Back to Digests
Daily Montreal Sep 27 - Sep 27, 2026

Helicopter Tragedy, Advance Polls & Trafficking Conviction — Montreal Sunday

14 articles 2 hours ago 15

🚨 Crime & Public Safety

  1. Four killed in helicopter crash southeast of Montreal; TSB opens probe. The chopper went down just after 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville and four people were declared dead at the scene; police said the aircraft caught fire but investigators have not said whether the fire started before or after impact. The Transportation Safety Board has launched an investigation into the crash.
  2. Quebec man found guilty of trafficking after 1,000 calls from jail. Jean-François D’Asti‑Brideau was convicted of human trafficking, benefiting from trafficking proceeds, pimping, disobeying a court order and obstruction of justice after prosecutors say he made close to 1,000 calls to his victim while in custody, a judge wrote in an Aug. 11 decision.

🏛️ Government & Politics

  1. Advance polls open in Quebec ahead of Oct. 5 general election. Voters can cast ballots today and Monday from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. ahead of the Oct. 5 vote; five parties expect to win seats: Coalition Avenir Québec, Parti Québécois, Quebec Liberals, Quebec Conservatives and Québec solidaire. Campaign debates this weekend included claims of possible U.S. interference raised by CAQ Leader Christine Fréchette.
  2. Premiers non-committal on Alberta's referendum proposals, including Senate abolition. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s four proposals — including abolishing the Senate, letting Alberta pick provincial appellate judges, opting out of federal programs while keeping funding, and giving provincial laws priority over Ottawa in jurisdictional disputes — would likely require the 7/50 rule and federal approval, and other premiers are keeping their positions private.

🎨 Community & Culture

  1. Roussel and Brunelle win national short-track titles in Montreal. Roussel won the men's title and Brunelle the women's title at the national short-track championships held in Montreal.
  2. Black squirrels are helping Montreal scientists study urban-driven evolution. Montreal researchers are using black squirrels as a case study to understand how cities influence animal evolution.
  3. Pawpaw — a tropical fruit — is growing in parts of Canada. The story highlights the pawpaw, nicknamed an "alien banana," as a tropical fruit that can be cultivated in Canada.

📰 Also Today

  • Bureaucratic jam stalls full opening of $16M Montreal sponge park.
  • Leylah Fernandez wins Singapore Open, her first title of the season.
  • 2026 UCI Road Worlds men’s elite road race results reported.
  • Explainer: Quebec’s lesser-known political parties profiled.
  • Quebec rapper Sarahmée unveils new "Sassy Sasa" era.
  • Rivals call Fréchette's U.S. interference claims a political "Hail Mary."
  • Helicopter crashes outside Montreal, four occupants killed

Get this digest in your inbox

Never miss a day. Subscribe and we'll email you the digest automatically.

Source Articles (14)

Helicopter crashes outside Montreal killing all 4 occupants

Police are investigating after a helicopter crashed in a field near the Rang des Écossais in the municipality of Sainte-Brigide-d’Iberville on Saturday afternoon.

General Sep 27, 2026

Bureaucratic jam prevents full opening of $16M Montreal sponge park

Montreal public health is worried about contamination risks at the Pierre-Bédard park in the Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough. It is the only sponge park in the city linked to a combined sewer system. As it stands now, when the cap is removed and it floods, the excess water will mix in with sewer water.

General Sep 27, 2026

Political rivals call Fréchette's claims of U.S. interference a fear campaign, 'Hail Mary'

Claims of American interference continued to churn on the Quebec campaign trail Saturday just ahead of the start of advance polling.

General Sep 27, 2026
Canada’s premiers tight-lipped on constitutional changes in Alberta referendum

Canada’s premiers tight-lipped on constitutional changes in Alberta referendum

Albertans will vote on several proposals, including three of which would likely require the support of more than half of Canada's legislatures.

Politics Sep 27, 2026

Behold the pawpaw, the tropical ‘alien banana’ that grows right here in Canada

The pawpaw fruit tastes of banana, mango and pineapple and was once abundant across parts of North America, but it can still be found growing wild and in some orchards.

General Sep 27, 2026

Quebec rapper Sarahmée explains her new 'Sassy Sasa era'

General Sep 27, 2026

Have you heard of these Quebec political parties?

There are 15 other registered political parties on the campaign trail, some of which are running dozens of candidates with a fraction of the resources or visibility of their better-known counterparts.

General Sep 27, 2026

2026 UCI Road World Championships: Men Elite Road Race

Watch the men's elite road race at the 2026 UCI Road World Championships in Montreal.

General Sep 27, 2026

Quebec's Leylah Fernandez wins Singapore Open for 1st title of season

Canada's Leylah Fernandez captured her first title of the season with a 7-5, 6-0 win over Australia's Talia Gibson in the women's singles final at the Singapore Tennis Open on Sunday.

General Sep 27, 2026

Black squirrels are helping Montreal scientists understand a city's role in animal evolution

Cities are far from uniform. Their diverse neighbourhoods, varying levels of tree cover and distinct boundaries — like Montreal’s waterways — create fine-scale environmental variations that can lead to different genetic and physical adaptations within the same animal population.

General Sep 27, 2026

Roussel, Brunelle win men's, women's national short track speed skating titles in Montreal

Félix Roussel closed his case as the men's Canadian short track speed skating champion on Saturday with his fourth gold and second silver of the competition in Montreal.

General Sep 27, 2026
Advance polls open in Quebec general election

Advance polls open in Quebec general election

Polls opened for the first day of advance voting on Sunday. Voters in Quebec have the option of voting until Monday, from 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m, ahead of the Oct. 5 general election.

Politics Sep 27, 2026
Quebec man trafficked woman while behind bars in Manitoba through phone calls

Quebec man trafficked woman while behind bars in Manitoba through phone calls

A man was found guilty of human trafficking, benefiting from proceeds of trafficking, pimping, disobeying a court order, and obstruction of justice, a judge says.

World Sep 27, 2026
Victims of Quebec helicopter crash remembered as TSB launches probe

Victims of Quebec helicopter crash remembered as TSB launches probe

Four people died after a helicopter crashed in Quebec on Saturday, though it's not yet known if a fire that occurred erupted before or after the crash.

Canada Sep 27, 2026