Quebec government, minister ordered to pay $60k to evangelical group
A Quebec Superior Court judge ruled that the provincial government and the former tourism minister discriminated against an evangelical Christian group in 2023 by cancelling their venue rental, Radio-Canda reported.
Justice Alain Trudel ruled that by cancelling B.C.-based Harvest Ministries International’s event in Quebec City, the government and former minister Caroline Proulx both unlawfully breached a contract and violated the group’s freedom of expression. Proulx said that events which run counter to the province’s “fundamental principals” shouldn’t be held at a public venue, as the government oversees the convention centre at which the event was to be held. In defending her position she highlighted the group’s anti-abortion messaging.
“Her interference [ . . . ], motivated by essentially political considerations, and her contemporary public statements based on personal convictions that the expression of [Harvest Ministries International’s] anti-abortion views had no place in a public space belonging to the state, demonstrate a desire to infringe upon the plaintiff’s freedom of expression,” the judgment states.
The judge ordered Proulx, the provincial government and the convention centre to pay $30,636.92. Proulx was ordered to personally pay $30,000 for violating the group’s freedom of expression.
Outaouais paramedics still without contract
Despite other unions announcing tentative agreements with the provincial government recently, paramedics in the Outaouais region have been without a contract for 16 months, Le Droit reported.
“Morale is definitely low. We’ve been on strike [since December 2025], and pressure tactics aren’t exactly fun. We’re limited, and it’s not always pleasant to use them,” said Alex Charlebois, president of the Fraternité des paramédics de l’Outaouais.
The details of the pension plan remain the sticking point in the negotiations. The local union, which represents 300 members, is affiliated with the La Fédération du préhospitalier du Québec (FPHQ).
The union is asking for similar retirement packages to those offered to nurses, union reps say.
The provincial government has already reached agreements with two other paramedic unions.
“Agreements have already been reached with 99% of public and parapublic sector employees,” the Treasury Board stated. “The negotiating team has the necessary mandate to reach an agreement with the remaining groups.”
8-1-1 wait times getting longer
The average wait time for Quebec’s Info-Santé 8-1-1 line has significantly increased since 2022, from 30 minutes to 54 in 2025, CBC News reported.
Last month the average spiked to 98 minutes, according to Santé Quebec’s online performance metrics. The report states that requests for an English-speaking nurse took 10 minutes longer on average. The non-emergency health-line received 1.7 million calls in 2022, compared to 1.9 million in 2025.
Santé Québec spokesperson Catherine Brousseau told CBC that an increased volume of calls, labour shortages and the increased complexity of calls caused the backlog. The limited availability of bilingual nurses was the cause of the longer wait times for English services, she said.
Santé Québec encourages residents to contact 8-1-1 before heading to the emergency room.
