Laval QC ☕ La causerie matinale
Good morning! It’s shaping up to be a turbulent day: 300,000 Hydro‑Québec customers are without power due to severe winds, Israel says it has killed Iran’s top security chief, and Pierre Ny St‑Amand, responsible for the Laval daycare tragedy, has been declared a high‑risk offender. Buckle up, it’s a busy morning.
⚠️ Main Story
Pierre Ny St‑Amand declared a high‑risk offender
Pierre Ny St‑Amand, who killed two children by crashing a bus into a Laval daycare in 2023, has been designated a high‑risk accused.
This legal designation will have significant consequences for the upcoming court proceedings and for the conditions under which he will be detained.
It also means his review hearings will be much further apart and that any potential release will be subject to stricter criteria.
The 2023 daycare tragedy deeply shocked the community and raised serious questions about safety in childcare settings.
⚡ Noteworthy
300,000 Hydro‑Québec customers without power
About 300,000 Hydro‑Québec customers are without electricity as strong winds sweep across Quebec Tuesday morning. Montérégie is the hardest‑hit region, with nearly 85,000 outages.
By 5:30 a.m., more than 70,000 customers were already without power, a number that rose quickly over the previous hour. By 8 a.m., roughly 39,732 customers were without electricity in Montreal, 76,778 in Montérégie, 13,884 in Laval and 34,191 in the Laurentians. The Laurentians, Lanaudière and Montérégie are the most affected regions.
Powerful winds are hitting large parts of Quebec, with gusts reaching up to 90 km/h — and up to 120 km/h in some areas. Most outages are caused by vegetation coming into contact with power lines. High winds weaken trees and branches, which can fall onto the grid.
More than 1,100 workers are currently deployed across the province.
Environment Canada has issued a “yellow” wind warning for several regions, including the Eastern Townships, Quebec City, Bas‑Saint‑Laurent and the North Shore, with gusts expected to reach up to 90 km/h.
In Montreal, where temperatures reached 14°C Monday evening, the mercury is expected to drop to –8°C Tuesday. With the wind chill, it will feel closer to –16°C.
School closures in Montreal
High winds and widespread outages forced several Montreal schools to close Tuesday morning.
The Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) confirmed closures at Soulanges Elementary School, Pierrefonds Community High School and the West Island Career Centre.
Electricity rates: Hydro‑Québec loses $450M
Hydro‑Québec will receive nearly $450 million less in electricity‑rate increases over the next three years. The decision, issued Monday, has a greater impact on business customers, while the Legault government has capped residential rate hikes at 3%.
Hydro‑Québec had requested annual increases of 4.8% for businesses and institutions in 2026, 2027 and 2028. The Régie instead granted 3.6% per year. The difference is smaller for residential customers.
Hydro‑Québec requested 3% annual increases for households, which it will receive in 2026 and 2027. The approved increase for 2028 is 2.6%. A typical 5½‑room apartment would see a monthly increase of $2.30. For an average‑sized home (158 m²), the monthly increase is $5.46.
Hydro‑Québec criticized the Régie’s decision. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said in an evening statement that it was “relieved” by the ruling.
Israel says it has killed Iran’s top security chief
Israel’s defence minister said Tuesday that the Israeli military killed senior Iranian security official Ali Larijani in an overnight strike. Israel Katz made the announcement. The Israeli military also said it killed General Gholam Reza Soleimani, head of the Basij volunteer force of the Revolutionary Guard. Iranian state media did not immediately confirm either death.
The killings once again target top figures in Iran’s theocracy, following the February 28 strike that killed 86‑year‑old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Larijani came from one of Iran’s most prominent political families. A former parliament speaker and senior political adviser, he had been appointed to advise the late Khamenei on strategy during nuclear negotiations with the Trump administration. He also served as secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, its top security body.
Born June 3, 1958, Larijani was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in January as Tehran violently cracked down on nationwide protests.
Cuba in crisis as Trump talks about “taking” the island
Cuba is facing a humanitarian crisis and continues to experience rolling blackouts. The island is limited to the 40,000 barrels of oil it produces, and no imported oil has arrived in the past two months.
The American president maintains that the only way out of the crisis is through an agreement. His Cuban counterpart wants to negotiate on equal footing, but Donald Trump renewed his pressure by saying the United States could “take” Cuba “one way or another,” without clarifying what he meant by that.
More than 400 killed in Pakistani strike on Kabul hospital
More than 400 people were killed Monday night in a Pakistani strike on a hospital in Kabul.
Israel pushes Canada to change its approach to antisemitism
Israel is mounting a broad diplomatic and public relations campaign to convince Canada to change how it addresses acts of antisemitism. From the office of Israel’s president to its ambassador in Ottawa, the message is consistent: Canada needs to do more to counter threats against Jewish communities.
“We have a very clear goal this year, and that is to create meaningful change in how antisemitism is addressed here in Canada,” Israeli ambassador Iddo Moed said during a virtual forum last week. Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a call with Jewish community leaders in the Toronto area on March 9.
Data from Canadian police forces and Jewish organizations show that reports of anti‑Jewish hate, including violent acts such as firebombings, have risen sharply in recent years.
🏙️ Local Stories
Home sales down but optimism for spring
The Canadian Real Estate Association says home sales continued to grow at a slow pace in February, but activity began to pick up toward the end of the month. The number of homes that changed hands across the country was 8.1 percent lower than in February 2025, and sales also fell 1.3 percent month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis.
Despite a quiet start to the year, CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says the association still expects pent‑up demand from first‑time buyers to translate into sales in 2026. The national average selling price in February fell 0.2 percent from last year to 663,828 dollars.
CREA says there were 151,850 properties listed for sale on all Canadian MLS systems at the end of February.
