Andy Riga

1 week ago | montrealgazette.com | Andy Riga

Concordia University is warning of possible layoffs as it orders all departments to cut spending by 7.2 per cent. It says it must slash tens of millions from its budget amid declining revenue, falling enrolment and other financial challenges. “Layoffs are a last resort and part of a set of measures being discussed given our financial situation,” Concordia spokesperson Vannina Maestracci told The Gazette Wednesday. The university employs about 7,000 faculty and staff.

1 week ago | montrealgazette.com | Andy Riga

Sweeping new French-language rules take effect in Quebec on June 1, bringing new requirements — and potentially hefty consequences for businesses that don’t comply. The updated rules, part of Premier François Legault’s push to reinforce the presence of French in public life, could lead to noticeable changes in business signage — and even affect the range of products available to shoppers.

1 month ago | montrealgazette.com | Andy Riga

Quebec is endorsing the expression “Go Habs Go” after being ridiculed for telling the Société de transport de Montréal to drop the English word “Go” on bus messages that support the Montreal Canadiens. In a message posted on social media on Friday morning, French Language Minister Jean-François Roberge said “Go Habs Go” is “an expression that’s part of our DNA, our identity.”“It’s a unifying expression, rooted in our history, and part of our unique cultural and historical identity.

1 month ago | montrealgazette.com | Andy Riga

Concordia and McGill universities have partially won their legal challenge to Quebec’s decision to sharply increase tuition for out‑of‑province students and impose new French‑language proficiency requirements on non‑Quebec applicants. The two universities filed their suit in February 2024, arguing the Coalition Avenir Québec government’s actions contravened the Quebec and Canadian charters of rights.

1 month ago | montrealgazette.com | Andy Riga

The Parti Québécois says its leader will keep using the hashtag “Go Habs Go” even though Quebec’s language watchdog has targeted “Go” as an English word. “We have bigger priorities for the French language,” Catherine Gentilcore, the PQ’s culture critic, told reporters in Quebec City on Thursday.