QUEBEC ELECTIONS 2026

QUEBEC ELECTIONS 2026 -

By Bernard Bujold -

Quebec’s current ruling party, the CAQ, has finally chosen its new leader, Christine Fréchette (55), who automatically becomes Quebec’s new premier for the next six months. 

We now know who the five political party leaders will be running in the general election on October 5, 2026.

You could compare an election to a horse race...

Unfortunately, as far as I’m concerned, none of the party leaders in the running really excites me.

I was just starting to warm up to Liberal leader Pablo Rodriguez when he fell victim to a deadly coup on November 17, 2025…

You could say I was just as surprised and disappointed by his downfall as Pablo himself! 

In the end, on October 5, I’m going to vote for the candidate in my local riding, rather than for a political party. I’ll be voting for a former fellow journalist, Philippe Schnobb. It won’t be a vote for the Parti Québécois, but a vote for Philippe Schnobb.

Even though I’m not backing any leader, I won’t deprive myself of the great pleasure of commenting on the race...

In my view, the next Quebec government will be a minority government, either the Liberal Party or the Parti Québécois.

The challenge is to predict which horse will win, as both could, on paper, win the race.

Some polls predict that the CAQ could end up with no elected members, which would mean its total disappearance from the National Assembly.

If that happens, Fréchette will follow in the footsteps of Kim Campbell of the Canadian Conservative Party in 1993, who replaced Brian Mulroney and defeated Jean Charest in the leadership race. She served as Prime Minister of Canada only from June 25 to November 4, 1993 (4 months).

The Canadian federal election of October 25, 1993, resulted in a landslide victory for the Liberal Party, led by Jean Chrétien, which won 177 of 295 seats, forming a majority government; the Bloc Québécois became the official opposition with 54 seats, while the Progressive Conservative Party, which had been in power with 151 MPs, was reduced to two seats: Jean Charest (elected in the riding of Sherbrooke, Quebec) and Elsie Wayne (elected in the riding of Saint John, New Brunswick)

Good luck with your respective bets for October 5!

To be continued

https://www.electionsquebec.qc.ca/

WATCH VIDEO

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wtY8BOYkaq_qMMT-0GaxqMywkaRDbpB6/view?usp=sharing

QUEBEC'S NEW PREMIER

QUEBEC’S NEW PREMIER-

By Bernard Bujold -

On Sunday, April 12, 2026, Christine Fréchette (55) was elected by CAQ members as the party’s new leader and, by default, Quebec’s new premier, for a six-month term leading up to the next general election on October 5. 

A total of 20,524 members were eligible to vote, of whom 15,833 exercised their right to vote, representing a turnout of 77.1%. Fréchette received 57.9% of the votes, compared to 42.1% for Drainville. To be continued...

BACK ON EARTH

BACK ON EARTH... 

The astronauts from NASA’s Artemis II mission returned home safely Friday evening (April 10,2026), completing a historic lunar flyby after drifting back to Earth under parachutes. The Orion capsule that ferried the crew during the mission landed off the coast of San Diego at 8:07 p.m. Eastern time, broadcast on a NASA livestream. A recovery team arrived to retrieve the crew—Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen. 

The agency says the four astronauts were in excellent condition. 

https://www.nasa.gov/

ON THE WAY TO THE MOON

ON THE WAY TO THE MOON… 
By Bernard Bujold - 
The ARTIMIS program is NASA’s ambitious initiative to return humans to the Moon. The 2026 mission included the first woman and the first person from an ethnic minority, as part of long-term exploration, scientific discovery, and preparation for the exploration of Mars. Using the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket and the Orion spacecraft, the program aims to establish a sustainable lunar presence (Gateway) in collaboration with international partners. 
-In 2022, “ARTEMIS I” was a test flight that entered orbit around the Moon to verify crew safety systems. 
-In 2026, “ARTEMIS II” was the program’s first crewed flight, sending four astronauts on a 10-day loop around the Moon before returning to Earth; 
-In 2027, “ARTEMIS III” plans to land astronauts on the lunar surface (specifically at the South Pole) using a commercial landing system; 
-Finally, in 2028, “ARTEMIS IV” will focus on docking with the Lunar Gateway space station and establishing a sustainable presence on the surface. The next step will be building a village on the Moon... 
The name “Artemis” was chosen for NASA’s modern lunar program because of its deep symbolic connection to the first lunar missions of the 1960s and 1970s. In Greek mythology, Artemis is Apollo’s twin sister. Since the first missions that allowed humans to set foot on the Moon were part of the Apollo program, naming this return to the Moon after his sister is a direct continuation of that legacy. 
To be continued… 
https://www.nasa.gov/

