Laval QC ☕ The morning chat
Good morning! It’s Saturday, and the news keeps coming. The war in Iran is intensifying, the Carney government marks its first year in office, and Just for Laughs has reversed course on Julien Lacroix after a day of backlash.
Meanwhile, Montréal is now home to its first sovereigntist‑themed café.
Grab your coffee and let’s dive into the weekend’s stories.
🎭 Top Story
Just for Laughs cancels Julien Lacroix’s show
After announcing Thursday that comedian Julien Lacroix would return to the stage, four years after stepping back in 2020 following allegations of sexual misconduct. Just for Laughs reversed its decision on Friday.
The company cancelled the show after widespread criticism of Thursday’s announcement.
Lacroix had withdrawn from public life in 2020 after the allegations surfaced.
⚡ The Essentials
Canada to release 23.6 million barrels of oil
Canada has committed to supplying 23.6 million barrels of oil as part of a broader International Energy Agency plan to stabilize global energy markets amid the ongoing war in the Middle East. The announcement comes two days after Natural Resources Minister Tim Hodgson said Canada would “do its part” to help lower global oil prices.
A statement from the minister’s office says Canada’s natural gas exports will also increase in the coming months. The 32 IEA member countries, including Canada, agreed to a coordinated release of oil reserves, the largest in the agency’s history.
Global oil prices have surged as the war disrupts shipments through the critical Strait of Hormuz.
Aviation fuel prices rise, summer flights expected to cost more
Aviation fuel prices are climbing as the war in the Middle East disrupts global oil supplies, putting pressure on airlines heading into the busy summer travel season. Experts say the question isn’t if fares will rise, but when, for how long, and by how much.
The average U.S. price hit $3.99 per gallon on Friday, up from $2.50 the day before the war began two weeks ago. Several non‑U.S. airlines have already announced fare hikes or fuel surcharges.
Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific will raise its fuel surcharge starting Wednesday. Air France‑KLM says round‑trip economy fares on long‑haul flights could rise by about €50 (roughly $57). Air India introduced fuel surcharges on Thursday.
Six dead in U.S. refuelling aircraft crash in Iraq
Six people were killed when a U.S. refuelling aircraft crashed in Iraq as part of the Middle East conflict.
90 strikes on Iran’s Kharg Island
Ninety per cent of Iran’s oil exports pass through Kharg Island, which is now being hit by heavy strikes.
Decapitation of Iran’s leadership seen as intelligence success
Reports say Mossad and the CIA had been working for years on the operation launched on February 28.
Cuba confirms talks with the U.S., releases prisoners
Havana had previously denied that negotiations with the United States were underway.
🏙️ Around the Region
Carney: One year in office, a transformed government
One year into his mandate, Mark Carney is leading the federal government very differently from Justin Trudeau. Asked Thursday whether he was satisfied with the pace of his agenda, he replied that things “could always move faster.”
Carney gained momentum during the 2025 election thanks to comedian Mike Myers and his “elbows up” rallying cry against U.S. President Donald Trump. A year later, it appears Canadians weren’t looking for a fight with the Americans. Recent polling shows Carney’s Liberals in the high‑40s — majority territory.
The party has pivoted sharply from a focus on social equity to prioritizing economic consolidation, major infrastructure projects, and Cold War‑level military spending. Carney quickly scrapped key Trudeau‑era policies, including the carbon tax and the digital services tax.
He has spent an exceptional amount of time abroad meeting world leaders and CEOs, revitalizing ties with India, warming relations with China, and opening new channels with Japan, Malaysia, and others. He has also reset federal‑provincial relations, extending an olive branch to Alberta Premier Danielle Smith and securing a deal to build a pipeline to the B.C. coast.
Carney has also dealt psychological blows to his opponents by recruiting four Conservative and NDP MPs to cross the floor. Three by‑elections are coming in April, two of them in safe Liberal ridings. Winning two would technically give Carney a majority.
Club Pays: Québec’s first sovereigntist café opens in Montréal
Club Pays, Québec’s first sovereigntist‑themed café, opened Friday on Montréal’s Plaza St‑Hubert. The café is run by OUI Québec, a non‑partisan citizens’ group advocating for Québec independence.
From “Québecanos” to “bisc‑oui‑ts,” the café serves snacks and drinks, including alcohol, and hosts live events showcasing Québec artists.
Camille Goyette‑Gingras, president of OUI Québec, says Club Pays is more than a sovereigntist project… it’s a community. The group says people from all backgrounds are welcome. All proceeds go to OUI Québec.
Meriem Boundaoui trial: surveillance video shown in court
Closing arguments wrapped up Friday in the case of two men charged with first‑degree murder in the death of 15‑year‑old Meriem Boundaoui. In a Montréal courtroom, Crown prosecutor Simon Lapierre presented surveillance footage of the shooting.
Lapierre argued that the two accused, Salim Touaibi and Aymane Bouad, were attempting to resolve a conflict when the shots were fired, killing Boundaoui on February 7, 2021, in Montréal’s Saint‑Léonard borough. The Crown also presented additional evidence, including geolocation data from a Mercedes vehicle and cellphone records.
The judge is expected to give instructions to the jury next week before they are sequestered to deliberate.
Bank of Canada: rate decision coming Wednesday
The Bank of Canada will weigh a last‑minute influx of economic data against uncertainty surrounding trade and the war in the Middle East as it prepares to deliver its second interest‑rate decision of 2026 this week. Economists say the central bank is navigating turbulent waters as it sets monetary policy this year.
