News

In Provincial news, the dispute over Sikh kirpans is making a comeback in the Quebec legislature.

The Parti Quebecois announced on Tuesday it would introduce a motion barring Sikhs carrying ceremonial daggers from entering the National Assembly building.

Last month, four Sikhs were denied entry into the building because some refused to surrender their kirpans.

The Charest liberals said little then, but PQ member Louise Beaudoin commended the security guards for making the right choice.

A court ruling will soon determine whether a Montreal taxi driver has the right to decorate his cab.

The taxi driver claims that his decorations should be permitted under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The cab’s décor includes religious objects, the Canadian flag and photos.

Taxi regulations prohibit any objects in the cab that aren’t related to the job.

The taxi driver feels targeted after he made complaints about the cab bureau failing to deal with unlicensed taxi drivers.

The taxi driver has previously received seven tickets for violating the city’s bylaw.

Quebec’s justice system could fall on some hard times.

 Prosecutors might go on strike today after last minute negotiations.

In local news, more than one hundred firefighters rushed downtown to stop a fire on Sherbrook street west Sunday night. The fire caused an estimated one million dollar damage to an art gallery. The worse damages were on the third floor and the roof, were the fire is believed to have started. None of the tenants living about the gallery were injured. Several hundreds of pieces of art were saved with little damage. The fire was not characterized as arson by the Police Department.  Investigations into what happened are still ongoing. 

There’s a strong backlash to Conservative MP Maxime Bernier’s recent language comments. In an offhand remark to a Halifax radio station Bernier questioned Bill 101 as restricting people’s linguistic freedom and choice.

Amongst the fury of responses Liberal MP Denis Coderre charged that Bernier’s arguments make Sarah Palin look like an intellectual. The online culture was less than polite in their response, resorting to name-calling. Most of the supportive responses came -not surprisingly - from English Canada.

Read by Correntine Rivoire

Produced by Gareth Sloan

Stories by Marcin Wisniewski, Chris Hanna, Sarah El Fangary, and Correntine Rivoire