TL;DR
- Montreal elected Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Ensemble Montréal) as mayor on Nov 2; her party won a council majority, ending eight years of Projet Montréal at city hall. (globalnews.ca)
- Quebec City re‑elected Bruno Marchand with ~49% and a strengthened council; he cast the result as a mandate for the tramway. (elections2025.ville.quebec.qc.ca)
- Ottawa tabled the Nov 4 federal budget: C$280B in five‑year investments, C$60B in savings (incl. a ~10% civil‑service reduction by 2028/29), immigration levels trimmed from 2026, plus stablecoin/open‑banking laws; final confidence vote is slated for Nov 17. (reuters.com)
- Quebec’s new physician‑compensation law (Bill 2) is now facing court action; the FMSQ sought an urgent stay and argued parts should be suspended. (coupdoeil.info)
- Montreal’s STM strike continues (Nov 1–28); bus drivers and metro operators have added strike days Nov 15–16, which could mean another full shutdown pending essential‑services rulings. (montreal.citynews.ca)
Montreal elects Soraya Martinez Ferrada; Ensemble Montréal takes city hall
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- Former federal minister Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Ensemble Montréal) won the Nov 2 mayoral race; Ensemble led in a majority of council seats that night. (globalnews.ca)
- Important context and background information
- The result ends two terms of Projet Montréal’s leadership under Valérie Plante and signals a policy reset on housing, homelessness, mobility and construction‑site management. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Recent developments or changes
- Early coverage highlights pledges to revisit certain bike paths, improve metro safety, and keep Camillien‑Houde open to vehicles; Luc Rabouin announced he would step down as Projet leader after the loss. (toronto.citynews.ca)
Quebec City: Bruno Marchand re‑elected; tramway framed as mandate
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- Official results show Marchand re‑elected with 49.4% and his party taking 18 of 21 council seats. (elections2025.ville.quebec.qc.ca)
- Important context and background information
- Marchand cast the outcome as a signal that voters want the Quebec City tramway to proceed after years of headwinds. (globalnews.ca)
- Recent developments or changes
- With a firmer council, city hall is positioned to advance transit, incinerator relocation and a property‑tax pledge (inflation‑linked). (globalnews.ca)
Ottawa’s Nov 4 budget: big capital, trims to operations, new finance rules; vote Nov 17
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- Budget 2025 outlines ~C$280B over five years (infrastructure, productivity, defence/security, housing) with C$60B in savings, including a ~10% civil‑service reduction by 2028/29. It also proposes legislation for fiat‑backed stablecoins and consumer‑driven “open banking.” (reuters.com)
- Important context and background information
- Immigration levels plan: stabilize permanent‑resident targets at 380,000 for 2026–2028 and reduce new temporary‑resident admissions; the budget page details these shifts. (budget.canada.ca)
- Recent developments or changes
- The House Order Paper sets the fourth (final) budget‑debate day—and the confidence vote—for Monday, Nov 17. (ourcommons.ca)
Quebec physician law faces court challenge
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- After the National Assembly adopted Bill 2 under closure on Oct 25, the Fédération des médecins spécialistes du Québec (FMSQ) filed for an urgent stay; arguments were heard Nov 6. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Important context and background information
- The law links part of pay to performance targets and bans “concerted actions”; the FMSQ and FMOQ argue elements violate fundamental freedoms. (ckom.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- In court filings, FMSQ sought suspension of specific provisions (e.g., sanctions and monitoring); the case proceeds in Superior Court. (journaldemontreal.com)
Montreal transit: month‑long STM strike continues; Nov 15–16 shutdown risk
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- STM maintenance workers are on strike Nov 1–28, with limited peak‑hour metro and bus service. Bus drivers and metro operators (CUPE 1983) already struck Nov 1 and served notice for Nov 15–16. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Important context and background information
- Essential‑service levels for Nov 15–16 will be decided by Quebec’s labour tribunal (TAT); a full shutdown is possible if no essential services are ordered. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Recent developments or changes
- STM continues to operate paratransit; riders are advised to follow STM advisories for peak windows and any tribunal updates. (montreal.citynews.ca)
Culture: ADISQ 2025—Industry & Premier Gala winners
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- On Nov 5, ADISQ announced winners for the Gala de l’Industrie and Premier Gala (e.g., Album de l’année – Alternatif: Klô Pelgag’s Abracadabra; Choix de la critique: Lou‑Adriane Cassidy’s Journal d’un Loup‑Garou). Main televised gala is Sunday, Nov 9. (adisq.com)
- Important context and background information
- The two Nov 5 events awarded 46 Félix, spotlighting Quebec’s 2024–25 releases across genres. (adisq.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- Broadcast/rerun details: Premier Gala aired live Nov 5 (Télé‑Québec) with replay Nov 9 at 16:00; the main gala airs Nov 9 in prime time. (adisq.com)