TL;DR
- Quebec Premier François Legault announced his resignation (Jan 14); the CAQ leadership race is underway with Environment Minister Bernard Drainville (Jan 24) and Economy Minister Christine Fréchette (Jan 25) declaring. (apnews.com)
- Ottawa–Washington–Beijing: PM Mark Carney called President Trump’s new tariff threats “pre‑positioning” ahead of the 2026 USMCA review; the U.S. trade chief called Canada’s cap for Chinese EVs “problematic.” (apnews.com)
- Hydro‑Québec appealed a Régie de l’énergie ruling it says harms grid upkeep; meanwhile, the Appalaches–Maine interconnection began commercial service (Jan 16), boosting clean‑power exports to New England. (nouvelles.hydroquebec.com)
- Montréal transit: STM professionals ratified their agreement (Jan 22); maintenance workers ended their overtime strike Jan 11 without a deal—talks continue. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Culture watch: Éric K. Boulianne’s Quebec feature “Folichonneries” opens in cinemas Friday, Jan 30. (filmsquebec.com)
Legault resigns; CAQ leadership race launches
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- On January 14, 2026, Premier François Legault said he will step down and stay on until the CAQ selects a new leader ahead of the fall election. (apnews.com)
- Important context and background information
- The resignation follows months of weak polling; a leadership contest was triggered within a tight pre‑election calendar. (apnews.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- Bernard Drainville declared on January 24; Christine Fréchette launched on January 25 with multiple caucus endorsements. Party rules indicate ministers who run are expected to step aside from portfolios during the race. (lecharlevoisien.com)
US–Canada trade: Carney downplays tariff threats; U.S. flags China‑EV cap
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- On January 26, PM Mark Carney called recent 100% tariff threats from President Trump “pre‑positioning” before the USMCA/CUSMA 2026 review, reiterating Canada does not seek a broad China deal. (apnews.com)
- Important context and background information
- Canada’s Jan 16 China “strategic partnership” allows up to 49,000 Chinese EVs annually at the 6.1% MFN tariff in exchange for tariff relief on Canadian agri‑food exports; USTR Jamieson Greer labeled Canada’s EV move “problematic.” (ca.finance.yahoo.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- Ottawa frames the EV cap as modest in scale; the exchange sets the stage for a contentious USMCA review with implications for Quebec’s autos, aluminum and aerospace. (apnews.com)
Hydro‑Québec challenges regulator; cross‑border line goes live
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- On January 19, Hydro‑Québec filed for judicial review of a Régie de l’énergie decision it says curtails essential preventive maintenance; hearings on multi‑year rates concluded Jan 21. (nouvelles.hydroquebec.com)
- Important context and background information
- HQ argues the ruling undermines reliability targets in its Action Plan 2035 and would raise long‑run costs if maintenance is deferred. (nouvelles.hydroquebec.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- On January 16, the Appalaches–Maine HVDC interconnection entered commercial service, enabling large clean‑power exports and bidirectional flows between Quebec and New England. (news.hydroquebec.com)
Montréal transit: professionals ratify; maintenance unit unresolved
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- About 800 STM professionals approved their Dec 31 tentative agreement on January 22; the ~2,400 maintenance workers ended their Dec 11–Jan 11 overtime strike without a settlement. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Important context and background information
- Earlier, drivers/operators and admin–tech units had deals in principle; negotiations with maintenance staff remain the key outstanding labour file. (montreal.citynews.ca)
- Recent developments or changes
- STM says it remains available to negotiate after 20+ months of talks; service is back to normal but labour peace is not yet complete. (montreal.citynews.ca)
Quebec culture: Folichonneries opens Jan 30
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- Éric K. Boulianne’s feature “Folichonneries,” starring Boulianne and Catherine Chabot, opens across Quebec on Friday, January 30, following festival premieres at Locarno and TIFF. (filmsquebec.com)
- Important context and background information
- Distributed by Entract Films, the Montreal‑shot comedy continues a strong winter slate for Quebec cinema. (filmsquebec.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- Quebec outlets flagged it among notable 2026 local releases to watch this month. (tvanouvelles.ca)