🚑 Breaking & Incidents
- Driver dead after crash into construction machinery on Highway 13 in Laval. Police and highway crews responded to the collision on Highway 13 in Laval that killed one driver; provincial transport authorities closed lanes for crash clearance and investigation. The incident occurred on Thursday and caused delays on a major commuter route into Montreal.
- 45-year-old Leila Ben Salem found dead in downtown Montreal condominium; homicide unit handling case. Montreal police say officers entered an apartment on René‑Lévesque Blvd E near St‑Christophe St after a welfare check and found Ben Salem seriously injured; she was pronounced dead at the scene and the case has been transferred to the homicide unit, marking Montreal’s 19th homicide of 2026.
🏛️ Government & Politics
- Elections Quebec will send bilingual voter reminder cards, but most Quebecers won’t receive them until next week. A court ordered bilingual mailing after a challenge by Geoffrey Chambers; Elections Quebec confirmed cards have been sent and also issued a directive telling poll workers to greet voters in French and switch to English only when a voter identifies as a historic anglophone or Indigenous.
- Final leaders’ debate produced five key takeaways as Quebec’s Oct. 5 election nears. Radio‑Canada hosted the debate featuring CAQ leader Christine Fréchette, Liberal Charles Milliard, Québec solidaire’s Ruba Ghazal, PQ leader Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon and Conservative Éric Duhaime; leaders debated sovereignty, cost of living and health during two hours of exchanges that included a delayed round on referendum plans.
- PQ leader Paul St‑Pierre Plamondon says Quebecers should not fear a referendum and pledges a vote in a first PQ term. During Wednesday’s debate he reiterated a referendum promise timed after U.S. President Donald Trump leaves office and faced Conservative Leader Éric Duhaime’s pledge to try to block such a vote; Liberal leader Charles Milliard labeled himself the lone federalist on stage.
- Former Canadiens and Liverpool owner George Gillett Jr. dead at 87. The owner associated with the Montreal Canadiens franchise has died at age 87, according to obituary reports.
🚨 Crime & Public Safety
- Québec City man Louay Angoud, 24, charged with terrorism after alleged chemical‑weapon plot. RCMP allege Angoud communicated with Islamic State members and gathered information to build a chemical weapon; he faces charges including using property for terrorist purposes and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and was scheduled to appear in Montreal court on Thursday.
- Investigators still searching for a suspect in Leila Ben Salem’s death; no arrests announced. More than 48 hours after officers found Ben Salem, police continued processing the Ville‑Marie apartment and reviewing surveillance footage with no arrest reported as of Thursday.
📰 Also Today
- High lead levels reported near Kahnawà:ke high school, near Montreal.
- N.L. prosecutors couldn’t speak French in Quebec man’s court appearances, report says.
- PQ leader’s claim on costs of 3+ children questioned in campaign fact checks.
- RCMP say Quebec man researched chemical weapons and planned ISIS attack, police allege.
- Analysis: could government‑run grocery stores work in Quebec, study examines.
- Missed the debate? Key takeaways from Quebec leaders’ final showdown summarized.
- SQ investigating suspected injection incidents at western festival, police say.
- Quebec party leaders to face off in final debate before Oct. 5 election.
