RACING CARS AND MONTREAL

RACING CARS AND MONTREAL… 
By Bernard Bujold - 
I just finished reading the autobiography "PASSION INTACTE" by François Dumontier, former head of the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix. As a reminder, Dumontier was the promoter of the Formula 1 Grand Prix between 2010 and 2019. There was no Grand Prix in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, and in 2021, Bell, the country's largest telecommunications and media company, acquired Dumontier's Octane Racing Group. 
Personally, I attended the Canadian Grand Prix, but in a different era than Dumontier, between 1997 and 2007, and for various reasons, including the crowds and the difficult access to Île Notre-Dame, my interest subsequently waned. My "Grand Prix" era was during Normand Legault's time there, and it was always a pleasure to greet him when I ran into him around town. 
That being said, I loved reading Dumontier's book. It reveals several secrets about the Grand Prix organization, including the Normand Legault era, and one can only admire François Dumontier's career. 
A must-read! 
https://www.archambault.ca/livres/passion-intacte/fran%C3%A7ois-dumontier-dominique-fauteux/9782924923368/?lang=en-ca&id=4630959&cat=1884314&srsltid=AfmBOoopwQNedresL06B2KsN-6X6bXZUAFRUZFf7gGw_NFpmmWf2LOB4

THE POPE'S WAR

THE POPE'S WAR -
By Bernard Bujold -
Pope Leo has just published an encyclical, a 42,300-word open letter sent to his 1.4 billion Catholic faithful worldwide. "Magnifica Humanitas," or "Magnificent Humanity." This letter primarily aims to defend the values ​​of the Catholic Gospel, but it also directly attacks artificial intelligence. One could say that Pope Leo is declaring war on new technologies (AI). 
I have read the encyclical, and it is clear that the Pope is concerned about the role of artificial intelligence in society. In a way, AI is taking the place of priests in accompanying people and answering their questions about life, and in a more neutral way, because priests are human and therefore subject to more weaknesses, flaws, and shortcomings than machines (power, sex, money). Pope Leo describes the field of artificial intelligence as a highly promising area and a valuable tool, but he emphasizes throughout the text that artificial intelligence is not human, even if it closely resembles the human mind or even the soul. Pope Leo XIV has been one of the world's leading critics of repressive measures against immigration and of war, outlining a moral agenda that has sometimes challenged political leaders around the world, particularly in the United States. Pope Leo has added artificial intelligence to his list of battles, taking on a different kind of power broker—this time in Silicon Valley, China, and elsewhere. 
Will the Pope win his war? No one wins in a war... 
SEE THE ENCYCLICAL 

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html 

SEE THE ANALYSIS 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/world/europe/pope-leo-encyclical.html?unlocked_article_code=1.lFA.PE_K.ni37z23iLhKd&smid=url-share

MARTIN ST-LOUIS'S SECRET

MARTIN ST-LOUIS'S SECRET… 
For most retired National Hockey League players, coaching a pee-wee hockey team is a fun transition to civilian life. What St-Louis couldn’t have known at the time was that it would bring him right back to the NHL and lead him to the head coaching position with the Montreal Canadiens… 
It happened in 2022, and at the time, even the general manager, Kent Hughe, was not sure of his choice, and he was taking a pretty big leap of faith by offering the top job to a pee-wee coach… What if his St-Louis failed? The Canadiens would be laughed at by the fans and by the whole league for having hired a pee-wee coach. 
St-Louis’s recipe for winning in the Pee-Wee League was to make sure the players had fun. St-Louis has applied that same recipe with his NHL team—a recipe he learned with kids, players half the age of those on the Canadiens. However, part of St. Louis’s success may well stem from the Canadiens’ youth, as Montreal is one of the youngest teams in the NHL, with an average age of 25.8. You could call them big kids... 
In 2026, one could conclude that Martin St-Louis won his challenge, and the former pee-wee hockey coach could very well be the one to end Canada’s 33-year Stanley Cup drought. 
To be continued… 
READ FULL STORY IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL 
https://www.wsj.com/sports/hockey/martin-st-louis-canadiens-nhl-77233472?st=xJm4Az&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