The policy rate remains at 2.25% after being held in January. Friday’s jobs report showed unemployment rising to 6.7% after the economy shed 84,000 jobs in February. Late last month, Statistics Canada also reported that the economy contracted at an annualized rate of half a percentage point in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Policymakers will also have to factor in fresh inflation data from Statistics Canada on Monday. BMO chief economist Doug Porter said February’s inflation rate could fall as low as 1.8%. Financial markets are pricing in roughly a 92% chance that rates will be held steady on Wednesday. Many economic forecasts had expected the bank to remain on the sidelines for the rest of 2026.
However, the Middle East war, triggered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has pushed global oil prices sharply higher. Porter warns that April’s inflation reading could spike due to comparisons with last year, when the federal Liberals removed the consumer carbon price.
Middle East evacuations: nearly 8,500 Canadians have returned home
Since the United States launched its war against Iran on February 28, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand says her top priority has been helping Canadians who want to leave the Middle East. As of Friday, nearly 8,500 Canadians and permanent residents had returned home, while more than a thousand others had been evacuated to safe third countries.
Ottawa notes that it has no legal obligation to extract Canadians from crisis zones, it is a service the government chooses to provide. Global Affairs Canada operates an emergency response center to help citizens with everything from lost passports to imprisonment abroad. The federal government sometimes charters aircraft or calls on the military to assist with evacuations.
According to Sébastien Beaulieu, Global Affairs Canada’s director of international emergencies, diplomats always look to commercial airlines first before turning to chartered flights. The government often uses “block booking,” paying to temporarily hold seats. In Cuba, where a U.S. oil blockade has worsened a humanitarian crisis, the embassy in Havana is coping with fuel shortages by using solar panels and reducing service hours.
In the days following the start of the war, Global Affairs staffed “more than three‑quarters of 50 people per day,” but that number has since dropped as daily requests fell from 1,400 to 400. Many Canadians live full‑time in places like Dubai or Beirut due to family ties. On March 7, only 3% of the 24,045 Canadians registered in Lebanon had requested help to leave.
Canada spent $11 million to keep charter aircraft on standby for three months starting in August 2024, and about $4 million to transport 844 people from Lebanon to Istanbul in October 2024.
Four Washington‑area airports halt flights due to chemical smell
Four airports serving Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Richmond, Virginia, suspended all flights for more than an hour Friday evening because of a strong chemical odour affecting air‑traffic controllers. The ground stop impacted Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington Dulles International Airport, Baltimore–Washington International Airport, and Richmond International Airport.
The disruption caused delays of up to two hours at some of the busiest airports in the country. Flights began departing again after 7 p.m. ET Friday.
The odour originated from Potomac TRACON, a terminal radar approach control facility. Between 25% and one‑third of all departing flights from the four airports were delayed following the ground stop.
Alexandre Texier sits out again at Canadiens practice
Alexandre Texier was once again among the extra forwards at Canadiens practice on Friday. Brendan Gallagher’s mix of merit and survival instinct continues to keep him in the lineup.
Canada eliminated from World Baseball Classic
Team Canada was knocked out by the United States at the World Baseball Classic. It was Canada’s first‑ever appearance in the quarterfinals.
11,000 photos of Montréal discovered in painter John Little’s archives
Roughly 11,000 photographs were found in the studio of Montréal painter John Little.
Santé Québec concerned about specialists’ pressure tactics
Québec’s medical specialists are in negotiations with the province over compensation.
New Oscar for Best Casting delights Québec
The creation of this new category comes nearly a century after the Oscars were first awarded in 1929.
Simon Plouffe wants to understand everything about pi
Simon Plouffe has devoted much of his life to uncovering the mysteries of the mathematical constant.
Women reclaim control over their finances
“Finance used to look like hieroglyphics”: Toronto women are helping others learn the basics of money management and investing.
Trump administration adds Canada to its trade investigations
The Trump administration is expanding its tariff strategy by opening new trade investigations that now include Canada.
Ottawa extends permits for temporary foreign workers
Ottawa is extending certain temporary foreign worker permits by one year, describing the move as support for Québec’s new immigration policy.
Four plasma donors have died in Canada over the past 10 years
Health Canada says four people have died in the past decade after donating plasma.
Experts call for safeguards to protect youth from AI
AI and safety experts are calling for stronger “guardrails” to protect young people, warning that conversational robots are designed to “maximize engagement,” which they see as problematic.
Setback for Trump: legal action against Fed chair dismissed
In January, Jerome Powell said he was the target of a process that could have led to criminal charges. That action has now been dismissed.
Doug Ford wants Al-Quds Day march banned
Ford has asked the Attorney General to seek an injunction to prohibit the Al‑Quds Day demonstration in Toronto.
☁️ Practical Corner
MONTRÉAL WEATHER – SATURDAY & SUNDAY
Saturday: Montréalers woke up to a snowy start as a late‑winter system moved through the region. Environment and Climate Change Canada is calling for about five centimetres of snow throughout the day.
Southwest winds of 20 km/h, gusting to 40, will shift west this afternoon and strengthen to 40 km/h with gusts up to 60. The daytime high will reach +2°C.
Snow is expected to taper off this evening before skies gradually clear. The temperature will drop to –8°C.
Sunday: Cloud cover will increase again Sunday before snow begins in the afternoon. About two centimetres of accumulation is expected.
The daytime high will be –1°C. Periods of snow will continue Sunday night with a low of –1°C.
👋 To wrap up
One year of Carney, a Just for Laughs reversal, and a new sovereigntist café in Montréal. The war in Iran continues to shake global markets and our wallets.
It’s Saturday, there’s a bit of snow, so enjoy the warmth indoors.
Have a great weekend! ☕❄️