Immigrants unsure of their future in Quebec following the PQ victory
Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon succeeded in growing the PQ to 59 seats in the Oct. 12 election from just three seats the party won in 2022, but it’s not enough to form a majority government.
Still, newcomers are concerned about decisions the PQ might make regarding immigration policies.
The party has said it would reduce temporary immigration by at least half, targeting 250,000 to 300,000 non-permanent residents by the end of a four-year term. It also wants to reduce the number of international students to 50,000 a year.
According to the Institut de la statistique du Québec, the number of non-permanent residents is tentatively estimated at 514,050 as of Jan. 1, 2026.
For Timothée Kouame, a master’s student in environment and sustainable development at the University of Montreal, the cuts to temporary immigration, particularly those affecting international students like him, are his biggest concern.
“The announced policies regarding the reduction of temporary immigration raise questions about our future,” Kouame said. “Many of us have invested a tremendous amount of time and, let me be clear, a tremendous amount of financial resources as well.”
In his view, most international students aim to integrate into Quebec society after earning their degrees and contribute to the province’s economy. In his case, this means putting his skills to work in the environmental field.
In the future, he said he hopes to gain professional experience in his field and potentially settle permanently in the province, but he’s not sure what to expect from the new government.
“It's hard to plan for the future when the conditions for transitioning from student to worker, and eventually to permanent residence, remain uncertain,” said Kouame, who arrived from the Ivory Coast in 2024.
Despite the uncertainty, Kouame said he remains positive but cautious about the future of temporary immigrants in Quebec.
“I hope the new government will recognize the efforts and contributions of the immigrants already living in the province, particularly those who are studying, working and actively participating in Quebec society,” he said.
“The key issue is not just how many people Quebec wants to welcome, but also what opportunities it offers to those who have already begun to build their future here.”
Leidy Johanna Martinez, a Colombian temporary worker who has been living in Quebec for six years, said she prefers to remain cautious about the future of immigration in the province.
She said it is too soon to jump to conclusions about the new government and thinks that despite the PQ’s proposals to reduce immigration, and the fact that the party won’t have a majority government means it will need additional support from the Parti Libéral du Québec (PLQ), which will make it difficult for the governing party.
“It's important to see what stance (the PLQ) takes and whether it’ll be willing to support or modify the measures proposed by the PQ,” Martinez said.
“So yes, there are reasons to stay alert, especially for those of us going through immigration proceedings, but I also don’t think this is the time to think that it’s all over.”
For Loane Grimm, who arrived in Quebec from France seven years ago and is close to obtaining Canadian citizenship, it is also too early to say if the party’s platform will win him over or not. But he said he views the change in government as positive.
“I simply value a change in government in a democracy — that's what keeps it alive.”
Grimm said he believes being a permanent resident now allows him to view the political landscape through a different lens.
“If I were still a temporary resident, or in the middle of the immigration process, I think I would have felt some unease about this political party,” he said.
“But since I’ll soon be a Canadian citizen, I think this election will spark interesting debates, including of course the issue of Quebec’s identity and sovereignty.”
Copyright 2026, New Canadian Media. All rights reserved.
Natalia Rivero, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media.
'Dateline Canada' dives deep into past cases as appetite for true crime grows
When Diana Swain stepped away from her journalism career after more than 35 years, she thought she was ready to slow down.
That was until the veteran reporter learned about the opportunity with "Dateline Canada," a spinoff of the long-running American investigative newsmagazine TV show.
"I'm not sure there is anything else that would have pulled me out of what I was doing," said Swain, who notably worked on the investigative team during her tenure at CBC before leaving to start her own communications consulting firm in 2024.
"I was happily winding down my professional life, but it's 'Dateline' and it's the legacy of that program. It's the power of that program and it is the chance to tell a story in a fulsome way."