THE LAST MONTH OF SPRING 2026

THE LAST MONTH OF SPRING 2026… 
By Bernard Bujold - 
We’ve already reached the last month of spring, and everywhere nature is preparing for the arrival of summer on June 21… 
This weekend will be particularly busy in the metropolis that is Montreal, with the Canadiens playing hockey on Thursday, May 21, and Saturday, May 23, while the Canadian F1 Grand Prix will take place at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Sunday, May 24. 
Personally, there was a time when I loved attending these large gatherings, but now that I’m an old man, I prefer the solitude and tranquility of the lakes and mountains in the forest. 
Have a good weekend...

ELECTIONS AND CANDIDATES RECRUITMENT

ELECTIONS AND CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT -
Par Bernard Bujold - 
Christine Fréchette is recruiting candidates for the October 5 election by emailing party members… This strategy is seen by her opponents as a sign of the CAQ’s difficulty in attracting high-profile candidates, unlike Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon and Charles Milliard. 
The strategy is reminiscent of Jack Layton’s in May 2011, when there was a strong popular enthusiasm for Layton, who was battling cancer and used his cane to rally the crowds… Several NDP candidates had been recruited at random from among his fans... 
However, in 2026, there is no such popular enthusiasm for Fréchette. 
To be continued... 
SEE REPORT IN LA PRESSE 
https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/2026-05-21/elections-provinciales-2026/la-caq-se-cherche-25-jeunes-candidats-par-courriel.php

THE POSSIBILITIES OF LIFE

THE POSSIBILITIES OF LIFE… 

 By Bernard Bujold- In life, anything is possible! You have to take luck and timing into account... 

 1. The Canadiens can win the Stanley Cup because luck is on their side. Luck is very powerful and cannot be explained. And in hockey, luck in the moment is decisive because teams play in a very short period of time. The other teams are better on the ice than the Canadiens, but they have bad luck on their side... 

 2. Christine Fréchette can win the election, but it won’t be luck. It will be the power of persuasion. Unlike hockey, politics doesn’t rely on luck, but on the time between the campaign to win people over and the decision to vote. 

 Politics is like a marriage proposal. The suitor must be convincing enough for the other person to say yes without giving it too much thought... If there’s too much time before the wedding, the person being proposed to will overthink the proposal and might change their mind; not enough time, and they won’t agree to marry without knowing if other suitors are offering a better option! 

 Fréchette has talent, that’s for sure, and even if she isn’t inspiring, she has a possibility because there’s just enough time left in the race between now and October 5 to take the lead this summer and hold onto first place just in time for the vote... If it were a year before the election, that would be too long, but four months is the perfect timeframe... The problem with the other leaders is that they don’t have any new cards to unleash their energy and propel themselves forward. The question: does Fréchette have real momentum with other new cards ready to be unveiled in the coming weeks, or will she plateau in third place? 

 One factor favoring the other two frontrunners is the candidates in the ridings. Fréchette is effective as a leader, but she isn’t recruiting any star candidates. 

 To be continued... 

 SEE SURVEY JOURNAL DE MONTRÉAL 

https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2026/05/20/leffet-frechette-ramene-la-caq-dans-la-course-mais-la-nouvelle-pm-est-sous-observation

THE DREAM OF 2026

THE DREAM OF 2026… 
By Bernard Bujold - 
The dream of thousands of Montreal Canadiens hockey fans continues. Even Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is rooting for the Montreal team to win the 2026 Stanley Cup... 

