
Letters: CAQ doesn't grasp the immigrant experience
There seems to be a complete lack of understanding in the Coalition Avenir Québec government about immigrants to Quebec and the need to maintain their mother tongues and cultures at home.
This makes the transition much easier, just as it did for previous newcomers. It is a natural and normal dynamic among immigrants.
It's so sad the government appears to have no sense of the immigrant experience.
Gerry Raven, Hampstead
Integration bill is beyond the pale
Is it possible that Bill 84, the 'act respecting national integration,' was named in honour of George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984, or is it too much of a stretch to imagine that Immigration, Francization and Integration Minister Jean-François Roberge deigns to read anything conceived in English?
Perhaps he is a devotee of the Borg in Star Trek, trying to assimilate the entire population of Quebec.
Whatever the reason, this bill is an abomination.
Rhonda Shechtman, Côte-St-Luc
Let Supreme Court decide on school boards
Re: ' Legault government pushes school board dispute to Supreme Court ' (The Gazette, June 1); ' Legault government has learned nothing by taking school board bill to Supreme Court ' (Allison Hanes, June 3)
The Quebec English School Boards Association said it is deeply disappointed by the Legault government's decision to appeal the Bill 40 ruling to the Supreme Court of Canada, a move that columnist Allison Hanes noted 'has demonstrated the depth of its contempt for the rights of English-speaking Quebecers.'
The QESBA and Hanes should welcome the decision.
Should the Supreme Court agree to hear the case, it presents an impactful opportunity to uphold the principles of justice and equality and strengthen everyone's rights within Quebec's public school system. It would examine all perspectives and promote a fair resolution.
The Supreme Court holds the ultimate authority to clarify essential constitutional questions that could establish legal precedents to benefit other minority-language groups in Canada.
Chris Eustace, Pierrefonds
Nunavik students learn priceless lessons
Re: ' Trip of a lifetime for Nunavik students who 'deserve the world' ' (Extra, May 31)
It's not every day you read a delightful story that leaves you smiling and inspired.
Young students from Nunavik earned their way to visit Montreal through commitment, effort and the pride that comes from working toward something meaningful. Their reward wasn't just a fun trip. They also gained an expanded world view, increased confidence and the knowledge that dreams grow stronger with every step toward them.
It shows education is about more than tests and textbooks. It's about building character, creating opportunity and helping young people discover they have a place in our world. What their teachers did is a powerful reminder we should teach values with transformative experiences that will echo throughout their lives.
It's a model for motivating and empowering our youth. We need more of these inspirational opportunities for students that put a spotlight on growth, hope and achievement. This is what community-building and support look like and what education should always strive for.
To the organizers: Bravo. To the students: Keep shining.

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Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Trump's favorability has fallen among AAPI adults since last year, AAPI Data/AP-NORC poll finds
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AAPI independents' unfavorable view of Trump is higher than his unfavorable rating among independent adults overall, which was 52% in a June AP-NORC poll, having nudged slightly higher from 44% in December. Economic concerns could be playing a central role. About 8 in 10 AAPI adults expect Trump's tariff policies will increase the cost of consumer goods, the poll found, while only about 4 in 10 think those policies will boost domestic manufacturing and just 2 in 10 anticipate more U.S. jobs as a result. 'To me, it seems like a lot of not-really-well-thought-out things that are happening,' said Michael Ida, a 56-year-old independent in Hawaii who teaches high school advanced-placement calculus. 'In the process, there's a lot of collateral damage and fallout that's hurting a lot of people.' Ida was referring specifically to government spending cuts, including for education. AAPI adults represent a small segment of the U.S. population, making up about 7% of the nation's residents in 2023, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of government data. Likewise, they are hardly a pro-Trump voting bloc generally. In last year's election, English-speaking Asian U.S. voters shifted slightly toward Trump, but with only about a third supporting him, up from 29% in 2020, according to AP VoteCast. The new poll also suggests that they are especially likely to be worried about the economy's trajectory, and remain anxious about high costs. About two-thirds of AAPI adults, 65%, say they are 'extremely' or 'very' concerned about the possibility of the U.S. economy going into a recession, higher than the 53% of the Americans generally who said the same in an April AP-NORC survey. 'On the economy, you saw AAPI voters shift — not in a big way, but shift nonetheless — toward Trump' in the 2024 election, said Karthick Ramakrishnan, executive director of AAPI Data and researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. 'They are not seeing big economic benefits pan out. Quite the contrary, they are seeing big economic risks on the horizon based on Trump's action on tariffs.' Shopan Hafiz, a 39-year-old independent and engineer at Intel in Oregon, described his view of Trump as 'very unfavorable,' and bemoaned the Republican president's tariff policy which he expected to hit American consumers harder in the coming months. 'With all the tariffs, I don't think it's going to help,' Hafiz said. 'All the tariffs will ultimately be paid by U.S. nationals, and inflation is going to get worse.' The poll comes in the midst of Trump's on-and-off threats to impose tariffs for what he says is his goal of leveling the nation's trade imbalance. Inflation rose in June to its highest level since February as Trump's tariffs pushed up the cost of household goods, from groceries to appliances. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in June from a year earlier, the Labor Department said last week, up from an annual increase of 2.4% in May. On a monthly basis, prices climbed 0.3% from May to June, after rising just 0.1% the previous month. Like Hafiz, Ida, the teacher in Hawaii, did not vote for Trump last year. Instead, both voted for Libertarian Party nominee Chase Oliver. Hafiz's decision was in opposition to the two major U.S. parties' support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Ida said the two major parties had become 'too extreme.' Ida is among the roughly two-thirds of AAPI adults who say they are at least 'very concerned' about the cost of groceries. He's noticed fear of higher prices in his Pacific island state, and even more within the ethnic businesses, in light of Hawaii's reliance on shipped goods. 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- CBC
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Winnipeg Free Press
17 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Defendants argue to state's high court that a Pennsylvania DA has been misusing the death penalty
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