like the one facing the rest of Canada: demand is outpacing supply, while projects remain too slow, too complex, and too costly to complete. Despite the urgency, Québec’s current approval system still makes it exceptionally difficult to advance new developments. Approval delays are often excessive, processes lack pre

Although Québec’s new Integrated Energy Resource Management Plan acknowledges that energy demand will grow significantly over the coming decades, it does not yet provide a sufficiently detailed and credible strategy for meeting that demand. In its current form, the plan places a disproportionate share of Québec’s energy future on Hydro-Québec. Electrification is presented not simply as an important part of the transition, but as its primary solution. By 2050, electricity dema

That’s it: in Québec, the final parliamentary session before the general election has concluded. MNAs are returning to their ridings to prepare for the election campaign, which is expected to officially launch in a matter of weeks. What has defined the final stretch of the CAQ’s second mandate? In this month’s issue of Québec Now, our team offers you a concise overview of the latest political developments in the province. A last-minute bill on energy drinks passes In recent

As the final pre-election parliamentary session concludes, it is abundantly clear that energy remains one of the major blind spots of the CAQ government’s record. Energy supply issues have rarely been at the forefront of public debate, yet they lie at the heart of almost every major economic challenge facing Québec. The warning signs are multiplying and show no signs of easing. For one, Hydro-Québec is dealing with low reservoir levels. Québec has been importing electricity

With the parliamentary session now behind them, Québec politicians are heading into the summer and back to their ridings with one mission: to be seen. Over the coming weeks, MNAs, ministers, candidates and party leaders will be making appearances at neighbourhood festivals, barbecues, local events and community gatherings across the province. As the October 5 election approaches, the race has become more fluid. The latest Synopsis-La Presse poll puts the Parti Québécois in fi

With MNAs back at the National Assembly and Premier Christine Fréchette now sworn in, Québec has entered the final stretch before the next election campaign. This month’s update highlights the key political developments shaping the months ahead. Parliamentary return: a soft landing for Christine Fréchette Observers were eagerly awaiting the resumption of parliamentary proceedings, as it marked the first real test for the newly installed CAQ Premier. Overall, the return to the

The debate over Québec’s riding redistribution raises questions that go far beyond the redrawing of a few electoral districts; it directly challenges the credibility of the province’s democratic system. The independent Commission de la représentation électorale has established a new electoral map, which is set to come into force on July 15, 2026. This redrawn map of the province’s ridings is intended, among other things, to better reflect population shifts observed in Québec

Christine Fréchette was elected leader of the governing Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) on April 12, following a leadership race that proved more competitive than many observers had anticipated. Gathered in Drummondville for the announcement of the results, the party confirmed Ms. Fréchette’s victory with 5 7.9 % of the vote, besting h er opponent Bernard Drainville. The campaign, which began in an already politically charged environment, quickly took on a more combative tone t

Between the March Break, significant weather events, and the wait for the appointment of a new premier, Québec’s political ecosystem has slowed down over the past few weeks, but it hasn’t come to a full stop! Here is our latest roundup of Québec political news from the last month. CAQ: Leadership race overshadowed by Iran conflict, ice storm One might have expected that the very first leadership race of the CAQ, which will effectively determine the identity of the next premie

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has pushed gasoline prices in Québec up by about 25 cents per litre in just a few days, and for many Quebecers, that sort of leap is hard to ignore. But the reality is that this isn’t just the impact of a global shock; it’s a blow to a province already dealing with its own energy challenges. Québec is under pressure. Electricity demand is growing, major industrial projects are competing for limited capacity, and long-term planning is st

The CAQ Government presented the annual budget last Wednesday, and at moment of significant political and economic uncertainty, its cautious tone reflects both. With the Finance minister operating under a “caretaker government” following Premier François Legault’s resignation, and global instability weighing on growth, this year’s fiscal plan breaks from the traditionally ambitious nature of pre-election budgets. Instead, it offers a restrained approach shaped largely by the

Members of the National Assembly returned to their seats last week, amid the intensifying race for the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) leadership. Although the legislative session is underway, it is no longer entirely clear who is actually governing Québec. On certain sensitive issues, there are now three distinct positions: that of François Legault – who intends to govern until the very end of his mandate – and those of the two leadership candidates, each seeking to distinguis

The leadership race unfolding within the Coalition Avenir Québec has quickly evolved beyond a simple internal contest. What was expected to be a controlled succession following the resignation of Premier François Legault has instead exposed deep tensions inside the governing party and raised broader questions about its direction — and about whether a change in leader can realistically alter the trajectory of Québec politics in the short term. Two candidates, two political app

Fresh off a damaging confrontation with physicians, the Québec government now finds itself engulfed in another major controversy. This time, it centres on the abolition of the Québec Experience Program (PEQ), announced by Immigration Minister Jean-François Roberge. Initially framed as a technical and administrative adjustment, the decision has quickly snowballed into both a political and symbolic crisis. Until now, the PEQ offered a fast track to permanent residency for forei

The National Assembly of Québec may have been on break over the past few weeks, but make no mistake: Québec’s political news cycle has rarely been this turbulent. Premier François Legault resigns Faced with a series of polls pointing to a crushing defeat for the CAQ in the impending general election, and despite having put forward several popular measures in recent months, François Legault came to a clear conclusion: Québecers want change. Unfortunately for him, that change n

The political landscape in Québec has entered a period of transition following the resignation of Premier François Legault in mid-January. After two years marked by declining popularity, Legault’s departure has opened the door to a leadership race within the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) that will be decisive not only for the future of the party, but also for the direction of the Québec government itself. The stakes are high, as the next CAQ leader will automatically become Q

To avoid creating a leadership vacuum in the Premier’s Office, François Legault confirmed during his resignation announcement that he would remain in office until a new leader is elected on April 12. Until then, he will carry the unenviable title of a lame duck: a head of government still holding office, but on the way out. While transitional leaders typically keep a low profile, François Legault will instead face a high stake final chapter to his mandate, seeking to preserve

As the holiday season approaches once again, some traditions never fade: the Christmas tree, festive carols, New Year’s wishes… and the Québec Now parliamentary session wrap up. If you want to know what has shaped the past few weeks in Québec’s halls of power— and what lies ahead for 2026—this year-end edition is a must-read. Physicians’ Compensation: A First Breakthrough Amid Ongoing Uncertainty After weeks of deadlock, negotiations over physicians’ compensation have seen