Montreal Mayor Demands Reopening Plan as Truckers Hit Quebec

Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante on Sunday asked the Quebec government to provide a detailed plan for “reopening” the province as it emerges from strict coronavirus emergency measures.

Perhaps not coincidentally, the Quebec branch of the Freedom Convoy anti-mandate protest movement held a rally over the weekend.

The three-day Quebec City Freedom Convoy event was considerably more limited in scope than the huge, ongoing demonstrations in other parts of Canada. The police announced they would not allow truckers to block the main streets of the province’s capital city, a dozen fines were handed out, and the truckers largely dispersed on Sunday – although event organizers called on the truckers to return in two weeks.

Quebec was already scheduled to begin lifting some of its pandemic restrictions on Monday, including limited reopening for theaters, public events, and places of worship. Spas and gyms will be allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity on February 14. Bars, breweries, and casinos remain closed until further notice, however.

On Sunday, Mayor Plante pointed out that businesses and event planners in Montreal and across Quebec need to know when venues would reopen, flights would resume, and guests could look forward to booking rooms. They also need to know what plans were in place to deal with any further health emergencies. – READ MORE