TL;DR
- Supreme Court of Canada opens hearings on Quebec’s secularism law (Bill 21) today, March 23 (through March 27). (ca.news.yahoo.com)
- Festival d’été de Québec 2026 general‑admission passes sold out in about three hours on March 11 after the lineup reveal; some premium options remain. (tvanouvelles.ca)
- CAQ leadership race hit its first official debate on March 21 in Québec City; the second debate is March 28 in Laval, with ranked voting to follow April 7–12. (coalitionavenirquebec.org)
Bill 21 at the Supreme Court: hearings March 23–27
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- Canada’s top court begins hearing appeals on Quebec’s secularism law (Bill 21) today, Monday, March 23, 2026, with arguments scheduled to run through Friday, March 27. (ca.news.yahoo.com)
- Important context and background information
- The law limits some public servants (e.g., teachers, police) from wearing religious symbols; earlier courts largely upheld it, citing the notwithstanding clause. The case also raises whether courts can assess Charter infringements notwithstanding that clause. (ca.news.yahoo.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- Civil‑liberties groups including the CCLA are intervening; filings ahead of the hearing previewed arguments on the scope of judicial review under the notwithstanding clause. (ccla.org)
FEQ 2026: passes snapped up after lineup drop
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- Following the March 11 lineup announcement, Festival d’été de Québec’s remaining 105,000 general‑admission passes sold out in about three hours that afternoon. Some premium zones (e.g., BLEUFEU/Jardin) and add‑ons may still appear via the official site/waitlist. (tvanouvelles.ca)
- Important context and background information
- FEQ (July 9–19) pairs major international headliners with Quebec artists and typically sees rapid sell‑through once the bill is posted. (feq.ca)
- Recent developments or changes
- The festival’s “waiting list” process remains open for categories that sell out, with notifications sent if additional quantities are released. (feq.ca)
CAQ leadership: first official debate held; next up March 28
- Key facts and current state of the topic
- The first official CAQ leadership debate took place Saturday, March 21, in Québec City; the second is slated for Saturday, March 28, in Laval, ahead of ranked‑ballot voting April 7–12. (coalitionavenirquebec.org)
- Important context and background information
- Polling heading into debate season showed Christine Fréchette holding a significant lead over Bernard Drainville among CAQ supporters. (ca.news.yahoo.com)
- Recent developments or changes
- Expect platforms to sharpen on immigration (PEQ transition rules), identity/secularism, and major projects (e.g., third link) as campaigns pivot to GOTV among members. (tvanouvelles.ca)