Raccoon Rabies, Police Trust Gap & Anti‑Hail Cannon — Montreal Monday

🏛️ Government & Politics

1. Quebec premier open to US wines returning to shelves but only with trade gains. Premier Christine Fréchette says US wines can come back if Ottawa secures tariff reductions for forestry, aluminum and manufacturing and if supply management and Quebec language protections remain intact; a new 50% round of U.S. tariffs is set to start Aug. 19.
2. Two competing Montreal Pride parades drew heightened security after the Berlin attack. Organizers with Fierté Montréal increased security for this year’s downtown parade following a deadly attack in Berlin, and participants, including longtime attendees, cited recent provincial laws in Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. restricting trans youth care as part of rising tensions.
3. Quebec apple grower deployed a $160,000 Spanish anti-hail cannon southeast of Montreal. Maxime Brie at Verger des Bois‑Francs says the cannon — claimed to be new to Canada — can protect up to 80 hectares and is linked to a SPAG weather station monitored by meteorologists in Brazil.

🏥 Health

1. Quebec confirms a second Montreal‑area cat with raccoon rabies; 3 more people given post‑exposure treatment. Montérégie Public Health says the second infected cat was found in Saint‑Anicet, bringing Quebec’s 2026 raccoon‑rabies total to 139 cases so far; officials remind the public to report dead or disoriented animals.
2. Montreal’s Neuro is working on gene‑targeted research for a 3‑year‑old with hereditary spastic paraplegia. Researchers at the Neuro are analyzing Gurmoh Gill’s genetic data to develop treatments aimed at slowing progression of HSP, according to director of clinical research Ziv Gan‑Or.

🚨 Crime & Public Safety

1. Decades of brutality and racism complaints have deepened trust gaps between Montreal police and communities. A long‑running series of complaints and meetings dating back more than a decade, including a 2015 station meeting prompted by photos of alleged police beatings, underpin continued questions about whether the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal adequately investigated racial‑profiling allegations.
2. New York trial for Montreal man accused in 9‑year‑old daughter’s death enters fourth week. Luciano Frattolin, 46, is on trial in Elizabethtown, NY, facing second‑degree murder and concealment charges after Montreal resident Melina Frattolin, age 9, was found drowned in a marsh; he has pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail since July 2025.

📰 Also Today

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• Westmount extends weekly trash pickup as Montreal moves to biweekly collection.
• Montreal man charged with making death threats against Prime Minister Mark Carney.
• N.Y. jury convicts Montreal father of murder in death of 9‑year‑old daughter.
• Quebec coroner renews calls for Highway 50 safety upgrades after fatal crash.
• Could the Alto high speed rail plan be derailed?
• What to know about Montreal police chief's video message about racism allegations.
• Canada's Leylah Fernandez eliminated in 4th round at National Bank Open.
• Major reports, inquiries and lawsuits into police racism in Quebec listed.
• New app aims to help people with dyslexia learn French.
• Tennis Canada considering revamp of stadium at Montreal’s Jarry Park.