PQ Poll, Million-Dollar Medical Bills & CEGEP Evacuation — Montreal Tuesday

🚑 Breaking & Incidents

CEGEP in Saint-Hyacinthe evacuated after chemical spill in lab. Authorities evacuated the Saint-Hyacinthe CEGEP campus on Tuesday after a lab chemical spill, prompting on-site hazmat response and temporary closure of the affected building. The college confirmed an evacuation order and said students and staff were moved to a safe assembly area while first responders secured the scene.
78 students suspended from Saint-Jérôme high school after unrest and vandalism. The school suspended 78 students following unrest that included vandalism, and administrators have set up disciplinary hearings and increased supervision for classes, the board announced on Tuesday. The suspension count of 78 covers both short- and long-term measures while the school investigates property damage and safety concerns.

Poll suggests PQ referendum pledge cost party a majority. A Léger poll for Le Journal de Montréal found the Parti Québécois would have had 35% support — seven points higher than the 28% they won on Oct. 5 — and that only 20% of respondents back a referendum in the PQ’s first mandate. Political scientist Daniel Béland of McGill said the poll confirms voters’ resistance to a third referendum, affecting the PQ’s shift to a minority government.
Incoming Quebec premier asked lieutenant-governor to skip cabinet swearing-in. The incoming premier formally requested that the lieutenant-governor not hold a traditional cabinet swearing-in ceremony, a procedural change the premier’s office announced on Tuesday as it sets plans for the new minority government. The request alters the usual public swearing protocol for cabinet ministers at the start of a mandate.

Montreal man faces more than $1 million after emergency spinal surgery without RAMQ. Alvin John Reyes, a Philippines-born worker on a 2023 work permit in Montreal, says a mid-September spinal surgery for spinal stenosis has left him bedridden and facing bills the family estimates could exceed $1 million. The family reports already owing close to $200,000 to the McGill University Health Centre after a month-long hospital stay billed at about $7,000 per day and an initial ER charge of $1,600.
Woman says unclear Quebec rules left her with steep lodging bill after month of chemo travel. A patient who travelled for a month of chemotherapy says Quebec’s coverage rules left her with a large lodging bill after repeated trips for treatment, according to her account reported on Tuesday. She told reporters her repeated travel for chemo and unclear eligibility details produced unexpected out-of-pocket accommodation costs during the treatment month.

McGill law students petition to let convicted murderer return to studies on day parole. Some McGill law students launched a petition this month urging the university to allow Jeffrey George Ewert, a man convicted of second-degree murder who spent 40 years in federal prison and was granted day parole in 2025, to resume law studies after being barred from campus. The petition follows divisive student reactions and calls both for second chances and for campus safety measures.
Sharks rally in overtime as Celebrini scores twice; Canadiens lose 4-3. San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini scored twice, including the 2:13 OT winner, as the Sharks beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Tuesday; Montreal fell to 4-3-2 while San Jose improved to 5-4-1. Canadiens players Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki each recorded a goal and an assist, and goalie Jakub Dobes made 26 saves in the game.