Survey finds 67 percent of Canadians want to abolish tipping
A 2026 study commissioned by H&R Block Canada shows that 67 percent of Canadians surveyed believe it is time to eliminate tipping altogether, as frustration grows over digital tip prompts, rising suggested percentages and confusion about how tips are taxed.
According to the survey, 93 percent of Canadians feel annoyed when a payment machine asks for a tip in situations where tipping was never expected. Nearly the same number say tipping has become “out of control.” Another 89 percent are frustrated with businesses that request tips they consider unjustified.
Forty‑one percent actively avoid businesses known for aggressive tip prompts. Meanwhile, 79 percent enter their own tip amount rather than selecting a suggested percentage, and 89 percent believe tip percentages have become too high.
This year, 65 percent say they feel less embarrassed pressing “no tip,” and 67 percent say they are doing it more often. The survey also shows that 57 percent describe themselves as frugal tippers, while 36 percent consider themselves generous.
The results are based on a survey of 1,545 Canadians conducted by the Angus Reid Forum between February 19 and 23.
Arson attack at a barbershop in Ville‑Marie
A barbershop in Ville‑Marie was the target of an arson attack Monday night. Montreal police were called around 2 a.m. for a fire that had broken out in a business on De Maisonneuve Boulevard West, near Bishop Street.
When officers arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by an employee who was on site at the time of the incident. The building sustained minor damage and no injuries were reported.
According to police, the suspect broke the shop’s window, entered the building and attempted to set it on fire before fleeing on foot. The investigation has been turned over to the SPVM’s arson unit.
Genie the bear: spring emergence delayed
Spring will have to wait a little longer, as the expected emergence of Genie the black bear from hibernation at the Écomusée Zoo has been postponed. The zoo had planned for Genie to wake up Tuesday morning for her first meal of the season, but that wake‑up has now been delayed.
Staff say she showed no signs this morning that she was ready to leave her den. Her emergence is considered a popular marker of spring.
Genie has been hibernating since November. Located in Sainte‑Anne‑de‑Bellevue, the Écomusée Zoo is dedicated to the conservation of Quebec wildlife.
Laval seeking 700 million dollars for health projects
Laval is asking for nearly 700 million dollars for its hospital, youth centre and an alternative housing facility.
🏙️ The Daily Rundown
🌬️ Manicouagan wind farm impact study filed The Innu Council of Pessamit is the majority shareholder in the project with a 39 percent stake.
🚊 Gatineau tramway: agency wants a new cost estimate Mobilité Infra Québec says the project’s current estimates no longer reflect inflation or market conditions.
📊 Quebec cancels satisfaction surveys ahead of election The Treasury Board says the decision is meant to save money and is not related to the October vote.
📺 Vertical micro‑series arrive in Quebec Born in Asia, the format has taken off in the United States and is now making its way to Quebec.
🏥 Problems piling up in Quebec’s digital health record Translation issues, cost overruns and unintuitive software continue to plague the DSN system.
🏥 New hospital under consideration in Drummondville The health minister says the government will study the possibility of building a new hospital. “We are not backing down.”
🎓 Estrie school criticized for illegal fees Without a permit for three years, the Enfants‑de‑la‑Terre school is accused of operating like a private institution.
👜 “Celebrity stylist” accused of selling counterfeit goods A retailer has allegedly been deceiving clients for more than 10 years by selling fake designer handbags.
🍁 Loblaw fined again for “maple‑washing” A Fortinos store promoted a French cheese as if it were a Canadian product. The fine is 10,000 dollars.
🚢 Quebec sailors in “relative safety” in the Persian Gulf They “have thick skin,” but the situation is “far from normal,” says a Desgagnés Group adviser.
🏒 Montreal’s fight against addiction needs momentum A lack of adapted resources can slow the path to sobriety for people seeking help.
🚆 VIA Rail told to improve service Poor on‑time performance has major consequences, according to Canada’s auditor general.
🌾 Saskatchewan wonders if the honeymoon with Carney will last After a decade of tension with Justin Trudeau, the dynamic has shifted under Mark Carney.
🌍 Africa remains unexplored territory for globe‑trotter Carney The prime minister has visited 25 countries but has not made a single bilateral visit to Africa.
🚀 Ottawa invests 200 million dollars in space launches Funding will support the Canso spaceport and three Dartmouth‑based providers in Nova Scotia.
🚄 High‑speed rail: Doug Ford wants a stop in Kingston Ontario’s premier wants the future high‑speed line to follow Highway 401 and include a Kingston stop.
🏙️ Toronto considers opening its own grocery stores City council will study the motion at its next meeting on Wednesday, March 25.
💰 New Brunswick budget: organizations hope to be spared The provincial government is set to table its budget on Tuesday.
🇮🇱 Iranian Jews hope to return to Iran Support for the war remains nearly unanimous among the 200,000 Iranian Jews living in Israel.
🇺🇸 Greg Bovino, Trump’s anti‑immigration figurehead, to retire Greg Bovino, a senior ICE official, will retire in the coming weeks.
💊 Recreational drugs and stroke risk Using recreational drugs significantly increases the risk of stroke, with certain drugs linked more strongly to specific types of strokes.
🤖 AI baby slop raises concerns for children “AI baby slop” refers to highly stimulating audio and video of random objects and sounds on YouTube, often served to children when the algorithm queues it after a parent selects a different video.
☄️ All DNA bases detected on asteroid Ryugu The discovery suggests that key building blocks of life are abundant in the solar system.
👋 Before we wrap up
A busy day with major power outages, a sharp escalation in the war in Iran, and important decisions here at home. Stay warm if you are without power, and take good care of yourself. We’ll be back tomorrow with, hopefully, a calmer news cycle for us to discuss. ☕⚡