MARGUERITE BLAIS IN 2026

MARGUERITE BLAIS IN 2026… 
By Bernard Bujold - 
I’ve known Marguerite Blais since the days of Mayor Pierre Bourque’s Foundation for Young Entrepreneurs (1996–2003)—a mayor of Montreal whom I liked very much… Marguerite and I lost touch after that, but I have always followed her political career from a distance (2007–2022). 
The new book she has just published, “MARGUERITE BLAIS - Au nom des aînés” is intended as a message to seniors, but above all, it contains Marguerite’s biography and an analysis of Quebec politics from Jean Charest to Philippe Couillard and up to François Legault, particularly during the COVID-19 period. 
I read the book with great interest and would say that I found several insights within it that remain central to our political landscape in 2026 and may even serve as inspiration, especially with the campaign for the upcoming October 5 elections in Quebec. If you are passionate about politics, I invite you to read this book, written in collaboration with Guillaume Nadon. 
https://qublivre.ca/products/marguerite-blais-au-nom-des-aines?srsltid=AfmBOoqsSlQY_jx1BL9wTHaa7QJSGyHn1bxy194b9bvkAs9SfwvNBFT9

THE COURAGE TO LIVE - SAVANNAH GUTHRIE

THE COURAGE TO LIVE- 

By Bernard Bujold - 

Savannah Guthrie returned to the TODAY NBC morning show on Monday, April 6, 2026, after a two-month absence following the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, from her home in Tucson, Arizona, last February. Authorities suspected kidnapping, and despite a $1 million reward offered by the family, Nancy remains missing. Nancy Guthrie's disappearance was reported on Feb. 1, 2026, after she missed a church service. Blood was found near her doorstep, and surveillance footage showed a masked, armed man on her porch. The FBI and local authorities treated the case as a kidnapping, conducting extensive searches in the area, yet no breakthroughs have occurred. Savannah said that returning to NBC is "part of my purpose right now » and NBC is part of my family…. 

One could say that Savanagh is a really courageous woman! 

https://www.today.com/news/savannah-guthrie-returns-today-show-nancy-guthrie-rcna266827

HAPPY EASTER 2026

EASTER 2026 - 

By Bernard Bujold - 
Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian calendar. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his death on the cross. For believers, this event symbolizes the victory of life over death and of light over darkness. For non-believers or in a secular context, Easter is above all a celebration of spring and the renewal of nature after the winter season. For me, it’s also a kind of chocolate celebration … 
Happy Easter 2026… 
See video 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YS7c2LPVu6-H9dS9kd0tzjfqqjKtPjXi/view?usp=sharing

MY ITALIAN FRIEND

MY ITALIAN FRIEND... 
By Bernard Bujold - 
My condo neighbor, an Italian man with a contagious smile, passed away yesterday, Monday, March 31. He had been diagnosed with advanced cancer six weeks ago and had been in the hospital ever since. He reportedly told some of those who visited him that he knew he was going to die... 
I really loved my neighbor, who was a rebel at heart! I liked to tell him he was a warrior fighting against society’s injustices. Usually, I quickly forget my friends and acquaintances after they die, and I like to say that I live with the living. But I will remember my Italian friend for a long time and with affection...

GILBERT ROZON SAVES HIS MILLIONS

GILBERT ROZON SAVES HIS MILLIONS... 
The judge has handed down her ruling in the Gilbert Rozon case, but while Gilbert Rozon has been ordered to pay damages to 8 of the 9 plaintiffs, the amounts are well below the $14 million sought, totaling $880,780. The damages awarded to each of the 8 plaintiffs range from $70,000 to $155,780.

AIR CANADA CEO STEPS DOWN

AIR CANADA CEO STEPS DOWN… 
The pressure surrounding his inability to speak French had become too intense, and Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau will step down by September 30, at the end of the company’s third quarter. All politicians have applauded the move. 
SEE RADIO-CANADA REPORT 
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2242632/pdg-air-canada-michael-rousseau-demission?partageApp=appInfoiOS&accesVia=partage