The year 2023 is already coming to an end We can't say it was easy! Here are 14 notable events that made the headlines of the last few months.
• Also read: Significant weather phenomena in 2023: Quebec has not been spared from Mother Nature either
January: Explosion in Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan
SCREENSHOT / VAT NEWS / QMI AGENCY
• Also read: [PHOTOS] Explosion in Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan: View the extent of the damage
The community of Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan in Lanaudière experienced quite a trauma on January 11th when a violent explosion completely destroyed the premises of the Propane Lafortune company.
This widely felt explosion claimed the lives of three employees: Céline Pilon and France Desrosiers, 65 years old, and Christophe Paradis, 26 years old.
MAXIME DELAND/AGENCE QMI
The Sûreté du Québec took into account the theory of criminal negligence in its investigation, as certain elements suggested “possible omissions in the work prior to the explosion.” No charges have yet been filed in the case.
On December 19, 2023, the CNESST concluded that welding work on a tank trailer that had not been cleaned of gasoline fumes was the cause of the explosion.
February: Horror occurs in a daycare center in Laval
Photo The Diary
• Also read: Drama in Laval: The shock gave way to pain
• Also read: “Why did he do that?”: the heartbreaking question of a child who found himself under the bus
On the morning of February 8, a city bus driver intentionally drove into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district of Laval, killing two children aged 4 and 5 and injuring six other children.
This tragedy deeply affected Quebec and brought great sympathy to the families of the victims.
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Pierre Ny St-Amand, the suspect in this case, was arrested at the scene and is charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and aggravated assault. His preliminary examination will take place in March 2024.
March: deadly fire in Old Montreal and tragedy in Amqui
Archive photo Stevens LeBlanc
• Also read: Fire in Old Montreal: One of the deadliest fires in the metropolis in 50 years?
• Also read: Amqui drama: Steeve Gagnon is officially charged with three premeditated murders and nine attempted murders
The month of March was full of news. It all started on the afternoon of March 13, when a driver intentionally drove into pedestrians in the town of Amqui, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region. This murderous madness cost three people their lives and eight others were injured.
Steeve Gagnon, the suspect in this story, faces 14 charges, including three counts of first-degree murder. According to one of his friends, the 38-year-old suffered from mental health problems.
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
Three days later, on March 16, Montreal was hit by the worst fire in its territory in 50 years.
Erik Peters / QMI Agency
The fire completely destroyed a heritage building in Old Montreal and killed seven people. The event served as a shock treatment for the Quebec government to better regulate Airbnb-like platforms.
The owner, who had several of the building's rooms on this rental property, came under fire because the building violated several fire hazard regulations.
He and a business owner who rented accommodation in the building through the Airbnb platform are the targets of a $22 million class-action lawsuit filed by the father of one of the victims.
Airbnb has also been in Quebec's crosshairs since a series of measures were announced to better regulate accommodation rentals on the platform. There have also been calls for a public inquiry to shed light on this incident.
The SPVM stated that the fire was of criminal origin.
April: A new ice crisis hits southern Quebec
SCREENSHOT / VAT NEWS / QMI AGENCY
• Also read: “We didn’t need that”: Quebec was hit hard by a final storm before spring
• Also read: [À VOIR] Check out the impressive damage left by the ice
Freezing rain marked a strong bout in early April, dumping up to 30 mm of ice in several areas of southwestern Quebec, including Montreal and Outaouais.
Photo agency QMI, Maxime Deland
In the worst-case scenario of the crisis, more than a million homes in Quebec lost power, something unusual since the 1998 ice storm. The weather bomb even claimed a victim in Montérégie, when a man was crushed by the weight of a tree branch he was trying to cut . Around ten cases of carbon monoxide poisoning were also reported in Montreal.
Some Hydro-Québec subscribers waited almost a week before being reconnected to the network.
May: Floods inundate several communities in Quebec
Photo Stevens LeBlanc
• Also read: [VIDÉOS] Two rivers rage in Charlevoix: enormous damage in Baie-Saint-Paul
• Also read: [EN IMAGES] Flooding in Charlevoix: from mud to kitchen and living room
The arrival of spring will not have calmed Mother Nature in Quebec in 2023. Many communities, particularly Baie-Saint-Paul in Charlevoix, were hit by severe flooding as the ice melted.
Campgrounds, golf courses, roads and many homes sustained significant damage. Residents were also forced to evacuate their homes and several areas were completely isolated. Two volunteer firefighters even died while trying to help the victims.
June: Forest fires and real estate crisis
Photo provided by SOPFEU
• Also read: [EN IMAGES] Quebec wildfires: An area larger than Costa Rica has been reduced to rubble… and is still burning
• Also read: 'I'm ready to sleep in the living room': Desperate mother finds nowhere to go 10 days before July 1st
The smog caused by smoke from the wildfires that ravaged the west of the country was a central factor in the news in June 2023. This toxic haze allowed Montreal to rise to the top of the unenviable list of the world's most polluted cities.
Joël Lemay / QMI Agency
Several regions in Quebec experienced the rhythm of evacuations caused by the flames. The municipality of Lebel-sur-Quévillon in Nord-du-Québec had to evacuate 2,000 citizens as the fire was heading towards residential buildings. The Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, where logging plays a central role in the economy, was hit hard.
