Laval QC ☕ The daily chat
Greetings to all,
This morning we take you to Percé, Montreal and Quebec City, with a required stop at a Laval story that calls for a moment of silence. There is also election news, artificial intelligence and a tribute to a young pilot.
Enough to start the day informed, without chasing the news.
What you should know this morning
- A diver injured by a great white shark in Percé: The incident happened Wednesday morning during a diving activity, and all activities have been suspended for the rest of the season.
- The second leaders’ debate is tonight: The five leaders meet for a second time in two evenings, covering five main themes.
- Trump signs an order to remove Canadian products from U.S. government purchasing: He directs his administration to identify Canadian exports that could be excluded.
- Alberta separation could cost up to $170 billion initially: A University of Calgary report did the math.
- The Fed raises interest rates for the first time in three years: Citing persistent inflation, it raises its policy rate by 0.25 percentage points.
- The U.S. Congress passes a new package of sanctions against Russia: It is Congress’s first major action against Moscow since Trump’s return to power.
- LoiZéro secures more than $300 million in funding: The announcement was made on the sidelines of the ALL IN summit, taking place in Montreal.
Close to home
- A Laval mother remembers her daughter, a 23-year-old pilot: Mayan Guesmi died on July 20 during a solo training flight in Victoriaville, when the aircraft crashed into a field and caught fire.
- A baby referred to the DPJ after an intervention near the Notre-Dame encampment in Montreal: The SPVM received a call around 7 p.m. Friday and contacted the Direction de la protection de la jeunesse after observing elements deemed concerning.
Across Canada
- Élections Québec will have to send its reminder cards in French and English: A judge issued a ruling to that effect Wednesday morning, in the first year the agency sent its election documents in French only.
- Canada knocks on the European Union’s door: The country is popular on the European stage, but how far will this romance go?
- The Bank of Canada worries the trade conflict will weigh on confidence: The central bank publishes a summary of the deliberations that led to keeping its policy rate unchanged.
- A federal party to carry Alberta’s voice is in the works: The future political formation would be modelled on the Bloc québécois.
Main story
A Laval mother mourns her daughter, a 23-year-old pilot killed in a Victoriaville crash
Samah Jebbari wants people to remember who her daughter was. Mayan Guesmi, 23, died on July 20 while on a solo training flight in Victoriaville. The aircraft crashed into a field and caught fire on impact.
“I don’t know what happened because I don’t know what happened to Mayan,” her mother says. She says she is speaking with investigators to understand exactly what happened.
Mayan worked at Air Canada as a flight attendant. Her mother says she had become “full of energy, full of life,” and that after about six months, she began talking about becoming a pilot.
In her grief, Samah Jebbari found comfort with another mother who lost her daughter in an accident involving two flight-school planes in Winnipeg. She hopes the safety recommendations that come out of these tragedies will spare other families from the same experience.
In detail
The five leaders meet tonight for a second debate in two evenings
After a first face-off Tuesday, the leaders of the five main parties return to the stage tonight for the “Grand Débat des chefs.” It is the second of three election debates, all in French.
Five themes will be addressed: the cost of living and U.S. tariffs, finances and infrastructure, children’s future, health and homelessness, and the protection of French.
The debate is moderated by Michel Bherer at Campus Bell, on Île des Sœurs, and broadcast on Crave and Noovo. The five leaders in the running are Christine Fréchette (CAQ), Charles Milliard (Liberal), Paul St-Pierre Plamondon (PQ), Ruba Ghazal (Québec solidaire) and Éric Duhaime (Conservative).
During the first debate, Christine Fréchette was the main target. Her opponents sought to present her as a continuation of François Legault, and the CAQ was accused of wasting taxpayers’ money. The next debate will take place on September 23, and voters go to the polls on October 5.
A diver injured by a great white shark in Percé, activities suspended for the season
The incident happened Wednesday morning during a diving activity in Percé, in the Gaspésie region. According to Plongée Percé, care measures were triggered immediately: the person received first aid on site before being transported to hospital for further evaluation.
The scuba diving centre thanked the teams that responded for their speed and professionalism, and said no further details would be released, out of respect for the privacy of the person concerned.
As a precaution, all diving activities in Percé have been suspended for the rest of the season. According to the most recent data from the Canadian Shark Attack Registry, only 15 incidents have been confirmed in Canada out of the 30 attacks reported over the past 330 years.
The ALL IN summit opens in Montreal, and LoiZéro lands more than $300 million
Montreal is at the centre of Canada’s conversation on artificial intelligence as thousands gather for ALL IN 2026 at the Palais des congrès. The two-day event brings together companies developing AI, organizations adopting it and researchers working to shape its future.
Among the day’s biggest announcements, Canada and Germany committed up to $300 million in joint funding for LoiZéro, the Montreal non-profit founded by AI pioneer Yoshua Bengio. Canada is investing $150 million, and Germany plans to provide 100 million euros.
This funding will support LoiZéro’s work on Scientist AI, an approach designed to make advanced AI more transparent, reliable and safe by design. It will also support research, engineering talent and computing capacity, including a new German office and sovereign computing infrastructure dedicated to Canada.
Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, said the goal is not to stop AI development, but to ensure it is done responsibly.
Up to 30 STM bus routes could be detoured during the world cycling championships
Montreal is preparing to host the UCI Road World Championships, an eight-day competition that will cause major road closures. Up to 30 bus routes could be detoured.
The STM says it has been preparing for the event for more than three months, in collaboration with the City of Montreal, police and organizers. Alexandre Fernandez, head of bus dispatching at the STM, notes that the length of the event represents a different challenge from the weekend events the agency is used to.
The STM’s operations centre will monitor the network throughout the competition and respond to unforeseen events, such as accidents and road blockages. For users, the STM recommends consulting its dedicated event webpage, scanning the QR codes posted in affected areas, allowing more time for travel and combining bus and metro when possible.
Editor’s pick
Mayan Guesmi’s story is a reminder that a dream of flight rarely begins in a cockpit. It begins with a conversation, a bit of daring, and a mother who chooses to believe her daughter can go further. What Samah Jebbari asks for today is not pity, it is that we remember, and that we learn.
In closing
We wish you a full day, a trip without unnecessary detours and just enough time to breathe between two appointments. In Laval as elsewhere, small minutes well used often make all the difference. ☕