Swain was named the new host of “Dateline Canada,” which will premiere on Citytv next month with a two-hour special that delves into the high-profile cold case of Elizabeth Bain, a University of Toronto student who disappeared from Scarborough, Ont., in 1990. It marks the first international expansion of the long-form NBC news program.
"It is hard to keep a program going as long as 'Dateline' has on either side of the border. And it has a very specific understanding with its audience about the kinds of stories it's going to tell, how it's gonna tell them, and it's why people keep coming back," Swain said. "They feel like they can depend on that kind of relationship they have with 'Dateline.' So, I think being able to bring that to Canadian audiences through the lens of Canadian stories is a really special opportunity."
“Dateline” first aired in 1992 on NBC as a general interest program, but eventually evolved to focus primarily on true crime investigations.
"Dateline" NBC correspondent and Canadian Keith Morrison was on hand alongside Swain at a downtown Toronto studio and said it was "a delight" to help usher in the show's north-of-the-border era, given his Canuck roots.
"I've always been a Canadian and I will remain a Canadian until I die," said Morrison, who won't be reporting for the homegrown spinoff. "That's what my blood is and that's how I feel about things, so to be associated with this makes me very happy."
The 79-year-old was born in the Alberta-Saskatchewan provincial border city of Lloydminster and got his start working in local news before landing national roles with CTV and CBC. He joined “Dateline” in 1995 and has been a fixture on the series since.
Asked about the show's enduring legacy, Morrison said through trial and error, "Dateline" learned how to tell stories in a way that drew viewers in and helped them make sense of what had happened.
True crime as a genre has grown in popularity in recent years, especially through steaming documentaries and podcasts.
"I suspect it has something to do with the unsettled nature of the world we live in right now," Morrison said. "Somehow people need to be aware of the possibilities and maybe try to look a little deeper into the human psyche than normally we do."
Morrison's signature delivery — a drawn-out, rhythmic cadence with dramatic pauses — has also become synonymous with "Dateline" and he was even parodied on "Saturday Night Live" by former cast member Bill Hader. Morrison said he didn't develop his style intentionally, but rather has just been himself all these years.
Nonetheless, Swain interjected to commend the veteran host on his iconic sound.
"You could probably list on one hand ... the number of journalists on either side of the border who are as well known for their voice and their style of speaking as Keith is," Swain said. "That's an extraordinary thing."
Swain said "Dateline Canada," which has so far only released information on its first episode, will resemble its American counterpart, but with "a singular focus on Canadian stories."
The first episode will examine the 36-year-old Bain case and home in on key aspects of the investigation, including the wrongful conviction of Robert Baltovich, who was Bain's boyfriend at the time of her disappearance and spent eight years incarcerated before he was acquitted in 2008. The show also re-examines evidence and unearths previously unreported information.
Swain said what she found compelling about the case is that more than three decades after Bain first went missing, "the question of what happened to her, who was involved, has never been answered."
"Those questions need to be answered and if we can pull together the threads of this story (and) what's known, because often details come out over time. And that's the luxury of 'Dateline' is that we have two hours to pull these threads together, show people what's known about what happened and see if we start to make more sense of things that didn't make sense at the time."
“Dateline Canada” will debut on Nov. 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Citytv and Citytv+.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026.
By Kaitlyn McGrath | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
Ottawa adding new express entry points for immigrants in 'high-wage' jobs
Ottawa is adding new express entry points for permanent residency applicants in "high-wage" jobs.
The government also plans to remove the requirement for an employer to prove they can't find a qualified Canadian for those jobs.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab's two-pronged announcement in Kitchener, Ont., first adds new express entry points for people with Canadian work experience or with a job offer in a high-wage field such as engineering.
The government considers a high-wage job as one with pay that is at least 1.3 times the median wage, with more express entry points given the higher the wage is.
The government is also introducing a temporary policy to remove the need for an employer to include a Labour Market Impact Assessment on a qualifying job that's eligible for the new express entry points.
These new policies are set to take effect on Nov. 3.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2026
By David Baxter | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.