At the same time, a major real estate crisis was emerging in Quebec with the arrival of lease renewals in July. The staggering rise in rental costs and housing shortages have forced many Quebecers to make difficult decisions to find housing.
July: Opening of the REM in Montreal
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
• Also read: Commissioning of the electric train: Review of the most important dates of the REM
The REM, which connects Brossard to downtown Montreal, was inaugurated on July 28. This is the largest public transportation project to see the light of day in Quebec since the Montreal subway opened in 1966.
The public opening on the weekend of July 29 attracted more than 120,000 people.
“It's a huge success. People were there. “Obviously they were very happy to discover the REM,” REM spokesman Jean-Vincent Lacroix said at the time.
Thierry Laforce / QMI Agency
However, this hopeful start was overshadowed by the numerous mishaps the REM suffered in the following weeks.
August: A father kills his children before taking his own life in Lanaudière
Facebook acquired by Facebook, Ianik Lamontagne
• Also read: In Lanaudière, a father kills his two children and takes his own life
A family tragedy shocked the Notre-Dame-des-Prairies community in Lanaudière when a father took his own life on August 26, 2023 after murdering his two children.
According to one of his friends, Ianik Lamontagne, the perpetrator of the murders, was arrested two days before the tragedy for harassing his ex-partner.
The woman reportedly contacted police after finding microphones and a GPS in her car. Another family friend added that the man had been suffering from severe depression for some time.
September: A body torn to pieces is found in Quebec
• Also read: [PHOTOS] Murder in Quebec: Police take secateurs with them
A sordid tale of murder that began Sept. 17 after the discovery of mangled human remains in Quebec has fascinated and disturbed the Quebec public.
Photo from Santiago Gaona's Facebook page
That day, the mutilated body of 26-year-old Santiago Gaona was found on the premises of a tree trimming company in Quebec. Three suspects were arrested in Kahnawake that same evening. Jean-Philippe Lamontagne (44), Cassandra Major (31) and François Bouchard (31) face a range of charges, including first-degree murder, accessory after the fact and indignity to a corpse.
Details of the investigation revealed that the murder was allegedly committed at the residence of François Bouchard in Contrecœur in Montérégie.
Photo agency QMI, Maxime Deland
The body was then transported to Quebec, where it was burned after being chopped up by a reaper.
The victim, who had no criminal record in Quebec, was described by one of his friends as “a good guy” who had drug problems and bad company. Another friend confided that Santiago Gaona was killed because of a “bullshit girl story.”
October: Hamas launches surprise attack on Israel
AFP
• Also read: Terrorist attack in Israel: 'We are on alert' – A Montreal mother is trying to maintain a normal life in Jerusalem for her two young children
• Also read: The “horrific images” of captured Israelis
A historic conflict erupted again in Israel when Hamas militants launched a surprise offensive against the Jewish state on October 7. 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed and 240 hostages were returned to the Gaza Strip. Several atrocities committed by Hamas were filmed and broadcast on social networks.
In retaliation, Israel bombed Palestinian territory, killing around 20,000 people. Authorities in the Gaza Strip accuse the Jewish state of targeting hospitals and refugee camps.
After several weeks of war, Hamas and Israel managed to agree on the terms of a ceasefire to free the hostages on both sides. Since then, hostilities have resumed.
Canada calls for a new ceasefire.
November: Death of Karl Tremblay
AFP
• Also read: Karl Tremblay 1976-2023: The warrior gives up his weapons
On November 15, the world of Quebec song lost one of its greatest artists. Karl Tremblay, who was the voice of the Cowboys Fringants, died of prostate cancer, which he had battled for three years.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/AGENCE QMI
The news caused a shock wave in the province, but also in French-speaking countries. The man who continued to perform despite his treatments appeared to the public as a warrior in the face of illness.
A national honors ceremony was held at the Bell Center on November 28th. Marie-Annick Lépine, Jean-François Pauzé and Jérôme Dupras reunited with their admirers to celebrate the life of their leader of the last 25 years.
December: Death of Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois in the Caribbean
Archive photo
• Also read: Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his wife were found dead in the Caribbean
On December 3, a shock wave rocked Quebec's cinema industry. Entrepreneur Daniel Langlois, known for his software for animated films, and his partner Dominique Marchand were found dead in a burned-out vehicle in Dominica, where they owned a luxury resort.
Entrepreneur Daniel Langlois in Dominica. Undated photo. FROM AN EMONEWS/YOUTUBE LIVESTREAM
Jonathan Lehrer, the couple's neighbor, and an alleged accomplice must appear in court in this case. The two victims were allegedly ambushed by a person who killed them before setting their vehicle on fire. A legal dispute between MM. Lehrer and Langlois is said to have been the origin of the tragedy.
Since the couple's deaths, numerous tributes have been bestowed upon them. Several people highlighted his generosity and commitment to the community of Soufrière, the Dominican city where the two Quebecers decided to open their hotel.
The film industry has also recognized Daniel Langlois' legacy in the world of animation and special effects.