Sugar Sammy at the Alhambra in Paris, where he has been drawing full houses for two months. Audiences in France “are way more demanding,” he says. “But that’s good, because that made me a better writer.”
Justine Lephay
A brief look at some of today’s top stories on the Gazette site.Youth protectionThe government has announced the creation of an independent roaming commission to probe the state of the province’s youth-protection network. Arguing on Thursday that Quebec needs to learn from its mistakes following the tragic death of a seven-year-old girl in Granby in April, Premier François Legault personally launched the operation to be tagged the special commission on the rights of children and youth protection or the Laurent Commission for short. More here.Sugar SammyThe phenomenally successful comedian sits down with Lesley Chesterman in Paris to talk about conquering France, why he’s glad he doesn’t fit in anywhere, and his plans to make his next Quebec show even edgier. More here.Poutine festivalPoutine lovers take note: The first edition of the West Island Grand Poutine Fest will be held from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 2 at Plaza Pointe-Claire. More here.GagsAnyone who has glanced at a television sometime during the last 20 years has probably seen the Just for Laughs show called Gags. It has been broadcast in more than 100 countries around the world. But does it go too far wth its pranks on ordinary citizens? More here.Quebec floodingAs ice cold floodwaters overtook sections of Île-Bizard in early May, were the poor, the elderly and the handicapped left to fend for themselves? That’s the question at the heart of a class-action lawsuit filed in Superior Court against the mayor and borough of Île-Bizard—Ste-Geneviève on May 24. More here.BusinessAdd Montreal’s Fiera Capital Corp. to the list of players who want a piece of the action if a baseball stadium ever gets built at the Peel Basin. More here.Snow-plow fatalityA Shell service station in Laval has been ordered to better protect its employees during snow-clearing operations and faces a fine of up to $67,000 after one of its workers was struck and killed by a snow plow last November, Quebec’s work health and safety board (CNESST) announced on Thursday. More here.Crown corporationsQuebec is overpaying senior executives of Crown corporations and doling out generous performance bonuses and golden parachutes in the mistaken belief it has to compete with wages in the private sectors to retain their services, the province’s auditor general says. More here.AlouettesMcLeod Bethel-Thompson and Canadian Brandon Bridge threw two touchdown passes apiece as the Toronto Argonauts defeated the Montreal Alouettes 45-20 in the CFL exhibition opener for both teams Thursday afternoon. More here.Women’s hockeyThe National Women’s Hockey League is cancelling plans to add a pair of Canadian teams for the 2019-20 season for now and making clear it is open to doing what’s best for women’s hockey. More here.