There are four teams left in the playoffs, and only one will take home the trophy. The semifinals will feature the Montreal Canadiens vs. the Carolina Hurricanes, and the Vegas Golden Knights vs. the Colorado Avalanche. The first games begin this week: Wednesday, May 20: Game 1 – Vegas takes on Colorado (at 8 p.m. Eastern Time); Thursday, May 21: Game 1 – Montreal visits Carolina (at 8 p.m. Eastern Time). The heavy favorite among bettors is the Colorado Avalanche. 

The Montreal Canadiens are considered underdogs after winning two consecutive series in seven games. In 2025 and 2024, the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup for two consecutive years. 
To be continued... 
www.lestudio1.com

THE PATRIOTS IN 2026

THE PATRIOTS IN 2026… 
By Bernard Bujold - 
On this National Patriots’ Day (Monday, May 19, 2026), as we seek to honor their memory, many will want to compare Paul Saint-Pierre Plamondon’s proposed referendum with Louis Joseph Papineau’s mission in 1837. 
Papineau envisioned a Lower Canada (now Quebec) independent from England, but allied with the United States, or even becoming a U.S. state. Papineau admired the U.S. Constitution and had even taken refuge in the United States after the Patriots’ defeat in December 1837, as the British had placed a bounty on his head; and he did not return to Quebec until late 1845, after being granted amnesty and a pardon by the British authorities. He had fled to the United States in December 1837, then to France in early 1839. 
To defeat the British, the Patriotes would have needed American military aid, but the Americans refused to participate. In 1837–1838, Great Britain was the United States’ leading economic partner, and the U.S. government was determined not to lose its cotton exports and financial trade with Europe. The Americans remembered the devastation of the War of 1812 against the British, who had prevented commercial ships from crossing over to Napoleon’s France. It was a kind of blockade similar to the one in Iran in 2026, when the British intercepted all commercial ships attempting to enter France, including American ones. The Americans knew that a new armed conflict with London would be catastrophic for their economy. 
The Patriots, therefore, lacked weapons and ammunition and were defeated using hunting rifles and modified farm tools, but the defeat can also be explained by a lack of military strategy, as the Patriots were not soldiers and knew nothing of the discipline required of soldiers in an army. 
Would the modern United States act differently toward Quebec, particularly under Donald Trump? Should Quebec one day secede from Canada, it would be Alberta that would be economically drawn to becoming the 51st U.S. state. Quebec, because of its Francophone culture, is not a natural territory for Americans. 
If you want to relive the history of the Patriotes from 1837 to 1838, you should read Jules Verne’s novel: *Famille-sans-nom*. 
HAPPY PATRIOTS’ DAY, 2026 edition! 

See JULES VERNE BOOK (PDF) 
https://beq.ebooksgratuits.com/vents/Verne-famille.pdf 
See video 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18oaek2egtjpBE1SBs3cRSsiYt4tiGVch/view?usp=sharing

THE NIGHTMARE OF A SATURDAY NIGHT

THE NIGHTMARE OF A SATURDAY NIGHT… 
What was supposed to be the dream of the Saturday night of May 16, 2026, turned into a nightmare… In hockey, the Montreal Canadiens—whom all of Quebec already saw as the dominant Stanley Cup champions for the next decade—lost their historic chance, falling 8–3 to their Buffalo opponents… Will the bad luck be reversed on Monday night, May 19, or will history add the number 34 to the statistics for the upcoming 2027 season… To be continued!

PREAKNESS 2026

THE PREAKNESS - 2026 -
By Bernard Bujold -
The horse Napoleon Solo won the 151st Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 16, 2026. Napoleon Solo, with 7-1 odds, surged past early race favorite Taj Mahal in the final stretch. Napoleon Solo completed the 1 3/16-mile race in 1:58.69. The race was held at Laurel Park in Maryland instead of its traditional home of Pimlico Race Course, which is undergoing renovations. Golden Tempo, the winner of the Kentucky Derby, did not compete in the Preakness Stakes, ending any possibility of a Triple Crown winner in 2026.